Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

North American box art
Image gallery
Developer(s)		Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)		Nintendo
Director(s)		Isao Moro
Platform(s)		Nintendo 3DS
Release date(s)		July 30, 2015 September 25, 2015 October 2, 2015 October 3, 2015
Genre(s)		Sandbox
Language(s)		English, French, Spanish Japanese English, French, Italian, German, Spanish
Modes		Single-player
Ratings		ACB:  G CERO:  A ESRB:  E PEGI:  3
Media		Nintendo 3DS Game Card Digital download
File size		3,786 Blocks
Guide at StrategyWiki

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is a sandbox game for the Nintendo 3DS released in 2015. It is a spin-off entry in the Animal Crossing series where the player designs homes for clients. It is also the first entry in the series to be compatible with amiibo, utilizing a line of Animal Crossing amiibo cards that were released alongside the game.

The game is based on Animal Crossing: New Leaf, reusing that game's assets and containing most of its characters and items. Several new items are introduced, as well as a new character, Lottie, who would later return in subsequent mainline Animal Crossing games.

Many of Happy Home Designer's new items, as well as Lottie and the expanded home design features, were later added to New Leaf in the Welcome amiibo update in 2016; Happy Home Designer save data can also be linked to Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo to unlock items in the latter game. In 2021, Happy Home Designer was succeeded by the Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Gameplay

In Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, the player is an employee at Nook's Homes, working with Tom Nook, Lottie, Lyle, and Digby. Each day, the player either designs a home for a client or designs a facility. Once the task is completed, it becomes night and no more clients or facilities can be taken on until the next day; the day ends when the player sits at their desk and writes a daily report, which saves the game. Unlike the mainline Animal Crossing games, the real-time clock is not used in Happy Home Designer.

At the beginning of the game, the player starts as a new employee at Nook's Homes. For the first time in the series, the player is free to choose their face style, eye color, skin tone, hairstyle, and hair color when creating their character. After the player completes a home-design tutorial with Lottie, Goldie appears the next day as the player's first client. Afterward, clients begin to appear in the area outside the Nook's Homes building.

When designing a home or facility, the player can use furniture items, wallpapers, carpets, and rugs from their catalog, which is filled in as client requests are completed. A map of the current room and its furniture is displayed on the Touch Screen. The player can use the Touch Screen to adjust the placement of furniture and rugs, dragging to move the items and tapping to rotate them. Alternatively, furniture can be moved by pressing and moving like in New Leaf. Holding or and tapping a placed item creates a copy of that item.

Client requests

All of the plots available for client homes, as ordered on the in-game map

The player designing a home for Carrie

Before designing a home, the client tells the player a vision for what they want their home to look like, and the player chooses a plot of land where the house will be. Each client request includes one to three required items spread across the interior and exterior; these items are pre-placed in their respective locations and can be unboxed by tapping them on the Touch Screen or pressing . Additional items can be added from the player's catalog, though these are not required. Once the player is done designing, they can speak to the client to finish. Completing a client request unlocks that client's required items in the player's catalog, alongside various other items related to that client's vision.

After a home has been completed, the player can return to it and redesign it or design an entirely new home. Additionally, amiibo can be scanned to invite other characters to the house.

The only clients that appear naturally are villagers; special characters can only be clients if their respective amiibo is scanned. Special character clients do not have visions or required items, instead leaving the design entirely up to the player. The only exclusive items unlocked by most special character clients are their pictures; the sole exception is Isabelle, who also unlocks the scooter.

Facilities

After certain client thresholds are reached, Isabelle appears and asks the player to remodel one of the vacant buildings in the area around Nook's Homes into a facility. They are given a list of required items before the facility can be completed, although like client homes, additional items can optionally be placed. Once the player is done designing, they can speak to Isabelle to finish. There are a total of 10 facilities, one of which—the school—can be expanded after it is initially designed.

The day after a facility is completed, an opening ceremony is held featuring the player, Isabelle, and several villagers. Inside the facility, several villagers play roles related to the building, such as being students or the teacher in the school facility. The villagers can be moved around the facility, and their roles can be changed. A facility can be redesigned by speaking to Digby inside Nook's Homes.

