The closest game to Neko Atsume is its own sequel, Neko Atsume 2, released in October 2024. After that, Cats & Soup is the best pick if you want cats doing their own thing while you’re away, and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete suits you if you’d rather decorate and collect animal friends without a timer. If you want a little more interaction, Chill Capy and Pokémon Sleep each put a twist on the “who showed up today” feeling.
What makes Neko Atsume special? #
Hit-Point released Neko Atsume in Japan in October 2014, with an English version in October 2015. You put out food and toys in a small yard, close the app, and come back to see which cats visited. You can photograph them for an album, and they leave gifts of fish (the game’s currency) and mementos. There’s no end and no way to fail. As long as there’s food in the bowl, the cats keep coming.
It reached 10 million downloads by December 2015, and the version 1.15.0 roster has 86 cats, 26 of them rare ones that only appear for specific items and foods.
That’s the bar for the list below: low pressure, something to collect, and a reason to peek in once or twice a day.
Games like Neko Atsume at a glance #
| Game | Best for | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Neko Atsume 2 | More of exactly the same | Free to play |
| Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector (original) | The classic, still available | Free (also on Apple Arcade) |
| Cats & Soup | Cats that work while you’re away | Free, in-app purchases and optional ads |
| Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete | Decorating and animal friends, offline | One-time purchase, no in-app purchases |
| Chill Capy | One pet to care for, with visitors who move in | Free, optional subscription and gem packs |
| Pokémon Sleep | Collecting based on your sleep | Free, with in-app purchases |
| Hello Kitty Island Adventure | Befriending characters with daily gifts | Apple Arcade subscription |
1. Neko Atsume 2 #
The sequel came out in October 2024 on iOS and Android as a free-to-play game. It keeps the same idea of setting out goodies and seeing which cats wander in. If you loved the original, start here. The only reason to look further is if you want something that feels different.
2. Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector (the original) #
The original is still listed on the App Store, Google Play and Apple Arcade on Hit-Point’s official site. Wikipedia notes it hadn’t been updated as of late 2024, so treat it as a finished game rather than one that’s still getting new cats.
3. Cats & Soup #
This NEOWIZ idle game swaps the yard for a forest kitchen. Cats cook soup and gather ingredients by themselves, including while you’re away, and you come back to collect what they made, decorate, and add more cats. It’s rated 4+ on the App Store. In-app purchases range from $0.99 to $11.99 as of September 2026, and the ads are optional ones you watch for boosts.
It’s a little busier than Neko Atsume, with more upgrades and menus. If Neko Atsume’s minimalism was the draw, you may find the upgrade loop distracting.
4. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete #
Nintendo shut down the free version of Pocket Camp on November 28, 2024, and replaced it with Pocket Camp Complete, a paid version that works offline and has no in-app purchases. It launched on December 2, 2024 for $19.99. You decorate a campsite, collect materials and furniture, and befriend animal villagers. It includes the items and events from the original game. It asks for more active play than Neko Atsume, but it’s just as low-stakes.
5. Chill Capy #
Chill Capy sits halfway between Neko Atsume and a classic virtual pet. Instead of a yard of drop-in cats, you have one capybara who lives in a hot spring. His food, energy, clean and fun meters drift in real time, and you look after him with snacks, baths, soaks and sleep. The Neko Atsume-style part is his home: as he levels up, a bird, a turtle, a duck and a frog move in, and decorations like a stone lantern or a bamboo fountain show up in the scene.
It’s more hands-on than Neko Atsume, so it’s a worse fit if you want to check in once a week. But it keeps the same gentleness. He never dies, stat loss stops after 18 hours away, and reminders are off unless you turn them on. More on that design in virtual pet games where your pet doesn’t die.
6. Pokémon Sleep #
The Pokémon Company’s sleep app has a very Neko Atsume rhythm: you do something (sleep, in this case), then wake up to see who came. Your phone tracks your sleep with its microphone and motion sensor, and the type and quality of your sleep decide which Pokémon gather around your Snorlax. It’s free with in-app purchases, and it had passed 30 million downloads by April 2026. The catch is that it only works if you’re happy leaving your phone on the bed.
7. Hello Kitty Island Adventure #
Sunblink’s island game launched on Apple Arcade in July 2023 and won Apple Arcade Game of the Year at the 2023 App Store Awards. You befriend Sanrio characters by giving them gifts each day, and daily limits refresh in real time, which gives it the same “come back tomorrow” pace. It’s a bigger adventure game with quests, puzzles and exploration, so it’s the most involved pick here. It later came to Nintendo Switch, PC and PlayStation 5.
How to pick #
- You want Neko Atsume, but new: Neko Atsume 2.
- You want to set it and forget it: Cats & Soup or the original Neko Atsume.
- You want no ads or purchases at all: Pocket Camp Complete, or Hello Kitty Island Adventure if you already have Apple Arcade.
- You want one animal to look after: Chill Capy. If you’re new to the genre, what is a virtual pet explains the difference between collecting games and care games.
For a full walkthrough of the capybara game, see our capybara virtual pet game guide.
Frequently asked questions #
Is Neko Atsume 2 free? #
Yes. Neko Atsume 2 is free to play on iOS and Android, and it came out in October 2024.
Is the original Neko Atsume still available? #
Yes. Hit-Point’s official site lists it on the App Store, Google Play and Apple Arcade. It hadn’t received updates as of late 2024.
Can cats die or leave for good in Neko Atsume? #
No. There’s no way to fail. If you run out of food, cats stop visiting until you put more out, then they come back.
What’s a cozy game like Neko Atsume with no ads? #
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete is a one-time purchase with no in-app purchases, and it works offline. Apple Arcade games such as Hello Kitty Island Adventure also have no ads, but they need the Arcade subscription.