How online multiplayer and local co-op works in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Make Animal: Crossing better by inviting friends and checking out their islands.

Zack Palm
March 19, 2020
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Image via Nintendo

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In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you have the opportunity to share your residence with other players. You have the option to have other players directly jump into your game from your Nintendo Switch, or invite them over while playing online. You will need access to Nintendo’s online subscription if you want to engage in the online multiplayer experience.

For those playing from a single Nintendo Switch, you can have from two to four players engaged in local co-op. You can start it up by going to your NookPhone and using the Call Islander option, where you can pick the Party Play Multiplayer option. The one who makes the call to invite other players is the leader, while the others are followers. You only have this option if you are sharing an island with another player. Every member of the shared island can have a home, ensuring no one is in one location. Unfortunately, Animal Crossing: New Horizons does not have split-screen. The focus is on the leader of the group, but you can change the role at any time.

If you want to jump into an online multiplayer game, you need to visit the Dodo at Dodo Airlines to engage in a local wireless game or for an online session. It’s much easier to invite friends who on your friendslist to the game. However, if none of them are friends, you can send them a one-time use Dodo code to join your session. When they enter your game, you can freely show them around your carefully crafted island, and give them a tour. You can check out another player’s island by being on their friend’s list and having them invite you, or by receiving a Dodo code.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is significantly better with good friends. Make sure to invite them over to check out all of your hard work, or wait for an invitation to check out what they did to their island. You need to have a subscription to Nintendo’s online service if you want to jump into an online game.

Get your copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons at Amazon.

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