Explore the entire 2024 Animal Crossing Lineup in this awesome collection of mini-reviews!

Review: 2024 Animal Crossing Sets Mega Review

After selling 80 million copies worldwide, Nintendo’s Animal Crossing game switches things up and is reinterpreted using LEGO bricks. Let’s check out all of the sets released in the first year.

With 2020’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons having sold over 45 million copies worldwide since its release in March 2020, it would be an understatement to say that this game has a cult following. Having played games in this franchise over the last two decades, I welcomed the introduction of this line of LEGO sets with open arms. Seeing that this sets were backordered the same day they were released, I wasn’t the only one excited for these sets!

With 8 sets released in 2024 and more on the way in 2025, I want to dive deep into this years’ wave of sets, while introducing Animal Crossing to those not familiar with the franchise, comparing how well the LEGO sets meet the high standards set by the games.

What is Animal Crossing?

Animal Crossing is a critically acclaimed and beloved Social Simulation video game series developed by Nintendo. The series first launched in 2001 for the Nintendo 64, and has since expanded to multiple platforms, with the latest installment, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, released for the Nintedo switch on March 20, 2020. In Animal Crossing, you take on the role of a human character living in a village populated by anthropomorphic animals, engaging in various activities such as fishing, bug catching, and fossil hunting, while also customizing their homes and environments, while choosing which animals live in your village. Animal Crossing is known for its charming, non-linear gameplay and its ability to provide a relaxing, immersive experience, giving it a cult following across its hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of gameplay!

The LEGO Animal Crossing sets are heavily based off of the latest Animal Crossing game. (Photo: Nintendo)

The LEGO Animal Crossing sets are heavily based off of the latest Animal Crossing game. (Photo: Nintendo)

About the sets

2024 saw a whopping 8 Animal Crossing sets released across two waves of sets. The first wave, released on March 1st 2024 saw 6 sets released, with a smaller second wave on August 1st 2024 seeing the final 2 sets of the year released. These sets leveraged a modular connection system to allow each section to be arranged however you would like and connect. Although a lot of the players of the Animal Crossing games are young adults and adults, the sets are targtetted to a younger audience, with ages ranging from 5+ to 7+. This target audience is extended into the build techniques of the sets, opting for more simplified but larger builds, being slightly more complex than some juniors sets we have seen LEGO release. One of the benefits of this is that LEGO uses larger pieces and no stickers in this line of sets, allowing for larger and detailed builds. The downside however is the price. With all the sets in this line being very overpriced. Given that this is a popular license I am sure the license fees to Nintendo were not on the low end either, meaning the consumer has to foot the price increase. In this article I will go over each of the 8 builds in high level detail, then exploring goodness that can be found across all of the sets. The hope is that by reading this article you not only get some more information about the builds, but also get some insight into the Animal Crossing franchise through the lens of a LEGO fan familiar with the games, hoping to convert some of you who have not played these games into fans of a popular and fun game franchise.

Set Product number Pieces Minifigure(s) Ages MSRP (USD/EURO/GBP) Price Per Piece (USD/EURO/GBP)
Maple’s Pumpkin Garden 30662 29 LEGO Animal Crossing Maple Minifigure.png

Maple
6+ $4.99/N.A/N.A $0.172/N.A/N.A
Julian’s Birthday Party 77046 170 LEGO Animal Crossing Julian Minifigure.png

Julian
6+ $14.99/€14.99/£12.99 $0.088/€0.088/£0.076
Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities 77047 164 LEGO Animal Crossing Bunnie Minifigure.png

Bunnie
6+ $19.99/€19.99/£17.99 $0.122/€0.122/£0.110
Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour 77048 233 LEGO Animal Crossing Kapp'n Minifigure.png

Kapp’n

LEGO Animal Crossing Marshal Minifigure.png

Marshal
6+ $29.99/€29.99/£24.99 $0.129/€0.129/£0.107
Isabelle’s House Visit 77049 389 LEGO Animal Crossing Isabelle Minifigure.png

Isabelle

LEGO Animal Crossing Fauna Minifigure.png

Fauna
6+ $39.99/€39.99/£34.99 $0.103/€0.103/£0.090
Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House 77050 535 LEGO Animal Crossing Tom Nook Minifigure.png

