Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch

Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch is a life-simulation game released in 2020, and is the fifth main entry in the Animal Crossing series. In this installment, players move to a deserted island after purchasing a getaway package from Tom Nook. Starting with only a tent, players gradually develop their island by crafting items, building structures, and inviting animal villagers to join their growing community.

The game allows for extensive customization, with players able to craft furniture, decorate their homes, and even modify the island’s landscape through terraforming. As they progress, players can earn Nook Miles and Bells (the in-game currencies), which are used to purchase items, pay off loans, and unlock new features. The island evolves based on how players choose to manage resources, place buildings, and interact with the many anthropomorphic animals that inhabit the island.

Key Features:

• Island Customization: Players can fully design and modify their island, choosing where to place homes, shops, and other structures. The introduction of the Island Designer tool allows players to alter the terrain, create paths, and design rivers and cliffs, providing unprecedented control over their island's layout.

• Real-Time Gameplay: New Horizons operates on a real-time clock, meaning that in-game events, seasons, and activities correspond to the player's real-world time. Each day offers new opportunities to collect resources, catch bugs and fish, and interact with villagers.

• Crafting System: A new addition to the series, players can collect materials like wood, stone, and iron to craft tools, furniture, and decorations. Crafting allows for more interactivity and flexibility when designing both indoor and outdoor spaces.

• Multiplayer Options: Up to eight players can inhabit a single island, and four players can play together locally on the same console. Online multiplayer enables players to visit friends' islands or invite others to explore theirs.

• Seasonal Updates: Nintendo released free updates adding seasonal events, items, and new gameplay features based on real-world holidays like Halloween, Christmas (Toy Day), and Thanksgiving (Turkey Day). Special characters from previous Animal Crossing titles also make appearances during these events.

• Happy Home Paradise Expansion: Released in 2021, this paid DLC allows players to design vacation homes for various villagers, adding even more customization options that can be used on their own island.

Genre: Life-Simulation, Sandbox
Platform: Nintendo Switch

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a relaxing, open-ended game that offers endless opportunities for creativity, customization, and social interaction, making it a standout title on the Nintendo Switch​