HHD a good choice for a pre-NH game?

[VillageDuck]

So as New Horizons inches ever closer, I'm getting the urge to play something Animal Crossing-themed. I could play New Leaf, but I worry that it might risk making the NH experience a little less special, or worse still risk burning me out on the style of gameplay before it arrives.

Do you think Happy Home Designer would be a good choice? I understand there's less of the day-to-day chores in this one and it's just solely about interior design. Might be a good way to re-familiarise myself with the various AC villagers ahead of time too, right?

 

[cicely]

Others may disagree, but I think it's a great choice. I mess around in HHD to get inspiration for my town, and with the ability to place furniture outside, it's now more relevant to NH.
The problem people had with the game (I didn't mind) is that it's repetitive, but you're playing it for 2 months before NH so it'll just be a cute distraction.

 

[Corndoggy]

its a fantastic choice, as u don't necessarily have to play every day and u can get used to the mechanics again and see all of ur fave villagers, also lottie and digby are super cute <3

 

[Romaki]

You could just use Pocket Camp for your goal. Happy Home Designer is an alright game, but you're very restricted in what you can do and in my opinion the game becomes very repetitive. But maybe going into New Horizons blind would be the better option? I think it'd be more fun to rediscover all the villagers and furniture in their new HD glory.

 

[VillageDuck]

Whelp I went out and bought a copy. Decorated Lottie and Goldie?s homes and I?m quite liking the comfy doing-your-day-job feel of the game so far. I feel like I?m bad at interior design at the moment but I also feel like the animals don?t seem to care either way!

Are there any good tips/guides to the interior design process anyone could suggest? Not in terms of gaming the system but in terms of artsy-advice to achieve pleasing aesthetic and layouts?

You could just use Pocket Camp for your goal. Happy Home Designer is an alright game, but you're very restricted in what you can do and in my opinion the game becomes very repetitive. But maybe going into New Horizons blind would be the better option? I think it'd be more fun to rediscover all the villagers and furniture in their new HD glory.

I dabbled with Pocket Camp for a week but it had so much stuff and systems and events going on that it all felt overwhelming and less like the chill life sandbox I want from an AC game. Everything felt geared in that manipulative mobile gaming way of inducing FOMO and gentle but persistent nudges towards spending money. I ended up bouncing off it hard and quitting.

 

[AmyK]

I feel like I?m bad at interior design at the moment but I also feel like the animals don?t seem to care either way!

That?s actually true. You could put a cardboard box in a house and call it a day, they?d still tell you how much they love it. But don?t let that keep you from creating nice and comfy homes for your clients. You?ll unlock more items with each job you take on, which means you can get more creative and add more variety.

Are there any good tips/guides to the interior design process anyone could suggest? Not in terms of gaming the system but in terms of artsy-advice to achieve pleasing aesthetic and layouts?

Back then I liked to visit Animal Crossing related blogs. The Dream Suite in New Leaf was also a nice place to get inspirations from, buuut... If you want my personal favorite, you could check out the Japanese website for the Nintendo amiibo cards. Click me!

As you can see at the top of the page, there are four series of cards, 100 characters each and with a click on a character you get a small pop up window that shows a snapshot of what their home could look like. Personally, I love this little website, it?s an easy way to gather ideas.

 

[VillageDuck]

Made Lopez a seriously modern, swanky bachelor pad dedicated to music. I can see how a lot of people bounced off this game, but so far I'm really into it.

I do feel like I'm missing out on some things as I only have an original 3DS that lacks the Amiibo functionality, but I also figure they can't be that integral to the core experience.

If you want my personal favorite, you could check out the Japanese website for the Nintendo amiibo cards. Click me!

As you can see at the top of the page, there are four series of cards, 100 characters each and with a click on a character you get a small pop up window that shows a snapshot of what their home could look like. Personally, I love this little website, it?s an easy way to gather ideas.

Okay this is a fantastic resource - so many great ideas for inspiration. Thank you!