Tom Nook

LEGO Animal Crossing Rosie Minifigure.png

Rosie
7+ $74.99/€74.99/£64.99 $0.140/€0.140/£0.121
Fly with Dodo Airlines

77051 292 LEGO Animal Crossing Tangy Minifigure.png

Tangy

LEGO Animal Crossing Wilbur Minifigure.png

Wilbur
7+ $37.99/€37.99/£31.99 $0.130/€0.130/£0.110
K.K.’s Concert at the Plaza 77052 550 LEGO Animal Crossing Audie Minifigure.png

Audie

LEGO Animal Crossing Isabelle Minifigure 2.png

Isabelle

LEGO Animal Crossing K.K. Slider Minifigure.png

K.K. Slider
7+ $79.99/€79.99/£69.99 $0.145/€0.145/£0.127

Note: Images of minifigures in the table above are sourced from Brickset.

Deep dive on the sets

The first wave of Animal Crossing sets comes with 8 sets, each priced under the $79.99 mark, allowing fans to pick up the sets they want without feeling they are forced to break open the bank vault. Should you wish to pick up all the sets however, it will cost you a pretty penny. The next few sections will give a brief overview of each of the sets to help show you its contents and provide some detailed pictures of what each set includes, hopefully allowing you to make a better decision over which you may want to pick up. Each of the sets recreates an iconic moment of the Animal Crossing video game, each set being very different, while having aligned building techniques to keep each of the sets compatible with each other in the universe. To maximize effective use of pieces, and to allow for a better play experience, each of the houses is built with a dollhouse style, with the back wall removed to allow for access to the interior.

The first wave of Animal Crossing sets came with a whopping seven sets and one polybag.

The first wave of Animal Crossing sets came with a whopping seven sets and one polybag.

Maple’s Pumpkin Garden

The smallest of the sets is #30662 Maple’s Pumpkin Garden. This 29 piece polybag is the perfect introduction into this line of sets. From the modular experience, to the tree and ladder, this set captures a lot of what makes Animal Crossing iconic. This set includes one minifigure, Maple a cub, growing a pumpkin in her farm patch. Although the part count is small, this piece is not only cute but a great way to pick up an iconic character and some great pieces at an affordable price. For a set this small it is difficult to sing praises, that does not mean it is a bad set by any means so I give #30662 Maple’s Pumpkin Garden a Good (3/5 Stars).

This small set is a perfect introduction to the Animal Crossing line of sets.

This small set is a perfect introduction to the Animal Crossing line of sets.

Julian’s Birthday Party

#77046 Julian’s Birthday Party is definately the most colorful set in this wave. This set comes with 170 pieces, many of which are small and used to capture the various detailing in this set. While a pretty set at first glance, when I took the time to dig deeper I felt it was messy and chaotic, something that might result from a birthday party. The set is packed with various items, ranging from a Birthday cake on a table, to balloons, presents, string lights, a radio and even a skateboard. Each of these items are made with bright varying colors to help capture the playfulness of the scene. The color choice even extends to the choice of tree used in this set, a Sakura tree which sports a beautiful 222Light PurpleBright Pink color. This set comes with one minifigure, Julian a horse. A fitting character for this scene. Although eclectic, this set is simple so I give #77046 Julian’s Birthday Party a Good (3/5 Stars).

This set has soo many colors.

This set has soo many colors.

Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities

Although priced higher than #77046 Julian’s Birthday Party, #77047 Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities comes with 164 pieces, 6 less than the former set but for $5 more. This is a perfect example of why price alone is a bad indicator of value as this set utilizes a lot of larger pieces giving it a larger footprint. As with all the smaller sets, this set includes one minifigure, Bunnie a rabbit, exploring the outdoors. This set is packed with details from the video games, many of which may be missed by those not familiar. Each of the details are related to things that can be found when visiting Mystery Islands in the game. The yellow tent in this set is the first home that your character in the game owns, matching the 24Bright YellowYellow color of the game with the starting furniture of a radio and a bed. Although this tent is game accurate, I do want to nitpick that the yellow pointed tents are only for player characters, all villagers instead have a rounded tent in different colors as their first home, not something that detracts from this set though. Both the tree and the rock in this set include play features whereby they can be opened up to reveal coins (bells) within, something that can be done in the games. This neat addition shows the attention to detail with the game while also adding a play feature. Given that this set is multi leveled, I like the inclusion of the ladders, something that is used in the games as well to climb up to higher elevations. My favorite addition however has to be the use of a pole vault to jump over streams, again an iconic action your character can do in the games and allowing for another play feature in the set. While this set has a lot of 37Bright Green due to it being in a grassy space, I do like the contrasting 322Medium AzurMedium Azure of the stream flowing into a small waterfall. This small differentiator, along with the use of 1White for foam adds for fun scenery. The last notable detail in this set is the inclusion of the Tarantula. This arachnic is the bane of most players of the game, being the cause for many to end their exploration journey early as being bitten by the Tarantula ends your travel to the island. Should you wish to catch the tarantula with the included net, be sure to tread lightly. This set captures the essence of Animal Crossing’s exploration perfectly, and with the many highlights I have to give #77047 Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities a Recommended (4/5 Stars).

This set has a large footprint for its price.

This set has a large footprint for its price.

Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour

As we move into the above $20 set price point we start getting more than one minifigure in this set, with #77048 Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour being the cheapest set with two minifigures. This set comes with special character Kapp’n and a squirrel villager names Marshal. This set has a lot going on, packed with iconic activities, whether it be bamboo collection, fishing or finding the hidden treasure hidden under the rocks. Whether its the ladder, the hidden coins (bells), a lot of the core island hopping activities are found in this set too. As this is set on a beach we see the tropical vibe come in starting with the choice of 5Brick YellowTan for the foundation. Using slopes we see lapping waves in 322Medium AzurMedium Azure flow onto the sand. Following the island life theme, the choice of tree in this set is a coconut tree, utilizing a variety of different textures, shapes and colors for the trunk, coconut and fronds, capturing the aesthetic of the tree effectively. Looking at the set from afar the first two colors I saw were 21Bright RedRed and 113Transparent Medium Reddish VioletTrans-Dark Pink, contrasting against the beachy colors of the remainder of the scene. These colors are used in the decoration for the beach, more specifically beach chairs and a parasol, two items that can be built in game to add decoration to the beach! With the great assortment of details, I give #77048 Kapp’n’s Island Boat Tour a Good (3/5 Stars).

This is the first Animal Crossing set released that changes biome to a beach.

This is the first Animal Crossing set released that changes biome to a beach.

Isabelle’s House Visit

The player owned house is one of the most iconic and recognizable buildings in the Animal Crossing franchise and is a structure that evolves as you play the game, allowing the player to customize it to their wills. #77049 Isabelle’s House Visit is no different, with the customizability coming in the form of windows you can pick between. This level of customization is basic but is a great merge of LEGO and video game, with LEGO allowing the builder to customize what they build to their imaginative desires. Although this set has the player house, there is no player character included in this, or any other set. This was likely done due to the customizability of the player character, and by locking LEGO builders into one choice would lose the customization feel. Instead we can assume this is the house of Fauna, the included deer villager minifigure. The second minifigure in this set is the special character Isabelle in her day to day attire. While the exterior walls are flat, the 312Medium NougatMedium Dark Flesh and 1White give a half timbered house aeshetic, with the use of SNOT allowing for vertical tiles construction to give a bit of depth in the fascia. The layered roof shingles help add to that depth, with each adjacent tile offset by a 1 plate height to give it a gradient effect. To compliment the house a few notable exterior builds are included, these being the mailbox and the workbench. Both items which are staples to the game. The workbench does an amazing job at mirroring the workbench from the games and is immediately recognizable to fans, while being a fun piece of detail for those not familiar with the games, a win for all. While very small, my favorite touch in this build is through the use of 3×5 Plate, Cloud w/ 3-Studs (Part 35470) to create a cartoony smoke plume coming out of the chimney.

The player house is such an iconic building in Animal Crossing.

The player house is such an iconic building in Animal Crossing.

