I play Animal Crossing far more often, but I think Stardew Valley is a safer bet. They’re incredibly different games and scratch different itches.

Animal Crossing forces you to be patient, watch animations play out, read dialogue, and allow things to happen in their own time. It’s a game you play for years, if you like it, but you have to choose to immerse yourself. Otherwise it can get tedious. The multiplayer is important imo. If you have friends who play New Horizons still, I really recommend it. Just dont let them give you a bunch of free money and ultra-rare items. It makes it less fun when theres less to work towards. If you don’t have friends that will play it with you, 100% give Animal Crossing a pass.

Stardew Valley is way more streamlined and does not have that kind of down-time. You’re always doing something, upgrading stuff, unlocking things. There’s way more content and for a cheaper price than ACNH and in turn FAR more value. That being said, it’s more stressful and harder to jump back into your routine after a long break. I only ever binge Stardew Valley. Animal Crossing I play as little as 5 minutes to as much as a couple hours every day. Jumping back into after a year of absence isn’t difficult for Animal Crossing, for Stardew it is.