12 Cozy Games Like The Sims That Let You Build Your Dream Life

ByKristen Wood Updated on

If you love The Sims but want to try something new, there’s a whole world of cozy games where you can still design, decorate, and live out your perfect virtual life. Whether you’re into building dream homes, creating unique characters, or just kicking back in a stress-free digital world, these games let you shape your own little universe at your own pace.

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Stardew Valley

A character approaches a bear in a snowy landscape in Stardew Valley. Dialogue box reads: "That smell... come closer..." with an illustrated portrait of the bear.
Stardew Valley | Gameplay Screenshot

Farming might be the main attraction, but this game is also about building a home, making friends, and living your best small-town life. You can decorate your farmhouse however you like and create a routine that feels just right for you.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Two cartoon alpaca characters sit at a decorated wedding table with pink and white flowers and elegant place settings.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Gameplay Screenshot

Build your dream island, design your home, and befriend adorable animal neighbors. It’s all about slow, easy living with endless ways to personalize your little paradise.

My Time at Portia

Animated town square with a fountain, people gathered in a circle, balloons in hand, and a building in the background with a "Day of the Bright Sun" banner.
My Time at Portia | Gameplay Screenshot

Restore your workshop, craft furniture, and become part of a charming post-apocalyptic town. There’s farming, romance, and home decorating to keep you busy for ages.

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Hokko Life

A video game character stands on a tiled path between buildings and flower pots, with on-screen prompts for object actions visible at the bottom.
Hokko Life | Gameplay Screenshot

A small-town life-sim where you can customize furniture, design clothes, and make the perfect home. It’s all about putting your creative stamp on everything.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

In a cozy game, a woman and a man stroll through a lush jungle environment.
Disney Dreamlight Valley | Gameplay Screenshot

Live in a magical world with your favorite Disney and Pixar characters. Build and decorate your dream home while helping friends bring the valley back to life.

House Flipper

A video game screenshot shows a pair of hands in a virtual garage with a glowing green bike outline in the center. Some tools and shelves are visible, and a window displays game stats.
House Flipper | Gameplay Screenshot

Buy, renovate, and decorate houses however you like. It’s strangely relaxing to clean up a mess and turn it into something beautiful.

Garden Paws

A cartoon animal sporting glasses and a cape stands heroically near chickens in a grassy area, reminiscent of the whimsical settings in games like Tiny Glade, with charming wooden structures creating an enchanting backdrop.
Garden Paws | Gameplay Screenshot

Run your own shop, care for animals, and grow crops on a colorful island. The mix of business, farming, and decorating makes every day feel fresh.

Spiritfarer

A large turtle with trees on its back emerges from the water near a wooden pier at sunset; two characters stand on the pier with a speech bubble that says, "She's here.
Spiritfarer | Gameplay Screenshot

Build and customize a boat while caring for spirit friends on their journey. It’s warm, heartfelt, and filled with moments that make you want to slow down.

Cozy Grove

A top-down view of a whimsical, brightly-lit garden scene from a video game, featuring crops, trees, lanterns, and various interactive objects, with a character near the center.
Cozy Grove | Gameplay Screenshot

Decorate your campsite, befriend ghostly bears, and watch the island slowly come back to life. It’s like Animal Crossing with a gentle, storybook twist.

Ooblets

A colorful, cartoon-style garden scene with various plants, wooden barrels, small creatures, and characters tending to crops inside a fenced area.
Ooblets | Gameplay Screenshot

Farm, dance-battle adorable creatures, and decorate your home in a quirky, colorful world. It’s part farming sim, part creature collector, all cozy.

Moonlighter

A screenshot of a game similar to Stardew Valley with a farm and trees.
Moonlighter | Gameplay Screenshot

Run a shop by day and explore dungeons by night. The mix of business sim and adventure keeps things interesting while letting you customize your store.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles

Animated scene of a character in a hat and glasses standing in a sunlit, rocky valley with lush trees and colorful orbs floating nearby.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles | Gameplay Screenshot

Explore a peaceful island, help villagers, and decorate your farm. No combat, no rush—just pure relaxation.

Kristen is a writer, photographer, cookbook author and avid cozy gamer. Her work has been featured in various publications including Forbes, The Associated Press, Elle, Pure Wow, Chicago Sun-Times, and Willow & Sage Magazine.

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