Animal Crossing: New Horizons (あつまれ どうぶつの森 Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori?
, Animal
Forest: Gather) is a real-time social simulation video game developed by
Nintendo. It was released on March 20, 2020, and is the eighth (and currently the
newest release) main-series game in the Animal Crossing series, after New Leaf.
[2] The story starts with the player living on a deserted island as part of Nook
Inc. Getaway Package.
Compared to previous installments, New Horizons aesthetics are even more
detailed, with more realistic flora, detailed characters, intricate furniture, and
weather patterns.
New Horizons also introduces new features and mechanics, such as pole-vaulting
over the river, cliff construction, waterscaping, and the introduction of crafting
materials into the main series games, which had previously only been seen in
Pocket Camp.
Contents
1 Blurb
2 Gameplay
2.1 Main gameplay
2.2 Introduction
2.3 Player Customization
3 Announcements and History
4 New features
4.1 NookPhone
4.1.1 Nook Miles
4.2 Crafting
4.2.1 Furniture Customization
4.3 Town Customization
4.3.1 New Buildings and Locations
4.4 Miscellaneous
5 Island
6 Multiplayer
6.1 Party Play
7 Paid DLC
8 Trivia
9 In other languages
10 References
Blurb
How will you live your ISLAND LIFE?
Nook Inc. presents the Desert Island Getaway Package, the ultimate island
escape.
Craft and customize your world
Build tools and furniture from island resources
Customize your home and island!
Celebrate the seasons
Seasons unfold in real time and reveal new events and activities
Gather friends for island adventures
Local or Online Play
Up to eight players can play on a single island.
Party Play
Four island residents can play together.
Gameplay
Main gameplay
In New Horizons, the player takes on the opportunity to develop a deserted
island, offered by Tom Nook as part of Nook Inc.'s Getaway Package. Initially, the
deserted island is almost fully empty, only occupied by several tents (occupied
by the player and 2 villagers). The player completes tasks to develop the island
into a flourishing town of villagers, and makes use of the crafting item system to
achieve the creation of various tools and furniture. Like previous games, the
game makes use of bells as the primary currency, with some limited secondary
currencies such as Nook Miles for some limited transactions and upgrades for the
player's NookPhone which Tom Nook gives them after they sleep at the tent,
along with a bill for moving in.
Introduction
written content to be modelled after the page Animal Crossing: New Leaf...
When the player first starts a new account, they will be at Nook Inc., waiting at
the counter. Timmy and Tommy run towards the counter to greet the player, and
express their gratitude for the player's decision to sign up for a Deserted Island
Getaway Package. Timmy and Tommy introduce themselves as workers for Nook
Inc. The two prompt the player to fill out an application related to the player and
their island. An application is written, with the provided details prompted.
The first step in the application is to fill in details of the player, starting with the
player's name and birthday. The player's name is limited to 16(?) characters.
Neither the player's name nor birthday can be changed once submitted.
Afterwards, the player customizes themselves to a particular player
customization, picking a masculine/feminine style and then selecting particular
face features (skin color, hairstyle, eyes, nose/mouth, and cheeks). Players can
re-customize themselves with the player customization tool any time.
The second step is picking an island. Firstly, the player must choose either
northern or southern hemisphere for their island; Timmy and Tommy explain that
seasons differ between these hemispheres, and they recommend picking a
hemisphere that matches the player's country. Afterwards, the player is given
four different island layouts to choose from.
Afterwards, Timmy asks the player what one item they would bring out of a
selection of pre-determined entries ("a sleeping bag", " a lamp", "some food",
and "something to kill time"). However, Timmy explains that this is purely a
hypothetical question; the question actually has no impact on gameplay. Timmy
explains that all of the basic needs are covered in the package.
The player, Timmy, and Tommy all board the plane to the new island, via Dodo
Airlines. As the plane gradually flies to the new island, the pilot tells the player
that they will be watching a "complimentary video presentation about a deserted
life" by Nook Inc.; this is a video introducing a montage of New Horizons
gameplay, including several gameplay footage and photos, will play in the
background with the New Horizons main theme.
