Disclosure: we make Palm Social, one of the games on this page. It is kept out of the list below and described separately at the end, so you can judge the others on their own.
The short answer
There is no official way to play Animal Crossing on a PC or in a web browser. New Horizons is a Nintendo Switch game, and the free mobile spin-off, Pocket Camp, closed its online service in 2024. If you do not have a Switch, you need a different game.
Most Animal Crossing-style games are downloads for PC and consoles, and most are paid. Palia is the main free one. Very few cozy games run in a browser at all.
What to look for
"Like Animal Crossing" means different things to different people. These are the parts most people mean:
- A home you decorate and keep changing over time.
- A small daily routine: check in, do a few things, come back tomorrow.
- Neighbors you get to know, whether villagers or real people.
- Fishing, collecting and gathering at a relaxed pace, with no way to lose.
- Friends visiting your place.
No single game has all of it exactly. The notes below say what each one does well.
Cozy games like Animal Crossing, one line each
| Game | Where | Price | With others |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palia | PC and consoles (download) | Free to play | Online, shared world |
| Stardew Valley | PC, Mac, consoles and mobile | Paid | Online co-op with friends |
| Hello Kitty Island Adventure | Apple Arcade, PC and consoles | Paid or Apple Arcade | Play with friends online |
| Disney Dreamlight Valley | PC, consoles and Apple Arcade | Paid | Mostly solo |
| Fae Farm | Nintendo Switch and PC | Paid | Co-op with friends |
| Cozy Grove | PC and consoles | Paid | Solo |
| Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete | iOS and Android | Paid | Solo, offline |
| Pony Town | Browser and Android | Free | Online, shared world |
Palia
A cozy online game where you build a home, garden, cook, fish and make friends with villagers and other players. The closest free option on PC.
Stardew Valley
The best-known farming life sim: a run-down farm, a small town of neighbors, seasons, festivals and fishing.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure
An island to fix up with Sanrio characters, with gifting, crafting and a slow daily rhythm that will feel familiar.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Restore a village and befriend Disney and Pixar characters. Heavy on decorating and friendship quests.
Fae Farm
A magical island farming game with home decorating, festivals and dungeons, playable with friends.
Cozy Grove
A short-sessions island game about helping ghost bears, built around coming back a little every day, like Animal Crossing.
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete
The offline version Nintendo released after the free online Pocket Camp ended in late 2024. Real Animal Crossing, but on a phone and without other players.
Pony Town
Not a life sim, but a relaxed pixel world where people chat and hang out. It runs in a browser tab.
Our game: Palm Social
Palm Social is a free 3D social life-sim that runs in your web browser on a computer or phone, with nothing to download. It is not a cartoon animal village: it is a realistic beach town, and your neighbors are other players. What Animal Crossing fans will recognize is the rhythm: a home to build and furnish, daily rewards and tasks, and a town to wander with friends. You can also surf, shoot pool, go to the cinema, take café shifts, work out at the gym and go mining.
The honest details: it opened on October 24, 2026, and it is made by Kirouff Games, an independent developer. You need a free account (email, Google or Apple), and players must be 13 or older. Your first lot is free and your first house is half price. Optional Gold packs exist, and Gold can also be earned by playing.
How we checked
On October 24, 2026 we checked each game against its official site or store listing for where it can be played, how it is priced and whether you can play with other people. We do not include ratings, and nobody paid to be listed. If something here is out of date, email support@playpalmsocial.com and we will correct it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Animal Crossing on PC?
No. Nintendo has not released Animal Crossing for PC, and there is no official browser version; sites that claim to run it in a browser are not official. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is played on Nintendo Switch consoles.
Is there a free game like Animal Crossing?
Palia is free to play on PC and consoles, and it is the closest free match: homes, gardening, fishing and villagers in a shared online world. Palm Social, which we make, is free and runs in a browser.
Can you play Animal Crossing online with friends?
Yes, on a Switch: New Horizons lets friends visit your island online, which needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
What happened to Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp?
Nintendo ended the free online Pocket Camp service in late 2024 and released Pocket Camp Complete, a paid version you play offline on your phone.
Which cozy games work on a Chromebook?
Browser games are the safest choice because nothing has to be installed. Palm Social and Pony Town run in Chrome. Some phone games may work through the Play Store on Chromebooks that support Android apps.
More guides
- Games like The Sims you can play in a browser: Which life sims actually run in a browser, which are free, and which have multiplayer.
- Is there a free Sims online game?: What happened to The Sims Online, and the multiplayer life sims you can play with real people today.
- Games like Club Penguin that are still running: Ten virtual worlds that are still online in 2026, from kids’ worlds to hangouts for adults.
- Games like Habbo: Pixel hotels, avatar chat apps and 3D social worlds for Habbo fans, and who each one is for.
- Free virtual world games to make friends: Virtual worlds for teens 13+ and adults, what each one is like, and how to make friends safely.
See all guides, read about Palm Social or catch up on the latest news.