Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) took the world by storm during the COVID-19 pandemic. With nothing much else to do, people who had never engaged with the franchise before became die-hard fans overnight.
Nintendo has said they’re not doing any more major updates on the game, meaning it’s run its course for most people counting on new content to keep them invested. This has left a lot of players wondering what to play next. If Animal Crossing left an impression on you, you might be looking for something similar.
When someone tells me they are looking for “games like Animal Crossing,” I always ask them to break it down further. Because, duh, there are no games just like Animal Crossing! That’s what makes it so special. I’ve noticed that most people are looking for wholesome/casual games that have one of the following elements as a prominent gameplay feature:
It’s pretty rare to find a game like Animal Crossing that perfectly encapsulates every one of those features. So, I’ve broken my list down into 3 groups, and you can decide which mechanic is the most important to you.
I also consider the following to be of importance:
- Animal & nature appreciation
- No/low combat environments
- Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters
- Real-time events, like festivals or community events
That being said, let’s get started. Here are my favorite games like Animal Crossing, plus why I love them.
Games like Animal Crossing: Quicklist
Everything you need, no scrolling required.
- Hello Kitty Island Adventure
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Ooblets
- Garden Paws
- Haven Park
- Fantasy Life i: Girl Who Steals Time
- Cozy Grove
- Littlewood
- GROW: Song of the Evertree
- Roots of Pacha
- Stardew Valley
- Fields of Mistria
- Bugaboo Pocket
- Two Point Museum
- Other Animal Crossing Titles
Games like Animal Crossing: Anthropomorphic Animal Friends
When cozy gamers think about games like Animal Crossing, a lot of them like the “collection of little buddies” element. Everyone has their favorite villager, and opinions online can even get contentious. There are anthropomorphic villagers that are so popular they even sell for real-world currency. (In this economy?)
Here are games I recommend that are packed with anthropomorphic animal friends or other similar lil’ guys.
1. Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is an adorable cozy game on Steam + consoles, set on a tropical island where you’ll team up with Sanrio characters to restore an abandoned resort. You’ll explore lush environments, decorate your personal cabin, solve mysteries, cook meals, and bond with familiar faces like My Melody, Keroppi, and, of course, Hello Kitty herself.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Hello Kitty Island Adventure is the closest you’ll get to an Animal Crossing game that isn’t actually Animal Crossing. This is peak wholesome vibes. You’re helping animal friends rebuild a peaceful island getaway, and the emphasis on customization, exploration, and gift-giving is straight out of the ACNH playbook. If you ever wished Nook’s crew included more pastel and bow-wearing icons, this game is for you.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ✔️
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ✔️
2. Disney Dreamlight Valley
Disney Dreamlight Valley is Disney’s answer to the “cozy life sim” genre, with a particular focus on unlocking and collecting a cast of characters from their classic movies. Disney Dreamlight Valley is like moving into a magical neighborhood where all your favorite Disney and Pixar characters live. You get to farm, fish, cook, and help them with fun little quests. It’s super cozy, a bit like Animal Crossing, but with Mickey Mouse and magic!
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Disney and Nintendo both share the same affinity for wholesomeness. There is no combat, no suggestive content, no dark themes. It’s just a fun game about meeting animal and human friends alike and helping them restore the valley they call home.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ✔️
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ✔️
3. Ooblets
Ooblets is a charming indie game that blends farming, cozy creature collecting, and dance battles! Set in the idyllic world of Oob, players will nourish a farm, train adorable creatures called Ooblets, and participate in deck-builder battles. Though it’s more of a creature collector than a “life sim,” I think the pastel wholesomeness will appeal to ACNH fans. It also has a great sense of humor that reminds me a lot of Pascal’s quotes or the fishing/bug catching puns.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Ooblets has a cute, quirky art style that reminds me a lot of Animal Crossing. The characters are colorful and silly and the NPCs always have a humourous little quip to pass along. If you liked building out the museum in ACNH, you’ll like how much there is to collect in Ooblets: critters, outfits, cards, etc. And although there is technically “combat,” it’s turn-based dance battles so it doesn’t feel violent or rough at all.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ❌
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ✔️
4. Garden Paws
Garden Paws is a cozy farming sim where you run your own cute shop, raise animals, grow crops, and explore the wilderness. It’s super laid-back; just you, adorable critters, and colorful camp life vibes. Develop your new home at the local construction shop, collect and sell everything from poop to flowers, commission new buildings in town, and take on quests from the village residents. The character creator lets you play as a fox, bunny, bear, dragon, cat, bird, badger, chipmunk, horse, or dog—and there are over 400 skins to customize your avatar.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: As you can see in the screenshot above, Garden Paws has characters that look like they could be Animal Crossing villagers! So if you love the villagers in ACNH, try this game for a similar dose of adorable. There is combat in the game, but you can pretty much avoid it if you want. Still, it’s there and might deter some of the coziest players from jumping in.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ❌
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ❌
5. Haven Park
Haven Park is a story-driven cozy game that features Flint, a little bird who inherits a park from his late grandmother. Your job is to help him maintain the campsite by listening to guests’ wishes and making them come true. You’ll be able to add facilities and items and arrange them to your heart’s content. It’s cute and colorful with a beautiful scenic park to explore.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Haven Park is animal and wilderness-centric and your main task is building out the camp. It has the same essence of ACNH in that way. Anthropomorphic animals are also very Animal Crossing, obviously. This would be a great game for anyone who enjoyed meeting and running errands for their island inhabitants.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ✔️
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ❌
Games Like Animal Crossing: City Building & Development
Thanks to Animal Crossing New Horizons, my obsession with city-building and landscaping has multiplied. I love placing homes and shops, adding decorations everywhere, controlling every tree and flower placement, and even excavating the land to get my community vibes just right. If I can’t make a Pinterest board for “[game] community designs,” then I don’t want it! I kid, I kid.
