The Ultimate Animal Crossing Game Tier List: Unlock the Secrets Behind Your Favorite Animals!

Highlights

Animal Crossing: New Leaf revolutionized the series with its mayor mechanic, new characters, and creative freedom, solidifying its modern identity.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons soared in popularity thanks to its captivating island setting and extensive customization choices, although it heavily leaned on post-launch updates to excel.

Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival let down fans due to its underwhelming board game mode and mandatory use of amiibo, failing to meet the anticipated standards for a mainline title.

The Animal Crossing series has become a massive franchise since its international debut on the GameCube, establishing itself as one of Nintendo's most popular series in recent years. As a pioneer in the life-sim genre, Animal Crossing has introduced unique elements like its real-time day cycle and multiplayer connectivity, setting it apart from its competitors. While not every game in the series has been equally successful, there have been enough hits to catapult the franchise to its current heights.

Alongside the main Animal Crossing series, there have been spin-off titles that have changed the way players interact with its world and characters. Animal Crossing even has its own mobile title, showcasing its broad appeal. Despite a few controversial entries, the Animal Crossing series has consistently provided a delightful experience that has captured the hearts of many fans throughout the years.

S-Tier

Animal Crossing: New Leaf revolutionized the Animal Crossing series by allowing players to take on the role of Mayor and shape their town to their liking. Additionally, it introduced beloved characters such as Isabelle, Leif, and Reese, along with a multitude of new villagers.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the gaming world by storm in 2020, quickly becoming the best-selling title in the series. Instead of moving into a small town, players are transported to an uninhabited island where they must clean up and develop it to attract residents. This installment greatly expanded customization options through the introduction of crafting and terraforming mechanics. However, it did rely heavily on post-launch updates, which somewhat diminished its long-term appeal.

A-Tier

Animal Crossing: Wild World – Being only the second installment in the series, Animal Crossing: Wild World had a lot to live up to and had the potential to set the standard for future games. Thankfully, it successfully proved that the series thrives when it can be played on the go, as this Nintendo DS edition built upon the strengths of the original game and adapted it for handheld play. With more customization options and the inclusion of online connectivity, Animal Crossing: Wild World truly pushed the boundaries of the series.

Animal Crossing – The game that started it all may not have all the bells and whistles of its modern counterparts, but it holds a special place in the hearts of many players and laid a solid foundation for future Animal Crossing titles to build upon. Originally known as Animal Forest on the N64 in Japan, Animal Crossing was released internationally on GameCube in 2001. Despite its relatively simpler features, fans often attribute Animal Crossing on the GameCube as the ideal model for diverse villager personalities that future entries should strive for.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer – Recognized as the inaugural game in the series to deviate from the mainline titles, Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer premiered on the 3DS in 2015. Distinguishing itself by emphasizing the customization aspect of home design, this title perfectly hones in on this central gameplay mechanic. In Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, players are granted the unique opportunity to craft and fashion abodes and various structures for their beloved villagers. The immense popularity of this spin-off subsequently led to the development of a sequel, namely Animal Crossing: New Horizons' Happy Home Paradise DLC.

B-Tier

Animal Crossing: City Folk – Although Animal Crossing: City Folk is not inherently flawed, it didn't quite match up to its predecessor, Animal Crossing: Wild World, in terms of advancements in the series. In Animal Crossing: Wild World, players had the convenience of exploring their town on the DS, whereas Animal Crossing: City Folk restricted them to a home console once again. Despite introducing the option to visit the City and enjoy attractions such as GracieGrace and the Marquee, these additions failed to elevate City Folk beyond being just another installment in the Animal Crossing series.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp – Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp holds the distinction of being among Nintendo's limited forays into the mobile gaming market. It was deemed a perfect fit for the platform due to its association with the popular Animal Crossing series. However, this spin-off game falls short in comparison to its console counterparts, as it lacks many features and succumbs to the common criticisms aimed at mobile games, such as the presence of premium currency and time-limited events that exploit the fear of missing out (FOMO). While certain aspects like fishing and furniture collecting attempt to recreate the essence of the main series, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp cannot fully substitute for one of the core titles.

C-Tier

Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, considered to be one of Nintendo's most notorious disappointments, was seen by many fans of the series as a poorly executed spin-off. Although the idea of incorporating Animal Crossing characters into a Mario Party style game was promising, the actual game fell short with its minimalistic board game mode and mandatory use of amiibo, giving it the appearance of a cheap money-making scheme. Furthermore, the game's release in 2015 only added to the disappointment, as fans were anticipating the announcement of the next mainline Animal Crossing title. Instead, they were met with this amiibo-centered spin-off.