Acclaimed Video Games
The top 1,000 most recommended games across 904 critic lists from 141 publications.
Updated: February 3, 2026
Most Acclaimed Life Simulation Games of All Time
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#1 Persona 4 / Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 (2008) (#89)
Atlus | WIN, PS2, PSV | Role-Playing / Life Simulation | ~72h | 33 lists
#2 Persona 5 (2016) (#93)
P Studio | WIN, 3, XB1, XBXS, SW | Role-Playing / Life Simulation | ~98h | 60 lists
#3 The Sims (2000) (#95)
Maxis | MAC, WIN | Life Simulation | ~20h | 43 lists
#4 Stardew Valley (2016) (#101)
ConcernedApe | 3, XB1, PS4, SW | Life Simulation | ~53h | 49 lists
#5 Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) (#128)
Nintendo EPD Production Group No. 5 | SW | Life Simulation | ~61h | 46 lists
#6 Shenmue (1999) (#130)
Sega AM2 | DC | Action-Adventure / Life Simulation | ~19h | 27 lists
#7 Animal Crossing: New Leaf (2012) (#246)
Nintendo EAD Software Development Group No.2 | 3DS | Life Simulation | ~79h | 30 lists
#8 Animal Crossing (2001) (#265)
Nintendo EAD | N64, GC | Life Simulation | ~66h | 16 lists
#9 The Sims 2 (2004) (#300)
Maxis | MAC, WIN | Life Simulation | ~26h | 13 lists
#10 The Sims 3 (2009) (#358)
The Sims Studio | MAC, WIN | Life Simulation | ~53h | 16 lists
#11 Consume Me (2025) (#666)
Hexecutable | MAC, WIN | Life Simulation | ~7h | 8 lists
#12 Animal Crossing: Wild World (2005) (#676)
Nintendo EAD | DS | Life Simulation | ~68h | 8 lists
#13 Harvest Moon (1996) (#810)
Amccus, Pack-In-Video | SNES | Life Simulation | ~24h | 6 lists
#14 Viva Piñata (2006) (#918)
Climax Group, Rare | WIN, X360 | Life Simulation | ~19h | 4 lists
#15 Persona 3 / Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (2006) (#942)
Atlus | PS2 | Role-Playing / Life Simulation | ~82h | 3 lists
#1
#89
#2
#93
Persona 5
2016
#3
#95
The Sims
2000
#4
#101
Stardew Valley
2016
#5
#128
#6
#130
Shenmue
1999
#7
#246
#8
#265
Animal Crossing
2001
#9
#300
The Sims 2
2004
#10
#358
The Sims 3
2009
#11
#666
Consume Me
2025
#12
#676
#13
#810
Harvest Moon
1996
#14
#918
Viva Piñata
2006
#15
#942
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