And yeah I don't intend to slack on the design just because the game lets you do nothing and still receive applause - I'm enjoying sweating over the fine details. I see it very much as a game where it pays to bring more of yourself to it rather than relying on the game to do the heavy lifting.

... it's also going to be great practice for designing my own interior in New Horizons!

 

[AmyK]

I do feel like I'm missing out on some things as I only have an original 3DS that lacks the Amiibo functionality, but I also figure they can't be that integral to the core experience.

Yeah, no worries! The amiibos are nice to have and sure have their benefits, but you’ll be fine without them as well. I never started collecting the cards because if I had, I’d probably be poor by now...

Okay this is a fantastic resource - so many great ideas for inspiration. Thank you!

I'm enjoying sweating over the fine details. I see it very much as a game where it pays to bring more of yourself to it rather than relying on the game to do the heavy lifting.

You’re welcome! I feel the same way about it. Although it’s been a while since I’ve last played the game, turning the camera around and looking at the room from every angle, wondering about the little something that might be missing or which chair would be the best choice for the cozy corner next to the window and which pattern to use on the couch cushions, those things made it fun for me.

Nice to hear you’re enjoying it so far!

 

[VillageDuck]

I've been doing a couple of interior designs every day without fail now. I'm really enjoying how contained each in-game day is, and I've been pleasantly surprised that despite being 100% contained to Main Street and your job, you still get a feel of a growing town which Animal Crossing usually provides.

Last night I got to design the interior of the school, and I ended up agonising over it for nearly an hour. They only needed four desks but there was so. much. room! - After many projects wishing I had more space to work with, I was suddenly paralysed by having too much space. It took a few concepts and tries, but thinking back to my own primary school experience I remembered classrooms with different discreet areas - desks for regular classes, an arts area for paints, and a reading corner/book nook (pun intended). Working from this concept I was able to produce something I was genuinely proud of, which was an emotion I didn't expect a silly, cute 3DS game to provide:

I'm also learning to love the various clutter items, despite my natural tendencies to prefer a neat/clean look. I was struggling at first as putting just the furniture down still leaves a room feeling weird and incomplete, but once you start to put items around, even leaving odd socks or other stuff that needs tidying away, the scene starts to come alive. The site AmyK posted earlier was a big help in this process!

These are lessons I'm very excited to take forth into New Horizons when I get to design my own home interiors.

I just started being able to design house exteriors as well, which seems a whole other discipline:

So I really recommend this game for anyone who was - like me - unsure about whether it'd be a good investment. Yes, it's more limited than a full Animal Crossing game, but with its focus comes a different but no less satisfying feeling of comfy escapism. It's also a really nice change to speak with fellow villagers as either co-workers or clients, rather than as neighbours. It's a subtle difference, but a fresh one.

... now if only it let you rotate items into a diagonal position rather than simple four directions, it'd be perfect.

 

[RainbowGrace]

I came here to say yes, I thought it was perfect for this -- so I'm really glad that you decided to get it and are enjoying it! ^^

 

[CodyMKW]

you can use it as a rough draft of how you want the outside of houses to look in acnh

 

[Xara]

i think it?s a good choice; it?s a nice way to get your animal crossing fix without getting too much of it, y?know? :>

 

[Ama]

Yeah, I actualy never played HHD but it was exactly what I was looking for. I can't play too much of it, but it is a fun occational exercise in design.

 

[lazyislander]

I'd say yeah! I loved this game. But ONLY get it if you really like interior design because obviously that is pretty much the only thing you're capable of doing other than a little bit of landscaping here and there!

 

[Tinkalila]

I think it's a great choice! I've had a lot of fun with HHD.

 

[iExist]

Go in blind. You can obviously get it afterwards, but it's not an Animal Crossing game in the sense you'd think, as you probably know. It's not really a good introduction into the series so I'd say just wait it out. You'll abandon New Leaf (probably), so it's kinda pointless.