Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

 3DS
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 136 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 136
  2. Mixed: 49 out of 136
  3. Negative: 22 out of 136
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  1. poppyisacat
    Nov 14, 2015
    6
    Disappointing. Designing houses (as the name implies) is basically all you can do. Oh yes, and design shops. The characters say the same things, day in, day out. There are a few things to discover (through the Happy Home Handbook or whatever it is called) etc. That is basically the only thing to keep the player motivated. I don't think it's worth the money.
    BUT, the requests do vary and    Disappointing. Designing houses (as the name implies) is basically all you can do. Oh yes, and design shops. The characters say the same things, day in, day out. There are a few things to discover (through the Happy Home Handbook or whatever it is called) etc. That is basically the only thing to keep the player motivated. I don't think it's worth the money.
    BUT, the requests do vary and there are TONS of new items to unlock. You can colour-code them, keep them in categories such as foods, tables, lamps, etc. and more! It would have been an amazing add-on to New Leaf. The amiibo cards - quite hard to get in the UK, I've found - make it a bit different occasionally. I think that they are the only way to obtain special characters (apart from Lottie and the like).
    This game gives you a lot of freedom but also horribly restricts you. It gets very repetitive. You can design the homes to your liking, provided you stick with the character request and/or the bits of furniture specially provided, and you can design all the shops and attractions within reason. Once your town is done, there isn't much to do. I can see people finishing all of the villager's houses and then being stuck, walking around town day after day. The shops are always interesting but as I have said, the villagers say the same things.
    In the previous games, the character can dig, fish, catch bugs, etcetera. However, in this game you cannot do any of these things. Sure, you can decorate houses with fish and bugs and fossils, but you cannot do much to get these things... apart from spend your Play Coins.
    In conclusion, you should wait until the games have been reduced before buying this game.    … Expand
  2. MaxiRE123
    Mar 16, 2016
    7
    This would have been an excellent DLC for New Leaf ( wich uses ALOT of it's asset). There is not much more to it than just build and decore a few building and houses.The music is repetitive as well. There is no challenge, your customers will be happy whatever you do.The games offers you alot of possibilites of themes and items, but I am dissappoint that some get more care than others. TheThis would have been an excellent DLC for New Leaf ( wich uses ALOT of it's asset). There is not much more to it than just build and decore a few building and houses.The music is repetitive as well. There is no challenge, your customers will be happy whatever you do.The games offers you alot of possibilites of themes and items, but I am dissappoint that some get more care than others. The tactile gameplay make everything easier and faster, wich is pretty nice. Overall, it's a nice little game ( even if it's feel like a dlc) that you should get at a little price.… Expand
  3. Rtheom
    Oct 1, 2015
    7
    A fun little game. It does what it says and it does it well. I mean, it's Animal Crossing, first off, and it's called Happy Home Designer. What else did you expect to happen?

    I would have liked slightly better controls and options for selecting items. Having arrows to change panels would have been nice, and being able to select multiple items in a row without the entire catalog closing    A fun little game. It does what it says and it does it well. I mean, it's Animal Crossing, first off, and it's called Happy Home Designer. What else did you expect to happen?

    I would have liked slightly better controls and options for selecting items. Having arrows to change panels would have been nice, and being able to select multiple items in a row without the entire catalog closing on you would have helped a lot, but these are minor gripes overall, but enough to keep me from saying its perfect. It really is about what you'd expect overall and if you don't want to design silly animal houses for $40, you shouldn't spend the money. Otherwise, if that is what you want to do, you will be more than satisfied.    … Expand
  4. NMFreed
    Feb 7, 2016
    7
    Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is not a game you’d expect to be worth $40, until you play it.
    This problem-solving, interior design romp came out for the Nintendo 3DS late last month, to many players’ surprise and fairly favorable reviews.
    Sure, it’s not your typical AC title where you plant trees and go fishing, but it’s an extension of that, and it works wonderfully. The game    Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer is not a game you’d expect to be worth $40, until you play it.
    This problem-solving, interior design romp came out for the Nintendo 3DS late last month, to many players’ surprise and fairly favorable reviews.