Afterwards, the player will arrive at their deserted island on Dodo Airlines. Wilbur
advises the player to collect resources in the island. The player then leaves the
dock to get started on their island.
The player then is tasked to go to Nook's Tent. ...
[insert more of the introduction and first few days and similar]
Player Customization
The player can customize themselves with a variety of features. [insert more
info]
Announcements and History
New Horizons was first announced on September 13th, 2018, during a Nintendo
Direct with a 2019 release date and no official subtitle. The announcement of
New Horizons occurred subsequently after Isabelle was announced to be a
playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The first gameplay footage was shown during the Nintendo E3 2019 Direct (June
11th, 2019) and it showcased the new story and game mechanics. A Nintendo
Treehouse live stream followed later that day with more gameplay and additional
features.[3] More gameplay was shown during the Nintendo Direct on September
4th, 2019 where a received a new trailer with more information on the game and
what it would bring was shown. During the E3 it was also announced that the
game would be delayed until March 20, 2020.
On February 20th, 2020, in an Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct, an in-depth
look in the game was given.
The game was finally released on March 20th, 2020 as announced during E3
2019. There is also a channel for the game in the "News" section of the Nintendo
Switch. The first article ever released was an article relating to Bunny Day.
Following the release of the game, periodic updates have been added, fixing
bugs and adding new content. New major updates are added approximately
every 1-2 months, adding new content alongside returning content. Alongside
any new content, many of the events and features that were present in New Leaf
have been gradually added every update, along with the return of a number of
special characters every major update. Announcements for new updates for the
game are often posted on their official YouTube channel.
On April 21st, 2020, a video was posted to the Nintendo YouTube channel
detailing a new update, version 1.2.0, including new holiday events, new island
visitors, and a new paintings section to the museum. Subsequent updates were
announced via additional videos posted on their official YouTube channel.
On June 22nd, 2020, the trailer for the diving feature was announced for the first
ever summer update, and the feature has been fully implemented in Version
1.3.0. Along with this is the return of Pascal.
Most of the "traditional" events from New Leaf were ran during the first year of
the game's release, with exception of April Fool's Day which did not happen in
2020, 2021, or 2022.
Two crossover celebrations have been added in two different updates, 1.8.0 and
1.9.0. Version 1.8.0 celebrated the Super Mario franchise's 35th anniversary,
featuring Mario-themed items that were added in March 1, 2021. Version 1.9.0
returned the Sanrio-exclusive villagers that were present in Welcome amiibo,
plus Sanrio-themed items.
An announcement for a final free major update, 2.0.0, was announced on
November 5th, 2021. It introduced various returning and new characters.
As of Wednesday, January 28th, 2026, the current version is Version 3.0.0.[4]
A surprise announcement came out October 30th, 2025, revealing a new version
3.0 update adding many new features and a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Both of
these are planned to be released on January 15, 2026.
New features
NookPhone
Main article: NookPhone
In Nintendo's E3 presentation, it was shown that the NookPhone could be used to
Call Islanders, look up DIY recipes, collect Nook Miles, and take pictures. It was
also confirmed that the NookPhone would have more apps than what was
originally shown off in the Direct.[5]
As the game progresses, the player can customize their NookPhone's
appearance through a customizable case which costs 1,800 Nook Miles
(obtainable by using the Redeem Nook Miles feature of the Nook Stop), use the
Island Designer app to landscape their island, create more complex custom
designs through Pro Designs, and even order items from the Catalog through
their NookPhone.
Nook Miles
Main article: Nook Miles
Nook Miles are a form of currency that the player can earn by completing tasks
around the town, such as fishing, catching bugs, hitting rocks, etc. Nook Miles
can also be used to pay off the player's first initial loan from Tom Nook (it is not
possible to use Nook Miles to pay off future loans after the first, although you can
redeem miles by buying a voucher which can be sold to Nook's store for bells).