The inside of the house is packed with details, whether it be the furniture pieces or the wall decor. In the games the interior wallpaper and floor can be changed in style depending on the preference of the player, however with the walls of the building being one brick thick the exterior and interior walls are the same, a decision made to save pieces. While in the games there is a wide variety of customizable furniture, a lot of the furniture in this scene are the recognizable defaults, with the included bed being a wooden simple bed in game. While this sounds like a boring choice, I actually like that they included what is most likely the most recognizable bed in the game, given that every player has used it at some point in their play through. Other furniture included are a tea table, chairs, a grandfather clock, a stove and a plant. A ton of items for a interior space that spans approximately 14 by 8 studs in size. We see more homage paid to the games in the printed tiles, with a album cover of K.K. Slider’s Forest Life and a printed tile of the NookPhone included. These touches help accentuate the build and bring it into the Animal Crossing universe. As a great starter set that captures the houses of Animal Crossing well, I give #77049 Isabelle’s House Visit a Recommended (4/5 Stars).

The inside of the house is packed with furniture.

The inside of the house is packed with furniture.

Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House

While most of the sets are very different in style, #77050 Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House gives a bit of repetition with Rosie’s house being similar to the house we saw in #77049 Isabelle’s House Visit. In my opinion Rosie’s house is worse than the house in #77049 Isabelle’s House Visit, with the pastel colors blending in together too strongly and there being a lack of depth as the walls are flat. The redeeming features are the interchangeable windows, the staggered tile roof and the smoke plume, but none of these are new to this build. While criticism is easy to do having built a similar house earlier in the day, it is worth noting that due to the similarity should you not wish to purchase all sets this is a great way to get the house alongside another iconic building. Given that the Animal Crossing universe is filled with a variety of buildings, when all together the similar, while slightly different, exterior styles helps follow the architectural theme of the houses in the village. The house is a great fun building on its own, but due to its similarity if concessions need to be made picking up one of the two is an option. To sweeten the deal a bit, an outdoor tea table is set up as exterior decoration, however compared to the crafting table in #77049 Isabelle’s House Visit this pales in detail.

While the focus so far has been on the houses, the real stars of this set are the minifigures, with the iconic Tom Nook and fan favorite Rosie, a cat villager being the included minifigures. Of the two buildings included in #77050 Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House, Nook’s Cranny is the one most people will really care about, with this building matching the style we see in Animal Crossing New Horizons. This building is packed with exterior detail and mirrors the game perfectly, whether it is the 23Bright BlueBlue roof or the rainbow colored awning detailing, there is a lot of variety and texture. The bulletin board and drop off box outside the building are nice touches as well, minor details from the games that helps enhance the build. While the build is a lot of fun and iconic, it is worth pointing out that #77050 Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House only comes with 535 pices, and with it only coming with two minifigures is a rather expensive set for its price. I wish they instead had Nook’s Cranny as its own standalone building and lowered the price, but given how iconic this building is, I understand why LEGO locked it behind a higher price point, as they know it will sell for the building and minifigure alone.

Nook's Cranny is such an iconic building that every Animal Crossing fan recognizes.

Nook’s Cranny is such an iconic building that every Animal Crossing fan recognizes.

While I rave about the exterior of Nook’s Cranny, the interior is sad and is a victim of the low piece count. The interior should be bustling with merchandise, but instead is rather barren. The tools that would normally be on display for purchase are thrown into a barrel, with only two pieces of furniture on display for sale. I wish we saw a few more cool pieces of furniture that we would slot directly into the included house. The fridge is the best piece of interior detail, but even that is simple, the merchandise in the fridge at least has printed pieces which is a silver lining. If this set even had 50 more pieces I am sure we could have seen the interior flushed out a bit more, which is a shame as it lessens what is a great building. You can tell the designers used the limited pieces at their disposal to ensure the exterior was perfect, especially given that it is the most recognizable and often viewed part.

The inside of this building is unfortunately lacking.

The inside of this building is unfortunately lacking.

