Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could get hold of some PC games that echo the charm and allure of Animal Crossing? Known for its captivating, community-based gameplay, Animal Crossing has become a cult favorite among gamers.
Its success lies in its unique blend of life simulation and role-playing elements, affording its players a sense of escape and tranquility. In this guide, you’ll find a curated list of must-play PC games that tap into this enchantment.
With each game set within a lively, engaging world, you’ll discover the release date, genre, platform availability, and notably, the aspects that make each game a reminiscent journey to the idyllic life in Animal Crossing.
1. My Time At Portia
Overview of the game
My Time At Portia is an engaging world-building game that immerses you in the bountiful city of Portia. This game might remind you of stepping into a Studio Ghibli film, filled to the brim with vibrant visuals and an intriguing storyline. As a newcomer, your role is to reconstruct your father’s dilapidated workshop and make it the best in the entire town.
Release date and platform availability
My Time At Portia was initially released on January 15, 2019, and it is available on platforms such as Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Gameplay genre and mechanics
The game follows the adventure and simulation genre, leveraging crafting mechanics similar to that of Minecraft and Stardew Valley. It involves tasks such as gathering resources, crafting items, farming, and interacting with the game’s non-playable characters (NPCs).
Similarities to Animal Crossing
Just like in Animal Crossing, My Time At Portia gives you the responsibility to build and manage your space. You can form relationships with villagers and partake in the city’s daily hustle and bustle.
2. Stardew Valley
Overview of the game
Stardew Valley is a fan-favorite simulation game that transports you into a farming utopia after leaving your dull corporate job. You can rebuild your grandfather’s old farm and transform it into a thriving business.
Release date and platform availability
Stardew Valley was first made available to the public on February 26, 2016. The game can be played on many platforms, such as Windows PC, MAC, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, iOS, and Android.
Gameplay genre and mechanics
This game brilliantly infuses elements from the farming simulation genre with a vibrant pixel art style. You can grow crops, raise livestock, mine for ores, and interact and form relationships with fellow villagers.
Similarities to Animal Crossing
Stardew Valley shares several similarities with Animal Crossing, such as the freedom to decorate your home, establish relationships with the NPCs, and engage in various town activities.
3. Ooblets
Overview of the game
Ooblets is a unique, charm-filled game that combines the quirkiness of Pokémon with the village life essence of Animal Crossing. You have a farm to manage, creatures to collect and train, and a town filled with vibrant characters to interact with.
Release date and platform availability
Ooblets was released in early access on July 15, 2020. It can now be played on Windows PC and Xbox One.
Gameplay genre and mechanics
Ooblets lies somewhere between a life simulation and creature collection genre. You can cultivate and manage a farm, collect adorable creatures known as Ooblets, and compete in dance-off battles.
Similarities to Animal Crossing
Much like Animal Crossing, Ooblets has a real-time aspect that allows you to customize your home and interact with other town dwellers.
4. Slime Rancher
Overview of the game
Slime Rancher is an action-adventure game where you play as Beatrix LeBeau, a young rancher who sets out for a life on the Far, Far Range, a thousand light years away from Earth. Your daily tasks include raising gelatinous living creatures known as “slimes”.
Release date and platform availability
Slime Rancher was initially released on August 1, 2017. You can enjoy this game on multiple platforms, such as Windows PC, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Gameplay genre and mechanics
This game embraces the farming simulation genre, where you can rear cute blob-like animals called “slimes”, cultivate crops, harvest resources, and explore the alien environment.
Similarities to Animal Crossing
While the setting is different, the daily life scenario of Slime Rancher resembles that of Animal Crossing. The focus on nurturing your slimes and managing your farm parallels nurturing your village and its inhabitants in Animal Crossing.
5. Spiritfarer
Overview of the game
Spiritfarer is an emotionally charged management game built around the concept of death and passing on. You play as Stella, a Spiritfarer who guides spirits to the afterlife while managing your boat and caring for your spirit passengers.
Release date and platform availability
It was first introduced to gamers on August 18, 2020. The game is available on Windows PC, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Gameplay genre and mechanics
Spiritfarer falls under the management simulation and exploration genre, focusing on meaningful storytelling, crafting, fishing, cooking, and platforming.
Similarities to Animal Crossing
Like Animal Crossing, Spiritfarer involves building your space with collected resources, constant dialogue with characters, and the notion of carrying out various tasks for peculiar characters.
6. Garden Paws
Overview of the game
Garden Paws is a delightful farming simulation game that immerses you in a vibrant and relaxing world. As a cute little critter, you can farm, fish, mine, and run your shop, among many other things.
Release date and platform availability
Garden Paws was released on December 18, 2018, and is currently available on Windows and Nintendo Switch.
Gameplay genre and mechanics
This game bundles elements of farming simulation, RPG, and dungeon crawler genres and gives you many activities, including farming, building, and exploring dungeons.
Similarities to Animal Crossing
The game draws a lot from Animal Crossing, particularly the management aspect. You can make your town prosperous, run a shop, interact with villagers, and collect various artifacts.
7. Ranch Sim
Overview of the game
Ranch Sim is a modern farming simulator game where you transform your family’s run-down homestead into a successful farm.
Release date and platform availability
First released on March 4, 2021, Ranch Sim is available on Windows PC.
Gameplay genre and mechanics
Ranch Sim adopts a first-person perspective and revolves around hunting farming, and renovation mechanics.
Similarities to Animal Crossing
While not as cutesy as Animal Crossing, the game shares the same spirit of growth and community-building, placing you in charge of your domain with plenty of freedom and choices.
8. The Sims Series
Overview of the Sims games
The Sims is a top-rated life simulation game series where you create and control virtual characters who experience life in all its beauty, complexity, and occasionally, absurdity.
Release date and platform availability
The Sims series was born on February 4, 2000, and includes numerous mainline and spin-off titles. The series is available on Windows PC, macOS, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Gameplay genre and mechanics
The Sims is essentially a sandbox game that revolves around life simulation, offering you complete freedom to shape your Sims’ lives the way you want.
Similarities to Animal Crossing
Both games share an element of personalization and real-time play, where you build and manage your space, interact and develop relationships, and go about daily activities.
9. Moonlighter
Overview of the game
Moonlighter is an action RPG game with rogue-lite elements that involves managing a shop, fighting monsters, and unraveling secrets.
Release date and platform availability
The game debuted on May 29, 2018, and is available on Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Gameplay genre and mechanics
Moonlighter follows the action-RPG genre with a unique twist – you play the role of a shopkeeper by day and an adventuring hero by night.
Similarities to Animal Crossing
While it’s a contrast in terms of theme, Moonlighter upholds a similar essence of managing your space (in this case, a shop) and interacting with different characters, much like Animal Crossing.
A Short Prompt on Animal Crossing
Brief introduction of Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing is an iconic social simulation game that invites you into a world of adorable anthropomorphic animals. Your role in this game is a villager living in a rural village inhabited by creatures, leading a life filled with fishing, bug catching, fossil hunting, and everyone’s favorite – home decorating.
Key reasons behind its success
Animal Crossing’s success can be attributed to its simple yet profound experience. It offers you a soothing escape into a quirky virtual village where every day brings something new.
It’s not just about completing tasks; it’s about building relationships, enjoying the tranquil pace of rural life, customizing your little paradise, and cherishing the little things that breathe life into your virtual village.
With such an engaging gameplay that transcends generations, it’s no surprise that Animal Crossing holds such a warm and special place in the hearts of many.
