A life simulator is quite the niche genre. They are generally games where you control someone’s or something’s entire life. It can vary greatly depending on one’s own definition. The Sims, for instance, is a classic life simulator. However, Tamagotchi is technically one as well except it’s a pet’s life instead of a person’s life. In any case, there are a ton of riffs and variants to the genre and, thus, a ton of games to choose from. Here are the best life simulator games for Android! We also have a general list of best simulation games here as well!
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
Price: Free to play
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is one of Nintendo’s biggest properties and it fulfills most of the requirements for a life sim. The game drops you onto a deserted island and you create your own little space there. Players can design their campsites however they want, collect various items, craft various things, and collect well over 1,000 pieces of furniture, clothing, and other accessories. It’s an excellent time waster from Nintendo even if it pales in comparison to the Nintendo Switch version. You can find even more games like this one here.
AltLife
Price: Free to play
AltLife is a full life simulator by the genre’s very definition. You start life as a baby and work your way up through adulthood and on to death. Players choose things like careers, relationships, activities, and various other things. You can even have kids, grandchildren, and all kinds of other things. There are some downsides to the game. For instance, you can’t keep going as one of your grandchildren after you die and some of the UI elements are a bit clunky from time to time. However, this is one of the better examples of life simulator games on mobile.
BitLife
Price: Free to play
BitLife is AltLife’s biggest competitor and the two games play very similarly. Your character is born, it lives, it grows up, it makes decisions, and it eventually dies. You can go the classic route of college, career, and marriage or descend into a life of crime. The choice is yours. This one is a text style game similar to AltLife so everything takes place in text format with no graphics. However, in return, you get a life simulator that swings among the best. There are some bugs, though, and it can be annoying on occasion.
From Zero to Hero: Cityman
Price: Free to play
From Zero to Hero: Cityman is a life sim, but it only takes place in adulthood. Players start out as a nearly homeless dude with no money and must build him back up to success. The guy starts out by getting a job, earning some money, and improving things like their wardrobe selection. You can also send your homeless dude to college, trade in the stock market, and do other things to make money. It doesn’t go from life til death like many, but its focus on a specific part of life gives it a bit more granularity in that space.
Godus
Price: Free to play
Godus is an interesting game. You don’t life a specific life with only one person. Instead, you live the life of a god. The game starts with a small society trying to build itself out and you can help or hinder the progress as you see fit. Some of the options include natural disasters, helping citizens build various dwellings, or performing miracles. When you’re done, you can simply wipe out the civilization and call it a day. This one has its ups and downs, but it’s generally a solid title overall.
Check out some other game lists:
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
Price: Free to play
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is a simulation game that takes place at Hogwarts. You enroll as a student, pick your house, and, well, go to school. Players learn how to concoct potions, cast spells, and do all kinds of other things. The character then duels with other wizards and stuff like that. There are a variety of ways to customize your character’s appearance and dorm room along with some relationship stuff, magical creatures to befriend, and more. The game was maligned quite a bit for its free to play elements when it first came out. Those elements still aren’t great, but the game has somewhat improved.
Home Street
Price: Free to play
Home Street is very similar to The Sims. Players create a character, build a house, and live in it. There are a variety of activities to do, including hanging out with friends, accessorizing your character, and customizing your house. You can also sell your house to buy a bigger house later and do all sorts of little things like guest starring on live TV or starting a business. It’s not perfect, but it competes favorably with EA’s The Sims on mobile platforms.
The Sims (two games)
Price: Free to play
EA published two games from its popular life simulator series. The first is The Sims: FreePlay (download at the button below) and The Sims: Mobile. The Sims: FreePlay is the older title and uses a lot of the same elements as the main series. You create a character, live a life, engage with other people online, accessorize yourself and your home, and perform various tasks. The Sims: Mobile is basically the same thing, but it runs slightly better because it is slightly newer. Both games have their ups and downs. The Sims: FreePlay is a solid option but the quests are hard to complete due to their high competion times while The Sims: Mobile has an aggressive and unpleasant free to play experience. However, both of them are more good than they are bad. We just don’t recommend spending real money unless you really want to.
Stardew Valley
Price: $6.99
Stardew Valley is a mix of a farming sim and a life sim. It’s also one of the best mobile games of the last couple of years. Your character starts out on a dilapidated farm near a small village. Your goal is to clean up the farm, make it successful, and engage with the nearby community. It boasts more than 50 hours of game play, including farming, fishing, animal breeding, dating, town events, and various customization options. It leans a bit more on the farming sim side than the life sim side, but it’s still one of the best games in the category and one of the few good ones that aren’t free to play.
Virtual Families 2
Price: Free to play
Virtual Families 2 is a little different from most life simulator games. You adopt a person, raise them, find them a family, and help them live their life. However, this isn’t an avatar for you. Your character will engage with you and thank you for your help along the way. Thus, it’s a bit different of a relationship with your character than you get from normal life sims. It has its downsides like all mobile games, but this one is surprisingly good for its bland name. The developers have Virtual Families 3 in the works and as long as it’s not terrible, it’ll take this spot on this list when it comes out.
Here are some more Android game lists:
If we missed any great life simulator games for Android, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists!