The Best PC Games Like Animal Crossing

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 31, 2024 7 Views 22 Min Read
The Best PC Games Like Animal Crossing



Summary

  • Animal Crossing is an experience you can’t ever perfectly replicate, but these 25 games give the series a run for its money!
  • Some games focus more on the social aspect, while others lean more into the building.
  • From farming and fishing to decorating and exploring, these PC games provide a soothing escape for players looking for a new virtual home.

If you’re a fan of Animal Crossing but have understandably run out of things to do after a few years’ time, then don’t fear, as there are a ton of PC games here. Whether you just want to find that perfectly relaxing daily check-in or you’re ready to go all-in with decorating, the PC world is no stranger to great simulation games.

Split images of an Animal Crossing New Horizons player in front of a dinosaur fossil, underwater, and in a maze

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Below are games that each have some unique features that you won’t find anywhere else. All of them can be just as relaxing as Animal Crossing, and quite a few of them even offer the option to decorate your house. These titles can be found on Steam, and many of them for relatively cheap.

Updated December 30, 2024 by Gabrielle Castania: Maybe you’re still craving the sweet, cozy vibes of Animal Crossing: New Horizons even almost five years after launch (does that sound unreal to anyone else?). If that’s the case, consider checking out some of these games like Animal Crossing for PC to get your next fix.

25

Rune Factory 4

Image of the Special Wooly from Rune Factory 4.

While it’s often been overshadowed by the renowned Harvest Moon, this Neverland franchise has quietly built a name for itself when it comes to charming RPGs. The robust fourth game in the series delights with its vibrant aesthetic and addictive gameplay that’s both deep and accessible.

Rune Factory 4 continues the series tradition of bringing rewarding ways to farm, craft, plunder dungeons, and even partake in marriage. This refined remaster further adds to the diverse, expansive gameplay, bringing sleeker visuals and another difficulty option.

24

Graveyard Keeper

Part of the cutscene when you set up the buffet booth for the witch burnings.

Lazy Bear Games offers a creative – and slightly dark – twist on the farming and sim formula with this medieval graveyard manager. While cheekily described as “the most inaccurate cemetery sim of the year,” Graveyard Keeper offers gripping gameplay that’s fairly in-depth.

The name of the game is to clean and maintain an abandoned graveyard and a surrounding plot of land. You’ll do this whilst gathering goodies, exploring dungeons, smithing, crafting, and building efficiency via a skill tree. Hey, it’s a grim job – but someone has to do it!

23

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Glittering blue ice makes for a welcome change from the norm in Dreamlight Valley.

With the popularity of the cozy genre, Disney has decided to dig their feet into it as well with the release of Disney Dreamlight Valley. In the game, you are greeted by Merlin who asks for your help to save the valley from The Forgetting. The game doesn’t have specific time or season aspects, allowing for a more relaxed experience.

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On the journey, you will also get to meet many Disney characters, ranging from protagonists like Mickey Mouse to antagonists like Scar. All the characters come together and assist you in bringing the valley back to its original state. Just like any other farming simulator, you can grow many crops to your heart’s content as well.

22

Big Farm Story

Cooking in Big Farm Story

Big Farm Story is a farming game on Steam with a focus on building and decorating your home. There is a bustling town in the game, full of neighbors that you can make friends with. If that’s not enough, then you can play with other farmers using the game’s robust online features.

The game also puts an emphasis on relaxing activities like resource gathering, which are perfect for honing in on after you come home from a long day at school or work.

21

Dinkum

Catching a bug in Dinkum.

Dinkum is as close to Animal Crossing as it gets. The two games have very similar art styles and camera panning mechanics. Once again, you’re left on a huge island with different areas and secrets. Time is of the essence in Dinkum because your energy bar will become much shorter after a certain point.

While you can grow crops and make friends with visitors, the outshining feature of Dinkum is the exploration. During your time in this game, you will discover many types of plants, trees, and animals. As a cherry on top of the cake, you can also go treasure hunting with your own metal detector!

20

Alchemy Story

A character with several of her animals in Alchemy Story.

Alchemy Story is a delightful tale of a village that has been turned into animals and the young alchemist who must save it. While the game does have your normal farming sim-type vibe, it places a heavy focus on brewing potions to change the world around you.

There are places to fish, farm, and once you turn the animals back into villagers, you can make friends with them. Alchemy Story is the perfect choice if you are looking for a lighthearted game with a fun story.

19

Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town

A farmer speaking with Lisette in Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town.

Released

ESRB

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is part of the Story of Seasons series, sending you to a quaint seaside village. You will be given a farm where you can tame wild animals to take care of on your farm and harvest crops.

There is also a bustling town full of people for you to befriend and a museum for you to donate different items to. If you are into romance, you can even decide to get married and start a small family. This series has quietly made a name for itself as a more-than-suitable Animal Crossing alternative.

18

Coral Island

Diving to collect loot in Coral Island.

Moving away from the entire plot of inheriting your farm from your grandparent, the main character in Coral Island intentionally decides to move away from the city and live a farmer’s life. In the game, you will experience a “re-imagined” version of an old-school farming simulator.

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You can still grow crops, raise animals, fish, and make friends with plenty of folks in the game. Its specialty is shown in the depth of personality of each character and an entire underwater region to explore.

17

Hokko Life

Villagers sitting at the bar in the inn in Hokko Life.

Hokko Life is a game that hopes to capture and expand on the magic of the Animal Crossing formula, which it largely pulls off with its colorful, cute aesthetic. Hokko Life lets you settle down in a new town with animal friends, help design the town, and decorate your own house. The crafting system is a bit more in-depth than Animal Crossing’s, allowing for even more unique furniture.

