10 games like The Sims 4 that will let you live a virtual life

If you're looking for games like The Sims 4 to try out, we've brought together 10 great alternatives that you can play right now.

From games that focus on the building elements for anyone out there who spends hours making their dream homes in The Sims 4, to adventures that have similar life sim elements, we've also considered games that also capture aspects of some of the best Sims 4 expansion packs. . And we've made sure to bring together a selection across all platforms so you can find something to get stuck into.

From some of the latest new games to arrive in Early Access, to some standout favorites, read on to explore our pick of the 10 best games like The Sims you can play right now.

The best games like The Sims, starting with...

10. Paralives

If you're looking for something very similar to The Sims, then indie life sim sandbox Paralives is pretty close. Releasing in Early Access, the developers are still adding to the game all the time, but it's base is a great jumping off point. From building your ideal home with intuitive tools, to creating your own character with Paralive's detailed Paramaker suite, you can step into the open world town and set out to make the virtual life you want.

Just like The Sims, you shape your own stories through the characters you make (be it making a family, chasing after a career, and more), but where Paralives really shines right now is through its building tools, so if you love that side of The Sims 4, this is for you. While there's definitely room for this life sim to grow and keep improving and it could be worth waiting for more to be added, it's Early Access already shows promise.

9. Stardew Valley

Ah, Stardew Valley. As another time stealer with oodles of heart, this charming farming sim is like The Sims 3 if you were a farmer in the pixelated countryside. Going at your own pace, you can build up your farm, decorate your house, and get engrossed in Stardew Valley's endlessly interesting community. Just like the Sims, you can form relationships with every character in each household of the Valley, and all the residents have their own unique stories. You can also put on your decorating hat and make the coziest farm in all the land.

There's so much more than meets the eye in this delightful RPG. Fishing, mining, cooking, farming, and raising farm animals are just a few ways to keep yourself occupied. From its relatable characters to its hidden secrets, playing one in-game day's worth won't be enough. Before you know it, you'll sink hours into making your farm just right without realizing how much time has passed you by.

8. Wylde Flowers

8. Wylde Flowers

If you love the occult expansion packs in The Sims 4, you may well fall in love with Wylde Flowers from Studio Drydock. Taking on the role of Tara in the seaside town of Fairhaven, you get swept up in a witchy, mystery-laden story, with magic, werewolves, fairies, and other fantastical beings.

With life sim and farming elements to boot, you take over your grandmother's farm, where you can concoct potions and spells that have a myriad of uses, from helping your crops thrive, to caring for your animals, and even aiding you in quests. You also spend a lot of time getting to know the locals and even develop a romantic relationship and get married if you so wish. Plus, it features an inclusive cast and so much hidden depth that you surely won't regret stepping into Tara's shoes.

7. Cities: Skylines

Who doesn't love being able to decide the fate of Sims? Whether you want to help them fulfill their dreams or be the cause of their untimely demise by trapping them in a pool or setting a stove on fire, having all the power is what makes it so much fun. If this is why you love to get stuck into the Sims world, Paradox's Cities: Skylines will feed your desire to be a virtual god even more. It's also one of the best city building games ever made, so it's a must-play!

Instead of just managing a household, you manage an entire city, with all manner of ways to help it thrive or cause chaos. And if building and designing is your bag, you'll be glad to know you can design and build up your city however you wish. All jokes aside, if you thought managing a big family household or town was a challenge, managing a city takes it to a whole other level. Contending with natural disasters, pollution, and traffic jams are just some of the problems a city can encounter, and you can deal with them however you want.

6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

We waited so long for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it was worth every second. The game doesn't just let you build and decorate your own home but a whole island. All the best features are there - designing your own clothes, sending letters and gifts to friends, and collecting adorable home furnishings - but now you can also travel to other islands courtesy of Dodo Airlines, and even indulge in a spot of terraforming to create ponds, rivers, and cliffs wherever you want.

Its never-ending gameplay loop of fishing, catching bugs, improving your home, and making friends with an ever-increasing cast of quirky critters is incredibly comforting. If you're looking for thrills, there are always tarantulas to stalk and the turnip stock market to play. Check out our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review for more cozy details.

