| Animal Crossing: New Horizons | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
| Release Date | |
|---|---|
| March 20, 2020 (Switch) January 15, 2026 (Switch 2) More Details |
|
| Genre | |
| Simulation | |
| Platforms | Price (MSRP) |
  |
$59.99 (Switch) $64.99 (Switch 2) |
| Developer | Publisher |
| Nintendo | Nintendo |
| Number of Players | Age Rating |
| 1-8 | ESRB E |
| Time to Finish | Cross Platform Play |
| 150 - 400 Hours | No |
| Official Website | Official Website for Animal Crossing: New Horizons |
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Latest News
⚫︎ Nintendo has added a new batch of free Animal Crossing icons for Nintendo Switch Online members. The update includes three new profile icons: Timmy and Tommy together, plus individual icons for Orville and Wilbur from Dodo Airlines.
⚫︎ Animal Crossing: New Horizons gets a Switch 2 Edition and a free major update in January 15, 2026. The trailer showcased the upcoming features, such as enhanced visuals and a ton of new content and crossover villagers from The Legend of Zelda and Splatoon.
⚫︎ Nintendo wants you to literally put your foot into Animal Crossing with upcoming Crocs collaboration (Eurogamer)
⚫︎ Don't expect Animal Crossing for Switch 2 anytime soon, former Nintendo marketing lead warns: It's maybe a little bit early
(Games Radar+)
⚫︎ Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Latest Update Should Only Be the Tip of the Iceberg (Game Rant)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Overview
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a life simulation game by Nintendo, launched on March 20, 2020, for the Nintendo Switch, and six years later, on January 15, 2026 for the Nintendo Switch 2. As the fifth mainline entry in the Animal Crossing series, it invites players to transform a deserted island into a personalized paradise as its decorator and caretaker.
The game encourages player creativity by providing extensive control over the design and operation of the island. With an expansive collection system for bugs, fish, villagers, and decorative items, New Horizons provides all the tools needed to craft a dream island.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eShop |
eShop |
||||
| $59.99 | $64.99 |
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gameplay
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a life simulation game where players build and customize a deserted island into a thriving community. The gameplay revolves around gathering resources, crafting tools and furniture, decorating the island, and building relationships with anthropomorphic animal villagers. Players fish, catch bugs, collect fossils, and participate in seasonal events to earn in-game currency and unlock new items.
The core gameplay loop involves daily tasks like resource collection, fulfilling villager requests, and improving the island's aesthetic appeal. The main objective is to develop the island into a 5-star destination, attract new villagers, and expand the player’s home and facilities. Key mechanics include terraforming landscapes, designing custom clothing and patterns, and trading with other players online.
What sets New Horizons apart from previous entries is its expansive customization options, including the ability to reshape the island's terrain and place furniture outdoors, as well as its emphasis on crafting and DIY recipes.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Characters
Villager
The Villager is the player’s customizable human avatar, who purchased a getaway package from Tom Nook and moved to a deserted island. Being a blank slate, they do not have any concrete characteristics or a definite appearance.
While previous mainline Animal Crossing entries asked a series of questions to determine how they would look, players can now change their appearance through a menu at the start of the game and by using a mirror or vanity.
Isabelle
Isabelle returns in New Horizons, this time as Tom Nook’s assistant in Nook Inc. Being the mayor’s secretary in New Leaf, it doesn’t come as a surprise that she works at the island’s Resident Services to help out the player with matters related to its development, such as ordinances, island evaluation, and more.
Tom Nook
Tom Nook returns as the president of Nook Inc. in New Horizons. The entrepreneurial tanuki, like in the previous entries, will give the player their starting home. He provides the player with the Deserted Island Getaway Package and also delivers the news of their debt for their "move-in" fees.
Blathers
Blathers is the museum curator in New Horizons, offering to take the player’s bug, fish, and fossils as donations for display. Despite being the curator for so long, he is still disgusted by bugs but will reluctantly accept any donated to him for the museum.
Resetti
Also known as Mr. Resetti, he is a non-villager mole and a recurring character across the Animal Crossing games. Once the harsh and short-tempered scolder of players who reset or forgot to save their game data, he is now the operator of the Rescue Service in New Horizons after being laid off from his old job. As of the 3.0 Free Update, he also manages a cleanup service called the Reset Service.
Despite being calmer, Resetti is obviously doing his best to keep a tight lid on his foul temper. When talking to him at The Roost, he will mention he even found himself yelling at rocks once "just to remember how it felt".
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Reviews
The Most Binge-able Quarantine Game Ever…and Then Some
Animal Crossing: New Horizons received glowing reviews, with many agreeing that Nintendo delivered a masterpiece at the perfect time. Released during the early 2020 quarantines, it provided an escapist haven for millions stuck indoors.
Andrew Webster of The Verge described the game as a very binge-able experience, capturing its appeal to those yearning for a slice of the outdoors amid a global pandemic. In a previous review, Webster noted the game’s slower pacing as an acquired taste, highlighting its unique but niche charm.
Similarly, Samuel Claiborn from IGN acknowledged the slower start—the slowest in the series—but praised the game for its unparalleled customization options in clothing, decor, and its engaging gameplay loop, which keeps players coming back for more.
Fans on Reddit also enthusiastically embraced the game upon release. Although its popularity has tempered over time, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is still celebrated as one of the best entries in the series. Its rich content and near-endless customization options cemented its place as a standout title, resonating with players far beyond its initial pandemic-fueled surge.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Announcement Trailer
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition & Free Update – Announcement Trailer
Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo E3 2019 Announcement Trailer
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Trivia
⚫︎ If a player enters a villager's house and just stands there without doing anything for long enough, the villager will become creeped out and turn to look at the player with a confused reaction.
⚫︎ Flick’s 5-star island review, which reads, “This roiled throne of bugs, this sceptered isle, this hive of majesty... This infested plot, this earth, this terrarium, this [island name],” is actually based on a famous line from Shakespeare’s Richard II.
⚫︎ The fake “Academic Painting” available from Crazy Red, which itself is a reference to Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, features a red key taped to the back of the canvas—a playful nod to The Da Vinci Code, the iconic novel by Dan Brown that was later adapted into a film.
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