Animal Crossing: New Horizons became an instant, truly loved success. With each small update, and the substantial Happy Home Paradise DLC, players easily sunk hundreds of hours into their personal islands. But what next?

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Ask an Animal Crossing player if they ran out of steam, and they'll probably say yes. Not to worry, here's a list of games that will fill the Nintendo-shaped hole once you've moved on. These games share similar traits to New Horizons - they are all cozy, wholesome games to pick up, and are all available on the Switch! This list could go on and on for a very long time but is condensed to a select few of the very best games to play like Animal Crossing New Horizons.

Updated July 12th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: There have been a lot of great, colorful, relaxing, and downright wholesome games released since Animal Crossing: New Horizons first hit store shelves. Although there are many dedicated players that hop into their island retreat each day to keep their locations clean and interact with their villagers, they may also be looking for new and exciting experiences that look and feel like the iconic Nintendo release. There are tons of awesome Indie games out there, as well as some Triple AAA offerings that can be just as relaxing and fulfilling as the island paradise simulator. To better showcase some of the best games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the following list has been updated with more entries.

13 Ooblets

Leaving the farm with your creatures in Ooblets

Players that enjoy titles like Pokemon, Harvest Moon, and Animal Crossing will instantly fall in love with Ooblets, an Indie release from a two-person developer that combines premises from all three titles to create one truly engrossing (and relaxing) game. The end result sees players creating their own farm to hatch creatures called Ooblets, which they can then interact with. There is so much content to unlock throughout the title and players will also find a bustling town to engage with, building relationships with the townsfolk as they unlock new Ooblets and reach milestones.

Ooblets is an incredibly colorful release, and there are so many adorable creatures for players to collect.

12 Peaceful Days

PeacefulDaysSteam

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is fun and relaxing thanks to its town-building mechanic, paired with a satisfying gameplay loop in which players interact with their villagers on a daily basis and build relationships with them. There is a lot that needs to be done in a player's Animal Crossing island, and its a great way to unwind after a particularly taxing day. Those looking for a similar experience with a bit of retro flair should check out Peaceful Days, a Stardew Valley-like title with a top-down Legend of Zelda-esque aesthetic.

Players will create their own farm and tend to adorable pixelated animals, while also exploring the areas around them and engaging with a variety of NPCs. There are many mechanics to be found in Peaceful Days and players can enjoy the game at their own pace.

11 Costume Quest

Costumed trick-or-treators gathered around a stage for a Halloween festival in Costume Quest

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is incredibly relaxing and players won't really find themselves in much danger. There is no "loss mechanic" present in the release, and players are free to experience the journey at their own pace. Those that are looking for something with "higher stakes" but still just as wholesome should look into the Costume Quest series. These adorable games are crafted to mimic retro RPGs like Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana, but place them into a wholesome Halloween-themed world. Players will collect different costumes (which act as Jobs or Classes) and will battle with colorful enemies as they make their way through each adventure.

The end result is a higher-action wholesome release that's incredibly colorful and imaginative.

10 Cozy Grove

Cozy Grove octavia

Cozy Grove is arguably one of the games closest to Animal Crossing for a few reasons. The biggest of which is that it is designed to be played daily; there is a cap on activities that can be done, encouraging players to be patient and wait until the next day (you can just change the date on the Switch). Other than that, it is another title where players are a human in a world of animals and are relied upon to help them.

For a low-priced indie title, there is a lot of content here. The main story quests take many hours to complete, and then there are the daily tasks too, and optional tasks like catching every fish, and filling out all the collections for the Captain bear.

9 Unpacking

Completed room

The next recommendation has absolutely taken over this writers' life: Unpacking. A short tale that follows a narrative about a girls' life as she grows up. It involves 'minimal' gameplay about unpacking items from boxes and sorting them out into their correct places. Unpacking is very zen and has a nice, bouncy soundtrack to accompany the pixellated graphics.

The only downside is the length of the game, but there is replayability, especially with the option to turn off item placement restrictions. Wanna put mugs on the floor? Go for it!

8 A Short Hike

bird protagonist soaring through the skies above a waterfall in a short hike

A Short Hike features a bird with a very round head, that explores the area around where they're staying in order to find a signal to call their mother. Don't be fooled by the short playtime of this game, there are still many things to do and much to see.

