After the last major update dropped in 2021, coined Animal Crossing: New Horizons version 2.0, Nintendo announced it would no longer be pushing out updates for the game. This came as a disappointment to its loyal player base which was understandable given the game's popularity. This hasn't driven Resident Representatives from their islands, though, and all the hard work they've put into them. There are still plenty of things to do in Animal Crossing: New Horizons that will keep the game fresh even in 2023.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the latest installment to a long Nintendo exclusive franchise. It became wildly popular after it launched in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. The game offered a way to keep people together while social distancing in real life and captured the hearts of both kids and adults. The YouTube and Twitch communities are also still very much bustling with Animal Crossing: New Horizons players especially in collaboration with one another. Other types of creators have made tools outside the game to make certain aspects easier such as a design and terraforming tool. It appears fans won't be going anywhere for a while.
NookLink Custom Designs
The Able Sister's shop has great fashions that cycle daily, but when players are looking for something more, they need not look further than the NookLink. With a Nintendo Switch Online subscription comes access to an entire database of designs made by other players. These designs aren't limited to only clothes but also signs, terrain patterns, wallpaper, and custom furniture textures. Players have been able to create islands unimaginable with just the base game. It often takes a lot of hard work, but the results are stunning, ranging from castles to fishing towns to dystopian cities.
Cozy Online Multiplayer Games
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is one of the perfect games to play together online or on the same couch. Players can invite their friends over to compete in the Bug Offs and Fishing Tourneys together, show off what they've designed, exchange items, water each other's plants for perks, or just to visit. Another trend has been hosting player-created games on their islands including hide-and-seek, Survivor or Big Brother type competitions, lotteries or giveaways, king of the hill, and many other creative ideas. Worth noting is when a friend has a villager moving off their island and is "in boxes", players can swoop in and invite them to move onto theirs. This is especially helpful for those who are villager hunting or have dream villager lists.
Rare Island Villager Hunting
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The game's villagers each have their own unique personalties and appearances, which makes some rare Animal Crossing: New Horizons villagers more popular and sought after than others. While there's nearly 400 villagers in the game, not all of them are easy to find. When players have an empty plot available they can visit other deserted islands by way of DoDo Airlines or Kapp'n's boat. There, a random villager can be found and invited to move in. Some villagers have slim chances of appearing or autofilling an empty plot, including Coco, Bob, Lucky, Stitches, Judy, and Ankha. This isn't due to a ranking system but purely based on how many of their breeds are available.
Start Over In Animal Crossing: New Horizons
One final option for players who are completely bored or just simply want to build something new is starting the island over. This can mean putting all furniture in storage and using terraforming to make over the Animal Crossing island or just deleting the save file entirely. There are pros and cons to each method, but both will get the job done in the end. Sometimes a fresh start can help get the excitement going again for a beloved game (no matter how many hundreds of hours played).
Despite the lack of big updates from Nintendo, Animal Crossing: New Horizon's fan base has found all sorts of unique ways to keep their favorite cozy game alive. Sometimes it's necessary to find creative ways when a developer has all but ignored an IP. Though it's seemingly simple yet addictive and relaxing, it's definitely one of the games with a passionate player base. Animal Crossing: New Horizons will be worth it for a while no matter how it's played.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Nintendo Switch.