10 Best Games Like Animal Crossing For Switch Update 04/2024

Games Like Animal Crossing For Switch

If you’ve had enough of your tropical retreat and are looking for games that are similar to Animal Crossing, look no further. Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released about two years ago, and it was a huge success. Plenty more games like Animal Crossing are out there to keep you entertained in between major updates to the island’s landscape. Whether you want to spend time with charming neighbors or create a virtual home of your own, there are plenty of options for Animal Crossing fans. For those who want a break from Tom Nook’s vacation, here are some of our favorite Animal Crossing-like games.

10. Yonder: Cloud Catcher Chronicles

Yonder The Cloud Catcher Chronicles

The island of Yonder in Gemea is the setting for Yonder: Cloud Catcher Chronicles, an engrossing and soothing open-world adventure. You’re free to travel the globe at your own leisure while there are no threats in sight. In order to learn important abilities and tricks, you can meet the world’s inhabitants and complete their objectives.

Plenty of professions are available, from being a chef and tailor to running your own farm. Various ecosystems and biomes make up the planet, giving each location a distinct look and feel. The creatures that wander the lands will become your companions if you offer them treats as you discover new things about them. Because there are so many options for achieving goals and developing abilities, the kind of life you lead is entirely up to you. Animal Crossing enthusiasts may find Yonder a relaxing and lovely experience.

9. Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town

It has the same vibe as Animal Crossing: New Leaf, except it takes place in a much larger setting. You move to a new town, which is in a state of decline, in order to build your own farm in the style of Stardew Valley. There’s a lot of freedom, but you can also reinvigorate the town and make friends with the locals by living out your finest farm life whatever you wish! Activities include cultivating crops, caring for animals, creating clothing, and cooking up a storm. If you’re a fan of decorating, you’ll have a lot of fun making your farm and home beautiful.

8. Castaway Paradise

Castaway Paradise

It’s easy to see how Castaway Paradise, which was originally published on mobile and PC before making its way to consoles, was inspired by the Animal Crossing series in its own unique way. After being caught in a storm, you find yourself stranded on an island where some of the residents offer you a place to stay. Set up your tent and begin exploring the island, getting to know the locals, and working toward unlocking more of the island’s mysteries.

There are a number of anthropomorphic animals among the population, such as pigs and ducks, so it will be easy to get used to. You can make friends by helping the locals in Castaway Paradise, just like you can in New Leaf by doing favors for Punchy, Hamlet, and anybody else in the neighborhood. You can fish, collect bugs, and even produce your own food in your backyard. The closest tropical Animal Crossing-like experience you can now play while you wait for New Horizons to arrive is this game.

7. Staxel

Staxel is a charming, blocky sandbox game with a lot of familiar components. You’ve been given the duty of rebuilding a farm as the newest inhabitant of the hamlet. There are several ways in which you can help the villagers, and getting to know them and making friends is a key element of the game. With their own distinct personalities, the locals can help you settle in. You’ll have a lot of work to do fixing up your dilapidated house and farm, but there are several ways to do it your way (like putting floor tiles and picking furniture).

With time and effort, you will be able to extend and improve your farm. You can even alter the environment around you thanks to the game’s sandbox nature. For a change from farming and chatting with neighbors, you can go out into the wilderness and catch bugs, fish or hunt. Alternatively It’s a charmingly laid-back little adventure that also contains co-op functionality and a slew of collectibles and hobbies to keep you busy.

6. Happy Street

Happy Street

Is it possible to build a village populated by charming animals? Looking for anything on your smartphone? Try Happy Street instead. A hot air balloon takes you to new places, where you meet the world-traveling Pepin. You play the role of Billy the tiny fox, and you’re required to wear goggles. When you join Pepin, you begin the process of building a new town and a new house.

After gathering materials from the countryside and creating additional structures, new creatures will begin to populate the town you’ve started to establish. It’s a fun little mobile game that will keep you occupied while you wait for more Animal Crossing adventures, as you may explore new places, expand your town, and construct a variety of businesses and stands.

5. The Sims 4

Life sims have always been popular, and The Sims stands the test of time. The Sims 4’s home construction tools are a step up from those found in the Happy Home Paradise DLC or Happy Home Designer, allowing you to create homes for all of your favorite animals. Human-like sims are your new neighbors instead of elephants with teapot-shaped heads or camouflaged alligators. If you don’t send your sim to work and avoid utilizing the traditional money cheat (we all do it), you could end yourself in debt. It’s entirely up to you whether or not you do that.

However, you should be aware that if you do not pay your bills, your electricity and water will be turned off. Tom Nook is actually rather good, if you think about it. It’s possible you didn’t need the extra floor space, but if you did, at least you wouldn’t have to stress about your amenities if you took your time ringing the bells. Expanding your sim worlds with a plethora of accessible expansion packs opens you a world of possibilities. Collecting bugs, going fishing, and looking for collectibles around towns are all activities that are pretty similar.

4. Little Dragon Cafe

Little Dragon Cafe

It’s a fun little game that focuses on relationships, growing a dragon, and having your own cafe. The original inventor of Harvest Moon infused this game with a strong sense of community and charm. Play as Rin or Ren, twins who must run a cafe after their mother inexplicably falls ill and can no longer care for them. A dragon egg is also given to you, which you must raise and care for while still trying to keep the cafe running well and investigating the disappearance of your mother. Isn’t it all in a day’s work?

However, you won’t constantly be working behind the counter, preparing and serving food. Additionally, you may take your little dragon pal on adventures around the world, gathering ingredients, making new friends, and learning new ways to spice up your meals. Ride on your dragon baby as it grows up to make discovery even more exciting. Relaxed gameplay, an engaging tale, and lovable characters make this an enjoyable experience.

3. Stardew Valley

You give up your job as an office worker and move to Pelican town, where you inherit a farm and begin running it. Visiting your favorite Animal Crossing inhabitants and doing favors for them or giving them gifts strengthens your relationship with them. Whether it’s Goldie or Bluebear or Tia, the town wouldn’t exist without the creatures you encounter.

In Stardew Valley, building friendships or even romantic connections with the town’s people is one of the most relevant, and heartwarming components of the game’s appeal. Fishing, mining, digging, and laboring to save money to improve your farm and house are all very evocative of Animal Crossing. While there is combat in the caves, you still have control over how you want to spend your time there.

2. Ooblets

Ooblets

If you let Animal Crossing and Pokemon breed, you’d get Ooblets. The town of Oob and its people are slowly revealed to you in this creature-collecting journey. You’ll be able to compete in dance battles to level up your Ooblets and interact with the other Ooblet keepers as well as the game’s eponymous Ooblets. An Animal Crossing fan will love this game since it’s sweet and odd in just the right way.

1. Cozy Grove

Cozy Grove is a great alternative to Animal Crossing: New Horizons if you’re looking for similar games. In this game, you take on the role of a Spirit Scout charged with aiding the departed residents of Cozy Grove. You’ll do things like run errands, prepare meals, fish, make new acquaintances, and take care of animals, among other things. You can only do so much in a day, exactly as in Animal Crossing, so it’s the perfect addition to your regular routine. In addition, it’s a total cutie.

For several years after graduating from college, I wrote about video games in my spare time while working at various retail and temp jobs. After graduating from Cardiff University with an MA in magazine journalism, I began my career as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After working as a freelance tech and gaming writer for a while, I was offered a position here at GamesRadar+ as a staff writer. You can typically find me playing one of the many Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, devouring a new indie, or sipping way too much tea when I’m not writing features, previews, or reviews.