Animal Crossing is a much-beloved simulation game with anthropomorphic animals. In it, you play as the only human character who has moved into a rather idyllic town. You're tasked with simply going about your business, however you choose. The game allows you to build up a house, collect furniture and other items, fish, make friends with the locals and various other activities.
The sheer charm that this game franchise exudes has attracted many people. New fans of the series (and indeed the genre) are born whenever a new installment releases. Speaking of which, Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch was recently delayed to March 20 2020, so you might find yourself waiting around for it. To keep you busy in the meantime, here are some similar titles that Animal Crossing fans are sure to love.
Updated March 3rd, 2020 By Helen Ashcroft: The wait is almost complete. We are now in Animal Crossing: New Horizons' release month but there are still a couple of weeks to go before Tom Nook allows us to board the plane. With this in mind, we've updated this list to offer some extra distraction for those who are desperate to explore the new islands coming our way very soon.
If you need something to keep you busy while you twiddle your thumbs and wait for March 20 then this list is for you. Check out these games that are perfect for fans of Animal Crossing.
15 Animal Crossing Pocket Camp
For those with a mobile who haven't already downloaded Animal Crossing Pocket Camp what are you doing? While the mobile game is nowhere near as feature-loaded as its console variant it is nevertheless enjoyable.
Pocket Camp will give you a Tom Nook and Isabelle fix while you wait for the main game. Go and earn some bells, expect some visitors and see what's out in this mobile world. It's a mini version of your favorites that you can keep in your pocket!
14 Forager
This quirky indie game is an open-world adventure that sees you exploring the area and gathering resources. As you wander through the world you'll earn experience and level up. This will unlock more tasks so you can cook, farm, fish, hunt and more.
Taking the form of many similar sandbox exploration games Forager is not only cute but adds some puzzle elements to the process, keeping you hooked as you grind your way to success.
13 Doraemon Story of Seasons
This title combines the farming simulation elements of Story of Seasons with characters from Doraemon. Even if you haven't seen the latter, this title will appeal due to its mechanics.
Expect to wander the village, meet new people, tend your farm, expand your buildings and enjoy exploring. The game features open ended objectives and cute characters as well as RPG elements and is sure to appeal to Animal Crossing lovers.
12 Slime Rancher
If you're looking for a cute exploration game that's a little different to the norm then Slime Rancher is here to fill that void. Calling itself a life simulation, the game involves exploring, capturing and breeding slimes on your very own ranch.
The open-world has no specific objectives leaving you free to live your best slime capturing life, earning money, completing tasks and even participating in a few quirky mini-games.
11 Pokémon Sword and Shield
While Pokémon is quite different in premise, there are enough overlaps for this popular franchise to have crossover appeal to Animal Crossing fans. You are still exploring and collecting, trekking through beautiful towns in search of things you need.
The additional aspect is the battling side, which makes a change from the more relaxed fishing and farming. Still, if you fancy something with some similarities Animal Crossing but more challenging then Pokémon Sword or Shield could bridge the gap.
10 Stardew Valley
This popular farming simulation game (developed by Eric Barone and originally published by Chucklefish) was released in 2016. This game certainly delivers a large host of charming characters, interactions and overall feel. The start is pretty simple: tired of a life working in a cubicle, you inherit your relative's farm. Stardew Valley really hits the right points when it comes to making you feel like you're at the start of something pleasant.
Obviously, the main part of the game that you'll concern yourself with is the farming, but there are other activities to do as well. Just as in Animal Crossing, getting to know the townspeople is of the utmost importance. There's also fishing, mining, some combat and collecting things. This game is all about the idea of a comfortable country life.
9 Castaway Paradise
This tropical island-themed game by Stolen Couch Games is a little more familiar. Just as in Animal Crossing, the other villagers are animals and you generally go around and help them with their tasks. The main objective of the game is the improve the island that you now live on.
This game offers all the same sort of activities, such as cleaning up the land by weeding, growing fruits and flowers and so on. You can catch bugs and fish, collect things and go on quests for the townsfolk. There are also different outfits that you can choose for your character and you can just generally decorate the island however you want.
