Best Games Most Like Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the best games released in the 2020s thus far. The freedom to make your island exactly what you want from top to bottom and villager to villager is incredible. It is also a relaxing and enjoyable experience that is far from the stressful, action-packed other games. So, what are the best games like Animal Crossing? Here are my picks for the titles you should check out if you love games like this.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

You can’t look at Dreamlight Valley and not tell me this is just basically a Disney take on Animal Crossing. It has the same ideas of customizing your character, gathering items, your house, and befriending the villagers in town. Except the difference here is the villagers are some of the most iconic animated characters, from Mickey Mouse to Moana and more. Disney fans should not miss out on this one.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure

After many years, we finally have the chance to play the game Butters famously spoke about in the South Park episode “Make Love, Not Warcraft.” And it turns out Butters was obsessed with this game for a reason. It takes the usual Animal Crossing formula and swaps the villagers out for beloved Sanrio characters like Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, and Gudetama.

Dinkum

This Australia-based life sim game wears its Animal Crossing inspiration on its sleeve. Not only do the characters and art style feel reminiscent of Nintendo’s own series, but the mechanics, gameplay, and even the UI look remarkably similar. It is still in early access so some key features are still missing, but it is a joy to play in co-op with friends nonetheless.

Stardew Valley

Sure, Stardew Valley is essentially a 2D pixel art take on the amazing Story of Seasons series, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t appeal to Animal Crossing lovers as well. Fishing, farming, and other key features of that Nintendo series are all present here. Plus, you get to not only get to know the villagers in town, but romance some of them as well.

Not to mention this is a truly endless game with limitless content, both officially and unofficially from the community, so you’ll never run out of stuff to do.

More of the Best Games Like Animal Crossing

Beyond the four above, there are still other games worth checking out that are surprisingly similar to Animal Crossing. Be it in the villagers aspect, the home decor part, or even just the various cozy features you can do around the world like fishing and bug collecting, these are the best games that truly feel similar to Animal Crossing:

• Infinity Nikki
• Cozy Grove
• Hokko Life
• Spiritfarer
• Ooblets
• Moonstone Island