    Sure, it’s not your typical AC title where you plant trees and go fishing, but it’s an extension of that, and it works wonderfully. The game puts you in the shoes of the game’s aptly-named Villager, allowing you to customize gender, appearance, clothing and more. For the first time ever, your Villager can shave the sides of their head. This is what modern-day Nintendo looks like, people.

    Anyway, you take a series of quests in the form of designing rooms, and you gain the trust of your clients while working as a commissioned employee of Nook’s Homes. For players of the original series, Nook needs no introduction. For those unaware, he is a very, very annoying anthropomorphic raccoon who demands way too much from you.

    In HHD, the Villager goes from designing small bedrooms and living areas to classrooms and larger spaces. There is an unbelievable amount of furniture and accessories to choose from, and it’s admittedly fun to mix and match different elements.

    In one situation, a client named Goldie wants a room that could be seen as “a forest of books.” The game drops in a couple of necessary-for-completion items and in this case a bookshelf (go figure), a phonograph and a stack of books.

    Another situation has the Villager designing a classroom, complete with desks, a blackboard and computers. You can then add anything from the furniture catalog. This includes rugs, lamps, showers, fridges, plants and, you guessed it, more. In keeping with tradition, most of the series’ mainstay characters make an appearance. Nook is obviously here, along with Isabella, the puppy-turned-secretary from Animal Crossing: New Leaf.

    The game also makes use of the New Nintendo 3DS’ amiibo functionality, in the form of trading cards. The cards are sold in six-packs and are available (if you can find them) for $5.99 a set.

    Each card has a character on it and when placed on the New 3DS’ bottom screen (or the addition NFC reader for older 3DS systems) that character shows up in the room you’re in. It’s pretty neat.
    For what it is, the game is deep, engaging and frustratingly organized.

    But maybe it would have been better as an expansion for the already superb New Leaf.
    Either way, if you’re looking for a digestible way to pass an hour at a time or if you’re already a fan of the Animal Crossing series, be sure to give this one a chance.

    - Nicholas Friedman, Denton Record-Chronicle    … Expand
  5. wegie125
    Nov 15, 2017
    6
    I actually spent over fourty hours on this game and as much as I want to give it a high score, it just misses out on some minor details that kill the game. Like why don't they add some sort of score system. Like at least something to work towards, without that making houses just starts to feel dull because there really isn't a purpose. The parts where I actually cared about the buildingsI actually spent over fourty hours on this game and as much as I want to give it a high score, it just misses out on some minor details that kill the game. Like why don't they add some sort of score system. Like at least something to work towards, without that making houses just starts to feel dull because there really isn't a purpose. The parts where I actually cared about the buildings just happened to be when isabelle asked you for certain types of places. Overall it was a fun game and I don't feel like I wasted my money but I feel they missed out on a huge opportunity here… Expand
  6. harryjc
    Mar 10, 2017
    6
    First question, what is this game? It's a game where you do interior design with cute little animals, and various other creatures. You have to choose furniture, and decorations for them to get their customer satisfaction. This is not like The Sims whatsoever. You're not truly designing homes, and you're not doing much of interacting with anyone. It's extremely bare bones, and seems likeFirst question, what is this game? It's a game where you do interior design with cute little animals, and various other creatures. You have to choose furniture, and decorations for them to get their customer satisfaction. This is not like The Sims whatsoever. You're not truly designing homes, and you're not doing much of interacting with anyone. It's extremely bare bones, and seems like only half a game.

    For example, most of the places you decorate have a maximum of two rooms, and one level. It's like a game about micro apartments!

    While I didn't find this game to be bad it isn't good either. I would say that the price I paid wasn't worth it. This seems like a $10 game that you pick up from a bargain bin. There just isn't much to do. You're just placing down furniture, and rearranging rooms. You can't even interact with objects, or build relationships, or do any of the things you can do in some popular life simulation games.

    There are few challenges in Happy Home Designer. The only real positives I saw in game were the controls, and the cute designs of the characters, and world. Visually, yes, it's appealing. But this title really, really lacks depth.

    If they ever want to make a sequel they need to take a page out of their landmark titles. It should be open world. You should be able to interact with objects, and people, and form relationships. You should be able to make homes, and do much more than interior designing. There should be mini games, and side quests, and an overarching goal.    … Expand
  7. Datamari
    Oct 28, 2015
    6
    Wait, I can use the touch pad to move furniture?! IT"S A MIRACLE!!!

