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There is nothing quite like Animal 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 to Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Updated December 25, 2022 by Mark Sammut: Animal Crossing: New Horizons has enjoyed a great run. That said, ever since the debut of 2021’s Happy Home Paradise DLC, the game has been relatively quiet, even if Nintendo did release a new ACNH update in November 2022. It is safe to say that the life sim’s cycle is nearing its end, meaning fans might want to look elsewhere for their genre fix. There are even some great Xbox games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
12 Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands
Stranded Sails: Explorers of the Cursed Islands is a farm simulator that places a heavy emphasis on exploration and survival, although the latter is never too punishing. Like New Horizons, Stranded Sails starts with the playable character finding themselves on a mysterious island, before they steadily learn the core mechanics of the game like farming and crafting.
There are some RPG mechanics that hamper the overall experience, along with an energy meter that depletes too quickly in most situations, but Stranded Sails is pretty great when reviewed solely on its farming mechanics and characters.
11 Slime Rancher
Slime Rancher is 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 unlock Slime Rancher’s currency.
While there is more of a narrative than Animal Crossing, with exploration being a key component, Slime Rancher is 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.
10 Stardew Valley
Along with Harvest Moon (Story of Seasons), Stardew Valley tends to be the most commonly cited alternative to Animal Crossing. Although they are both low-stress titles that revolve around collecting items, selling them off, and interacting with NPCs, Stardew Valley is very much a full-blown farming sim, while Animal Crossing’s priority lies with building and managing a town. In truth, Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley share more in common than either game has with New Horizons.
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That said, Stardew Valley can still scratch the same itch as Animal Crossing, especially for anyone who is not enamored by the latter’s real-time mechanic.
9 My Time At Portia
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, My Time at Portia shines the brightest when it just lets the player build, explore the sizable map, and interact with the surprisingly layered NPCs who live within Portia.
While the game does have some RPG mechanics and even dungeons with light combat elements, the main focus is on collecting resources, finding schematics for new devices, and building. While the goal in Animal Crossing is to mostly create the ideal town, My Time at Portia finds humanity in the process of rebuilding, so the focus is on helping Portia to expand outwards.
8 Castaway Paradise
Castaway Paradise does not try to hide the fact that it is inspired by Animal Crossing. In fact, it wears its inspiration on its sleeve. 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 Paradise is the closest thing to Animal Crossing on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, even if it does not quite reach the same heights as New Horizons.
7 Disney Dreamlight Valley
Xbox Game Pass subscribers can jump into Disney Dreamlight Valley, a game that is currently in Early Access. While yet to be deemed complete, Gameloft’s project is hardly starved for content, and the developer is constantly updating the game. Featuring characters from an assortment of Disney properties, including Pixar, Dreamlight Valley allows players to manage a village while living alongside these iconic figures.
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Along with staples of life sims like gathering resources and unlocking food recipes, Disney Dreamlight Valley also has quests revolving around specific characters. Completing these trials will cause that character to join the player’s village.
6 Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles
Available on all modern consoles, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles tips its hat to various different licenses, including The Legend of Zelda, Microsoft’s own Fable series, and, to a lesser extent, Animal Crossing.
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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. Yonder is not as memorable as any of its influences, but it is a solid title in its own right.
5 Rune Factory 4 Special
Although not as storied as Animal Crossing, Rune Factory is another farming sim franchise with a long history. The license’s peak was between 2006-2012, with Rune Factory 4 bringing 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 Special is a JRPG that incorporates farming sim mechanics as 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 Special is one of the best games like Animal Crossing on the market. It is also better than Rune Factory 5, which is a Switch and PC exclusive.
4 The Sims 4
EA’s life simulation franchise has a legacy as storied as Animal Crossing, with both properties providing players with the opportunity to lead new (digital) lives. New Horizons presents the playable character as someone who is firmly part of the growing society found in the game, even if they are expected to do all of the work.
Conversely, The Sims 4is more about the “Sim” than the wider community, as the way the character develops is the main focus. Sims have unique personalities and flexible emotional states that directly impact the gameplay. Animal Crossing has this to a certain extent, but it is nowhere near as fleshed out as in The Sims 4.
3 Minecraft
Especially in “Creative Mode,” Minecraft gives Animal Crossing: New Horizons a run for its money when it comes to crafting an atmosphere of blissful leisure. Both games revolve around collecting resources and items that can then be used to build structures, although Minecraft places nearly no restrictions on the possibilities when it comes to the latter.
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Even for those who are not the creative type, Minecraft offers tension-free fun and a delightful way to spend a few dozen hours.
2 Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
While Rare’s Microsoft run has proven to be rather underwhelming, the studio’s Viva Piñata main entries are pretty fantastic. As an expansion of the original game’s core concept, Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise delivers a fine-tuned and confident campaign that can be still enjoyed more than a decade after its initial release.
The goal is to maintain and upgrade a garden while attracting creatures known as piñatas, who might decide to stick around if the garden is to their fancy. Along with beautiful graphics, Trouble in Paradise is a calming experience akin to New Horizons.
1 Farm Together
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the very definition of an easy game, as the only thing standing in the way of success is time. Farm Together is very much of the same ilk, where any of the challenges related to farming are removed in favor of accessibility and constant growth.
Like New Horizons, Farm Together is meant to be played for the long haul, as the user gradually unlocks new fruits and buildings to expand their farm. Although the NPCs lack the adorableness of Animal Crossing’s residents, they do provide some immediate goals through food quests.
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