5. Coral Island

It's a real shame that Coral Island never made it to the Switch, because with its seamless combo of Animal Crossing, The Sims, and Stardew Valley, it's ripe for Nintendo fans to sink their teeth into. Fortunately, you can grab a copy of the wholesome farming sim on other consoles and PC. It's a truly gorgeous-looking game with plenty of customization options and a vast community to explore.

You move to Coral Island from a busy city life, hoping to take things a little slower and learn to live off the land. Your new home, it turns out, is absolutely packed with complex characters, shops, farms, pets, resources, and fun things to do. It's like being on holiday all the time. Dig for gemstones, go diving to restore the reef, play a part in ecological projects, and eventually find the love of your life. Coral Island has a bit of everything – even mermaids!

4. The Sims Medieval

OK, so this might be cheating, but The Sims Medieval offers such a unique twist to the mainline Sims franchise that it deserves to be mentioned. Incorporating elements of RPG into the life sim framework, The Sims Medieval is a spin-off that starts players off as a monarch of a burgeoning medieval kingdom and puts you to work setting the place up. You'll still have a castle to decorate and can start a family, but the addition of quests makes TSM's goal-oriented gameplay a true standout offering.

You'll have to build churches, graveyards, medical quarters, and more in order to keep the townsfolk happy. Will you send them to the stocks for being disobedient? Will you sneak away from the throne room to sail the seas and claim lands from adjacent kingdoms? Will you simply stay home and lap up the lavish life of a medieval noble, courting suitors and birthing heirs to the throne? This is no ordinary game like The Sims; this is The Sims, but better.

3. MySims: Cozy Bundle

If you want your Sims experience with a dose of nostalgia, EA's MySims: Cozy Bundle rerelease is just the ticket. A throwback to, for many of us, a simpler time, these cuboid creations were Millennials' original Roblox. Dress 'em up, design their houses, go on adventures, and solve fun puzzles – what was once "The Sims for kids" is now looking like a pretty good premise for adults, too.

The Cozy Bundle (released on Nintendo Switch in November 2024 and PC in March 2025) includes two classic MySims games, the original and MySims Kingdom. If you spend more of your time on The Sims 4 decorating houses and parks than actually letting your Sims live, you'll enjoy the focus on creativity, design, and customization. You'll not be able to drown your Sims or propose a Woo Hoo, but there's not a lot in this world you can't accessorize with wholesome charm.

2. Fields of Mistria

Fields of Mistria may be "anime Stardew Valley" but I think most of us would struggle to find an issue with that. Fields of Mistria is the gourmet, Michelin Star, connoisseur's choice meal of farming sims. NPC Studio incorporates an array of inspirations from Harvest Moon to Slime Rancher, crafting a game that gives you more of what you want and none of the rest. It's got all your traditional farming sim accoutrements – fishing, growing turnips, flirting – all gently brushed with a taste of magic and fantasy.

We got particularly excited about Fields of Mistria for what it doesn't do as much as for what it does. Farming sims, even the best ones, can quickly turn into min-max capitalism simulators if we're not careful, but this game offers something very different. You can sink into the smaller tasks, and enjoy the idyllic life you carve out for yourself. And with its full 1.0 dropping in August 2026, there's never been a better time to try it out.

1. House Flipper 2

House Flipper was an excellent game, but House Flipper 2 improves upon it in almost every way. Another one for the more creative players – this trash-slinging, couch-hauling, paint-sploshing, window-clean-a-thon is one of the most satisfying games you'll ever play. In our four-star House Flipper 2 review, we asserted that the game "gives the same satisfaction as doing up an actual property," and we stand by it.

If you could clean and decorate your Sims' houses from a first-person perspective, you'd get an idea of what it's like to play House Flipper. The career mode sees you start off as a total rookie, slowly moving on to bigger and better projects as your skills and finances increase, while sandbox mode lets your creativity flow freely. Build a beautiful grand abode, a humble starter home, or a real pile of rubbish – the choice is yours.

Looking for more suggestions? Be sure to check out our list of games like Stardew Valley.