Animal Crossing is an extremely popular Nintendo game, making a splash even among non-gamers. There's something about its cute and cozy design and playstyle that drives players to return to their island every day. The game places players on their very own island, where they can collect bugs and fish, greet villagers, decorate their homes, and even terraforming the island.
There's no other game quite like Animal Crossing, though many have tried to enter that same cozy gaming niche. Plenty of games have taken inspiration from the AC franchise, some with better results than others. Although there has yet to be a single game that quite nails that Animal Crossing feel, there are several excellent titles that manage to come pretty close.
All the games below have an
Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam
at the time of this writing and are listed in increasing order of their Metacritic score (where available). This means that some of the games most commonly compared to
Animal Crossing,
like
Disney Dreamlight Valley
and
Cozy Grove
simply didn't make the cut.
10 Webfishing Lets You Chat While Fishing
Developed by lamedeveloper
Webfishing was only out for about a week before catching the eye of Animal Crossing fans. It doesn't have a Metacritic score yet, but at the time of this writing, it has an Overwhelmingly Positive review on Steam from over 7,500 reviews. The game's premise is deceptively simple: Players can chat while fishing. The beauty of this game is in the interactions players can have while waiting for a nibble from nearly 100 different kinds of fish.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp as we know it is coming to an end, but Nintendo may have quietly announced the release window of its successor.
The title is clearly inspired by Animal Crossing with its charming cat and dog characters and colorful world design, but it brings a new twist through the integration of chat. The review left by Steam user Pixel is a great example of the kinds of positive and wholesome interactions that occur on this game: "As I entered my first public lobby, I was warmly greeted with an invitation to a wedding ceremony. The proceedings were held on a private island, with drinks, snacks, and most importantly bait provided!"
9 Critter Cove Has Plenty In Common With Animal Crossing
Developed by Gentleman Rat Studios
Critter Coveis still in Early Access so it doesn't yet have a Metacritic score, but it's already attracting many Animal Crossing fans. The title features animal-like characters living and exploring in an open world.
Like AC, Critter Cove has fishing, crafting, and interacting with the locals, but it also includes farming and underwater exploration across some beautiful and thriving reefs and marine locations. Players work to restore a series of islands to its former glory in a post-apocalyptic, but still somehow relaxed and cozy game.
8 Tiny Glade Has Fun Town-Designing Gameplay
Developed by Pounce Light
Tiny Glade is what's left when a town-designing game like Animal Crossing is stripped down to its bare essentials. The game has a Metacritic score of 74 and has already become a fan favorite of the indie cozy gaming scene. Its focus is entirely on designing, removing all other gameplay mechanics. There's no combat or quests, no time or resource management, allowing players to really take their time to create whatever their imagination conjures up.
The game calls itself a "small diorama builder," and the possibilities for design are really endless here. It's the perfect little game for someone who wants to enjoy the decorating and terraforming elements of Animal Crossing without any of the other distractions. And since terraforming is notoriously finnicky in AC, Tiny Glade offers a step up with smooth and intuitive controls for any players who just want to create their own little home, whether it's an elaborate castle or a little cabin in the woods.
7 Loddlenaut Lets Players Clean A Planet & Ocean
Developed by Moon Lagoon
The once-vibrant and bustling oceans of a distant planet are in desperate need of cleanup, and it's up to the player to restore them in Loddlenaut. The protagonist of Loddlenaut is a diver and astronaut who's been sent to the planet to help clean up its waters. The title features a relaxing underwater atmosphere with vibrant colors and laid-back gameplay, and it does this well enough to earn a Metacritic score of 77.
Players control an "interstellar custodian" whose job it is to clean up the oceans. To do so, they'll need to find and collect trash, explore, and take care of adorable aliens based on axolotls. Like Animal Crossing, this game has a relaxing atmosphere and a cute style that's sure to win fans over.
6 Minami Lane Has Great Island Designing
Developed by Doot, Blibloop
Players who want more of the island-designing and decorating elements of Animal Crossing may find it in Minami Lane, which has a Metacritic score of 78.The goal of the game is to "unlock and customize buildings, manage your shops, and maximize the happiness of your villagers" and it has a similar charming feel to it as AC.
Explore the standout villagers of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, whose charm and unique personalities make them essential for an island paradise.