They can be used to buy special items like a Nook Inc. uniform, DIY Recipes, add
Pro Designs to their Custom Designs NookPhone app, alongside other services
and products.[5]
Crafting
In New Horizons, players are able to use workbenches to craft furniture, tools,
and some consumables (medicine and fish bait) using various materials gathered
from their island and on mystery tour islands.
Initially, the player is only able to use Tom Nook's crafting bench, but eventually
the player will learn recipes to create DIY benches of their own. Islanders can
also teach the player new DIY Recipes if the player talks to them while they are
crafting.[5]
Furniture Customization
Main article: Furniture Customization
Some furniture can also be customized at workbenches using customization kits
purchased through Nook's Cranny. There are some "ready-made" furniture items
that are unable to be customized at first, but Cyrus might have a go at them.
Town Customization
New Horizons gives the player much more freedom to customize their island
compared to previous iterations. The player is able to place furniture both
indoors and outdoors; choose starting locations for their home, their residents'
homes, and buildings other than Resident Services; move buildings once placed;
place bridges and ramps; and change river paths and cliffs. Fences were also
introduced to the game along with an official path creator, whereas in other
games players would place designs on the ground for paths.
Additionally, when eating food such as fruit, turnips, or bamboo shoots, the
player gains energy. Energy can be used to uproot whole trees, which can be
planted elsewhere at their current height, and destroy rocks, which will respawn
the following day (one per day). This energy can also be disposed of by using a
toilet.
New Buildings and Locations
Resident Services is where the player can craft, buy or sell items. It is initially
where the player can sell items and buy from Timmy, before Nook's Cranny is
opened. The Nook Stop is also located there, where the player can use the ABD,
buy from the catalog, and redeem Nook Miles. It is also where the player can talk
to Tom Nook about upgrading their home or adding new buildings. Once Resident
Services is upgraded from a tent to a building, Isabelle will handle services like
setting the island tune and flag and enacting Island Ordinances, while Tom Nook
will start handling construction and infrastructure in addition to home expansion.
Dodo Airlines is where the player can go to visit other player's islands or have
them visit their own. It is also where the player can go on island tours in
exchange for one Nook Miles ticket, obtainable from the Nook Stop for 2,000
Nook Miles. While on an island tour, the player will be unable to bring items that
will not fit in their pockets. The player will be able to bring additional tools to
obtain materials such as bugs, insects, fish, fruit, etc. The player can also borrow
tools from Wilbur for Nook Miles. If the player has an empty plot on their island,
they can also meet other animals through the island tour and invite them to
move to their own island.
Harv's Island is also available through Dodo Airlines, where the player can stage
photo shoots with their villagers inside Harvey's cabin. As of Version 2.0, the
island will upgrade to include an open-air market of sorts, featuring various
vendors and other special characters.
Miscellaneous
During the start of New Horizons, the player is asked to customize their
character's eyes, skin, hair, nose, and mouth. These settings can only be
changed through a vanity or mirror after creating the player's island. More
hairstyles and colors can only be obtained by redeeming Nook Miles at a Nook
Stop or stopping by Harriet after setting up a shop on Harv's Island. A new
addition to custom designs is face paint, which can be done by clicking on a
custom design, selecting "Wear", and then selecting "Face Paint" once more. In
the original Japanese version of the game, the player also has to choose between
being a boy or a girl, but this was changed to simply read "choose your style,"
with the boy and girl subtitles being entirely removed in the American
localization to accommodate non-binary players.
The game allows the player to select which hemisphere they would like to live in
at the beginning of the game, when applying for the Deserted Island Getaway
Package. If the player is in the Southern Hemisphere, the game will
accommodate the seasons and the night sky to that part of the world.[3]
The player is able to upgrade their shops as in previous games, including the
Resident Services building.[5]
Like in New Leaf, player characters are taller than previous installments. New to
the series is the player's ability to change their characters' hairstyles, facial
features and skin tone at any time.[3]
It has been confirmed by Nintendo that there will not be any new personality
types in New Horizons.[5]
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (あつまれ どうぶつの森 Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori?, Animal
Forest: Gather) is a real-time social simulation video game developed by
Nintendo. It was released on March 20, 2020, and is the eighth (and currently the
newest release) main-series game in the Animal Crossing series, after New Leaf.
