Games Like The Sims 4: 8 Life Sims to Play Next

If you love The Sims 4, start with Disney Dreamlight Valley, Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the neighborhood life, and Two Point Campus or Unpacking if building and decorating are your thing. None of them clones the formula outright, but each one grabs a piece of what makes Maxis's sandbox so hard to put down.

What makes The Sims 4 so hard to quit

The Sims 4 is a sandbox with no finish line. You sculpt your Sims down to the eyebrows, design their house room by room, then watch them fall in love, flop at their careers or set the kitchen on fire. There's no ending to reach. You write the story.

It blends three pleasures: making characters, building homes and managing everyday life. Most games on this list pick one or two of those. So before you choose, think about what you actually do most in The Sims. Do you live in build mode, run families across generations, or just want something calm to unwind with at night?

How to pick your next game

If it's the social life and the routine you love, go for a farming or village game: Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing or My Time at Portia. If it's building, try a management game like Two Point Campus or Cities: Skylines. And if you mostly want something relaxing, Unpacking and PowerWash Simulator deliver in a few evenings. For more in the same mood, check out our list of cozy games.

1. 

   1. Disney Dreamlight Valley

   2023

   The closest in spirit to The Sims. You create your avatar, decorate your home and a whole village, and build friendships with Disney and Pixar characters. There are quests, gardening and cooking, but nothing ever rushes you. Great if you love customizing every corner and watching your little world come alive.

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2. 

   2. Stardew Valley

   2016 · Main story 50 h

   You inherit a run-down farm and start a new life in the country. Crops, animals, fishing and mines, but above all a town full of people with real personalities you can befriend and even marry. If The Sims' routine relaxes you, this one is even more moreish. More on that in games like Stardew Valley.

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3. 

   3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

   2020

   A deserted island you shape however you like, charming animal neighbors and a life that follows the real calendar. The interior decorating and island design feel a lot like The Sims' build mode. It's the perfect game for a few minutes a day, with no goals and no pressure.

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4. 

   4. My Time at Portia

   2019

   You take over your dad's workshop in a colorful post-apocalyptic town. You build machines, fill orders for the locals, expand your house, make friends and maybe find love. There's more crafting than in The Sims, but the same urge to build a life that feels like yours.

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5. 

   5. Two Point Campus

   2022

   Instead of a family, you run an entire university. You design the buildings, pick the most ridiculous courses and keep students happy, each with their own needs. The goofy humor and giant dollhouse feel will click with anyone who spends hours in build mode.

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6. 

   6. Unpacking

   2021 · Main story 3.5 h

   A gentle little game where you unpack boxes and set up someone's belongings in their new home. Without a single word, you piece together a whole life through objects. If you like telling stories through your Sims' decor, this one will get you. It wraps up in an evening or two.

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7. 

   7. PowerWash Simulator

   2022

   You clean houses, cars and backyards with a pressure washer, inch by inch. It sounds like nothing, and it's wildly satisfying. For players who love the calm, meticulous side of The Sims, with a real sense of a job well done after each level. You can play it with friends too.

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8. 

   8. Cities: Skylines

   2015

   If building is your favorite part of The Sims, scale it up to a whole city. Roads, districts, transit, public services, it's all yours. It's more demanding and more about management, but the joy of watching people live in something you built is exactly the same.

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FAQ

What game is most like The Sims 4?

Disney Dreamlight Valley is the closest in spirit: avatar creation, home decorating, relationships with characters and no forced objective. For a true slice-of-life neighborhood sim, Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are also excellent picks that scratch the same itch.

Is there a game like The Sims on Switch?

Yes. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the obvious choice on Switch, with its island life and deep decorating. Stardew Valley and Disney Dreamlight Valley are available there too, and both offer the same relaxed mood where you build a life at your own pace.

How long does The Sims 4 last?

The Sims 4 doesn't really end. It's a sandbox, so you play for as long as you want to keep telling stories. Plenty of players come back to it for years, cycling through families, generations and challenges they make up for themselves.