What games are like Tomodachi Life?
Miitopia is the closest Nintendo game. The Sims 4 and LifeSim are the closest life sims. Each one lets you make people and then watch what they do with each other.
Tomodachi Life is a strange game. You make Miis of your friends, your family, or famous people. Then they fall in love, fight, and sing about it. The fun is in the chaos you didn’t plan. Few games try that.
So ask what you liked most. Was it putting people you know in a game? Was it the odd things they said? Or was it the drama between them? Each game below does one of these well.
One note first: you’re on the LifeSim blog, so we’re in this list. We put ourselves where we fit, and we tell you when another game is the better pick.
Is there a new Tomodachi Life?
Yes. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream came out on April 16, 2026, for Nintendo Switch. It also plays on Switch 2. If you have not played it yet, play it first. Nothing else on this list is quite the same.
The first Tomodachi Life came out on the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo closed the 3DS eShop in 2023, so you can no longer buy it there.
What Nintendo games are like Tomodachi Life?
Miitopia: your Miis go on an adventure
Miitopia uses the same idea. You cast Miis as the hero, the friends, and the villain. Then they go on a simple role-playing quest. Along the way, they become friends or rivals, and they say funny things. It’s on Switch.
It is a role-playing game, not a life sim. There is no apartment and no daily life. But if you liked casting people you know, you will like this.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons: calm neighbors
You live on an island with animal villagers. They have quirks and write you letters. It’s much calmer than Tomodachi Life, with less drama. It’s on Switch. More in games like Animal Crossing.
Is there a game like Tomodachi Life where the characters talk to you?
In Tomodachi Life, the Miis talk, but from a script. After a while, you hear the same lines. Some players want characters who say new things every time.
LifeSim: quirky people with their own lives
In LifeSim, you make a character by describing them in one text box. Write a name, an age, a look, and a job. The game draws a portrait. You can also upload a photo and the game turns it into a character look. You can edit the other people in your cast too.
Then you live in a real city on a 3D map of Earth. The people there have a job, a home, friends, goals, and a routine. You talk to them in your own words, and they answer in theirs. They remember what you told them. They text you on their own, and there are group text threads. Read how the people in LifeSim work.
The drama comes to you too. House parties, karaoke, a proposal, or a public breakup show up on the map, and you can go. Each day ends with a recap of its moments.
Be clear about the differences. In Tomodachi Life, you watch a whole island. In LifeSim, you play one person and type what you say. LifeSim is in English only. If you want to sit back and watch, Tomodachi Life is the better pick. If you want to join the drama, try LifeSim. It’s free and runs in your browser.
What about games like Tomodachi Life on PC or phone?
Tomodachi Life is only on Nintendo systems. These games run elsewhere.
The Sims 4
You make Sims and watch them live. They get jobs, fall in love, and argue. You can make your friends here too. The base game is free on PC, Mac, PlayStation, and Xbox. Packs cost extra. For more, read games like The Sims.
BitLife
A text game on iPhone and Android. You live a whole life in minutes, one year per tap. It has the same absurd humor as Tomodachi Life. It’s free with ads.
LifeSim
It runs in any browser, on a computer or a phone. There is no download. You can live in a real city, from Tokyo to New York.
All of them, side by side
| Game | Best for | Runs on | How you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream | Drama you watch | Switch, Switch 2 | Once |
| Miitopia | Casting people you know | Switch | Once |
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Calm neighbors | Switch | Once |
| LifeSim | People who talk to you | Browser | Free. No in-app purchases. |
| The Sims 4 | Making a whole household | PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox | Free base game. Packs cost extra. |
| BitLife | Absurd lives in minutes | iPhone, Android | Free with ads |
Prices change, so we left them out. Check the store page before you buy.
Questions
What is the closest game to Tomodachi Life?
Miitopia, also from Nintendo. You cast Miis of people you know, but in a role-playing quest.
Is there a game like Tomodachi Life on PC?
The Sims 4 is on PC. LifeSim runs in the browser on any computer.
Is there a free game like Tomodachi Life?
LifeSim is free, with no in-app purchases. The Sims 4 base game and BitLife are free too.
Can I put my friends in a game like Tomodachi Life?
Yes. In LifeSim, describe them in one text box, or upload a photo. The game makes a character from it. More on life simulators.