The 5 Best Mobile Games Like Animal Crossing

Looking forward to Animal Crossing: New Horizons? We know the feeling. We can't wait to start delivering fish and butterflies to our cute fuzzy friends, despite the fact that at times it can feel more like a vocation than a game.

But what if you're looking for a mobile game to try and ensure you get your cuteness fix in the meantime? Well, there's Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, but we reckon we can do better than that. Which is why we've created this list of the five best games like Animal Crossing for iOS.

Check out our list below, and if you've got your own suggestions make sure you stick them in the comments section. Oh, and click here to check out all of the other great lists we've been making recently.

Seabeard (Free)

Seabeard is adorable. With a world full of adventures and activities, you can delve into it at any point and simply wander.

Want to go fishing or sailing? You can do that just as easily as you can get involved in cooking or establishing trading routes.

It’s cute stuff throughout, making you feel part of a colorful and huge world full of potential.

Click here to read our Seabeard review

Stardew Valley ($7.99)

If you haven’t already played or heard about Stardew Valley—the little indie farming game that could—it’s a game where you move out to the country to your family farm on the outskirts of Pelican Town to retreat from the grind of modern city life. It’s a super-relaxing game where you slowly build up and tend to your farm while getting to know your neighbors.

The mobile version of Stardew Valley didn’t have the best launch, but it has since received tons of updates to spruce it up into quite possibly the best way to play the game. The best news of all is that its Animal Crossing-like gameplay doesn’t operate using a real-world time cycle, meaning you can get everything you want out of Stardew Valley while playing it on your own schedule.

Click here to read our Stardew Valley review

Crashlands ($6.99/Free?)

You might be wondering why an action rpg might be on this list, but play just the first few missions of Crashlands you’ll understand why. This game is a crafting and collect-a-thon full of colorful characters on a strange, alien planet that you just want to get lost in for hours.

A lot of times, the resource collection you’re doing is for crafting new weapons and armor, but you can also just decide to craft full-on buildings and decorate them to your liking, set up a farm, and even go fishing whenever the mood strikes. You can also do all of this without worrying about encumbrance or inventory limits, as there are none in this game.

NOTE: Crashlands is listed with a dual price because it was acquired by Playond, a subscription service that has recently shut down. All games on the service are currently just free, but the original version of Crashlands is also listed on the App Store for its original, premium price.

Click here to read our Crashlands review

Stranded Sails (Apple Arcade)

Stranded Sails is a game about survival after shipwrecking on an island. With your captain gravely injured and your crewmates scattered about an archipelago, it’s up to you to bring everyone together and build up a camp that can accommodate everyone. Sometimes this involves scouring the island for new supplies, and at others it may simply involve maintaining your farm.

As an Apple Arcade title, Stranded Sails is a great pick for anyone that wants to scratch that Animal Crossing itch while having access to 100+ other premium titles.

Click here to see how Stranded Sails ranks in our Apple Arcade rankings

Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! ($4.99)

Perhaps not your typical pick as an Animal Crossing-like game, Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! slips onto this list because of its intensely charming and endearing characters. What is otherwise a pretty straightforward (though satisfying) crafting/management game has a winning personality that pushes you to keep playing it.

In particular, this Holy Potatoes! title bases all of its spud-based characters off of famous video game protagonists, leading to situations where you’re paying off debt you owe to “Agent 46” and crafting big swords for a spiky-haired potato named “Claude Strife.” Through your interactions with such a colorful cast of characters as you kick back and craft items, Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop ends up feeling more like Animal Crossing than it probably should.

Click here to read our Holy Potatoes! A Weapon Shop?! review

Have you been enjoying other Animal Crossing-like titles on mobile? What's your favourite alternative to take with you on the go? Let us know in the comments below!