The interior of Rosie’s house is a stark contrast to the interior of Nook’s Cranny, with it actually being packed with detail. Each house normally has a decoration theme, and this house is no different, with the pastel pink and purple colors throughout, with a 222Light PurpleBright Pink dominating a lot of the furniture pieces. All the furniture included are pieces that can be found in the game, with the Lovely theme of furniture being the prevalent theme, starting with the Lovely Love Seat in the center. All the furniture is decorated meticulously, giving the room a very homely feel with each piece being carefully selected for this room. An album cover of the iconic K.K. Bubblegum, a catchy theme can be found on the wall to close out the detailing. I love decorated interiors, especially those in the Animal Crossing theme as there is so much variety that can be captured. With all things considered, despite the shortcomings there are many positives so I give #77050 Nook’s Cranny & Rosie’s House a Good (3/5 Stars).

Every house has a different interior design style to capture each inhabitant's mood.

Every house has a different interior design style to capture each inhabitant’s mood.

Fly with Dodo Airlines

Of the sets released in the second wave of sets released in August 2024, the smaller of the two is #77051 Fly with Dodo Airlines. Although this set only comes with 292 pieces for its nearly $40 price, it is worth noting that a lot of these parts are large parts giving this set volume. This location question for this set is the Dodo Airlines hub that allows players in game to visit other players’ island. While in the game the airline is run by the two Dodo brothers Orville and Wilbur (names referencing the Wright brothers), this set only includes Wilbur. The second minifigure included in this set is Tangy, a cat villager. This set includes a dock, an air traffic tower, a terminal and a sea plane. Packing a lot into this small set. The 321Dark AzurDark Azure and 1White of the buildings in this set capture the colors of a seaside village, almost being influenced by Grecian colors. While the terminal exterior is rather basic, the use of colors, complimenting the 40Transparent Trans-Clear open windows helps give it an airy feel. Where the details are noticed however is with the dock railings. Although very simple, I am a fan of how SNOT, bars, grilles and clips all come together to give depth and variety of texture, with the 106Bright OrangeOrange lifesaver being the icing on the cake.

This adorable little set is my favorite of this wave.

This adorable little set is my favorite of this wave.

Interior details always allows the designer to have an eye for detail, and #77051 Fly with Dodo Airlines does a great job at picking up on details from the games. Although the layout of the interior is completely wrong, the designers had to compromise given the limited available space. In the games the terminal is actually a rather large space, something commonplace in the Animal Crossing games as the interior is larger than the exterior. Cue the “it’s bigger on the inside” Doctor Who references that will be made. While a lot of the details inside are are brick built, such as the bamboo plant or the turnstile, a lot is accomplished with printed tiles. The included printed tiles could easily have been left out, but I am glad they were not. From the flight map on the screen to the Dodo Airlines ticket, these minor details enhance the scene. If you look at the top wall you will even see a digital screen with flight times printed, although this is not a unique print, with LEGO using a common space print. This attention to detail is what enhances the set. I love this set, with it easily being my favorite of the line I would be hard pressed to give #77051 Fly with Dodo Airlines anything less than a Recommended (4/5 Stars).

While not game accurate this interior is full of fun little details.

While not game accurate this interior is full of fun little details.

K.K’s Concert at the Plaza

The priciest of the Animal Crossing sets includes what may be the most highly anticipated character… K.K. Slider. Released in the second wave of sets released in August 2024, #77052 K.K’s Concert at the Plaza comes with only 550 pieces. This set comes with two special characters, K.K. Slider and Isabelle, along with one villager, Audie a wolf. While it is easy to criticize on price, I feel it worth pointing out that by locking one of the most popular character behind the priciest set allows LEGO to drive the price up a bit knowing that fans of the franchise will pick up the set regardless of the price. The set itself doesn’t blow me away, actually being one of the weaker sets in the Animal Crossing wave of sets. This build is made up of three builds, first of which being the Town Hall in an Autumn theme, the centrepiece of this set. The exterior detailing of this set is spot on, from the small bird on the bulletin board, the colors of the walls and roof, to the customizable flag perched up on the side. While there are bird villagers in the Animal Crossing games, the inclusion of an actual bird in the games is a bit of a meta experience. Sharing a fun fact, the small yellow bird perched on top of the bulletin board will only show up in game if there is a new notice posted, if there is none the bird will not appear. In front of the Town Hall is a 24Bright YellowYellow crate with a boombox inside it. This is used in game as part of the Group stretching morning aerobics activity whereby the player can use their controllers to partake in the stretch. While not LEGO build details, these highlight the attention to detail and making the scene recognizable. The Town Hall is very recognizable, with the 268Medium LilacDark Purple of the roof tiles contrasting beautifully against the 1White supports, although the build itself is very basic, not utilizing and complex building techniques. It is important to remember that this is a 7+ set so I should not expect anything too tricky.

