Released on November 5, 2021, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise” is a downloadable content (DLC) addition to the game “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.” It costs $25, and it adds a whole new feature to the game: building design. 

After downloading the pack, the player has to run the game and go to the airport on their island to access their new job as a home designer. Once the player flies to the island, Niko greets them. He is the guy that takes the player on a boat to the houses for the customers. Wardell and Lottie are found inside the main building on the island. Lottie is the boss at the job, and she is also a returning character from “Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.” Wardell is a shy guy who is good at shining things to make them sparkle.

Before jumping into home designing, the player gets to pick out a work outfit that is a bit limited, but the clothing options expand a bit as they continue playing. After choosing an outfit, they will have to take care of their first client. All of the clients have an idea of what they want their houses to be. So, the player can use their creativity to put together a home using the three pieces of furniture that the client already has picked out. 

The player has to pick out where the house will be before they go to the area they will be working. There are a variety of locations on small islands to choose from, with some ranging from rocky areas to snowy tundras or forests of trees to places with no trees at all. Once the player picks out a place, Niko takes them and the client there immediately. The area around the house, the house itself, and the interior can all be decorated. As long as the player incorporates the three items the client wanted in their place, they will get paid decently.

The currency the player is paid in is not the one used on their island; but instead, it is called Poki and is used on their work island. The player can purchase furniture from inside of their work building and chocolate. The furniture is different every day, and they can’t buy it in bulk, but they can buy the souvenir chocolates in bulk. How much the player gets paid depends on what they worked on. For instance, they get paid more on buildings on the island than houses for customers. However, they can work with several clients in one day, but only one building on the main island can be worked on per day.

The player can go back and change things they have already finished, which is good considering they aren’t given all of the features and furniture right away. Clients can also be visited in their new homes, and the player can hang out with them. The feature that they get from finishing the first building on the island, the school, is the ability to make a room bigger. It’s pretty useful because the starting size of a room is small. The buildings on the island, once refurbished, are places where clients that they have helped can hang out and even work. Also, once they have finished enough houses for clients, DJ K.K. will show up at the back of the island, and the clients they have worked with will jam out to his music and have a blast.

The only thing I dislike about this DLC is that the player does not have all of the designing features when they start, but it does make sense that they have to play it out to get them because it is like they are getting work experience at this job over time. Overall, I think that this expansion pack is worth the price, and it’s definitely worth checking out.