2024 was an excellent year for cozy game players, with hit games likeBandle Tale,Fields of Mistria,Infinity Nikki, and more making a big impact on the gaming scene. However, 2025 is set to deliver a string of some very exciting cozy game releases. With games likeAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsstill one of the leadingcozy games on the Nintendo Switch, many game developers have drawn inspiration from the game for their own farming sim and life sim mechanics. BecauseAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsis such a successful game, it can be a tough one to beat given its timeless quality and endless gameplay opportunities.
However, in 2025, there are many cozy games to be released thatAnimal Crossingplayers in general may very well gravitate towards. While every game features something unique that makes them stand out from each other, there are some features that make them comparable toAnimal Crossing. These include the ability to create and customize one’s own character, and build and decorate their own home. Many of them involve building and restoring a village, town, or island, and the majority of them feature charming social interactions with NPCs in the game. With all of this in mind, here is a list of all the games that are set to come out on Nintendo Switch in 2025 that might appeal to fans ofAnimal Crossing.
10Everbloom
Magical Farming Adventure
If someone is looking for a game that looks and feels like a warm hug,Everbloomis the game to explore. With its release date for the Nintendo Switch yet to be announced,Everbloomis a beautiful farming sim featuring all animal characters. The game’s cozy aesthetic is complemented by unusual and unique farming sim opportunities.
For example,inEverbloomit is possible to grow buckets of popcorn.The game also states that by feeding cows in the game candy bars, players will be able to obtain chocolate milk. This unique take on a farming sim with a cozy vibe makesEverblooma game that fans ofAnimal Crossingmay enjoy picking up.
9Cattle Country
Build Your Farm Empire
Cattle Countryis a 2D pixel art sim that is all about farming. Taking a more agricultural direction compared to other sims,inCattle Countryplayers will have the opportunity to build and customize their own farm and townwhile managing their livestock and resources.
Social aspects are also a feature inCattle Countryand present romance options for players to explore as well as interactions with bandits.
They will experience the joy and obstacles that running a farm can present, while also engaging in all the usual farming sim gameplay activities like fishing, farming, and mining. Social aspects are also a feature inCattle Countryand presentromance options for players to exploreas well as interactions with bandits.
8Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time
Time-Traveling Life Sim
Set to release on the Nintendo Switch in April 2025,Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Timeis a unique life sim game. In the game,players will be able to create their own unique character and select from a variety of different jobsto explore.
Jobs in the game include roles like a cook, carpenter, tailor, artist, blacksmith, and alchemist, so there is a nice range of different gameplay avenues for players to embark upon.Not only doesFantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Timelook similar enough toAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, but players will also be able to similarly customize their home, town, and restore the island.
7Pixelshire
Pixelated Village Life
With a release date yet to be confirmed,Pixelshireis an adorable pixel RPG that is set to release on the Nintendo Switch. With an art style similar to the likes ofStardew ValleyorSunhaven,Pixelshireboasts an adorable aesthetic which is sure to appeal to cozy gaming fans andAnimal Crossingplayers.
InPixelshire, players will be able to explore the game’s resource-laden world of Arcadia, engaging in activities like town-building and even some combat.The game boasts a highly customizable worldwhere players will be able to build and decorate the land to their liking.
6Sugardew Island
Sweet Island Escape ️
Sugardew Islandis a brand-new cozy game that will be released in March 2025.The adorable, colorful game revolves around players looking after a variety of cute animals while running their very own farm shop.
Players will be able to harvest and collect a variety of goods to sell in their shop to the people of the island while being able to engage in different social interactions with both its people and its animals.
The beautiful art style screams cozy, and isn’t too far away from the art style ofAnimal Crossing.The goal of the game is to continuously upgrade one’s farm in order to revive life on the island.