Sitting right in front of the Town Hall is Audie’s cafe. This food stand has seating space and is packed with a variety of drinks and snacks to allow for a fun dining experience, giving a high tea feeling with the tea and cakes. As this set is autumnal themed the included tree is a 106Bright OrangeOrange tree in the middle of senescence as the leaves change color. As this scene is set in autumn, there are a few fallen leaves that can be found at the base of tree which is a fun touch. Between the 312Medium NougatMedium Dark Flesh of the foundation and the tree colors this scene captures its season well.

The much awaited K.K. Slider makes his appearance in the second wave of sets.

The much awaited K.K. Slider makes his appearance in the second wave of sets.

When we flip the Town Hall around and see the interior we can see why there are so few pieces in this set. The interior is very barren, in my opinion being the saddest of all interiors in the structures in this line of sets. Although the Recycle Bin and ABD (Automatic Bell Dispenser) are great builds and recognizable, they are about the extent I can go when complimenting the interior with the rest just being support for the exterior.

The Town Hall has the saddest interior of all buildings.

The Town Hall has the saddest interior of all buildings.

Included in this set is K.K. Slider’s van from Animal Crossing New Leaf. This van is a fun addition for those with a keen eye, very closely mirroring the design of the vehicle in game, but I wish the parts that went into the van were instead spent on the interior of the Town Hall. The music notes on the side of the van are printed which is great! But with a large number of pieces used in this van to capture the shape and size I feel it was not well utilized. As I am not the target audience for this set, I do understand that the decision to add a vehicle adds great playability, something that is important when building a toy for children. What does stand out of this van is the colors, the 24Bright YellowYellow, 26Black and 1White both contrast and complement each other adding to the vehicle’s appeal. I think had this set had even just 100 more pieces I would not be as critical of this vehicle as it is still a fun vehicle. Although it depicts an iconic building, and contains an even more iconic character in K.K. Slider, this set falls a bit short in my opinion due to its steep price. If this set was just $10 less or had 100 more pieces I would be praising it much more heavily, but with the van taking up some of the limited but crucial piece count I have to give #77052 K.K’s Concert at the Plaza a Acceptable (2/5 Stars). Should this set go on sale, this set could be an eventual pickup for fans of Animal Crossing.

This car feels extra, I wish they had instead added more interior details to the Town Hall.

This car feels extra, I wish they had instead added more interior details to the Town Hall.

Minifigures

Across the sets 8 sets we see 14 minifigures released, with only one character repeated across the sets. Of the characters included, 6 are characters that are common across all islands in Animal Crossing New Horizons, with 8 being villagers. All minifigures use a series of new molded heads and deviate away from the traditional minifigure head to give the characters their recognizable faces. In this section of the article I will deep dive into each of the characters and compare them to their video game counterpart, giving a little bit of facts about each character to help breathe life into each.

Before we look at the included minfigures it is worth taking a step back into the a time machine and look at the Fabuland wave LEGO released from 1979 through 1989. You can immediately see the resemblence to the minifigures included in this wave, showing where LEGO may have gotten a design influence for the proportions of the heads of these characters. While they are not as polished as the modern day minifigure, especially the Animal Crossing ones, it is always great to look at the past to see how far LEGO has come, while ensuring it stays true to its roots.

Fabuland characters were produced from 1979-1989 and bear a strong resemblance to the Animal Crossing characters.

Fabuland characters were produced from 1979-1989 and bear a strong resemblance to the Animal Crossing characters.

Special Characters

Of the included characters, 6 are special characters. These being characters that are non villager characters that are common to everyone’s Animal Crossing village. Most of these characters have spanned across various Animal Crossing games, with Tom Nook first appearing in the 2001 Animal Crossing on the Gamecube. From left to right in the image below, the characters included are Tom Nook, Isabelle, Isabelle (repeated), Kapp’n, K.K. Slider and Wilbur. All the characters have unique torso printing and a molded head specifically made for them, capturing the characters beautifully in LEGO form. Details about each of the special characters can be found below.