[2] The story starts with the player living on a deserted island as part of Nook
Inc. Getaway Package.
Compared to previous installments, New Horizons aesthetics are even more
detailed, with more realistic flora, detailed characters, intricate furniture, and
weather patterns.
New Horizons also introduces new features and mechanics, such as pole-vaulting
over the river, cliff construction, waterscaping, and the introduction of crafting
materials into the main series games, which had previously only been seen in
Pocket Camp.
Contents
1 Blurb
2 Gameplay
2.1 Main gameplay
2.2 Introduction
2.3 Player Customization
3 Announcements and History
4 New features
4.1 NookPhone
4.1.1 Nook Miles
4.2 Crafting
4.2.1 Furniture Customization
4.3 Town Customization
4.3.1 New Buildings and Locations
4.4 Miscellaneous
5 Island
6 Multiplayer
6.1 Party Play
7 Paid DLC
8 Trivia
9 In other languages
10 References
Blurb
How will you live your ISLAND LIFE?
Nook Inc. presents the Desert Island Getaway Package, the ultimate island
escape.
Craft and customize your world
Build tools and furniture from island resources
Customize your home and island!
Celebrate the seasons
Seasons unfold in real time and reveal new events and activities
Gather friends for island adventures
Local or Online Play
Up to eight players can play on a single island.
Party Play
Four island residents can play together.
Gameplay
Main gameplay
In New Horizons, the player takes on the opportunity to develop a deserted
island, offered by Tom Nook as part of Nook Inc.'s Getaway Package. Initially, the
deserted island is almost fully empty, only occupied by several tents (occupied
by the player and 2 villagers). The player completes tasks to develop the island
into a flourishing town of villagers, and makes use of the crafting item system to
achieve the creation of various tools and furniture. Like previous games, the
game makes use of bells as the primary currency, with some limited secondary
currencies such as Nook Miles for some limited transactions and upgrades for the
player's NookPhone which Tom Nook gives them after they sleep at the tent,
along with a bill for moving in.
Introduction
written content to be modelled after the page Animal Crossing: New Leaf...
When the player first starts a new account, they will be at Nook Inc., waiting at
the counter. Timmy and Tommy run towards the counter to greet the player, and
express their gratitude for the player's decision to sign up for a Deserted Island
Getaway Package. Timmy and Tommy introduce themselves as workers for Nook
Inc. The two prompt the player to fill out an application related to the player and
their island. An application is written, with the provided details prompted.
The first step in the application is to fill in details of the player, starting with the
player's name and birthday. The player's name is limited to 16(?) characters.
Neither the player's name nor birthday can be changed once submitted.
Afterwards, the player customizes themselves to a particular player
customization, picking a masculine/feminine style and then selecting particular
face features (skin color, hairstyle, eyes, nose/mouth, and cheeks). Players can
re-customize themselves with the player customization tool any time.
The second step is picking an island. Firstly, the player must choose either
northern or southern hemisphere for their island; Timmy and Tommy explain that
seasons differ between these hemispheres, and they recommend picking a
hemisphere that matches the player's country. Afterwards, the player is given
four different island layouts to choose from.
Afterwards, Timmy asks the player what one item they would bring out of a
selection of pre-determined entries ("a sleeping bag", " a lamp", "some food",
and "something to kill time"). However, Timmy explains that this is purely a
hypothetical question; the question actually has no impact on gameplay. Timmy
explains that all of the basic needs are covered in the package.
The player, Timmy, and Tommy all board the plane to the new island, via Dodo
Airlines. As the plane gradually flies to the new island, the pilot tells the player
that they will be watching a "complimentary video presentation about a deserted
life" by Nook Inc.; this is a video introducing a montage of New Horizons
gameplay, including several gameplay footage and photos, will play in the
background with the New Horizons main theme.
