Control, Chaos, Comfort: Games Like The Sims to Play Next

As a life-sim nerd who’s tested and reviewed digital dollhouses for 10+ years, here’s my quick take: if you want games like the sims, you’re chasing control, chaos, and comfort. In my experience, the sweet spot is a mix of life simulation games, cozy games, and sandbox builders. I like systems that let me plan, mess up, and laugh when my virtual person sets the kitchen on fire.

Fast answer: What should I play next?

If you’re here for the quick hit, I’ve got you. Small-town cozy? Try Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. Want drama and stories that spiral? RimWorld. Want the city-builder vibe? Cities: Skylines. Want decorating and building without moodlets? House Flipper or Planet Zoo. Want dynasty-level soap opera? Crusader Kings III. I’ve tried all of these. I keep going back because they scratch different itches.

What even is a “life sim”?

If you want the textbook answer, a life simulation game lets you manage people, choices, and everyday systems. Cooking. Jobs. Relationships. Sometimes pets. Sometimes llamas. It depends. The best ones make small decisions feel big.

How I pick a new dollhouse (my checklist)

• Do I want building and decorating, or mostly social sim stuff?
• Do I want a cozy loop or a colony sim with chaos and failure?
• Can I mod it? Because mods = life. Literally.
• Is it a sandbox or a grindy checklist?
• Does time matter? Real-time vs fast-forward changes everything.
• Can I tell my own story? I need to roleplay a little. Or a lot.

Cozy small-town vibes (with feelings)

When I want soft edges and simple days, I play Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing. I’ve burned out on both and still return. That says a lot. Stardew gives you farming, fishing, relationships, and story progression without stress. Animal Crossing is pure decor and routine. Great for a rainy day brain.

When I get nostalgic for little sprites and simple loops, I drift to tight indie pixel gems. If that’s you, take a peek at these indie pixel games that mix nostalgia with modern design. I’ve found they scratch the same cozy itch, just with less “where’s the DLC button?” drama.

Decor and building without the people

I love the build-buy part of life sims. Honestly? Sometimes I don’t want my character complaining about hunger while I’m placing rugs. House Flipper is perfect when I just want to scrub, paint, and make a bad room nice. Planet Zoo and Planet Coaster are great too if you like management and layout puzzles more than households and moodlets.

I still consider The Sims the gold standard for dollhouse editing. But I dip out when I want systems that don’t revolve around needs bars. It’s fine. We all need a break from our virtual trash fires.

Colony sims: where chaos is the point

RimWorld is the best drama machine I’ve ever played. It turns simple events into wild stories. One minute you build beds; the next, your artist breaks up with your cook during a heat wave and now everyone’s sad and dehydrated. Dwarf Fortress and Oxygen Not Included hit that same “systems breed stories” note, just with different flavors.

If you like the look and soul of pixel art, I’ve always found that smart pixel art games make the mess feel charming instead of punishing. My brain buys the fantasy more when the art style stays clean and tight.

City-builders for control freaks (hi, it’s me)

Cities: Skylines checks my planner brain. I get to fix traffic I created. I zone the wrong block. I swear. I fix it. And then I do it again, because apparently I enjoy suffering with roads. Tropico adds comedy and politics. Frostpunk if you want guilt with your layout.

When I’m in a strategy mood, I also poke around retro-flavored tactics for a break from life management. If that’s your jam, you might like this look at pixel battle games that layer retro charm over strategy. It’s a nice palate cleanser between city layouts.

Play together: co-op that feels personal

Sometimes I want a shared story. It Takes Two is a brilliant co-op experience—more platformer than sim, but very “life” at the core. Valheim and Don’t Starve Together also give me that survival-and-home loop where I build, fail, and build again with a friend. Way less lonely than a solo farm grind.

If you want a curated list, I wrote notes on two-player co-op games like It Takes Two. I use that list when friends ask what to play this weekend and I don’t feel like typing the same text for the 40th time.

Platformers as a palate cleanser

Weird tip: I play short platformers between big sim binges. Fast runs reset my brain. They make slow sims feel fresh when I come back. It’s like a coffee shot for attention span.

If you want that “tight jumps, clean tiles” feeling, here are some pixel art platformers that feel like Mario. Doesn’t replace a life sim, but it keeps burnout away.

Mini cheat-sheet: pick by mood

Pixel nostalgia and why it still works

I grew up on chunky sprites and limited palettes. So yeah, I’m biased. But there’s a reason “retro meets modern” keeps landing. The style focuses your brain on systems and play. No distraction from super glossy faces that somehow still look weird. If you nod along to this, I wrote about why pixel art games still feel magical. I stand by every word and every tiny square.

Quick reality check

Not every life sim needs to do everything. Some focus on building. Some on social sim. Some on chaos. If you want a giant list to browse, there’s a sprawling index of life sim titles out there. It’s a rabbit hole. Bring snacks.

Why I still rotate between them

What I think is this: you don’t replace a core classic; you orbit it. I play games like the sims when I want control and a warm loop. Then I jump to RimWorld when I want stories I couldn’t write. Then Stardew when I need quiet. It’s all the same craving—agency and play—but flavored different.

When I need something that feels hand-made and small-scale, I go digging through indie pixel libraries. Tiny teams. Big hearts. Often better ideas than giant studios. Less bloat. More soul.

Pro tips (learned the hard way)

• Set your own goals. “Make a weird basement spa.” “Breed only cows with funny names.” It keeps the loop alive.
• Use mods, but add slowly. One at a time. If it breaks, you’ll know who did it.
• Back up saves. Future you will thank past you. Or curse them. Your call.
• Lower the difficulty when testing new systems. Pride is expensive. Repairs are more expensive.
• If a game makes you grind, switch to a new one for a week. Burnout is real.

One more thing

I don’t fight about “the best” life sim. I pick by mood. If you do that, you’ll be fine. And you’ll have more fun than arguing with strangers online about pathfinding. Been there. Got the headache.

Oh—and if someone calls your favorite comfort game “not a real sim,” smile, sip water, and go build a better kitchen. That wins every time.

FAQs

• What’s the closest vibe to The Sims without actually being The Sims?

  For social sim and home life, try Stardew Valley for cozy and Crusader Kings III for messy drama. Different scale, same emotional chaos.

• I only like building. Which games should I try?

  House Flipper, Planet Zoo, and Cities: Skylines. Decor, layout, and design without needy people yelling for a bathroom.

• Are there good multiplayer options that feel “life-y”?

  Yes: Valheim, Don’t Starve Together, and It Takes Two (for story co-op). Different genres, but they feel personal.

• Will I like colony sims if I love chill life sims?

  Maybe. Start with RimWorld on easy. If you enjoy the stories and systems, you’re in. If it stresses you out, no shame—go fish in Stardew.

• How many times can I say “one more day” before bed?

  Scientifically? About seven. Then it’s 3 a.m., and you’re naming chickens after your friends. Happens to me every time.

I could keep going, but my colonists are fighting over a dining room chair, and my city’s traffic is 147% worse after “fixing” it. So yeah, I should check on that. And maybe plant some blueberries after. Classic me.

Henry Wright

Henry Wright: Celebrating the artistry of gaming. I cover Pixel Games, Indie Battles, Arcade Classics, Gaming Culture, and Visual Design. Let’s explore the pixels together!