For over 20 years, Animal Crossing has been captivating the hearts of dedicated gamers and casual players alike. The series is known for its laid-back games that lack complex stories and objective goals. Animal Crossing games are entirely what you make of them. There have been eight Animal Crossing titles released so far, which include three spinoffs and five main games. To celebrate the series, let’s rank all the Animal Crossing games!
8. Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival (Wii U, 2015)
On paper, Animal Crossing amiibo Festival sounds great. It's the Animal Crossing series' take on a board game-inspired video game, similar to Mario Party. However, the game failed to find commercial and critical success. The gameplay was criticized for being dull and repetitive and the implementation of Nintendo's Amiibo figurines and cards was also disappointing. The game seemed more about getting players to purchase Amiibos, than being a complete game on its own. The typical cozy Animal Crossing aesthetic is still present, but ultimately, amiibo Festival fails to offer a compelling experience.
7. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (Nintendo 3DS, 2015)
If your favorite part of Animal Crossing is designing the perfect home, then this game is for you. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer focuses entirely on interior decorating gameplay, putting the player in charge of beautifying the living spaces of various villagers as well as the towns themselves. Luckily, getting access to furniture items is much easier in Happy Home Designer than traditional Animal Crossing games, so you’re able to progress in the game at a good pace. Happy Home Designer can also interact with Animal Crossing: New Leaf to unlock exclusive furniture. Using your 3DS to scan Animal Crossing Amiibo cards will bring in characters to visit the homes you furnished and unlock new design assignments. Overall, if you’re looking for a relaxing game that lets you flex your creativity and sense of style, you’ll enjoy Happy Home Designer.
6. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (Mobile, 2017)
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a free-to-play mobile game released in 2017. It features a simplified take on the typical Animal Crossing formula and takes place at a campsite instead of a town. Players complete tasks for visiting animals to earn items and the in-game currencies, Leaf Tickets, and bells. These currencies are used to purchase items, or loot boxes called fortune cookies. All these items can also be purchased with real money. There’s enough content in Pocket Camp to keep you engaged, but it still doesn’t measure up to the real Animal Crossing experience.
5. Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii, 2008)
We’ve officially left the spin-off games behind and can now focus on our first main series title: Animal Crossing: City Folk. Released in 2008 for the Nintendo Wii, City Folk proved an instant success. The game sold 4.32 million copies, making it one of the bestsellers on the console. The gameplay is nearly identical to the previously released Animal Crossing titles. Players work to collect bells, fill up the town’s museum, upgrade and design their homes, and make friends with the local animal villagers. The biggest update City Folk provides is the inclusion of a new area simply called the “City”. The city is filled with shops, venues, and visiting villagers. A few of these city locales were featured in previous Animal Crossing games, but many others, including GracieGrace and the Marquee were brand new. City Folk is undoubtedly a solid game, but the lack of substantial improvements from previous titles left some fans wanting more. Still, though, there’s a ton of classic Animal Crossing fun to be had with this game.
4. Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo DS, 2005)
After the success of the original Animal Crossing, Nintendo knew they had to deliver on a satisfying sequel. With Animal Crossing: Wild World, they definitely succeeded. Wild World offers plenty of new features and customization options that make the experience feel unique compared to its predecessor. Wild World’s use of the Nintendo DS’s touchscreen also makes inventory management and clothing design a breeze. It was the first Animal Crossing game to feature online play and only the second game to use Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. The ability to visit with friends over the internet was a big boon for Wild World and contributed greatly to the game’s success. The Nintendo DS’s pick-up-and-play style fits Animal Crossing well, and the new gameplay additions make Wild World a strong entry in the franchise.
3. Animal Crossing (Nintendo 64/Nintendo GameCube, 2001)
Animal Crossing is where it all started. Originally released in Japan on the Nintendo 64 as Dōbutsu no Mori, the game was quickly ported to the Nintendo GameCube and released worldwide. Animal Crossing helped pioneer the casual game genre and introduced a wider audience of people to gaming. Despite being over 20 years old and lacking many features that later installments added, there is an unmatched charm to the original Animal Crossing. The music is relaxing and unobtrusive, and the graphics are basic yet stylish. Overall, there is a simple serenity to Animal Crossing. But there’s plenty of vivacity in the game too. Animal Crossing’s characters have a liveliness and attitude to them that feels unique, even when compared to the other Animal Crossing titles. The game allows for more villagers than any other entry as well. There are also some features in Animal Crossing that have yet to appear in future installments. The most prominent examples are the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) game items that allow you to play emulated versions of Nintendo classics. It’s almost impossible not to love Animal Crossing.
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch, 2020)
It had been eight years since the last mainline Animal Crossing game was released. So, when Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out, there was understandably a lot of hype. New Horizons was released in 2020 and shattered the sales records for all previous Animal Crossing games combined. As of March 2022, over 38 million copies have been sold, making it the second highest-selling game on the Nintendo Switch, and the best-selling game in Japan of all time. The time of release played a large part in New Horizons initial success. It was released right amid the start of COVID-19 lockdowns. At that time, Animal Crossing was an appreciated break from real life and provided a substitute for in-person socialization.
The gameplay is mostly the same as previous entries, but with some changes that spice things up. In New Horizons, the player character moves to a deserted island and is responsible for developing the land and attracting new residents. A crafting system was added to the game as well, providing a fun feeling of really living off the land. A DLC expansion for the game was released in 2021 which added gameplay similar to that of Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. There is a ton of content in New Horizons, and is easily one of the best Animal Crossing games released.
1. Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo 3DS, 2012)
In most Animal Crossing games, you play as an ordinary villager living in a town, but in New Leaf, you’re the mayor. Acting as the town’s mayor opens up a ton of control over what your town looks like and your gameplay. If you want to put a bridge in a certain spot, you can. If you want a building in a certain area, you can build it. And if you want to pass laws to make your town more beautiful or wealthy, then go for it. The level of customization options provided in New Leaf was staggering compared to earlier Animal Crossing games. You can even scan special QR codes to unlock custom patterns for clothing designed by other players. There are also new gameplay features including diving, which allows players to swim in the ocean and collect deep-sea creatures for the town museum. New Leaf introduced many new characters to the Animal Crossing series like Leif the gardening sloth, and everyone’s favorite secretary, Isabelle the Shih Tzu. Overall, New Leaf’s huge amount of content, customization, and contributions to the series make it an easy pick for the best Animal Crossing game yet.