EA / Gameloft / PapergamesThe Sims is one of the longest-running gaming franchises, and it’s likely the one that will come to mind first when thinking of a ‘simulation game’, even if you’re not really a fan of the genre.
With its four mainline entries and an endless list of spin-offs (some of which are fantastic – I’m looking at you, The Sims 2 Castaway and The Sims Medieval), it can often feel like there’s not much reason to look elsewhere for the huge amount of variety that EA’s cash cow offers.
But if you’ve had your fill of boxing your Sims in with fences, know everything there is to know about the lore (yes, there’s lore!), and have finished multiple generations of Rags to Riches, I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to give something else a shot.
I’ve racked my 30-something brain and scoured the internet to bring you a list of games like The Sims that have at least one feature similar to it that I’d recommend in a heartbeat… with no Freezer Bunnies to be found.
Second Life
Dexerto / Linden Lab- Release date: 23 June, 2003
- Platforms: Linux, Mac, Mobile, PC
Kicking things off is an entry that’s really close to my heart: Second Life. Don’t let its age fool you, though, as SL (as it’s affectionately called) has everything a Sims lover could want and more.
Effectively a huge-scale chat room/Sims/MMO mashup extravaganza, this virtual world lets you connect with people all over the globe and set out to do whatever your heart desires. There are no set goals or jobs here (unless you want to set up your own business or location), and the economy, events, and items you’ll find for sale in the world are entirely community-driven and user-created. Systems in-game like MyStory add similar systems to the needs found in The Sims, and there are loads of locations where you can hop into an area and roleplay as whatever character you like.
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It’s free-to-play, but as someone who’s played the game for over 15 years, you’ll want to be comfortable with parting with some real-life cash to convert to Linden Dollars (the game’s currency) to be able to kit your avatar out nicely and do things like decorating or renting a home – though freebies and discounted items are found throughout the world, too.
InZOI
KRAFTON- Early access release date: March 28, 2025
- Platforms: PC
If you’re looking for an experience that feels like a hybrid of something like The Sims and Second Life, InZOI is probably going to be your first port of call.
Currently in early access, it’s an offline experience bringing a different vision and a more lifelike art style to the life sim genre than what The Sims does, with some elements that I’d love to see added to that series – like being able to move your character, or Zoi, around with your WASD keys.
This is one game I think every Simmer should have on their radar in 2025, and with more features planned to be released throughout early access like ghosts and pools, it’ll be evolving over time. So if there’s one feature you love in The Sims that isn’t in InZOI just yet, similar functionality for it may be there eventually for you to dip your toes back into at a later date!
Infinity Nikki
Papergames- Release date: 5 December, 2024
- Platforms: Android, iOS, PC, PS5
You’ll have to hear me out in this one, as while it’s not initially super like The Sims and feels more open-world RPG than anything, Infinity Nikki has one blaring thing that lots of Sims-lovers will enjoy: dress-up!
One of my favourite things to do in the gacha game is to collect different pieces of outfits and come up with different looks for Nikki to then snap with the photo mode out in the (frankly gorgeous) world. These pieces can be earned without needing to shell out some real-life money too, but it’ll likely take a lot longer overall.
If you like building up collections in The Sims 4, you’ll have that in droves here, from collecting pieces to level up your Stylist rank or collecting Whimstars around the map. There’s even a planned update that’ll bring player housing to the game for even more Sims-like goodness, making Infinity Nikki one game you don’t want to miss out on.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo- Release date: 20 March, 2020
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch
If you’re looking for something a little bit Sims-y that you can take with you on the go, Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be right up your alley.
A game that defined the 2020 lockdown period for me – and one I spent countless hours in terraforming and decorating my island while ‘collecting’ my ideal troupe of villagers to inhabit it. ACNH has it all, from collecting items to creating designs and a boatload of clothing to collect and dress yourself up in.
Its DLC, Happy Home Paradise, adds even more opportunities, letting you decorate spaces for different characters based on specific briefs to follow. It feels very Dream Home Decorator coded in that you go to work with your character to create these little pixelated pockets of paradise, both indoor and out.
So if The Sims 4 is your game of choice out of the series, New Horizons and especially its DLC is something you can take on the go and have a pretty similar experience with.
Cities: Skylines II
Paradox Interactive- Release date: 24 October, 2023
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
While Cities: Skylines II and its predecessor are games I’ve never actually played, I’m recommending them here purely because of the fact that I’ve spent countless hours watching YouTubers build up and create these incredibly intricate virtual cities.
Dubbed as “the most realistic city builder ever” on the game’s website, for a Sims player that loves creating a world, it’s similar to Sim City and both The Sims 2 and 3’s Create-a-World features.
The game has a huge amount of options when building up your metropolis, allowing you to get down to the nitty gritty city management side of things by keeping your civilians (that have different age groups and can own pets and all go about their daily lives) happy. Civilians even have their own Lifepath Journal that records different events from their lives that you can check out – you can even follow them about if you choose! What’s more Sims-like than that?
While the biggest things about Skylines 2 Sims fans will likely enjoy about the game is its large-scale city creation options, there’s lots on offer here and it’s something that many will love playing.
Wylde Flowers
Studio Drydock- Release date: 18 February, 2022
- Platforms: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PC
Wylde Flowers initially comes off as a little more Stardew Valley-like than similar to The Sims, and while it’s true for the most part, there are things about it which feel very The Sims. Plus, this truly is one game I just have to recommend checking out because it’s really, really good.
