The holiday season is fast approaching, which means it's a great time to start looking into gifts for Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans. Fortunately, there's plenty of official merchandise to browse through this year, sold both through the official Nintendo Character Shop and licensed partners online. From sweatshirts and backpacks to pins and plushies, there is a wide range of options to pick between in an equally broad price range. Here are some of the best Animal Crossing-inspired gifts for the 2021 holidays.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons saw something of a revival recently thanks to the massive Animal Crossing 2.0 update, which almost entirely refreshed the game by adding in new characters, locations, and even gameplay mechanics. This came as a welcome change to longtime players, many of whom were discouraged by the lack of significant content updates over the past year. Alongside the free 2.0 update came the game's first paid DLC, Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise, which puts players into the role of a dream vacation home designer. So much new content at once helped to renew interest in the game, and more than likely even brought new Animal Crossing fans into the fold just in time for the holidays.
November's in-game updates also came with new physical merchandise, such as the brand new Series 5 amiibo cards for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. These cards introduced several new villagers to the game, like Shino and Ione, as well as provided long-awaited cards for fan-favorite Animal Crossing residents, including Raymond. These amiibo card packs could be a great place to start for those who are unsure how to shop for the Animal Crossing fans in their life, but the list of potential gifts by no means ends there.
Animal Crossing Gifts 2021 - More Ways To Play
From board games to Nintendo Switch accessories, there are plenty of ways to extend the fun of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for those who already own the game. The official Nintendo shop features an Animal Crossing-themed Switch dock as well as an entire Nintendo Switch console decorated with characters from the game like well-known island resident Tom Nook. Also available to purchase is a wireless controller which sports a picture of K.K. Slider and quite a selection of similarly themed protector cases.
The selection doesn't end at Switch accessories, though. Animal Crossing-themed board games and similar activities are plentiful this year. BoxLunch offers a couple of Animal Crossing: New Horizons puzzles, ranging in difficulty from 250 pieces to 1000 for all ages of Animal Crossing fans. There's also an Animal Crossing version of Monopoly, which could allow players to embrace the multiplayer aspects of the Animal Crossing series even outside of the game itself.
Animal Crossing Gifts 2021 - Backpacks & Purses
Also available on BoxLunch are quite a few Animal Crossing-inspired bags to choose from, many of which are exclusive to the site. There's an Animal Crossing mini backpack featuring Tom Nook, Timmy, and Tommy, as well as a Tom Nook card holder and a coin purse that doubles as an advertisement for the Able sisters' tailor shop. There's even one for stalk market enthusiasts. Fans looking for a more subtly designed nod to the series can instead turn to a leaf-patterned sling bag, though there are also a couple of other mini backpacks to be found on the Nintendo Character Shop.
Animal Crossing Gifts 2021 - Pins & Accessories
From hats to socks to journals, smaller gifts can make for a great stocking stuffer, and there are several Animal Crossing: New Horizons-style gifts to look through this year. For any prospective aviators, a Dodo Airlines-themed hat could be a fun way to casually dress in a way that's based on the game, and it's great for all types of weather. For those fans looking for more wintery wear as the holiday season approaches, though, there's also a cute Tom Nook tassel beanie from Hot Topic. A Nook Inc. mug, featuring the logo of the company that runs much of the island business in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, is equally perfect for the cold weather.
Those Animal Crossing players who are more in favor of tiny accessories can look towards these pins shaped after the fruit trees featured in Animal Crossing, which could easily make for a fun splash of color on a denim jacket or backpack. Or, those prepping for a return to school after the 2021 holidays can pick up a New Horizons pencil case instead, which comes decorated with the faces of some of the special NPCs featured in the game.
Animal Crossing Gifts 2021 - Clothing
Hats aren't the only warm-weather clothing that can be picked up this year. A K.K. Slider crew sweatshirt is a stylish callback to the character's origins in Animal Crossing, and there's even the chance to make a cozy matching outfit out of it by picking up a pair of K.K. Slider-patterned sweatpants. There are also some pastel Isabelle-themed sweatpants that would be great to wear while lounging about during the 2021 holidays.
Of course, there are plenty of t-shirts and tank tops to be found this year, too. Bug fanatics who enjoy catching everything for Blathers' museum in Animal Crossing: New Horizons could sport a shirt featuring some of the many bugs included in the Animal Crossing series. Fans who are already prepping their summer wardrobe can pick up a tank top featuring Timmy, Tommy, and Tom Nook, letting everyone know that their vacation plans in the upcoming year will include a lot of time spent on their Animal Crossing island. After all, a player's residence in New Horizons could be themed after either a winder wonderland or a perfect summer getaway depending on how they choose to decorate.
Animal Crossing Gifts 2021 - Plushies
The Animal Crossing line of Build-A-Bear plushies made waves when they were first announced, allowing fans to create their own fuzzy friend in the shape of iconic Animal Crossing characters like Isabelle, Tom Nook, and K.K. Slider. Quite a few of these plushies can be found in the official Nintendo shop this year, as can a line of Mega Mocchi plushes that likewise come in the shape of Tom Nook and Isabelle. There are even smaller sizes of plushie available, meaning there should be something for just about everyone.
These are only a small selection of all the official merch Nintendo has put out for the 2021 holidays, meaning there ought to be more than enough options to find the perfect gift for any sort of Animal Crossing fan. Whether shoppers are looking for something high-end or a more casual gift, it's a great time to start browsing.