Summary
Proving to be an eternal hit on the Nintendo Switch,Animal Crossing: New Horizonsis the latest and among the greatest entries in the beloved life simulation franchise. Taking place in real-time,New Horizonsoffers a daily routine for players to sink their teeth into, as they set out to customize and develop a deserted island while welcoming adorable animal villagers who are looking to establish roots.
There is nothing quite likeAnimal Crossing. The series is relaxing, life-consuming, and all-around comforting. Alternatives become even harder to find once Nintendo is out of the picture; however, there are a couple of Xbox games that are (in some ways) similar toAnimal Crossing: New Horizons.
Updated June 04, 2025 by Mark Sammut:AC:NH has largely ended its cycle by this point. At the moment, Nintendo has yet to announce a sequel, although one has to assume it will be only a matter of time before the franchise’s future comes into focus. While the Switch project still has things to offer, fans might want to check out a fewXbox games like Animal Crossing.
Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islandsis a farm simulator that places a heavy emphasis on exploration and survival, although the latter is never too punishing. LikeNew Horizons,Stranded Sailsstarts with the playable character finding themselves on a mysterious island before they steadily learn the core mechanics of the game like farming and crafting.
Some RPG mechanics hamper the overall experience, along with an energy meter that depletes too quickly in most situations, butStranded Sailsis pretty great when reviewed solely on its farming mechanics and characters.
Slime Rancheris a charming indie title that revolves around managing a ranch and collecting adorable and varied goo balls who love to smile, bounce, and produce plorts. The latter is the main item to be harvested, as they unlockSlime Rancher’s currency.
While there is more of a narrative thanAnimal Crossing, with exploration being a key component,Slime Rancheris a generally relaxing game that offers a lot more depth than the campaign’s initial few hours might suggest. Its sequel,Slime Rancher 2, is also an easy recommendation since it mainly expands on its predecessor’s ideas.
Along withHarvest Moon(Story of Seasons),Stardew Valleytends to be the most commonly cited alternative toAnimal Crossing. Although they are both low-stress titles that revolve around collecting items, selling them off, and interacting with NPCs,Stardew Valleyis very much a full-blown farming sim, whileAnimal Crossing’s priority lies with building and managing a town. In truth,Harvest MoonandStardew Valleyshare more in common than either property has withNew Horizons.
That said,Stardew Valleycan still scratch the same itch asAnimal Crossing, especially for anyone who is not enamored by the latter’s real-time mechanic and wants a more in-depth farming experience.
My Time at Portiais a solid pick for anyone looking for a cozy 3D farming sim, even if the 2019 farming sim has a few problems. However, nowadays, the title has been usurped by its sequel,My Time at Sandrock. Similar to its predecessor, the game debuted in a mixed state due to some performance issues, and it was in early access for more than a year. While not a home run, the launch version demonstrated the hard work that went into fine-tuning the experience, resulting in a promising game that runs fairly well on most platforms (although, Switch users should look at some gameplay footage before investing).
UnlikeAnimal Crossing,My Time at Sandrockfeatures combatin the form of dungeons, so players will get to swing around a few weapons; however, this is a small part of the overall package, even if it is not completely avoidable. The game shines in its NPC relationships, accessible but still engaging farming elements, and surprisingly effective main story. The campaign uses a traditional quest system similar to RPGs, and there is usually always something to work towards. That said,My Time at Sandrockis still generally relaxing and pressure-free.
Life sims come in many shapes and sizes, and they are not all designed to be relaxing romps through nature.Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3is afoot truck simthat challenges players to travel through a dystopian version of the United States, serving food along the way. Each day, players prepare a menu and then have to answer an avalanche of orders that can easily eclipse the 100 mark; depending on their performance, they will receive a medal.
Just to be clear,Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3is nothing likeAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, except for the fact they are both great sims in their own right. However, if someone is looking for a more stressful food-themed experience, this title should be at the top of the pile (along withOvercooked! 2).
Castaway Paradisedoes not try to hide the fact that it is inspired byAnimal Crossing. In fact, it wears its inspiration proudly. Like Nintendo’s iconic franchise, the playable human character is tasked with improving an island that serves as home to various animal residents. This process involves fixing buildings, gathering resources, sprucing up the island’s aesthetic with decorations, and completing daily quests.
Castaway Paradiseis the closest thing toAnimal Crossingon the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, even if it does not quite reach the same heights asNew Horizons.
Along with staples of life sims like gathering resources andunlocking food recipes,Disney Dreamlight Valleyalso has quests revolving around specific characters. Completing these trials will cause that character to join the player’s village.
Hokko Lifewears its influences on its sleeve. The sim drops players on a largely desolate island filled with humanoid animals and asks them to inject a bit of life and energy into the village. The process involves befriending the locals, expanding the selection of buildings, mining, and collecting a wide array of insects and fishes.Hokko LifescreamsAnimal Crossing, to the point of coming across as a love letter to the earlier releases in Nintendo’s series.
The game shakes things up by adding farming into the equation, a concept that is not new for life sims.Hokko Lifesuffers from sticking too close to the genre’s staples and failing to stand out from more popular similar releases; however, it is decent in a vacuum.
Available on all modern consoles,Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chroniclestips its hat to various licenses, includingThe Legend of Zelda, Microsoft’s ownFableseries, and, to a lesser extent,Animal Crossing.
Similarities to the latter primarily come in the form of basic mechanics like farming and fishing, along with a roster of colorful, humorous NPCs. Exploring the beautiful open world and its various bio-domes is a delight, and the lack of combat means the majority of the campaign is quite relaxing.Yonderis not as memorable as any of its influences, but it is a solid title in its own right.
Although not as storied asAnimal Crossing,Rune Factoryis another farming sim franchise with a long history. The license’s peak was between 2006-2012, withRune Factory 4bringing this era to a close on a high note. Modern players can try the “Special” iteration of the 2012 release, which includes a few enhancements and additional content.
Rune Factory 4 Specialis a JRPG that incorporates farming sim mechanicsas one of its gameplay loops. When not working the soil, players head out to dungeons to engage in simple but satisfying combat, an endeavor that allows them to pick up resources for crafting. Presented with a charming aesthetic,Rune Factory 4 Specialis one of thebest games likeAnimal Crossingon the market. It is also better thanRune Factory 5, which is a Switch and PC exclusive.
