Animal Crossing has been a staple of Nintendo consoles since the GameCube and has, with its most recent entry, become one of the best-selling franchises of all time. Its engrossing cozy life sim gameplay loop is understandably extremely appealing, in large part because it allows one to escape the doldrums of reality and immerse themselves in a fantastical world full of whimsical characters that’s completely under their control. So, it is not particularly surprising that even those without a Nintendo console want to give it a try.
Frankly, one shouldn’t have to pay hundreds of dollars just to access a single title, but, alas, such is the way of console exclusives. Fortunately, there are a plethora of phenomenal games just like Animal Crossing that don’t require a Nintendo console to be played. These aren’t just vaguely Animal Crossing adjacent either, but true successors that those unable to play on Switch or otherwise can absolutely enjoy.
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Galactic Getaway
Galactic Getaway mixes the visuals, vibes, and home decoration of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, with a layer of multiplayer fun in a centralized hub area, and a creature-taming element, to create something that feels distinctly like Nintendo’s classic and yet something entirely new. It’s got everything you’d want from an Animal Crossing-like, from an endless amount of decorative items, fishing, randomized spaces to forage fruit, and a space to hang out with friends after a long day, in addition to its space theme, quirky creatures, and farming.
Galactic Getaway is currently only available on Steam.
Ostensibly, like Ooblets before it and Pokopia after it, Galactic Getaway is Animal Crossing meets Pokémon, only it veers far more into the AC territory than many other games of its ilk. If you’ve longed for a game that feels like Animal Crossing as you play, Galactic Getaway is the perfect choice. Sure, it isn’t a 1:1 recreation of the core AC experience, but it is pretty close to it while offering a distinct enough gameplay loop that one won’t feel like they’re treading old ground while playing it.
5
Dinkum
If you’ve searched for games like Animal Crossing before, there’s a very good chance you’ve heard of Dinkum. Often described as Animal Crossing in Australia, Dinkum takes a lot of the best elements of AC’s gameplay loop and plants it squarely in the Australian outback. You’ll need to build your town from scratch, decorating it as you’d please, much like in New Horizons, gather crafting materials, and welcome in new villagers. There are also a few survival elements thrown in for good measure to help keep things interesting and keep you on your toes.
Dinkum is widely regarded as one of the best Animal Crossing clones as it more directly apes its focus on town building and social sim elements. Its social features aren’t quite as deep as the early days of Animal Crossing, although they are about on par with New Horizon’s less robust social sim elements, as the focus is really on building your town and surviving in the outback. However, for those who enjoy making beautiful towns and want to focus mostly on that, Dinkum is absolutely the perfect game, and it’s available on PC via Steam.
4
Castaway Paradise
Castaway Paradise is often seen as budget Animal Crossing, and for good reason. It started off as a free-to-play, microtransaction-heavy Facebook title before eventually coming to iOS and Android under the same model. Eventually, it was transformed into a premium product, not unlike Animal Crossing’s own mobile game, and ported to consoles and Steam. With the microtransactions gone, Castaway Paradise’s social sim gameplay was able to shine, and it remains one of the more faithful adaptations of the Animal Crossing formula.
In Castaway Paradise, you explore an island helping villagers with a variety of simple tasks, fish, catch bugs, collect and place decorations, and everything else you’d expect from an Animal Crossing-like experience. Sure, there’s some obvious budget limitations here, and it can begin to feel a bit repetitive faster than Animal Crossing typically does. However, considering its relatively cheap price point, its availability on all platforms, including PC, PS4, and Xbox One, it is absolutely worth it for those looking to play Animal Crossing without a Nintendo Switch.
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The Garden Path
The Garden Path is a lot like another Animal Crossing-esque game, Cozy Grove. It’s a slow-paced, relaxing title that adopts Animal Crossing’s in-game clock and calendar functionality, which, naturally, encourages frequent but shorter play sessions. The bite sized approach to the game’s pacing and tasks mean that, much like AC, it can fit around your busy schedule, rather than requiring the player to complete everything in a matter of days.
Where it differs from Cozy Grove is in its lack of handholding. The Garden Path sets you out into its vast world and lets you figure everything out for yourself. It leads to a wonderful sense of discovery as you come across your first NPCs, complete your first task, or discover a new area for the first time. It can mean it feels a little slow and a little confusing at first, but for those willing to embrace its more relaxed atmosphere, The Garden Path makes for an excellent Animal Crossing alternative that’s available on PC via Steam.
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Snacko
Snacko is a criminally underrated alternative to Animal Crossing that has gone overlooked for far too long. It packs absolutely everything you’d want from an Animal Crossing-esque game on PC (via Steam), including town building, villager interactions, fishing, and quests, while also adding cooking, romance options, a vast world to explore with unique biomes, PS1-style visuals, a completely flexible build mode, and so much more.
I don’t quite understand why Snacko doesn’t get the praise and attention it deserves as it quite literally fits every category Animal Crossing fans would want while introducing amazing features that only better the experience. If Animal Crossing fans don’t like their cozy social life sim feeling too cluttered with mechanics, then they can largely ignore Snacko’s fun new additions. It truly is the perfect package and an easy recommendation for those looking to play an Animal Crossing-like on any platform other than the Nintendo Switch.
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Amber Isle
Amber Isle asks the question: what if Animal Crossing let you run a shop and made you care about its villagers? It pairs Moonlighter’s excellent gameplay loop of foraging for items to then sell in your own shop with Animal Crossing’s social sim gameplay and village life vibes to create something that feels utterly distinct and more in-line with Nintendo’s original vision for its best-selling franchise.
Amber Isle’s Paleofolk are a genuine delight to get to know and befriend, often feel like believable people, and will give you far more than New Horizon’s handful of personality types and repeated jokes. It’s a fantastic game that, while a little different in core gameplay loop, absolutely resembles the very best aspects of Animal Crossing. The best part is that you don’t need a Nintendo Switch to play this Animal Crossing-like as it’s available on PC via Steam.
- Released
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March 20, 2020
- ESRB
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Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
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Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
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Nintendo
- Engine
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Havok
- Multiplayer
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Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
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no
- Cross Save
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no
- Expansions
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home Paradise
