Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was released for Nintendo Switch on March 20, 2020. Developed by Nintendo and published by Nintendo, it moves the series’ familiar village life to a deserted island. The player buys Tom Nook’s “Deserted Island Getaway Package,” arrives with two animal residents, and begins life in a tent.

The island develops through daily tasks rather than a fixed campaign. Players collect branches, stone, iron nuggets, and other materials to craft tools and furniture at workbenches. The NookPhone tracks activities and awards Nook Miles, a currency used for purchases including tickets to visit other islands.

Tom Nook also offers loans for successive home expansions. These loans carry no interest and have no repayment deadline. As the island grows, Resident Services moves from a tent into a building, a shop called Nook’s Cranny opens, and the Able Sisters establish a clothing store.

Blathers runs the museum, where players can donate identified fossils, caught fish and insects, sea creatures, and genuine artwork. Different species appear according to season, time, weather, and location. At the start, players choose a Northern or Southern Hemisphere island, which determines when seasonal changes occur.

A major island-development goal is to attract musician K.K. Slider for a concert. Once the island reaches a three-star evaluation and he performs, players unlock the Island Designer app. It allows paths to be laid and, with additional permits, cliffs and rivers to be reshaped.

New Horizons follows the Nintendo Switch’s clock, so events unfold in real time. Daisy Mae visits on Sunday mornings to sell turnips. Their prices change during the week at Nook’s Cranny, but unsold turnips spoil after the following Saturday, making the “stalk market” a calculated gamble.

Travel and visits are handled through the airport by Dodo Airlines employees Orville and Wilbur. Players can invite visitors over the internet or nearby wireless connection, while multiple residents on one Switch share the same island. Local party play lets up to four residents play together on one console.

Updates expanded the game after launch. A July 2020 update introduced swimming and diving, along with Pascal, who sometimes appears when a player finds a scallop. Version 2.0, released in November 2021, added features including Brewster’s Roost café, Kapp’n’s boat tours, cooking, and collectible gyroids.

Nintendo also released the paid Happy Home Paradise expansion in November 2021. It sends players to a resort archipelago to design vacation homes for animal clients, eventually adding facilities such as a school and restaurant. Its decorating techniques can later be used on residents’ homes on the player’s island.