Afterwards, the player will arrive at their deserted island on Dodo Airlines. Wilbur
advises the player to collect resources in the island. The player then leaves the
dock to get started on their island.
The player then is tasked to go to Nook's Tent. ...
[insert more of the introduction and first few days and similar]
Player Customization
The player can customize themselves with a variety of features. [insert more
info]
Announcements and History
New Horizons was first announced on September 13th, 2018, during a Nintendo
Direct with a 2019 release date and no official subtitle. The announcement of
New Horizons occurred subsequently after Isabelle was announced to be a
playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The first gameplay footage was shown during the Nintendo E3 2019 Direct (June
11th, 2019) and it showcased the new story and game mechanics. A Nintendo
Treehouse live stream followed later that day with more gameplay and additional
features.[3] More gameplay was shown during the Nintendo Direct on September
4th, 2019 where a received a new trailer with more information on the game and
what it would bring was shown. During the E3 it was also announced that the
game would be delayed until March 20, 2020.
On February 20th, 2020, in an Animal Crossing: New Horizons Direct, an in-depth
look in the game was given.
The game was finally released on March 20th, 2020 as announced during E3
2019. There is also a channel for the game in the "News" section of the Nintendo
Switch. The first article ever released was an article relating to Bunny Day.
Following the release of the game, periodic updates have been added, fixing
bugs and adding new content. New major updates are added approximately
every 1-2 months, adding new content alongside returning content. Alongside
any new content, many of the events and features that were present in New Leaf
have been gradually added every update, along with the return of a number of
special characters every major update. Announcements for new updates for the
game are often posted on their official YouTube channel.
On April 21st, 2020, a video was posted to the Nintendo YouTube channel
detailing a new update, version 1.2.0, including new holiday events, new island
visitors, and a new paintings section to the museum. Subsequent updates were
announced via additional videos posted on their official YouTube channel.
On June 22nd, 2020, the trailer for the diving feature was announced for the first
ever summer update, and the feature has been fully implemented in Version
1.3.0. Along with this is the return of Pascal.
Most of the "traditional" events from New Leaf were ran during the first year of
the game's release, with exception of April Fool's Day which did not happen in
2020, 2021, or 2022.
Two crossover celebrations have been added in two different updates, 1.8.0 and
1.9.0. Version 1.8.0 celebrated the Super Mario franchise's 35th anniversary,
featuring Mario-themed items that were added in March 1, 2021. Version 1.9.0
returned the Sanrio-exclusive villagers that were present in Welcome amiibo,
plus Sanrio-themed items.
An announcement for a final free major update, 2.0.0, was announced on
November 5th, 2021. It introduced various returning and new characters.
As of Wednesday, January 28th, 2026, the current version is Version 3.0.0.[4]
A surprise announcement came out October 30th, 2025, revealing a new version
3.0 update adding many new features and a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. Both of
these are planned to be released on January 15, 2026.
New features
NookPhone
Main article: NookPhone
In Nintendo's E3 presentation, it was shown that the NookPhone could be used to
Call Islanders, look up DIY recipes, collect Nook Miles, and take pictures. It was
also confirmed that the NookPhone would have more apps than what was
originally shown off in the Direct.[5]
As the game progresses, the player can customize their NookPhone's
appearance through a customizable case which costs 1,800 Nook Miles
(obtainable by using the Redeem Nook Miles feature of the Nook Stop), use the
Island Designer app to landscape their island, create more complex custom
designs through Pro Designs, and even order items from the Catalog through
their NookPhone.
Nook Miles
Main article: Nook Miles
Nook Miles are a form of currency that the player can earn by completing tasks
around the town, such as fishing, catching bugs, hitting rocks, etc. Nook Miles
can also be used to pay off the player's first initial loan from Tom Nook (it is not
possible to use Nook Miles to pay off future loans after the first, although you can
redeem miles by buying a voucher which can be sold to Nook's store for bells).
