9 Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival

Amiibo Festival Is the Only Entry in the Animal Crossing Series That Crosses the Line from "Just Mediocre" to "Truly Bad". Conceptualized as a Slightly Friendlier Version of Mario Party, It Ends up Just Being Plain Old Boring. the Main Trouble with Amiibo Festival Is That It Removes the One Most Exciting Thing About Mario Party — Its Competitiveness. No Longer Will You Yell at Your Friends on the Couch, It'll Be More Like Slightly Upset Grumbling.

8 Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

Happy Home Designer Was a 3Ds Game Focused on (As the Title Says) Designing Homes. It Obviously Isn't a Traditional Animal Crossing Experience, Hence Its Relatively Low Ranking. Despite That, Viewing It as a Home Design Game Rather Than an Animal Crossing Game, It Isn't as Criticized as the Previous Entry.

7 Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

When This Mobile Game Came Out, Fans Were Hungry for a New Animal Crossing. the Other New Games Available at the Time, Both on Wiiu, Were Amiibo Festival (Extremely Underwhelming) and Animal Crossing Plaza (More Like a Screensaver Than an Actual Game). So, Unless You Were Still Enjoying New Leaf on the 3Ds, Pocket Camp Was the Only Decent Option for a New Animal Crossing Experience.

6 Animal Crossing: City Folk

City Folk Is the Series' Entry on the Nintendo Wii, and While It Isn't a Bad Game by Any Means, It Did Little to Innovate. Even in Terms of Graphics, City Folk Felt an Awful Lot Like an Updated Version of Animal Crossing on the Gamecube.

5 Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise

Happy Home Paradise Is a Dlc for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and the Spiritual Successor to Happy Home Designer. It Builds on and Refines the Success of Designer with Plenty of New Features. Also, Since It Uses the Gorgeous Graphics of New Horizons, Happy Home Paradise Is a Treat for the Eyes as Well.

4 Animal Crossing: Wild World

Wild World Is the Series' Beloved Entry on the Nintendo Ds. It Condensed the Gamecube Game Down to Handheld Size, Which Was Very Impressive at the Time. Wild World Also Built on the Success of the Gamecube Version with a Bunch of New Features. the Observatory, the Cafe, the Hair Salon, Online Play, and More Are All Series of Mainstays That Were Introduced in Wild World. Unfortunately, Its 3D Graphics Have Aged Somewhat Poorly.

3 Animal Crossing: Population Growing

Animal Crossing: Population Growing (Known as Just "Animal Crossing" to Most Fans) Was the First Animal Crossing Game Released in America. It Was Actually a Port of Dobutso No Mori (Animal Forest), an Older Japanese Game. the English Port Introduced Some New Features, but It's Mostly Unchanged from the Original Game on the Nintendo 64.

2 Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the 3Ds Was a Breath of Fresh Air for the Series. After City Folk Failed to Really Innovate, It Seems Nintendo Reassessed the Animal Crossing Series. They Came up with a Game That Felt New and Fresh Without Straying Too Far from the Formula. New Leaf Introduced Awesome New Graphics and Mechanics and Kept Many Players Glued to Their 3Ds Playing It Year's After Its Release.

1 Animal Crossing: New Horizons

New Horizons Famously Dropped at a Time When People Were Stuck Indoors. Because It Offered a Serene Outdoor Getaway, It Took the World by Storm, Introducing Countless New Fans to the Animal Crossing Series. It Also Feels Fresh, with Plenty of New Twists on the Existing Formula, Notably Landscaping and Outdoor Decoration. New Horizons Is Breathtakingly Gorgeous, with New Graphics That Still Feel Appropriate for the Series.

Every Animal Crossing Game Ever Released, Ranked

By Maya Lin-Takahashi

• Oct 8, 2026 • 10 min read

Every Animal Crossing Game Ever Released, Ranked

Direct Answer • Key Takeaway

Animal Crossing, Originally Released in Japan as Dobutso No Mori (Animal Forest), Has Since Grown to Become an Internationally Recognized Hit. Animal Crossing Asks Players to Slow Down, Take a Deep Breath, and Enjoy a Wholesome Experience. This Places the Series Among Other Life and Social Simulation Games. However, Gorgeous Graphics, Beautiful Music, and Iconic Characters All Cause It to Stand out Among Its Competitors.

Maya Lin-Takahashi

Consumer Tech & Gadget Reviewer

Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.

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