  • Tom Nook is a tanuki (raccoon) who runs Nook Inc. He’s the entrepreneurial mastermind behind your village (or a predatory creditor in the eyes of some), helping the player character settle in and upgrade your home and facilities.
  • Isabelle is a friendly Shih Tzu who works at the Resident Services building. She assists with various island tasks in Animal Crossing New Horizon, announcements, and public works projects.
  • Kapp’n is a kappa (a mythical turtle-like creature) who operates the boat tours. He takes players to mysterious islands where they can find unique resources.
  • K.K. Slider is a laid-back, guitar-playing dog who visits your village every Saturday night to perform live music. His concerts are a beloved event where you can request your favorite songs. K.K. Slider is a fan favorite, with his catchy tunes being recognizable by many.
  • Wilbur is a dodo bird who works for Dodo Airlines. He pilots the seaplane that transports you to different islands for tours, mystery island visits, and multiplayer sessions in Animal Crossing New Horizon.
Only one character is repeated in this wave of sets.

Only one character is repeated in this wave of sets.

Of the special characters, only one is repeated in two sets, this being Isabelle, appearing both in #77052 K.K’s Concert at the Plaza and #77049 Isabelle’s House Visit. Fortunately both appearances sport different unique attire giving a bit of variety. I would have preferred if we saw Tortimer, the mayor of the town in Animal Crossing New Leaf, but with this character not existing in the New Horizons game that most of these sets are based on his exclusion is understood.

The Villagers

For those not familiar with Animal Crossing, there are a total of 488 villagers spanning across 35 species that can be found in the game. While the pool of characters is large, there are 8 included in these sets spanning across 7 species of animals. Each of the animals in Animal Crossing have a personality out of a list of 8. These personalities define the character and their decoration style, something that influences playstyles in the game. While there are a large number of villagers available. In the latest Animal Crossing New Horizon game you can only have a maximum of 10 villagers meaning you have to pick and choose which you would like in your village. None of the villagers in this wave of sets live in my Animal Crossing village. From left to right in the image below, the characters included are Rosie, Julian, Audie, Fauna, Tangy, Marshal, Bunnie and Maple. All of the characters have a custom molded head and printing based on their species and don custom printed torso matching the clothes they can often be found wearing in game.

  • Rosie is a peppy cat. Her friendly and sociable nature makes her popular among players. She has a music hobby and can often be found singing.
  • Julian is a horse with a smug personality. He is known for his dreamy appearance, featuring a unicorn-like horn and gentlemanly demeanor. He can often be found with a stereo due to his music hobby.
  • Audie is a wolf with a peppy personality. She is bubbly and enthusiastic and has a fitness hobby, often being found with dumbells.
  • Fauna is a deer with a normal personality. She is often engaging in warm and friendly conversations with other villagers while exploring the surroundings with her nature hobby.
  • Tangy is a peppy cat with a unique appearance resembling an orange. Her upbeat and lively personality matches her citrusy look, especially when she is found singing due to her music hobby.
  • Marshal is a smug squirrel. Despite his small size, he has a confident and suave attitude, with a self-assured attitude as he partakes in his music related activities due to his music hobby.
  • Bunnie is a rabbit with a peppy personality. Her name derives from Bunny and she has a great fashion sense due to her fashion hobby, often found with a purse or accessories.
  • Maple is a bear cub with a normal personality. She is sweet, kind-hearted, and loves simple, cozy activities, often found reading due to her education hobby.
With 488 different villagers in the newest game alone, these sets capture a fraction of them.

With 488 different villagers in the newest game alone, these sets capture a fraction of them.

=With there being huge potential in minifigures due to the large pool of characters in game, I hope we one day see a Collectible Minifigure line for the Animal Crossing villagers hit the shelves.