They can be used to buy special items like a Nook Inc. uniform, DIY Recipes, add
Pro Designs to their Custom Designs NookPhone app, alongside other services
and products.[5]
Crafting
In New Horizons, players are able to use workbenches to craft furniture, tools,
and some consumables (medicine and fish bait) using various materials gathered
from their island and on mystery tour islands.
Initially, the player is only able to use Tom Nook's crafting bench, but eventually
the player will learn recipes to create DIY benches of their own. Islanders can
also teach the player new DIY Recipes if the player talks to them while they are
crafting.[5]
Furniture Customization
Main article: Furniture Customization
Some furniture can also be customized at workbenches using customization kits
purchased through Nook's Cranny. There are some "ready-made" furniture items
that are unable to be customized at first, but Cyrus might have a go at them.
Town Customization
New Horizons gives the player much more freedom to customize their island
compared to previous iterations. The player is able to place furniture both
indoors and outdoors; choose starting locations for their home, their residents'
homes, and buildings other than Resident Services; move buildings once placed;
place bridges and ramps; and change river paths and cliffs. Fences were also
introduced to the game along with an official path creator, whereas in other
games players would place designs on the ground for paths.
Additionally, when eating food such as fruit, turnips, or bamboo shoots, the
player gains energy. Energy can be used to uproot whole trees, which can be
planted elsewhere at their current height, and destroy rocks, which will respawn
the following day (one per day). This energy can also be disposed of by using a
toilet.
New Buildings and Locations
Resident Services is where the player can craft, buy or sell items. It is initially
where the player can sell items and buy from Timmy, before Nook's Cranny is
opened. The Nook Stop is also located there, where the player can use the ABD,
buy from the catalog, and redeem Nook Miles. It is also where the player can talk
to Tom Nook about upgrading their home or adding new buildings. Once Resident
Services is upgraded from a tent to a building, Isabelle will handle services like
setting the island tune and flag and enacting Island Ordinances, while Tom Nook
will start handling construction and infrastructure in addition to home expansion.
Dodo Airlines is where the player can go to visit other player's islands or have
them visit their own. It is also where the player can go on island tours in
exchange for one Nook Miles ticket, obtainable from the Nook Stop for 2,000
Nook Miles. While on an island tour, the player will be unable to bring items that
will not fit in their pockets. The player will be able to bring additional tools to
obtain materials such as bugs, insects, fish, fruit, etc. The player can also borrow
tools from Wilbur for Nook Miles. If the player has an empty plot on their island,
they can also meet other animals through the island tour and invite them to
move to their own island.
Harv's Island is also available through Dodo Airlines, where the player can stage
photo shoots with their villagers inside Harvey's cabin. As of Version 2.0, the
island will upgrade to include an open-air market of sorts, featuring various
vendors and other special characters.
Miscellaneous
During the start of New Horizons, the player is asked to customize their
character's eyes, skin, hair, nose, and mouth. These settings can only be
changed through a vanity or mirror after creating the player's island. More
hairstyles and colors can only be obtained by redeeming Nook Miles at a Nook
Stop or stopping by Harriet after setting up a shop on Harv's Island. A new
addition to custom designs is face paint, which can be done by clicking on a
custom design, selecting "Wear", and then selecting "Face Paint" once more. In
the original Japanese version of the game, the player also has to choose between
being a boy or a girl, but this was changed to simply read "choose your style,"
with the boy and girl subtitles being entirely removed in the American
localization to accommodate non-binary players.
The game allows the player to select which hemisphere they would like to live in
at the beginning of the game, when applying for the Deserted Island Getaway
Package. If the player is in the Southern Hemisphere, the game will
accommodate the seasons and the night sky to that part of the world.[3]
The player is able to upgrade their shops as in previous games, including the
Resident Services building.[5]
Like in New Leaf, player characters are taller than previous installments. New to
the series is the player's ability to change their characters' hairstyles, facial
features and skin tone at any time.[3]
It has been confirmed by Nintendo that there will not be any new personality
types in New Horizons.[5]
b