Animal Crossing PC Game Alternatives

The release of Animal Crossing New Horizons is finally here. For the next few weeks, Switch owners around the world will be locked away, building their own deserted islands and paying back all the money bells they owe Tom Nook. 

But, what about those gamers out there who don’t own a Switch? We know a lot of our audience are staunch members of the PC master race. This doesn’t mean you have to miss out entirely, though thanks to these Animal Crossing PC game alternatives.

Animal Crossing New Horizons Release

While the games we’ve listed below do make excellent alternatives – can you really beat the real thing? If you want to get your hands on the new Animal Crossing, you’ll need a Nintendo Switch or a Nintendo Switch Lite. If you’re feeling particularly fancy, there’s also a limited-edition Animal Crossing version of the Switch to really complete your collection!

Can You Play Animal Crossing On PC?

Unfortunately, no. Animal Crossing is a Nintendo Switch exclusive and has always remained loyal to Nintendo as a gaming company. There are currently no plans to release a PC version, and honestly, we don’t think there ever will be. So, if you really want a piece of the action but don’t want to fork out for a new console – let’s take a look at the PC alternatives you can enjoy instead.

Animal Crossing PC Game Alternatives

We’ve spent hours and hours immersing ourselves in the achingly cute world of the following games to make sure we bring you the best Animal Crossing PC alternatives out there. So, here are our top picks:

  1. Stardew Valley
  2. Hokko Life
  3. Garden Paws
  4. My Time At Portia
  5. Staxel

What PC Will I Need?

All of these games are pretty low-spec, making them easy to play on most PC builds, and laptops out there. We’d recommend a PC like our $300 build to make sure you can run these games smoothly. Or, if you’d rather grab a prebuilt PC, we recommend the one below.

1. Stardew Valley

When it comes to relaxing resource management and simulation games there’s one title that has long challenged Animal Crossing for the top spot – Stardew Valley. This farming simulation game places social interactions just as highly as the actual farming, helping to give it the same kind of vibe that you get from hanging out with Abigail and co.

The big plus for Stardew Valley is that it’s available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android – so you can play it no matter your gaming setup. You can also build a farm with your friends through online co-op.

2. Hokko Life

If you want something as close to actual Animal Crossing gameplay as possible, then Hokko Life is the game for you. Stop us if you’ve heard this one: you arrive on a train to a new town, decide where to place new homes, make friends with the locals, do some fishing, forage the land, and design your own clothes and home. Sound familiar? It should.

The only downside is that Hokko Life has not actually released yet, and we don’t have a firm date for when it will. When it does land, you’ll be able to grab it on the Steam store for PC.

3. Garden Paws

While you may be a human among critters in Animal Crossing, Garden Paws gives you the chance to be one of the animals yourself. And, similar to Stardew Valley, you’ve just inherited your Grandfather’s farm. The goal here is simple, to expand the nearby village you need to set up your own shop and earn enough money through farming and collecting to help it thrive.

This adorable game was originally launched through Kickstarter where it raised three times its goal. It’s available through Steam now for PC.

4. My Time At Portia

My Time At Portia features all the things that make these games so addictive and relaxing: relationship building, digging for resources, fishing, and, of course, farming. The premise for this one is at least a bit more original. Your father has run off to become a “hoodlum” and it’s now fallen to you to keep the farm running and help out the villagers of Portia.

The building aspects of this game really take the spotlight here, which helps it stand out from the rest. You can get your hands on it now from Stea

5. Staxel

Finally, we have a game that might look like Minecraft on the surface, but spend a few minutes playing and you’ll soon see why it made this list. Despite it’s blocky, pixelated graphics this is another relaxing game that sees you working on a dilapidated farm. As you restore the land to its former glory, you unlock the ability for more residents to move into your town. 

This game also scores bonus points for its delightful soundtrack, and you can pick it up now from Steam.

Final Word

The Animal Crossing series of games have always been the perfect escape from hectic life into a world of cuteness, relaxation, and Tom Nook. If you’ve never played a game from this series before, New Horizons looks to be the best installment yet – so there’s no better time. 

Each of the games on this list will provide you with similar gameplay and story aspects, but none will quite capture the same feeling as Animal Crossing. Let us know if you’ve tried New Horizons, or any of our Animal Crossing PC alternatives, in the comments below. Or, you can head over to our Community Hub to keep the conversation going.

1 thought on “Animal Crossing PC Game Alternatives”

  1. “If you want something as close to actual Animal Crossing gameplay as possible, then Hokko Life”
    so why is it only 2nd, and not 1st in your list?

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