Games like Magicians Quest Mysterious Times are the perfect way to almost scratch that Animal Crossing itch.

While Animal Crossing will always be the go to game when it comes to relaxing in a beautiful life sim world. But sometimes it can be nice to get out from under that crushing bell debt and give some other cute games a try. I have assembled a small list of games that scratch a similar itch to that of Animal Crossing.

Magicians Quest: Mysterious Times

Magicians Quest: Mysterious Times is a life sim that very closely resembles Animal Crossing in the art style. The goal of the game is to become a master magician by learning and practicing a variety of spells and incantations. Often described as Harry Potter meets Animal Crossing, Mysterious Times was released in May of 2009 for the Nintendo DS.

There have been three sequels made, but were only released in Japan. The games also happen to use the DS’s internal clock, so the player will encounter time-sensitive quests and events. Sound familiar? To get your hands on this one, you may have to use eBay or Amazon, and it might cost you a pretty penny. If you do some searching, you can probably still find a copy for reasonable price, as the game is becoming kind of rare.

MySims

MySims is what happened when EA decided that they’d like to make a game as similar to Animal Crossing as they could. As per usual, the goal of MySims is build up a town that is in desperate need of some repair. Customize your character, then go about your days making your town as cool or crazy as you like.

With tons of customizations for your character as well as your buildings and even furniture, MySims is one cute game that is definitely worth a peek. You can buy it through Origin for $19.99. However, it should be noted that the game is a bit old, and the online capabilities have already been disabled.

Castaway Paradise

For a game that was basically made to be a copy of Animal Crossing, Castaway Paradise is certainly cute and fun. But it’s not Animal Crossing. The game does take place on a tropical island, which makes it great practice for New Horizons. The graphics are almost voxel, and the color scheme is fun and vibrant.

Spend your time decorating your island, or do some farming for those ono grinds (Hawaiian for yummy food). Cataway Paradise is available on mobile devices, as well as PC, XboxOne and PS4. For more information on the game, as well as the chance to buy it for yourself, check out the official website.

My Tamagotchi Forever

My Tamagotchi Forever is an adorable take on the original principle of the Tamagotchi.  Taking a first glance at the game, Animal Crossing fans will notice that the actual Tamagotchi pets look like something you would meet in the world of Animal Crossing. But this time around My Tamagotchi Forever packs a lot more features and activities to do.

While these two games are entirely different, there are some similarities, and it seems as if Bandai Namco tried to capture the spirit and cuteness of Animal Crossing in their latest mobile game. My Tamagotchi Forever is a free-to-play mobile game, and is available on iOS and Android.

Ooblets

Ooblets is an adorable life sim farming game with a touch of creature collection. The creatures that you “collect” (actually you have to grow them yourself) are called Ooblets, and they love to dance. They are the most adorable little squishy creatures that jump at the opportunity to do your bidding. Use Ooblets to help with your day to day activities, as well as exploring and manipulating the world around you. More info.

Cozy Grove

If you have ever played Don’t Starve you will most likely be very familiar with the concept of Cozy Grove. For the ones who haven’t – much like in Don’t Starve – a survival game as the title already gives away, In Cozy Grove you will find yourself on a haunted island and you will be tasked to bring color back to it. The haunted island may appear empty and overtaken by florals but as you continue to explore and gather resources you will quickly begin to build up a new camp on the deserted and remote place and breath some life back into it. More info.

What is your favorite Animal Crossing inspired game? Let me know in the comments below!