In addition, there are activities outside of decorating, like collecting different types of bugs and fish. You can even flex your creative muscles by designing your own clothes and furniture.

16

Garden Paws

Animal villagers around pots of flowers in the game Garden Paws.

Garden Paws sits between Animal Crossing and farming sims. You inherit your grandpa’s farm and now live in a town full of other animals. You can choose from one of ten different animal designs to base your character around, and there is a multiplayer function so that you can enjoy the game with your friends.

When playing, you can farm, relax with some fishing, jump into dungeons, run a little shop, or even build your dream home. The game mixes things up further with fun minigames that offer prizes in seasonal events, including an Easter Egg Hunt and Summer Festival.

15

Cozy Grove

Cozy Grove Player Standing On Beach Plot Beside Starlit Gazebo And Mushroom House With Telescope And Wishing Trees

Cozy Grove is an indie game that is based on real-world time. You will be given a set number of quests a day, and then the game will politely tell you to “come back tomorrow.” The game sets you on a haunted island with ghost bears; completing tasks for them will get you logs that you use to expand the island.

The bears all have their own stories to uncover, and it’s your job as a Spirit Scout to help them settle down. Along the way, you can place flowers, collect shells, and feed critters.

14

Yonder: Cloud Catcher Chronicles

A character exploring in Yonder with a vast galaxy ahead.

Yonder is a game that is all about exploration and slowly expanding your world, as you embark on a memorable journey of self-discovery. You will arrive at a land called Gemea after a shipwreck. After a few quests, you will get your own farm, learn about the murk, and tame your first animal.

The game has a quick-moving day and night cycle and in-game events based on holidays. It’s a world without danger, where you can expand the world at your own pace and just enjoy the beautiful soundtrack.

13

Little Dragons Cafe

Small Dragon appears outside of Little Dragons Cafe.

Little Dragons Cafe is a sweet game that revolves around running a family cafe. You choose to play as one of two children who is charged with adventuring with a dragon and growing their cafe. The game is story-driven, and as you progress, your dragon will grow up and earn new abilities that help you find ingredients.

Aksys Games finds a nice balance of sim, management, and light RPG gameplay in this charming romp. The game is far from tough and delightfully low-key, and you can have a lot of fun trying to collect all the game’s recipes.

12

My Time At Sandrock

Working on the desert farm in My Time at Sandrock.

For players looking for something new, there is My Time at Sandrock, the sequel to My Time at Portia. The game is still going through some development but has a unique concept that revolves around building instead of farming. You can progress the main story or choose to just get to know the townsfolk.

There is also the option for marriage — a feature that will allow you to date and get close with several of the local singles.

11

My Time At Portia

Sailing to the coast in My Time at Portia.

My Time at Portia is a classic farming simulator that really leans into the farming aspect. While this isn’t too focused on in Animal Crossing, it’s great if you like games such as Stardew Valley.

While My Time at Sandrock leans into the survival and management aspects, My Time at Portia is a bit more laid back. This allows you to relax and enjoy your days farming and exploring. If you want to play both, we suggest checking out this game first.

10

Story Of Seasons: Friends Of Mineral Town

Several characters from Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town attending the player's wedding.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is a remake of one of the most popular Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon games ever made. The story starts out the same: you move to your grandpa’s farm in a new town, try to restore it to glory, and get to know all the quirky townsfolk.

The game has a huge focus on marriage candidates, with several hidden candidates that pose a challenge even for more seasoned players.

9

Stardew Valley

A player in front of the standard farm farmhouse in Stardew Valley.

It’s really hard not to recommend Stardew Valley; it’s a massive farming game that can give you hundreds of hours of relaxing gameplay. Even after you finally make it through all the vanilla content, you can look forward to a thriving mod community and even install the popular Stardew Valley Expanded mod.

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Just like in Animal Crossing, you can decorate your house and make friends, but this game also offers a lot of character development. The variety of activities to partake in, coupled with a solid social element, makes this a particularly appealing game for Animal Crossing fans.

8

The Sims 4

A group of Sims enjoy a camping trip at Granite Falls, playing guitar and staying warm by a campfire

The Sims 4 is a game that lets you go wild with building your dream home. This robust sequel expands on the already deep, addictive nature of this iconic franchise. There are tons of different ways to design and decorate your game.

Once you have settled into a house, you can start making your friends into Sims to see how they interact or even force your favorite ships to finally set sail. The game also has tons of expansion, such as the fun Cottage Living, coming out all the time for those who want even more decorative options.

7

Lemon Cake

Multiple characters inside the building for Lemon Cake.

Lemon Cake is another smaller indie game that focuses on letting you run a restaurant. The game gives you a bakery and a greenhouse so that you can grow your own ingredients. You will need to do a few repairs to get things running smoothly, but don’t worry, because there is a friendly ghost to help you out.

After you have everything squared away, you can get to baking and serving your hungry customers.

6

Moonglow Bay

Fishing near the lighthouse in the trailer for Moonglow Bay.

Moonglow Bay pivots from the usual farming sim, and instead focuses on fishing. As the name implies, you take on the role of a young fisher who has just moved to Moonglow Bay. The town is a bit dilapidated, and it’s up to you to fix it.

You will be able to fish in peace, as well as take on larger fish ‘bosses’. When back on land, you can donate your catches to the museum, form some friendships, and cook yummy dishes that can be sold to the people in town.

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