5 Cozy Multiplayer Games Like Animal Crossing

One of the best things about gaming is that, for a little while, it can take you to another place. Sometimes those places are fraught with peril. Some are places of war. Others are daring adventures where the fate of the world is a stake. But sometimes, you just want someplace to chill.

That explains the massive popularity of Animal Crossing. Sure, you spend a good portion of the game in debt to Tom Nook… and a lot of time looking at a stock market simulation… and there’s the whole thing with the counterfeit art guy… But look, you get to build your own house on a chill island filled with cute and eccentric neighbors.

Still, the Animal Crossing island might not be your ideal home. You want something kinda like it, but different. Maybe you’d rather have people than animals as neighbors. Maybe you want a little more adventure to go along with your chill homesteading vibes. Or, maybe you want a more MMORPG experience. Luckily, there’s something for just about everyone in the cozy homesteading game space and we’re here to offer you a few options.

Palia

If you’re looking for something with more of an MMORPG feel, Palia is the way to go. The cozy community sim offers all the things you’d expect from the genre. You’re gathering, farming, building your dream house, and interacting with the villagers. This is all while trying to discover what happened to the humans that used to live in Palia a long time ago. This option is free-to-play and available on PC and Nintendo Switch.

Stardew Valley

It wouldn’t be a cozy homesteading game list without Stardew Valley. ConcernedApe’s beleoved has it all. There’s adventure, romance, mysteries to solve, and yes, all that farming and house-building we love. It’s been around a while now, and for a lot of people, it’s the go-to cozy game. Stardew Valley is available on a variety of platforms, including Steam, and even has online and co-op player options.

My Time at Sandrock

The second “My Time” game from Pathea Games and Focus Entertainment, My Time at Sandrock is set in the desert. Players move to the community of Sandrock and become the local builder, fixing up their run-down workshop as they go. The game is similar to the developer’s first entry My Time at Portia with two big exceptions. The first is that Porta was set in the countryside. The second is that Sandrock has co-op play. Both games have very positive ratings.

Gardenpaws

In Gardenpaws, players play as an animal who has inherited a farm. Of course, the farm isn’t complete and it’s going to take some work to get it there. What’s interesting about this particular game is that in addition to having an online co-op for up to three players, it also allows players to create their own lobby for up to 32 people. That’s a lot of help for when you get around to building up the town.

Sun Haven

Sun Haven thought big. The fantasy farming sim has magical creatures, some of which players can even add to their farm. It features four zones to explore, over 30,000 lines of dialogue, and 23 romance-able characters. You can even romance all 23 at once. Interestingly, the one thing they decided to leave out of this sim is the stamina bar. Although, it’s probably not necessary considering players have options like adjusting the length of each day, making themselves invincible, and turning off pests.