Fans of the charming and relaxing world of Animal Crossing can now bring a bit of their island life to game night with Monopoly Animal Crossing New Horizons Edition. This adorable twist on the iconic real estate game lets players experience the simple joys of Animal Crossing in a new tabletop format.
Overview
Forget buying houses and bankrupting your friends! In this Animal Crossing adaptation, players roam a themed board, landing on island spaces to gather valuable resources like insects and fruit. These resources can be sold for ‘Bells’ (the game’s currency). Use your Bells to visit Nook’s Cranny, where you’ll purchase decorations that earn you Nook Miles. The player with the most Nook Miles at the end of the game wins!
What’s Included
Your Monopoly Animal Crossing game set comes packed with everything you need to step into this cosmic property battle:
- Gameboard: A brightly colored gameboard featuring familiar Animal Crossing locations and spaces.
- 4 Character Tokens: Choose from adorable tokens representing iconic Animal Crossing villagers.
- 4 Skill Cards: After your first trip around the board, you can pick a Skill Card, giving you special abilities throughout the game.
- 35 Decoration Cards: These represent the cute decorations you’ll buy with Bells to earn Nook Miles.
- 14 Chance Cards & 14 Nook Miles Cards: Draw these cards for unexpected events and challenges that can help or hinder your progress.
- 160 Resource Chips: Represents bugs, fish, fossils, and fruit –the things you’ll collect and sell.
- 40 Five-Bell Coins & 54 Bell Coins: This ‘Bell’ currency is used to buy decorations and pay any fees.
- 40 Player Markers: Use these to keep track of your position on the board.
- 2 Dice: Includes a numbered die for movement and a special Nook’s Cranny die to determine resource types.
- Label sheet: For customizing your tokens and resources.
- Game rules: A detailed instruction booklet.
Pros
- Cute and immersive Animal Crossing theme: Kids and fans of the video game will adore the familiar characters, artwork, and overall charm of this adaptation.
- Easy to learn for players familiar with Monopoly
- Simplified Rules: Makes Monopoly easier for younger players to grasp and enjoy, introducing core concepts without being overwhelming.
- Focuses on cooperation and collection: Encourages a friendlier playstyle than classic Monopoly, emphasizing resource gathering and positive goals rather than direct competition.
- Replayability: With different character tokens, varied resources to collect, and chance cards that change up gameplay, each session can feel fresh and fun.
Cons
- Can be confusing for Monopoly traditionalists: The altered gameplay may initially baffle fans of the classic game.
- Lots of small pieces: Younger children may need help organizing the tokens and cards. Small pieces may be difficult for young children to keep track of.
Overall Review
Monopoly Animal Crossing New Horizons Edition offers a delightful way to bring the charm of Animal Crossing to family game night. It’s especially ideal for those with younger children or if you want a change from traditional Monopoly’s competitive atmosphere. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the video game, the cute theme and simplified gameplay make this a fun board game for the whole family. While Monopoly purists might prefer the classic format, the Animal Crossing spin is a breath of fresh air, injecting a dose of friendly charm into an iconic game.