The Animal Crossing games are the definition of cozy, chill, and relaxing. Sure, paying off your debts to Tom Nook or encountering an uncomfortable number of tarantulas at once can be a little stressful, but the games are generally slow-paced and forgiving. They have no combat, few deadlines, and a friendly and light-hearted tone. However, if you’re looking for something with Animal Crossing’s collection, social, or town building elements, but also some more hardcore additions such as survival, combat, tighter deadlines, or all of the above, try checking out any of the games on this list. These games all share similarities with Animal Crossing in some way, but also offer a more intense gameplay experience for those players looking for a bit of a rush.
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Coral Island
If you like the bug, fish, and decoration collection elements of Animal Crossing but want something that takes collecting up to 11, then Coral Island is the game for you. There are a lot of farming, town building, and life simulators out there, but very few take collecting to this extreme. There is a museum with over 300 items to donate, Coral Island’s resources can be found both above and below the water, town improvement goals can be worked toward, crafting and cooking recipes can be uncovered, and much, much more. If completing the museum in Animal Crossing didn’t feel like enough of a challenge for you, then why not give maxing out Coral Island’s numerous collections a try?
Critter Cove
Currently in Early Access, Critter Cove shares many similarities with Animal Crossing — you play as an adorable animal charged with restoring a failing tourist town, with the goal of drawing visitors there once more. It also features many similar gameplay elements, including fishing, crafting, restoring and improving buildings, and searching for lost treasure. However, Critter Cove’s setting is explicitly post-apocalyptic, and the game features some genuinely intense scenes and creepy aesthetics. In particular, the cave and underwater exploration sections feature some truly unsettling things to discover. The town is much more rundown and ramshackle, and players often have to rely on repurposing old items in new ways to make it livable again.
Cult of the Lamb
Just like Animal Crossing, this is a game where players befriend lots of adorable animals and work together with them to build a town — and then regularly sacrifice said adorable animals in order to earn a variety of bonuses. Players build a town in their “cult base” with the help of their Cult of the Lamb followers, obtaining resources with the help of said followers, crafting new structures, cooking food, keeping the village clean, and more. The player must then repeatedly journey out to defeat a variety of foes, collect weapons, and more in roguelike exploration and combat segments. For those who love the coziness of Animal Crossing but also have a fondness for the dark and sinister, Cult of the Lamb is sure to be a good fit.
Dinkum
Dinkum is most accurately described as “what if Animal Crossing and a survival game had a baby.” The player character (and possibly their friends, as the game features robust multiplayer) are tasked with surviving in the rough, wild lands of the Australian Outback. There’s crafting, building, farming, and town design elements, but there’s also combat against some of the Land Down Under’s most infamous wildlife, and the game never lets you forget that there’s danger lurking out there. This is a game that’s perfect for players who love the social, community-focused town-building elements of Animal Crossing but also occasionally get the desire to pick up one of Dinkum’s weapons and fight.
Dragon Quest Builders 1 & 2
The Dragon Quest Builders games combine Minecraft’s blocky style with Animal Crossing’s more social elements and the combat of a more traditional role-playing game. Players are tasked with restoring a land blighted by the forces of evil, while also engaging in hack-and-slash combat against a variety of classic Dragon Quest foes from lowly Slimes to, of course, powerful dragons. The second Dragon Quest Builders game offers a more story-centric experience, as players travel around the land connecting with and healing characters who have come to believe that building and creativity are wrong. Players can get as creative as they want building their town from the ground up, while also enjoying some fast-paced and occasionally quite tricky combat sections.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
If Dinkum is the perfect fusion between Animal Crossing and a survival game, then Fantasy Life i is the perfect fusion between Animal Crossing and an RPG. Players can design and build a community on a peaceful island, fishing, crafting, and chilling out with their friends. At the same time, they can explore 14 different jobs called “Lives,” fight a variety of enemies, and travel between the past and future to learn what caused the island to wind up in ruins in the present day. The pacing of the game allows players to easily alternate between exploring dungeons, gathering materials, trying out different Lives, or simply spending some time decorating their house or customizing their island. There are plenty of mysteries to discover in the world of Ginormosia, too, so make sure to explore every nook and cranny you find.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)
Medium (5.0s)
Hard (2.5s)
Permadeath (2.5s)
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High Score: 0
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)Start
RestartBack
0
High Score: 0
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My Time At Portia / My Time At Sandrock
Another series that blends the crafting, collecting and social elements of Animal Crossing with a robust combat system, the My Time series sees the player take on the role of “Builder” in a new town, befriend its inhabitants, unearth relics of a lost civilization, and much more. Sandrock is somewhat more intense than Portia, with its desert setting requiring players to get creative with irrigation systems and methods for beating the heat. Animal Crossing players who loved bonding with the series’ many different villagers and islanders will love the robust social gameplay of the My Time titles, with each game featuring dozens of characters to get to know and even fall in love with. My Time at Evershine has been announced, which is the third entry in the series and boasts a potential 2026 release date, so there is even more My Time goodness to look forward to in the near future.