Nook's Homes

A player in Nook's Homes

The Nook's Homes building provides the player with various options. Lottie and Digby appear on the first floor; Lottie gives the player ideas for what to do next, and Digby lets the player redesign facilities. The following are located on the first floor:

• The player's desk, where they can save the game and end the day. They can also purchase lessons from the Happy Home Handbook using Play Coins, which unlock various features to use while designing.
• The amiibo phone that allows the player to scan amiibo cards to invite a specific client or save that client's designed home to the card.
• A computer from which the Happy Home Network could be accessed.

Lyle appears on the second floor, and he gives the player tips when spoken to. Additionally, the following are located on the second floor:

• A sewing machine that allows the player to create pro designs or import designs from QR codes.
• A changing room where the player can equip any clothing items they have unlocked.
• A New Nintendo 3DS XL that allowed the player to connect to the internet to receive special design requests.
• A salon chair where the player can change their face style, eye color, skin tone, hairstyle, and hair color.

Outside Nook's Homes is a town-square area where the facilities are located and clients gather. The area expands as more facilities are designed.

amiibo functionality

Artwork of the player using the amiibo phone

Happy Home Designer was released alongside Series 1 of Animal Crossing amiibo cards. Throughout 2015 and 2016, three more series were released. The four series contain cards for every New Leaf special character and villager featured in Happy Home Designer, but none for the game's new characters. The game is compatible with all Series 1–4 Animal Crossing amiibo cards as well as all 16 Animal Crossing figures. It is also compatible with the Villager Super Smash Bros. amiibo, which unlocks the Villager statue furniture item when scanned.

A character's amiibo can be scanned while visiting a client's home or a facility to invite that character to the location. Additionally, amiibo can be scanned at the amiibo phone in Nook's Homes at the beginning of a work day to invite that character as a client or save that client's home data to the card. amiibo with saved home data can be scanned by other players to unlock the items used in that home for that player. Additionally, villager cards with Happy Home Designer data can be scanned in Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival for the Wii U to add have that villager move into the board-game town with their designed home.

Attempting to scan a non-Animal Crossing amiibo or a Series 5 Animal Crossing amiibo card (except for characters who previously received cards in Series 1–4) yields a message telling the player that only amiibo for animals living in town can be scanned. Attempting to scan a Welcome amiibo or Sanrio card softlocks the game.

Happy Home Designer was also released alongside the Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader/Writer accessory, which gave amiibo compatibility to original Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 3DS XL, and Nintendo 2DS systems. The accessory was bundled with some copies of the game.

Sharing and connectivity

Happy Home Network

The homepage of the Happy Home Network

Prior to the discontinuation of Nintendo Network on April 8, 2024, designed homes and facilities could be uploaded to the Happy Home Network to be visited by other players. Uploaded projects could be viewed by entering an 11-digit project number or scanning a QR code. When being visited, projects could be rated, and any custom designs used in a project could be saved.

Monthly design contests were held from October 2015 to May 2017. During a contest, player would design a home based on the provided theme, and participating in a contest would unlock unique, 3×3 furniture items. Designs would be submitted and voted on during the first half of the month, and the highest-rated designs would be displayed for all players beginning in the second half of the month.

Special design requests

Special client requests for five villagers were distributed via SpotPass and Nintendo Zones from 2015 to 2016. This was the only way to receive these villagers as clients, and each of them unlocked exclusive items.

Welcome amiibo compatibility

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer save data can be linked to Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Welcome amiibo from the latter game's title screen. Doing so results in Lottie sending the player a Nook's Homes model and unlocks the following 20 Happy Home Network Design Contest furniture items to purchase from the catalog:

Happy Home Designer crossover items in Animal Crossing: New Leaf

#	Item	Image	Buy price	Sell price	Available from	HHA theme challenges	Style	Interact	Customizable	Size
-	Candy house		6,000 Bells	1,500 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Fairy tale / Toy shop	Cute	-	No
-	Carriage		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Fairy tale / Toy shop	Cute	-	Yes
-	Giant ant		6,000 Bells	1,500 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Rustic / Toy shop	Flashy	-	No
-	Giant stew pot		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Toy shop	Rock 'n' roll	-	Yes
-	Giant teddy bear		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Fairy tale / Toy shop	Cute	-	Yes
-	Iceberg		6,000 Bells	1,500 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Rustic / Toy shop	Iconic	-	No
-	Inflatable Resetti		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Toy shop	Cute	Press	Yes
-	Large egg		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Toy shop	Flashy	-	Yes
-	Luxury car		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Antique / Trendy / Toy shop	Ornate	Press	Yes
-	Massive cake		6,000 Bells	1,500 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Fairy tale / Toy shop	Cute	Light	No
-	Monitor tower		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Toy shop	Iconic	-	Yes
-	Mountain		6,000 Bells	1,500 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Rustic / Toy shop	Iconic	-	No
-	Mountain of money		6,000 Bells	1,500 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Toy shop	Iconic	-	No
-	Propeller plane		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Toy shop	Sporty	-	Yes
-	Robot hero		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Toy shop	Rock 'n' roll	Toggle	Yes
-	Submarine		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Toy shop	Sporty	-	Yes
-	Sun		6,000 Bells	1,500 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Rustic / Toy shop	Iconic	-	No
-	Teacup ride		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Fairy tale / Toy shop	Cute	Toggle	Yes
-	Tent		8,000 Bells	2,000 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Toy shop	Sporty	-	Yes
-	UFO		6,000 Bells	1,500 Bells	Timmy & Tommy shopping catalog	Sci-fi / Toy shop	Flashy	-	No

Includes data sourced from the Data Spreadsheet for Animal Crossing: New Leaf, compiled by TimeSword3D, AlexBot2004, AlgebraManiacABC, Chubby Bub, Cuyler, HylianAngel, Kalina70, PanchamBro, SuperHamster, and vmario.

Characters

All of the returning characters from Animal Crossing: New Leaf received amiibo cards, though none of the new characters did.

Special characters

Most special characters return from New Leaf, with the exceptions of Lloid and the snowpeople, while one new one is introduced.

New special character

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  Lottie

Villagers

All 333 villagers from New Leaf return, while two new ones are introduced to the series, and four return from the first-generation Animal Crossing games after being absent in Wild World, City Folk, and New Leaf. All six villagers who are not in New Leaf would later be added to the game in the Welcome amiibo update.

New villagers

Felyne and Filly are both promotional villagers, being based on the Monster Hunter series of video games and 7-Eleven stores, respectively. They were distributed via SpotPass and Nintendo Zones in Japan only.

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  Felyne
  Lazy cat

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  Filly
  Normal horse

Returning villagers

Claude, Louie, and Maddie were distributed clients, while Carrie is one of the first clients the player takes on.

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  Carrie
  Normal kangaroo

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  Claude
  Lazy rabbit

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  Louie
  Jock gorilla

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  Maddie
  Peppy dog

Development

Happy Home Designer was produced by Aya Kyogoku and Hisashi Nogami, with direction credits by Isao Moro, and was the first Animal Crossing title to have a female producer, the second title being Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, also produced by Kyogoku. It was also the first time that Katsuya Eguchi, series creator, producer of Animal Crossing: Wild World, City Folk, and New Leaf, and director of all previous Animal Crossing titles, did not play a lead role in development. Co-producer Hisashi Nogami, who served as director for nearly every Animal Crossing title at the time, made his return to the series after his absence during Animal Crossing: New Leaf's development period.

In an interview with USgamer, Happy Home Designer producer Aya Kyogoku stated that Nintendo's amiibo line played a primary role in the title's development, going so far as to say that the title was created for the sole purpose of generating a set of Animal Crossing amiibo in the process: "Honestly, we just wanted Animal Crossing amiibo. We wanted the company to make Animal Crossing amiibo, so that's why we made a game that works with them."

According to Kyogoku, the inspiration for the interior design gameplay element came from the development team's experience designing villager homes in previous games, imagining how these villagers live out their lives, and thinking about how it would be fun to share that experience with the player. The team also focused on allowing the player to bring their unique vision into each design, and while a budget limit had been taken into consideration at some point in the development cycle, it was decided that it would be best not to impose any external limitations on the player's design choices.

Announcement

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer was announced alongside Animal Crossing amiibo cards in a Nintendo Direct on April 1, 2015, in which gameplay was shown off and a release window of fall 2015 was revealed.

