For over 20 years,Animal Crossinghas 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 Crossinggames are entirely what you make of them. There have been eightAnimal Crossingtitles released so far, which include three spinoffs and five main games. To celebrate the series, let’s rank all theAnimal Crossinggames!
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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 toMario 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 cozyAnimal Crossingaesthetic is still present, but ultimately,amiibo Festivalfails to offer a compelling experience.
7. Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer (Nintendo 3DS, 2015)
If your favorite part ofAnimal Crossingis designing the perfect home, then this game is for you.Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designerfocuses 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 inHappy Home Designerthan traditionalAnimal Crossinggames, so you’re able to progress in the game at a good pace.Happy Home Designercan also interact withAnimal Crossing: New Leafto unlock exclusive furniture. Using your 3DS to scanAnimal CrossingAmiibo 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 enjoyHappy Home Designer.
6. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (Mobile, 2017)
Animal Crossing: Pocket Campis a free-to-play mobile game released in 2017. It features a simplified take on the typicalAnimal Crossingformula 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 inPocket Campto keep you engaged, but it still doesn’t measure up to the realAnimal Crossingexperience.
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 Folkproved 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 releasedAnimal Crossingtitles. 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 updateCity Folkprovides is the inclusion of a new area simply called the “City”. The city is filled withshops, venues, and visiting villagers. A few of these city locales were featured in previousAnimal Crossinggames, but many others, including GracieGrace and the Marquee were brand new.City Folkis 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 classicAnimal Crossingfun to be had with this game.
4. Animal Crossing: Wild World (Nintendo DS, 2005)
After the success of the originalAnimal Crossing, Nintendo knew they had to deliver on a satisfying sequel. WithAnimal Crossing: Wild World, they definitely succeeded.Wild Worldoffers 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 firstAnimal Crossinggame 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 forWild Worldand contributed greatly to the game’s success. The Nintendo DS’s pick-up-and-play style fitsAnimal Crossingwell, and the new gameplay additions makeWild Worlda strong entry in the franchise.
3. Animal Crossing (Nintendo 64/Nintendo GameCube, 2001)
Animal Crossingis where it all started. Originally released in Japan on the Nintendo 64 asDōbutsu no Mori, the game was quickly ported to the Nintendo GameCube and released worldwide.Animal Crossinghelped 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 originalAnimal Crossing. The music is relaxing and unobtrusive, and the graphics are basic yet stylish. Overall, there is a simple serenity toAnimal 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 otherAnimal Crossingtitles. The game allows for more villagers than any other entry as well. There are also some features inAnimal Crossingthat 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 loveAnimal Crossing.
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch, 2020)
It had been eight years since the last mainlineAnimal Crossinggame was released. So, whenAnimal Crossing: New Horizonscame out, there was understandably a lot of hype.New Horizons wasreleased in 2020 and shattered the sales records for all previousAnimal Crossinggames 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 inNew Horizonsinitial success. It was released right amid the start of COVID-19 lockdowns. At that time,Animal Crossingwas 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. InNew 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 ofAnimal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.There is a ton of content inNew Horizons, and is easily one of the bestAnimal Crossinggames released.
1. Animal Crossing: New Leaf (Nintendo 3DS, 2012)
In mostAnimal Crossinggames, you play as an ordinary villager living in a town, but inNew 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 inNew Leafwas staggering compared to earlierAnimal Crossinggames. 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 Leafintroduced many new characters to theAnimal Crossingseries 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 bestAnimal Crossinggame yet.
