Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2022 - Free Updates, Villagers, Events, and More

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a real-time life simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo. The game is the newest entry in the popular Animal Crossing series. In the months following New Horizons' release, the game became one of the few in the series to get periodic post-launch content via free updates.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gameplay

The game starts with the player assuming control of a customizable character who relocates to a deserted island after purchasing a Nook Inc. Getaway Package from Tom Nook, one of the most popular Animal Crossing characters having appeared in every title in the series.

The game takes place in real-time, and a player can explore the island in a non-linear manner. They can collect and craft items and evolve the island into a beautiful community of anthropomorphic Animal Crossing villagers.

Players can progress with their island life at their own pace. They can indulge in gardening, fishing, trapping bugs, collecting fossils, and more. Getting acquainted with the animal residents, decorating, and designing the island to perfection are perhaps some of the most attractive features.

Activities

Fishing and catching insects are among the favorite pastimes for island dwellers. Since the game follows real-time mechanics, there is a wide variety of critters to catch, depending on the season and time of the day.

The best part about collecting all the items is that one can donate them to Blathers for the museum. Blathers is an Animal Crossing character who is exceedingly interested in the island ecosystem. Therefore, he will gladly accept a new species of bugs and fish and analyze the fossils dug up.

Besides that, players can fill their pockets with items they find while exploring. They can also carry necessities like a fishing pole, net, shovel, and pole.

Planting flowers aids in the island's beautification. Players can water their garden plots to make their plants bloom. Then they can harvest or cross-pollinate. One may even end up growing a flower with rare colors.

Another specialty of the island is the fruit growing on trees. Players can also plant new varieties of fruit from other islands. One can either plant a piece of fruit or dig up a sapling and carry it in their pocket until they locate the perfect spot to plant it.

Crafting and Customization

Players can give their island a personal touch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. They can customize their community at their own pace with greenery, furniture, and decorative items. Then they have the freedom to place those items indoor or outdoor to their pleasing.

Players can select starting locations for their homes, the residents’ homes, and several other buildings. They can place bridges and ramps, alter river paths and cliffs. Furthermore, fences are available along with a path creator.

Players can use Tom Nook’s workbench to craft furniture, tools, and a lot more to decorate their island paradise. Eventually, a player will learn to create DIY benches of their own. Islanders can also teach the player new DIY recipes if the player speaks to them while they are crafting.

New buildings such as Resident Services and Dodo Airlines and locations such as Harv’s Island have only added to the game's popularity. Alongside town customization, there are also options for furniture customizations.

During the beginning of the game story, the player is prompted to customize their character’s eyes, skin, hair, nose, and mouth. Besides that, a player can obtain hairstyles and colors by redeeming Nook Miles at a Nook Stop.

Cooking and The Roost

Thanks to the 2.0 update, Nintendo introduced brand-new mechanics to New Horizons. Furthermore, developers finally put an end to players' requests to add Brewster to the game.

With the recent November update, Nintendo introduced fans-favorite special character, Brewster, and his cafe, The Roost, in New Horizons. Apart from the addition of a brand-new cafe, developers also launched an iconic decorative item from previous titles known as Gyroids to ACNH.

Furthermore, we can't forget the most popular and loved feature of the 2.0 update which is the Cooking mechanics. Nintendo's decision to add cooking mechanics and challenge players' cooking skills encouraged several veterans to login back into the game.

Overall, Animal Crossing: New Horizons gives the player more freedom for customization than previous titles in the series.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons release date, and why is it so popular?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons underwent a launch on March 20, 2020, for the Nintendo Switch console. The game is the fifth main entry in the series and has amassed immense popularity worldwide.

The game is praised for its straightforward yet immersive gameplay. On top of that, a wide range of customization options means players can modify almost anything to their liking. Besides, there is no competitive rush, meaning players can progress at their own pace.

New Horizons quickly broke several records after its launch. It became the highest-selling game in the Animal Crossing series and the second-highest-selling game on Nintendo Switch.

The game also provided a much-needed escape from the harsh reality for millions worldwide when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. Moreover, amid the strict stay-at-home and social distancing orders, players took to the world of New Horizons to indulge in real-life activities in the game.

All Villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

According to Animal Crossing's Fandom page, there are 413 villagers in New Horizons, excluding special characters who appear during certain in-game events.

All villagers from New Leaf and many more from other iterations in the series returned to New Horizons.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons on PC

The game is a Nintendo Switch exclusive, and therefore, is not available on PC. However, PC users can play an initial version of the game using the Nintendo Switch emulator Ryujinx.

The Preview Build on Ryujinx’s Patreon supports Animal Crossing New Horizon version 1.0.0 and 1.1.0 and is available to download on the website. You may refer to our guide for instructions about doing the same.

Requirements for Animal Crossing: New Horizons

All one needs to play Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a Nintendo Switch and a copy of the game. Users can purchase a digital version directly from the official Nintendo website for $59.99.

After purchasing, one can enjoy the free updates that keep coming out from time to time, bringing seasonal in-game events and activities.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons- DLC Pack

Although Nintendo generated huge revenue with the success of New Horizons, the company suddenly decided to stop supporting the title after the 2.0 update. Indeed, it broke several Animal Crossing fans' hearts as the developers gave up on the title just after one year of its initial release.

However, in order to excite such die-hard fans, Nintendo launched Animal Crossing: New Horizons- DLC pack, Happy Home Paradise. The Happy Home Paradise DLC was Nintendo's first and only paid DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The DLC tasks users to design the perfect vacation homes for themselves and other villagers on their island. Furthermore, the DLC offers some exclusive rewards, such as a few design features, beautiful items, and other actions.

In order to try Happy Home Paradise, you first have to purchase the expansion outright from the New Horizons product page for $25. On top of that, if you purchase the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack membership plan, you can get free access to the DLC.

Details