Here are some other games that scratch that Animal Crossing city building & development itch for me:
6. Fantasy Life i: Girl Who Steals Time
- Play Fantasy Life i: Girl Who Steals Time on Steam
- Play Fantasy Life i: Girl Who Steals Time on Nintendo Switch
Fantasy Life i: Girl Who Steals Time is a genre busting mashup of RPG adventure, life sim & community building, farming simulation, and even a bit of open world-lite exploration. The story-rich fantasy/sci fi narrative is a blast, and you have several maps to explore at your own pace. You can spend your time leveling up different “Lives,” from fishing to cooking to four different combat types. You have your own little island map to decorate, too, and you can find little buddies around the world to add to your camp.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Fantasy life i is way more action-adventure than Animal Crossing, but I had to include it because the island development tools are basically ACNH reincarnated. You’ll eventually unlock a robo pal who can manipulate land and water, build peaks and valleys, add or move homes, populate small farm plots, and decorate with lamps, benches, bushes, and more.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ❌
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events❓
7. Cozy Grove
- Buy Cozy Grove on Steam
- Buy Cozy Grove on Nintendo Switch
- Buy Cozy Grove on Mobile (Apple & Android)
Cozy Grove is a charming cozy game on mobile that combines elements of life simulation and simple puzzles. You’ll become a Spirit Scout, tasked with bringing life to a haunted, color-drained island. The game’s distinctive hand-drawn art style and soothing, folk-inspired soundtrack is peak cozy. Players can interact with quirky, ghostly animal spirits to help them resolve their pasts and gradually uncover the island’s secrets.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Cozy Grove’s tasks are tied to real-life time, just like in Animal Crossing, which uses the IRL clock to measure the passage of the day. This makes Cozy Grove a great “pop in in small doses each day” game, which is part of what I loved about ACNH.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ✔️
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ✔️
8. Littlewood
Littlewood is a peaceful town-building RPG set after the world has already been saved from the Big Baddie. You play as the Hero who’s just woken up with amnesia, and now it’s time to rebuild your hometown post-disaster. You’ll gather resources, design the layout of your village, craft furniture, go on little adventures, and build friendships with quirky NPCs. It’s all about slowing down and creating a cozy community together.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Littlewood hits that same “no pressure” vibe that made ACNH so addictive. You’re free to decorate the town however you want, collect bugs and fish, and befriend a wide cast of eccentric villagers. No enemies, no combat, just chill vibes and town management with some light RPG elements for flavor. You can also arrange houses, landscapes, gardens, and decorations as you see fit around town. There is a also a museum for your in-game collections!
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ❌
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ❌
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ❌
9. GROW: Song of the Evertree
GROW: Song of the Evertree is a visually stunning, cozy RPG adventure that lets you restore magical worlds by nurturing the Evertree and rebuilding a lost civilization. You’ll craft unique biomes, plant fantastical flora, care for creatures, and rebuild the town around the tree. The visuals are lush, the soundtrack is serene, and the whole game feels like a magical exhale.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: If you loved shaping your island in ACNH, you’ll love how GROW lets you terraform whimsical worlds and build a community from the ground up. There are several little homesteads, each with a list of wishes from the residents. You can add shops, homes, decorations, and more, to ensure each space meets the needs of its population. The decorating, in particular, is a blast, though are limited in how much you can place.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ✔️
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ❌
10. Roots of Pacha
Roots of Pacha is an enchanting farming and life simulation game set in the stone age. Within a lush, ancient world, you’ll find elements of farming, crafting, and social interaction as you guide your character through the challenges of developing an early civilization. You’ll cultivate crops, raise animals, and explore the mysteries of of a deep cave system. You have several large fields that you can populate with barns, machines, pathing, and more, to build a space that is truly your own.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Roots of Pacha is all about community. Everything you do is for the betterment of your tribe. In that way, it has notes of Animal Crossing, except instead of improving a city or island, you are improving your clan’s camp. The premise is “the more you give to the community, the more you get back,” which echoes what Animal Crossing is all about. The decorating aspects are also super flexible, maximalist, and satisfying to tinker with.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ✔️
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ❌
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ❌
Games Like Animal Crossing: Collection/Gathering Museum
Some people love the rush of filling the Animal Crossing museum with fish, fossils, bugs, and art. It has a bit of a collectathon vibe that makes just existing in the world a thrill. Will I find that rare bug I’ve been chasing? Let me get out my art exhibit checklist to verify what pieces I still need.