8 Dragon Quest Builders 2
The famous Dragon Quest series by Square Enix has expanded to offer its own building game. While much of the gameplay here is similar to Minecraft, there are also a lot of things that will appeal to anyone who loves Animal Crossing. To start with, you're tasked with re-building the world after its been destroyed.
While that might seem a bit large scale in comparison to Animal Crossing, it still hits the same sort of notes when it comes to letting you do what you want. It's the kind of game that you can take at your own pace and simply enjoy the world and atmosphere. As you can see, the original was well received and led to a even bigger sequel. It's the kind of game that you can simply enjoy spending time in without worry.
7 Rune Factory
There are quite a few Rune Factory games out now and you can kind of take your pick. The latest installment is the fourth, though the fifth is on its way. The start of the game is similar to that of Animal Crossing, in the sense that you start a new life in a town. The town is full of loveable and charming characters that help bring it to life.
It's a very charming and pleasant game to play. You can farm, fish, build relations with the townsfolk, fight and tame monsters, and many more things besides. There will always be things you can do in the game and there's also a calendar system for important events. Most importantly, just as with Animal Crossing, you can take the game at your own pace.
6 My Time At Portia
Like many of the other games on this list, My Time at Portia is about starting a new life in a new town. While the visual style of this game is quite a bit different than that of Animal Crossing and other similar games, it makes up for it in other ways. The game has charm and an "at your own pace " kind of feel. It's all about building up your new life.
To do this, you must harvest resources. Chop trees, mine ore, develop and receive new tools, and so on. Animal Crossing fans will feel right at home here. It's also quite a long game, so if you want something that you can spend a great deal of time in, My Time at Portia is a good fit for you.
5 Fantasy Life
Fantasy Life by Level-5 is a take on the simulation genre that follows a much more RPG-esque storyline. Your house is hit by a purple meteor and you're tasked by the king to find out just what is going on. Along the way, you need to level up and master life classes. These classes improve your ability to do things, like produce certain materials and build up your new house faster. It's a literal job system.
The RPG elements may be dominant, but this is still a simulation game just as Animal Crossing is. It attempts to blend the two genres and does a solid job of it. You'll still find out that the main quest isn't all that urgent and that the pacing will match itself to you.
4 Staxel
Staxel, another farming and village life simulation, brings its own set of charm. You can do all the things such a game usually entails, such as fishing, farming, hunting animals, collecting bugs and so on. It's a game that lets you build up your life block by block. Its aesthetic is very similar to that of Minecraft.
This brings its own set of unique and awesome gameplay mechanics. You have a lot more freedom to build up the land just the way you want to. There is no combat in this game, so no need to worry about being attacked suddenly. Furthermore, the game can be played alone or with friends. It's all about giving you the choice of how to play the game.
3 Ooblets
Ooblets is technically a game that hasn't been released yet, but it should arrive sometime soon. It's a life simulation game by Glumberland, in which you build up a farm, explore new lands and collect little ooblets.
This adorable game looks like it'll have a lot to offer for those who love a Animal Crossing-style experience. Along the way, you'll be collecting little Ooblets, which are as adorable as any Animal Crossing village resident. You can also battle other Ooblets in the wild, or other trainers, but the battle is actually a dance battle. If any of this sounds appealing, go ahead and give it a look.
2 Terraria
Terraria is more of a sandbox game than a sim, but it shares a lot of the things that make a game like Animal Crossing so charming and comfortable. The simple way that you can set yourself some basic tasks and build up the world, for instance. You start with nothing but some basic tools and your imagination.
Chopping down trees, mining the earth and battling enemies, all while building up your house: that's Terraria in a nutshell. It's a game that lets you play it how you want and at your own pace. It's not exactly in the same genre, but it certainly shares enough similarities with Animal Crossing that fans will want to give it a try.
1 Harvest Moon
The franchise that will probably appeal to Animal Crossing lovers the most is Harvest Moon. This series of farming simulation games gives players the goal of building up a run-down old farm and making it successful.
Harvest Moon has been a favorite of farming simulation game fans since its introduction. If you love Animal Crossing and haven't given Harvest Moon a try, now's as good a time as any.