Nintendo reveals the free-to-play Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

Following an announcement earlier this week, Nintendo has finally given us the name for its next mobile game. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is coming to Android and iOS and is targeting a release in late November. 

Just like its name suggests, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a game where players will build, and manage, a campsite. Visually, the game looks pretty similar to its console cousins, and has activities and mechanics which will be familiar to fans of the series. This time around the game focuses on a camping theme, although this is more glamping in my book. Who takes a sofa on a camping trip? Where’s all the mud and rain? It looks too happy.

Playing as a new campsite resident, players will be able to travel to different areas of the site in their customisable camper van, and be tasked with populating their site with amenities, furniture and more. Upgrading the camper van will require a trip to OK Motors, which is probably run by the Animal Crossing series loan shark (and smiley-faced villain) Tom Nook, and will likely cost an absolute fortune. Players can also customise their character with different items of clothing, and buy other items from shops such as Nookling Global and more.

This time around players can craft items and furniture from resources, which can be found in the surrounding areas. The more an animal likes your camp, the more likely it is they’ll visit, and this boosts their friendship level with you. Like in the previous Animal Crossing games, animals will have a preference for certain items or furniture, so it’s up to the player to cater to everyone’s needs.

Crafting of items is completed through a variety of minigames, and with this being a free-to-play game there’ll be microtransactions. Players can speed up crafting time, acquiring of items and materials, and also building projects, by using Leaf Tickets. These can be bought with real-world money, as well as earned in-game.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp will be released for free on iOS and Android at the end of November.