Release

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer was released in Japan on July 30, 2015, and it was released internationally two months later, on September 25 in North America, on October 2 in Europe, and on October 3 in Australia. More gameplay was shown at Nintendo's Digital Event at E3 2015, along with the final North American release date of September 25, 2015.

Bundles, special edition console, and faceplates

In Japan, Nintendo announced in a May 31, 2015 Nintendo Direct that Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer would be launching in several formats. Game bundles included a special edition New Nintendo 3DS XL with a pre-installed copy of Happy Home Designer on a 4 GB micro SDHC card at an MSRP of ¥22,000, and a physical Happy Home Designer bundle with NFC Reader accessory included at an MSRP of ¥5,000. Both bundles launched alongside the standalone physical release of Happy Home Designer and special edition New Nintendo 3DS cover plates in Japan on July 30, 2015.

Nintendo of Europe announced their regional bundles on June 27, 2015. In addition to the special edition New Nintendo 3DS XL and NFC bundle released in Japan, Europe also received a white New Nintendo 3DS bundle with Happy Home Designer cover plates. Pre-orders for the various bundles went live on August 13, 2015. Those who ordered from Nintendo Store UK also received a Happy Home Designer Nintendo 3DS Kit which included a universal system case, three styluses, and a microfiber cleaning cloth. Additional "packs" were also available that included Cover Plate 05, Cover Plate 06, the Animal Crossing amiibo cards Collectors Album, or the European-exclusive Cover Plate 27 in addition to one of the console bundles.

In North America, Happy Home Designer coincided with the release of the New Nintendo 3DS in the region, with a special New Nintendo 3DS bundle with Cover Plates themed after Isabelle. Another bundle included the Nintendo 3DS NFC Reader/Writer.

Promotion

Nintendo partnered with Japanese 7-Eleven stores and Capcom to release exclusive villagers and themed furniture for Happy Home Designer. On August 18, 2015, a goodbye message from Isabelle was posted to the official Animal Crossing Twitter account stating that Lottie would be taking over the account for the time being.

In North America, GameStop held a promotion where those who pre-ordered the game would receive an exclusive poster.

Reception

Publication	Rating
Famitsu	35/40
GameSpot	5/10
GameRadar+	4/5
IGN	8/10
Metacritic	66%
Nintendo Life	7/10

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Nintendo Life and IGN were mostly positive, praising the game's designer tools and sandbox nature, but criticizing it for a lack of challenge or a sense of progression. GameSpot was more critical of the game, criticizing the lack of content present in main series Animal Crossing games, while also sharing the criticisms of its challenge.

Sales

According to a weekly sales report by Media Create, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer sold 523,000 units in Japan during its first four days of release, selling through 76.29% of its initial shipment. In comparison, Animal Crossing: New Leaf sold over 600,000 units during its launch window with a sell-through rate of 96.09%. Happy Home Designer topped the weekly charts again in its second and third week of sale, moving an additional 181,377 and 140,235 units respectively before dropping to second place in its fourth and fifth week with sales of 65,904 and 48,978 units respectively. As of the week ending August 30, 2015 the game had a lifetime total of 959,049 copies sold in Japan. As part of their earnings release statement, Nintendo reported sales of 3.04 million units for Happy Home Designer during the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2016.

Update history

Current version:

Ver. 2.0 (released September 25, 2015 in )

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer received a single update, version 2.0, which added the Happy Home Network feature and fixed some bugs. The update was released on September 16, 2015 in Japan, a month and a half after the game's release on July 30, 2015. In North America, the update was released alongside the game on September 25, 2015, although version 1.0 is still on the Game Card.

Version	Changelog
2.0 September 16, 2015 September 25, 2015	Official changelog: Added Happy Home Network and Contest features. Adjustments have also been made for a more pleasant gaming experience.
1.0 July 30, 2015 September 25, 2015 October 2, 2015 October 3, 2015	Initial release for all regions

Gallery

For more images, view this subject's gallery.

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  English logo (North America)

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  English logo (Europe/Australia)

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  Japanese logo

Names in other languages

どうぶつの森 ハッピーホームデザイナー Doubutsu no Mori Happī Hōmu Dezainā

Animal Forest: Happy Home Designer

External links

• Japanese website
• North American website (archived)
• European product page
• Australian website