Animal Crossing and Rune Factory are both games that have some similar features. To begin with, they are both life sims that let you get away from your everyday life. The two games even appeal to similar types of fans. With that being said, there are some key differences between the two games, and they have some features that are quite different from each other.

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But which one is the better life simulation game? This article sets out to outline the differences between the games so that you can pick which series to play. Below are five things Rune Factory does best and five that Animal Crossing is better at doing.

Updated on March 25th, 2022 by Geoffrey Martin: Now that Rune Factory 5 is out in the wild, you might be asking yourself, which game should I spend more time in, Animal Crossing or Rune Factory 5? Many people love the relaxed and thoughtful experiences they get from life sim games that incorporate farming, relationships, and crafting. While both games certainly have their respective audiences, it can be hard to know which one to hop into, especially if you only want to buy one of them. These extra additions to this list should help decide which game is the better overall experience.

12 Animal Crossing: World-Building And Sense Of Place

Animal Crossings New Horizons in the Spring

Animal Crossing, especially New Horizons, does a fantastic job at creating a sense of place within a game world. Due to its microcosm scale where you live on a small island paradise with just a handful of other villagers, Animal Crossing perfectly distills the idea of making your very own home away from home.

While there isn't a grand storyline or magnificent quests, this simplicity helps many people to just relax into the basics of life such as chores, hanging out with others, building up their homestead, and generally just going about life day by day. The mundane tasks of Animal Crossing are part of what makes the game so relatable. You truly feel like a part of the world you helped create.

11 Rune Factory: Action And Combat Elements

Screenshot Of Rune Factory 5 Character Fishing Gameplay

Rune Factory is really a jack of all trades type of life sim game. On top of being a meaty action RPG with an intricate fantasy storyline, it's also a game about relationships, farming, and completing tasks in and around your home area. However, it's the action combat elements of this RPG life sim that truly stand out from its counterparts.

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The mere fact that you can spend entire days just defeating monsters, gathering crafting materials, and leveling up your combat skills means that no two days will be the same. Getting to spend one day exploring the monster-filled zones and the next simply farming your plot of land means the Rune Factory games constantly give you something fresh to do.

10 Animal Crossing: Customization

It's no secret that Animal Crossing lets you run wild with customization. In the newest game, especially, you have tons of control over your town. You can submerge it in water, color your house pink, or make a room in your house completely dedicated to your favorite anime character.

Rune Factory barely has any customization, and often times you won't be able to customize anything at all.

9 Rune Factory: Story

Animal Crossing doesn't have much of a story at all outside of a loose narrative about attracting K. K. Slider to your island. The Rune Factory series, on the other hand, is story-heavy with tons of cutscenes and deep lore that will help you uncover the secrets of each world.

If you're looking for a narrative, then Rune Factory is much better than Animal Crossing.

8 Animal Crossing: Events

CJ
CJ

While there are still festivals in the Rune Factory game, they don't compare to the events that occur in Animal Crossing. The game is regularly updated with new events, and these usually last for at least a few weeks at a time. Events can be done with friends and are much more interactive.

Rune Factory has preset events that are often short and sweet.

7 Rune Factory: Marriage

One thing that doesn't appear in Animal Crossing is romance; you can't marry your favorite villager. The Rune Factory series, however, is filled with characters for you to fall in love with. You can get closer to the dateable NPCs and even eventually marry them in-game.

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Once you're married, they will even move into your home.

6 Animal Crossing: Relaxation

Animal Crossing is, by far, one of the most relaxing games that gamers can play. There is no threat of being attacked by monsters or timers counting down to make you feel rushed. You do everything at your own pace and can even manipulate time to play the way you want to.

To progress in Rune Factory, you have to worry about RPG tactics.

5 Rune Factory: Action

If you aren't looking to just sit around and fish all day, then you may be wanting a game with action. Rune Factory has a fun RPG system with dungeons for you to explore. As the game goes along, you can upgrade your character and take on harder foes to test your abilities.

You can even tame some of the monsters you fight to work on your farm.

4 Animal Crossing: Longer Gameplay Hours

Animal Crossing: New Horizons - How To Craft Your Very Own Moon
Animal Crossing: New Horizons - How To Craft Your Very Own Moon

If you want to get the most gameplay out of your purchase, then Animal Crossing is best. Most Rune Factory games will see players putting in around 20 hours. Animal Crossing, on the other hand, has most of its players easily clocking in over 100 hours.

The additional content that is added in over time only helps to fuel this.

3 Rune Factory: Multiple Saves

One of the things fans of Animal Crossing are most upset about is that you can only have one island per system. Rune Factory games often offer up to three save files, so that multiple people can enjoy the game without having to override one another.

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This is a feature that makes the game easier to share if you have multiple gamers living in one house.

2 Animal Crossing: Playing With Friends

If you are more of a social person, then you will probably want to interact with your friends within your game. Rune Factory doesn't allow you to do this, but Animal Crossing will let your friends visit your island any time that it is opened. Players can tour each other's houses and even trade goods.

If you want, you can even go fishing together or collect resources. Some players have even made fun games to play with their friends.

1 Rune Factory: Solo Play

If you want a game that you can enjoy by yourself, then Rune Factory is the better option. There is no worrying about finding someone to buy your turnips or having to get fruit from other players' islands. Everything can be done within your offline game, and there is tons of content to play through.

If nothing else, then you will be able to enjoy the story and being able to jump into deeper character lore.

VERDICT: Both! Depending on if you are looking for a more relaxed, highly customizable game then Animal Crossing might just be for you. However, if you want a fully-fledged action RPG with life sim elements then Rune Factory 5 might be the series to stick with. Either way, you are in for a treat since both games provide countless hours of fun and enjoyment.

NEXT: Animal Crossing: The Most Helpful Things A Villager Can Do (& The Least Helpful)