Minami Lane has a much smaller scope than Animal Crossing, with just one street, but it's enough to keep it engaging. The game has players building and designing their own little street, bustling with life and love. The game does have management simulator elements but it approaches them from a low-stress, casual perspective that's perfect for Animal Crossing fans.
5 Alba: A Wildlife Adventure Lets You Save A Wildlife Refuge
Developed by Ustwo games
The premise behind Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is that "Even the smallest person can make a big difference." The game, which has a Metacritic score of 79, follows the titular Alba on her mission to save the wildlife refuge of her fictional Spanish island town of Secarral. With the help of her friend Inés and the newly founded Alba and Inés Wildlife Rescue League (aka AIWRL; current members: 2) and set out to restore the island's natural beauty and wildlife.
The game also tasks players with upgrading different areas of the island, helping out the residents with side quests, and cleaning up trash. For anyone who loves the bug and fish-catching part of Animal Crossing, one of the goals on Alba is to document all the living critters on the island, but with a camera, not a net.
4 Wylde Flowers Lets You Help Out On The Farm
Developed by Studio Drydock Pty Ltd
The story of Wylde Flowers seems generic at first, following the young Tara as she arrives on the little island of Fairhaven to help out on her grandmother's farm. The cozy farming and rural life sim has a fun twist, as Tara is not just an ordinary young woman, but also a witch.Wylde Flowers has a score of 82 on Metacritic and is praised for having an engaging story and well-developed characters.
There's plenty to do around the farm, like tending to the animals and planting and harvesting crops, as well as spells to cast and potions to brew. Like a cottegecore version of Animal Crossing, Tara's story has her meeting and getting to know the locals, crafting, fishing, collecting, doing side quests, and more. The witchy game also has plenty of emotional moments and an underlying local mystery to uncover.
3 Cult of the Lamb Is A Darker Life Sim
Developed by Massive Monster
On the surface, Cult of the Lamb seems like an adorable and innocent game with an excellent Metacritic score of 82. A closer look at the title and its gameplay reveals an adorably dark title that requires players to "perform dark rituals to appease the gods," and "destroy the non-believers."
While it lacks the innocent charm of Animal Crossing, it does offer some similar features like developing a town and recruiting villagers, except instead of a charming island, players are growing a cult. The game has been alternatively calledAnimal Crossing with violence and "The Binding of Animal Crossing," and not all AC fans will enjoy it. To figure out if Cult of the Lamb is a good choice for a player, Polygon suggests asking the following questions: "Have you ever wished Animal Crossing was less sweet? A little darker? Have you had even a lingering thought of sacrificing a villager?"
2 Hello Kitty Island Adventure Is A Lot Like ACNH
Developed by Sunblink
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is the only game on this list that isn't available on Steam or the Switch, since it's an Apple Arcade exclusive. It's unfortunate that this exclusivity makes it unavailable for many, because the game may be one of the closest experiences to Animal Crossing out of all the titles on this list. With an impressively high Metacritic score of 83, the cute game is worth checking out for anyone with an Apple Arcade subscription.
From laidback life sims and farming games to stress-free puzzle experiences, there are plenty of amazing cozy games on mobile for fans to enjoy.
Island Adventure is a cozy island game just like Animal Crossing featuring Hello Kitty and other recognizable Sanrio characters. The game lets players customize the island, decorate inside homes to attract new visitors, craft, solve puzzles, and embark on quests to get to know the neighbors better. It's a very relaxed and cozy game that nails the feel of the Animal Crossing franchise.
1 A Short Hike May Be The Best Game Like Animal Crossing
Developed by adamgryu
A Short Hikefollows the story of Claire, a young bird with an ambitious mission to climb to the top of Hawk Peak mountain. The short and sweet game has a Metacritic score of 88, the highest out of all the games in this list, and the high praise is well deserved. Everything about the game is well crafted, from its cozy atmosphere and adorable style to the silly side stories and more serious overarching theme of independence, family, and growing up.
Although there's no decoration or daily tasks to complete in this game, it still has elements that make it similar to Animal Crossing. Claire encounters many characters along her journey, and they're just as charming as any Animal Crossing villager. These new friends send Claire on side missions like collecting seashells, fishing, finding lost items, and more as she hikes, climbs, and glides around the mountain. With a cozy feel, cute villagers, and plenty of things to collect, A Short Hike is a great followup to Animal Crossing.
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