Looking for a new life sim game to sink your hours into? We’ve got you covered. Life sim games come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are farming and life simulators, likeStardew Valley, and games like The Sims 4, which allow you to micro-manage every single element of a character’s life. We’ve rounded up the best life sim games you can play right now, all offering something slightly different to the one before it.
Just why are life sims so popular? After all, video games are meant to be about escapism, right? So why would we want to play a game that mimics real life? We all have our own reasons, of course, but the fact is these games still offer escapism, just a different, often more grounded type. We don’t all get to become a famous artist in real life, butThe Sims 4lets you make that happen, for instance. Others, like Animal Crossing, let you curate an island exactly how you want it. Doing the gardening in your little suburban home just isn’t quite the same.
And so, read on to find out the best life sim games you can play on PC and consoles. We’re confident you’ll find something to love.
This list was originally published in May 2022. It has since been updated with new titles and information.
1. Coral Island

- Available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC
Is Coral Island better than Stardew Valley? We reckon it might just be. One of the best life sims you can play, Coral Island clearly takes a lot of clues from the excellent Stardew Valley — which you’ll of course find further down this list — but adds its own spin on things. Set in a beautiful 3D world, Coral Island allows you to explore, farm, meet the locals and a whole lot more. You can even go diving in the oceans here. There’s also a very noble message about looking after the environment running through the game.
It’s probably the sheer amount of things to do in Coral Island that really makes it stand out, though. There are missions to complete, plenty of characters to get to know, lots of places to explore, bugs to catch, a farm to tend to, mines to, er, mine, and plenty more. Like the best of the genre, you’re free to tackle everything however you want, too, allowing you to get to grips with Coral Island at your own pace. It’s simply wonderful.
Read our review of Coral Island
2. Fae Farm

- Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC
“Magical cosiness” is how we described Fae Farm in our review. This 3D adventure gives you complete freedom to explore the game’s world however you want. It’s a little like Stardew Valley in that regard: you can farm, you can meet the locals, you can sell your home-grown goods, or you can explore the nearby mines and see what wonders you uncover. As you play, you’ll gather materials that will allow you to upgrade your tools, giving you access to better resources.
That freedom is one of the things that makes Fae Farm one of our favourite life sim games. There’s no right or wrong way to play, and you won’t feel punished for not engaging with one or two of its mechanics. If you’ve had enough of farming, for example, it doesn’t matter: focus on something else. Equally, if you don’t feel like being social, then the townsfolk can wait. It’s an absolute joy, and it’s well worth jumping into.
Read our review of Fae Farm
3. The Sims 4

- Available on PC, PS4, Xbox One
It would be impossible to have a list of the best life sim games without includingThe Sims 4, wouldn’t it? Around since the early 2000s, The Sims series has taken the world by storm, becoming the premier go-to ‘god simulator’. Controlling a single sim or an entire household, you can control just about everything they do – down to when they go to the toilet or take a shower.
With a multitude of expansions available,The Sims 4is the biggest and best Sims game yet, in our opinion at least. Your Sims can live in the city, hit the ski slopes, chill in a Japanese-inspired spa, have a pet, go on an epic vacation, or be a vampire. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The best thing of all, though? The base game is absolutely free to play on all platforms, so whether you game on PC, PlayStation or Xbox, give it a download and try your hand at playing God.
Read our review ofThe Sims 4
4. Stardew Valley

- Available on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Fancy running your own farm and designing it exactly how you see fit? You can, inStardew Valley. But there’s much more to this life sim than simply farming. You can explore the town’s mines, finding valuable treasures, or you can potter around the village, making friends with the locals – even finding someone to get married to and spend your life with is an option.
This is the type of game that’s so easy to spend hours upon hours in at a time. Whether you’re tending to your vegetable patch, organising your land or going off exploring, there’s always something to do. And that’s part of what makesStardew Valley– and life sims in general – so special.
Read our review ofStardew Valley
5. My Time at Sandrock

- Available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC
One of the newest games on this list of best life sim games, My Time at Sandrockis also one of our favourites. It’s a follow-up toMy Time at Portia, set in a whole new location, with even more to see and do, and brand new faces to meet.
InMy Time at Sandrock, you’re a newcomer to a run-down desert town. After being given a workshop, you’re set to work at creating some new tools that will help you fix some things around town. You’ll gather materials, craft, spend time getting to know the locals, and explore the surrounding areas. There’s so much to do inSandrock, from combat to making friends, and you’ll want to soak up every moment of it.
Read more aboutMy Time at Sandrock
6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

- Available on Nintendo Switch
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsmay be one of the least realistic games on our list of best life sims, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Finding yourself on an island inhabited by various anthropomorphic animals,New Horizonsis about making a home, making friends, and simply enjoying relaxing, island life.
There aren’t any survival elements here: you won’t have to craft food and eat to survive, for instance. How you spend your time inAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsis largely up to you. You can gather fruit, go off exploring, get to know your neighbours, or decorate your house and the island. Or maybe you’ll want to hunt for rare fossils and insects to hand into the museum. The choice is yours, but however you decide to spend your time, we’re fairly certainNew Horizonswill keep you coming back for more.
Read our review of Animal Crossing: New Horizons
7. Cat Café Manager

- Available on PC and Switch
Cat Café Managermay be one of the more simple games on this list of best life sim games, but it’s perhaps that simplicity that makes us love it. As the owner of a new cat cafe, it’s your job to keep things running by serving customers. You’ll also need to expand, growing your cafe, adding more furniture and new items to the menu. And don’t forget the cats: you’ll want to take in strays and ensure you’re giving them the food and enrichment you need.
With interesting characters to meet from around town, and engaging but simple gameplay to sink into, there’s a lot to love aboutCat Café Manager. Particularly if you love cats.
Read our review ofCat Café Manager
8. Grow: Song of the Evertree

- Available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch
This may be the last entry on our list of best life sim games, but it is by no means the least. We loveGrow: Song of the Evertree, from the developers ofYonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles.There’s so much to do, for one. The titular Evertree has various worlds for you to explore, where you’ll gather materials and nurture each world to make them thrive. Back at the root of the tree, you can create a number of villages where you’ll inspire people from all over the land to come and live.
There’s always somewhere new to explore, and the townsfolk you meet will often have tasks and missions for you to complete. So whether you’re wandering around town or farming on one of the Evertree’s beautiful worlds, Growis sure to keep you entertained. It’s original, unique, and a great deal of fun; a life sim not to be missed.
Read our review ofGrow: Song of the Evertree