5Discounty
Quirky Island Getaway ️
Although this game is not exactly a farming sim likeAnimal Crossing,Discountyoffers a bunch of cozy gameplay features, whereplayers get to manage their very own, customizable supermarket. The adorable 2D animation style is not a million miles away from the art style forStardew Valley, while the game features lots of opportunities to organize stock, build relationships with the various characters available, and develop a sense of community through the growth and success of the store. The game’s multitude of features makes it look like it will never be boring for a moment, and its adorable and cozy overall style is to die for.
4Loftia
Skybound Island Life
Loftiais a game that has been in development for a while now, and it has already nicely built up a community of potential players who are ready to give the cozy MMO a try. Set for release on Nintendo Switch this year,Loftiais a solarpunk game revolving around the purpose of building a sustainable world.
Loftiafeatures all sorts of community-building features, allowing players to even adopt an adorable pet companion, too.
The game has drawn inspiration from games likeAnimal Crossingand, given the visuals that have been delivered of the game’s characters and graphics so far,it’s safe to say that fans ofAnimal Crossingwill probably appreciate the art style of the game.Loftiafeatures all sorts of community-building features, allowing players to even adopt an adorable pet companion, too.
3Tales Of The Shire: A The Lord Of The Rings Game
Middle-Earth Farming
A game that has been making a lot of noise over the last while in thecozy gaming scene isTales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game, which will be released on July 13, 2025, on the Nintendo Switch. Not only will fans ofThe Lord of the Ringsgravitate towards this cozy take on hobbit life in The Shire in the fantasy world of Middle-earth, butAnimal Crossingplayers may very well enjoy the game’s relaxing farming and life sim gameplay features.Players will be able to create their own hobbit characterto play as, exploring the cozy fantasy land, socializing with other hobbits, tending to their garden, and crafting items.
Tales of the Shire Preview: LOTR Life Simulation Sets Up An Expected Party
The upcoming cozy take on Middle Earth has a lot going for it, at least as far as the target audience of life simulation fans is concerned.
Tales of the Shireis one of the more unique farming sim games to be released in recent times, and the game’s emphasis onThe Lord of the Rings' legacy is sure to appeal to many with a soft spot for J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore. The animation style is very warm-toned and rustic, and it seems likecooking and food may be a prominent feature in the game.Tales of the Shireseems to be designed for players to be able to completely unwind and visit a relaxing world with cozy vibes, which any fan ofAnimal Crossingwill likely take an interest in.
2Ritual Of Raven
Dark Fantasy Farming
Coming from the developers of the hit 2024 cozy game,Sticky Business, Spellgarden Games is set to release an enchanting farming sim game in 2025:Ritual of Raven. This unique, story-based farming sim will please fans of witchy cozy games, while it is sure to appeal to fans ofAnimal Crossinggiven its emphasis on farmingand growing one’s own magical garden.
The adorable 2D art style is very colorful and pleasant to look at, whilethe quests that are teased to crop up throughout the game seem cozy and welcoming. The game is set to release at some stage in 2025.
1Hello Kitty Island Adventure
Cute Island Adventure
Ultimately the most similar game toAnimal Crossingwithin this list,Hello Kitty Island Adventurewill finally be coming to Nintendo Switch on August 08, 2025. Taking its name from the famous joke inSouth Parkreferring to what was once a hypothetical video game,Hello Kitty Island Adventureis exactly how it sounds: an adventure on an island. The colorful and cheerful cozy game is full of all the classic farming sim gameplay mechanics as well as a huge open-world that players can explore while discovering andbefriending beloved characters from the Sanrio world.
One Year After Its Release, Hello Kitty Island Adventure Has More Reasons To Play Than Ever
Since launching last July, Hello Kitty Island Adventure has grown immensely, but the adventure simulation game has a lot more in the works for fans.
Just like inAnimal Crossing, inHello Kitty Island Adventure,players can customize their character and decorate their home, while collecting items for crafting and cooking on a beautiful island. The game’s co-op multiplayer feature, similar toAnimal Crossing, allows players to be able to visit their friends in the game. The addition of every character being an animal, including the character a player creates to play as, is sure to evoke a sense of nostalgia for players who have thoroughly enjoyed playingAnimal Crossingover the years.