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The main character is Claire, and the main objective is to find a way up the mountain to the spot that has a strong signal. This includes finding Golden Feathers to give enough strength to make the journey and encountering puzzles and small quests on the way (like finding a missing headband). A Short Hike ​​​​​​even has a fishing mini-game, a plus for any relaxing title!

7 Spiritfarer

spiritfarer flatboat

While it may be a little more emotional than Animal Crossing, Spiritfarer is a wonderful and wholesome game. Players control Stella - the new Spiritfarer, who carries their departing souls to the Everdoor and spends their last moments with them. While doing this, amenities and comfortable spaces will be requested by the residents of the boat to be built.

There is a lot of relaxing exploration in Spiritfarer, along with friendly and amicable animals, and a fishing mini-game! There are still updates coming out for the game, too, adding even more to the calming experience.

6 Story Of Seasons: Pioneers Of Olive Town

Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town Beginner Mistakes Farm Animals Whistle

Something that Animal Crossing doesn't have is a very heavy emphasis on farming. If that's the sort of thing you want instead, then try Story Of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town. The second Story of Seasons title to release on Switch, it continues the line of spiritual Harvest Moon successors.

The gameplay is a classic farm simulator. Build up the farm, get some crops going and some animals, then rake in the profits and help to improve the town, while making meaningful friendships. That's cool, but really, the best thing about this game is definitely the round, adorable cows.

5 Wytchwood

Wytchwood-How-To-Get-Rodent-Lard-3

Wytchwood popped up on the indie scene late into 2021 and has since grown a reputation for a relaxing game tinged with some spooky elements. Players control an old witch residing in the woods and are tasked with a to-do list involving collecting souls for a talking goat.

RELATED: Tips For Starting Wytchwood

Relying on the Grimoire to craft potions and lotions to keep the story in motion, the witch sets out on a journey to swamps, forests, and the sea to collect a myriad of items and solve puzzles as to how to get them. This adventure is highly recommended for anyone who prefers the combat-free gaming experience.

4 The Wild At Heart

The Wild At Heart Throwing Companions At A Mushroom Patch

The Wild At Heart is, essentially, Pikmin but from an indie studio. Young boy Wake runs away one night to meet up with his friend and go exploring. However, they find themselves in a mysterious woodland area, populated by humanoid characters and small sprites.

While wandering around the woods, items and drops need to be collected for later crafting, as well as the Spritelings - so they can be tasked to retrieve and break objects. There are minor combat elements in this game, but largely it is a wholesome adventure through an odd forest.

3 Slime Rancher

adorable pink slime and slime rancher sucker tool

Goodness, who's this smiling pink creature? It's a slime! From Slime Rancher, a game where players farm slimes to make money from their Plorts. It isn't as sinister as it sounds. It has a tinkly, light soundtrack, bright and cartoony graphics, and thousands of smiling slimes to keep you company.

RELATED: The Best Slimes in Slime Rancher, Ranked

The 'rancher' is Beatrix, alone on the Ranch and far away from her friends. She receives Star Mail every so often keeping her updated about Earth, and other than that - she grows food to feed the slimes and fixes up the old Ranch to fit more slime corrals. The gameplay cycle is addictive and has some neat mini-games too. Oh, and by the way, a sequel is coming out soon!

2 Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley farm with crops.

Where to start with this one? Stardew Valley ticks all the Animal Crossing boxes: building friendships, a new home, farming, paying extortionate amounts to expand houses, and crafting. Players move into their grandfather's old farm in a small rural town and then decide what to do. Farm produce or animals, mine, fish to your heart's content, and more!

Stardew Valley is a sure win for any player. There are so many different ways to play it and has hundreds of hours of content. Every character has a story and 'heart' events that play when their friendship increases. The town is absolutely filled with secrets.

1 House Flipper

House Flipper Demolition

House Flipper is a simulation game all about cleaning, demolishing, decorating, and rebuilding houses...as the name suggests. There is no 'plot', or characters, but you have an itch for decoration then this is the game for you. Clean out and empty a ramshackle house, and rebuild the inside to your personal liking. Fix up the garden, add some furniture, or leave it bare - the choices are numerous.

Plus, there are loads of DLCs available for House Flipper, with more coming out soon, so there's plenty of content to keep your paintbrushes engaged.

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