    I'm a big fan of Animal Crossing, I've been with the series since the very first on the Gamecube, and it's one of my favorite gaming franchises ever. Happy Home Designer was an attempt at a cutesy-spin off of the series, and... it didn't work out as well as you'd expect. There isn't really a reward for anything you    Wait, I can use the touch pad to move furniture?! IT"S A MIRACLE!!!

    I'm a big fan of Animal Crossing, I've been with the series since the very first on the Gamecube, and it's one of my favorite gaming franchises ever. Happy Home Designer was an attempt at a cutesy-spin off of the series, and... it didn't work out as well as you'd expect. There isn't really a reward for anything you do, you don't get any new clothes, items, money, anything that would make it more interesting. In a normal Animal Crossing game, you can go fishing, dig for fossils, talk to villagers, shop, catch bugs, so many things to do! What does Happy Home Designer have? Design houses and visit other houses; ISN'T THAT FUN?!?!?!? I didn't think so. This game DOES have some redeeming qualities, however. The freedom to be creative comes back, and the decorating system is a LOT better than any other AC game, and the ability to view what other people have made.. doesn't suck. But that's about it, in my personal opinion, this isn't a terrible game at all, but it's by far the most disappointing Animal Crossing game in the franchise.

    Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer gets a 6/10    … Expand
  8. obthegeek
    Nov 22, 2020
    6
    a fun little time waster with basically no replay value, nowhere near as good as the likes of new leaf
  9. SparkzCritic
    Nov 18, 2015
    7
    I liked the designing and office worker aspect of it, as well as the animals eat real food, go to school, go to hospitals because they're sick and go shopping instead of walking aimlessly around Timmy and Tommy's.
    But I really can't help feeling trapped in the city, and I can't even change my shirt!
    Enjoyable, but repetitive at times.
  10. ericwithcheese
    Nov 10, 2015
    6
    As the first spinoff of the popular Animal Crossing series, Happy Home Designer is a mixed bag. In theory, it feels like an Animal Crossing game, stripped down to the interior decorating aspect - which is actually my favorite part of the franchise. But the fatal flaw is the complete lack of challenge in the grading system... no matter what you do as long as there is one item to matchAs the first spinoff of the popular Animal Crossing series, Happy Home Designer is a mixed bag. In theory, it feels like an Animal Crossing game, stripped down to the interior decorating aspect - which is actually my favorite part of the franchise. But the fatal flaw is the complete lack of challenge in the grading system... no matter what you do as long as there is one item to match their desired theme, they will compliment you. The use of amiibo cards, though, is pretty neat, and the music is outstanding. Worth it in small doses but won't have the lasting appeal of New Leaf.… Expand
  11. EpicLadySponge
    Jan 28, 2016
    7
    It takes the name of it and designs it to be like it. Happy Home Designer isn't anywhere from it being a Animal Crossing game, but it is just an average game though.
  12. Robloxiancritic
    May 21, 2016
    6
    Well I played this game and I have a weird way of looking at it. Welll the first part with making buildings was fun the other part got boring with before me doing like over 10 in game days of this and then less than 5 days.
  13. Big_Ravioli
    May 23, 2020
    5
    "What if we take one aspect of the other Animal Crossings, and make it the entire game, and then sell the game at full price?"
    -Probably some dude from Nintendo

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best 3DS Game of 2015
9
#9 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2015
13
#13 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 60 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 41 out of 60
  3. Negative: 1 out of 60
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 16, 2015
    65
    Despite vast content and high level of polish I actually can’t find any convincing reasons to play it. [12/2015, p.72]
  2. Nintendo Enthusiast
    Nov 17, 2015
    50
    Overall, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer proves to be a substantial disappointment for the franchise. Yes, the game does make large strides in the designing element of Animal Crossing, but it fails to create any sort of experience that is even remotely engaging or captivating.
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  3. games(TM)
    Nov 7, 2015
    50
    Ultimately, Happy Home Designer feels more like a mini-game from a main Animal Crossing title, albeit one that controls like a dream. As a cheaper eShop release designed to spark interest in collecting the cards it would have been fine, but as a full price game its one-trick-pony style is far too repetitive for some.
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