There are actually a few games already on my list that include this feature: Cozy Grove and Littlewood spring to mind. But here are some more options if you haven’t got your collectathon fix just yet.
11. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is busy-but-chill farming game made by ConcernedApe. You start off with an old, kinda beat-up farm in a cute little place called Pelican Town, and your job is to bring it back to life. You get to plant crops, fish, dig around in mines, craft stuff, and hang out with all the quirky people who live there. The seasons change, so what you can grow switches up, and there are fun festivals sprinkled throughout the year to mix things up.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: The Stardew Valley museum is reminiscent of Animal Crossing because both turn collecting into a fun, rewarding side quest where you get to fill up your space with cool finds. In each game, you’re encouraged to explore and gather, whether it’s bugs, fish, fossils, or artifacts. Plus, just like in Animal Crossing, the museum gives your collections a home and adds a sense of progress and pride, making exploration and discovery feel extra exciting. There is also an extra “100%-the-game” cutscene, which means you can enjoy collecting and crafting for literal hours on end chasing it.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ❌
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ❌
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ❌
12. Fields of Mistria
- Buy Fields of Mistria on Steam [Early Access]
Fields of Mistria is a peaceful farming sim where you escape to a charming village to recover after a disaster, driven by gentle story quests and lighthearted events. The nostalgic 80-90s anime character aesthetics make it particularly cozy. The game takes the basic building blocks of your favorite legacy farming sims and puts just enough of a twist on them to keep things fresh. As the new farmer in town, you will spend your time building out your rundown property and collecting resources from the wild.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: In Fields of Mistria, there is a museum that you can fill by collecting various items like crops, fossils, minerals, and mysterious artifacts from your adventures. It’s a cozy way to track your progress and see all the treasures you’ve discovered. The museum in Fields of Mistria reminds me of Animal Crossing: New Horizons because both turn collecting into a cozy, rewarding journey where every little find feels special.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ❌
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ❌
13. Bugaboo Pocket
Bugaboo Pocket is a virtual pet game where you care for adorable bugs—feeding, petting, and playing minigames with them. It’s super wholesome and chill, with charming pixel art, bug-themed currency, and sweet little life lessons tucked into diary entries. It’s like Tamagotchi meets the ACNH bug sanctuary.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Bugaboo Pocket is like Animal Crossing because both games wrap you in a cozy, charming world where the pace is slow, the vibes are friendly, and your main job is just…living life. Bugaboo Pocket is for people who love bug collecting in ACNH. There’s joy in spotting a new bug species, sneaking up quietly, and adding it to your collection; but here, the whole game is built around that core loop.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ✔️
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ✔️
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ❌
14. Two Point Museum
Two Point Museum is a cozy game available on PlayStation and Xbox, as well as Steam. It’s a quirky management game where you build and run a museum full of bizarre exhibits and oddball staff. Players can design and manage a silly museum, filling it with odd exhibits like haunted paintings or prehistoric sandwiches, while keeping visitors happy and your staff from totally losing it. It’s all about creativity and chaos.
Why it’s like Animal Crossing: Two Point Museum is like Animal Crossing because it’s all about building up a space at your own pace, decorating it how you like, and interacting with quirky characters who each have their own charm. The museum is similar to Animal Crossing’s because you get to collect all sorts of items (like fossils, rare bugs, and shiny treasures) and put them on display to make your space feel alive and personal. It’s all about that satisfying loop of exploring, discovering, and showing off your finds in a cozy, charming world.
Animal & nature appreciation ✔️
No/low combat environments ✔️
Chibi, cute, colorful cast of characters ❌
Real-time events, like festivals or community events ❌
Play Other Animal Crossing Games
You could, of course, just play the other Animal Crossing games, but some of them are on outdated consoles and may be hard to find in hardcopy. Happy retro-hunting!
Here’s the complete list of Animal Crossing games:
- Animal Crossing (GameCube)
- Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo DS)
- Animal Crossing: City Folk (Nintendo Wii)
- Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo 3DS)
- Animal Crossing Plaza (discontinued)
- Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (Nintendo 3DS)
- Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival (Wii U)
- Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (mobile)
Conclusion
So there you have it! My picks for games that are like Animal Crossing. No matter which one you pick, I think they’ll all speak to you as an Animal Crossing fan.
I’m always looking to expand my lists as more games come out and/or pop up on my radar. Feel free to shout out your faves and tag me on Bluesky, Reddit, or Pinterest. My profiles are all linked on the contact page.
Stay cozy, gamers!