Cozy gaming has, in recent years, become one of the most popular genres for players looking to relax and sink some time into a warm atmosphere. For anyone wanting to dip their toes into this new gaming culture, there are two titans of the genre that stand above the rest: Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. The question is, which of these two iconic games is best for you?
We’ll delve into what makes Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing both individually special, what experiences they prioritize for the player, and which one you should pick up.
Table of contents
What’s Stardew Valley like?
In the simplest terms, Stardew Valley is a farming simulator. Heavily influenced by the grandfather of all cozy games, Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley puts players in the shoes of a farmer moving to their grandfather’s neglected farm. Plant crops, tend to adorable farm animals, and build relationships with the people of Pelican Town, all without any pressures like timed missions (besides the occasional request for crops or minerals around town).
What sets Stardew Valley apart is the depth of the game. While there are ways to min-max for profit by planning out every square inch of the farm, it’s also equally valid to spend every single day fishing by the river. Players can get deep into combat, unlock the secrets of the sewer, or build infrastructure for visiting Ginger Island.
Stardew Valley is whatever the player makes of it, which is why it has endured for over a decade as one of the most popular indie games ever made. If you’re a player that wants to be able to sink your teeth into a game, to spend hours on hours exploring both places and relationships, and enjoys tasks that include taking care of plants and animals, then Stardew Valley is the game for you.
Pros:
- Easily accessible on all platforms for a low price.
- Plenty of guides and resources online to help craft your perfect farm.
- Famously easy to sink hours of time into.
Cons:
- Can feel overwhelming to newer gamers.
- Famously easy to sink hours of time into.
What’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons like?
Animal Crossing, as a series, has a long history. The first game released on the GameCube in 2002, with regular mainline entries every few years ever since. The most recent of these is Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which was released for the Nintendo Switch in early 2020. While the heyday of New Horizons has more or less passed—which can lessen the online experience—the core of the game is still solid.
Like Stardew Valley, New Horizons features the player moving to a brand new home, but this time it’s to an island paradise. There, they buy a home (which starts off as just a tent) and start gathering supplies to sell for bells (the in-game currency) or use to build decor. At its core, Animal Crossing is a life sim, which means it puts an emphasis on cultivating relationships and your environment over playing minigames or planning out deeper game play strategies.
For New Horizons, a lot more of the focus of the game is set on decorations. Being friends with nearby Villagers is great, but the dialogue gets stale fast, which leaves dressing up the island as the main draw.
Pros:
- Simple to understand and play for players of all ages.
- Huge cast of Villagers to befriend.
- Plenty of decor options to make an island uniquely yours.
Cons:
- Can be repetititve after a while in both gameplay and dialogue.
- Requires a Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 to play.
The Verdict: What’s your brand of cozy?
When it comes down to deciding which cozy game you want to take on, the question lies in what exactly do you want to do with your time. For players that want to invest some time into creating a thriving farm and enjoy the calming qualities of daily chores, then Stardew Valley is the best choice. If players instead want to jump into a life without many responsibilities besides chatting with neighbors and decorating the beach, then Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the clear winner.
Both games are available on the Nintendo Switch, though Stardew Valley does win accessibility points for being both cheaper and more widely available on other consoles and PC.