It’s a narrative-based game where you step into the shoes of Tara, who’s moving to a small island to be with her poorly grandmother and take care of her. As you explore, you’ll come across an eclectic bunch of characters, many of whom can be romanced (Sims-like feature strike one).
While you work to grow the farm, craft items, and sell produce to earn more money, you’ll also discover very quickly that your grandmother is a witch! Throw in a whole lot of witchy activities (Sims-like feature strike two), and a 24-hour clock that swiftly ticks by, meaning you have to be pretty time-savvy with what it is you spend your time doing (Sims-like feature strike three!), and there’s lots to chew over here.
There’s even a little bit of character customization thrown in, too (Sims-like feature strike four!), so if you’ve already heard Stardew Valley being thrown around as a game like The Sims and are looking for something in a similar vein but still its own thing, I’d highly suggest Wylde Flowers. Plus, a prequel is in development, too – so you’re able to really invest in the lore, just like you can in The Sims!
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Gameloft / Dexerto- Release date: 6 September, 2022
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
A game I’ve played pretty on and off since I first reviewed it back in 2022, Disney Dreamlight Valley, or DDV as it’s sometimes referred to, is very much a Disneyfied Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing of sorts, meaning it has plenty of Sims-like similarities, too.
From growing crops, to decorating the Valley and its many, many biomes across the base game and its paid DLCs, you’ll get stuck into a tale that has you interacting with and helping some of Disney’s most familiar faces.
I get a little bit fatigued on games that have endless laundry lists to complete, and I do find DDV has that problem, too, but what I love here is the sheer amount of player agency you’ve got over decorating your world, clothing your character, and what you choose to spend your time doing.
A big favourite of mine – as it is in The Sims and many games of its ilk – is cooking, and Disney Dreamlight Valley has a huge list of recipes that’ll have you baking and chef-ing your little heart out. You can even have a little pet companion follow you around, too!
It receives updates pretty regularly, free and paid, also featuring a multiplayer system similar to Animal Crossing: New Horizons that The Sims and something like InZOI simply doesn’t have – though it’s very barebones in its current state.
Two Point (Hospital, Campus, Museum)
- Release date: 2018 / 2022 / 2025
- Platforms: Linux, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Bet you didn’t expect to get a ‘buy-one-list-entry-get-two entries-free (BOLEGTEF?) in this article, did you? A bit cheeky, this one, but the Two Point series really is fantastic and something that someone who’s a fan of the management side of The Sims will love.
Each instalment is chock-full of humor, with plenty of laughs to be had from its animations, and that kind of identity is something I personally love as a Simmer (and as we all know, makes up a huge part of that franchise’s DNA).
Depending on your chosen games – the most recent of which is Two Point Museum (which we gave a 4/5 stars in our review) – you take up stewardship of either a hospital, university campus, or a museum.
Whether you’re a player who loves a challenge or knows their way around a cheat or two in The Sims 4, there are goals to complete or a sandbox mode to build something without the woes of monetary constraints.
My Time at Portia / My Time at Sandrock
- Release date: 15 January, 2019 / 26 May, 2022
- Platforms: Android and iOS (Portia only), Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
How very cheeky of me to do exactly the same thing as the Two Point series here. Truth be told, though, just as is the case with those games, My Time at Porta and My Time at Sandrock are cut from the same cloth – one’s just slightly newer than the other.
Portia is a game I backed on Kickstarter when it was in its early days of creation, and is something I really enjoyed my time with. Sandrock is a game I’ve reviewed following its full release in November 2023, and both offer lots of similarities with other entries on this list that all culminate in something very The Sims.
Most of the features I’ve already spoken about in other entries – crafting, cooking, building, decorating, an eclectic cast of characters and romance – are here, but the open-world combat and different mobs feel more akin to something you’d find in an RPG or MMO.
My Time at Sandrock has a multiplayer mode unlike its predecessor, too, and is much more fleshed out than something like Disney Dreamlight Valley, meaning you can head out into the world with a friend and build up the town together – though there’ll be no narrative to dig into there.
Ambulance Life
Nacon- Release date: February 6, 2025
- Platforms: Android, PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Last up we have Ambulance Life, which, if you’re a fan of the active career feature in The Sims 4 will be right up your street. A simulator through and through, this game will have you stepping into the shoes of a character you pick from a list of premades, each with a little bio and backstory that will scratch the itch of picking a premade family in The Sims and reading up in the little household blurb.
Set in the city of San Pelicano, you’ll head out onto the city streets as your chosen character to respond to 36 types of different emergencies. At each site, you’ll need to collect evidence to figure out what exactly has happened to diagnose the patient and know what to treat them with, before taking them to the hospital. On the way, you’ll need to navigate through traffic in your ambulance to get to them and transport them to where they need to go.
If you’re looking for something different to the pretty simple diagnosis process of how hospitals work in The Sims 4’s Doctor career, Ambulance Life is a much more fleshed out and realistic simulation process.
And with that my fellow Simmer, you’ve got multiple games out there like The Sims to dive into, no plumbobs needed. For more lists, check out the best games of 2025 so far, find a new dream RPG with our list of the top 50 RPGs of all time, or if you’re looking to curl up with a blanket and get in some downtime, the best cozy games.