Modular experience

All sets in the animal crossing line are built to be modular in mind, allowing you to connect various scenes together to form your city. To accomplish this, the common foundation piece is the Curved Blate in various colors and sizes. Six different sizes are used, ranging from the smallest being 4×4×⅔, Ø2 Blate w/ Rounded Corners (Part 66792) to the largest being 8×8×⅔, Ø4 Blate w/ Rounded Corners (Part 66790). The blate’s included come in various colors, with the main colors to capture the various biomes being 37Bright Green and 119Bright Yellowish GreenLime for grass, 322Medium AzurMedium Azure for water, 5Brick YellowTan for sand and 312Medium NougatMedium Dark Flesh for dirt.

Curved blates of various colors and sizes are the foundation of these sets.

Curved blates of various colors and sizes are the foundation of these sets.

These Curved Blate pieces are not unique to this set, first introduced in 2020 as part of the Mario wave of sets. With it said that the Mario line of sets being discontinued this year in 2024, the transition to Animal Crossing is a great way to reuse these rather unique, yet inefficient, pieces. While the modular experience in the Animal Crossing sets are fun to allow you to arrange each section however you want when connected to other sets, it can also be inconvenient. As the grids are curved along the edge and with them being irregular in size it means it can be difficult to connect them in a perfect grid. They do look great when isolated however. While nitpicking a bit, the scale is also not game accurate, with the tile system in game not mirroring that of the blates.

Printed Pieces

Having built sets with a large number of stickers lately it blew me away to see not a single sticker in the 8 sets included in this line so far. The reason for this is likely due to the target age audience, with LEGO using less to no stickers for sets targetted to younger children. While I am not a “younger child” I do love detailing in the form of prints over stickers. While building the sets I put together all the stickers that are unique to this line that have an Animal Crossing focus to them. All these printed pieces are immediately recognizable details to those who play the games, whether it is signage, ground detailing or even K.K. Slider album covers. While printed pieces drive price up for sets due to new printing and design, it is a cost I am willing to incur, and should LEGO replace stickers with printed pieces in the future I may be more accomodating to the price rise. After building these sets it is going to be difficult going back to stickers, having been spoilt with the large number of unique prints in these sets!

Stickers don't exist in this line of sets which is amazing!

Stickers don’t exist in this line of sets which is amazing!

Game Accurate Details

The Animal Crossing LEGO sets are full of game references, with many play features that bring the video game to life. While the printed pieces do an excellent job of translating the world of Animal Crossing into bricks, the play features truly enhance the experience. For example, small details like the vaulting pole feature in #77047 Bunnie’s Outdoor Activities, which allows you to jump over a stream, and the ladders that let you climb between different levels in several sets. However, the standout features in terms of game accuracy are the trees and rocks. In the Animal Crossing games, shaking trees can yield accessories, bells (the in-game currency), or twigs, while hitting rocks can produce various items, including bags of bells. The LEGO sets replicate this mechanic, with hidden compartments inside the trees and rocks to store these surprises. While not always visible, this attention to detail is a commendable nod to the game’s core mechanics.

These sets are packed with hidden features that can be found in game!

These sets are packed with hidden features that can be found in game!

Another notable feature in this set is the trees. While their design is simple, they effectively capture the different fruits that can be harvested, such as oranges, apples, cherries, and even coconuts. The only missing core tree is the pear tree. Though basic, the trees accurately represent the blocky design of their video game counterparts. Since the game features changing seasons, the LEGO trees reflect this with color-shifting foliage. For example, the sets include the vibrant autumn hues of 106Bright OrangeOrange and the light purple cherry blossoms of spring 222Light PurpleBright Pink. All the trees follow a consistent building technique, ensuring uniformity across the designs. They are also easy to build, so you can easily add more trees to your village if desired.

A whopping 7 variety of trees are included in 8 sets.

A whopping 7 variety of trees are included in 8 sets.

LEGO excels at transforming digital moments into tangible builds, and the Animal Crossing sets are no exception. Featuring detailed structures, charming minifigures, engaging play features, and memorable printed pieces, these sets capture the games’ essence with impressive accuracy. It’s hard to imagine how LEGO could have improved on this game-to-block translation.

Conclusion

While these sets are on the pricier side, likely due to licensing costs, they shine in many areas. From the detailed minifigures and iconic game moments to the fun play features and amazing printed pieces, there’s a lot to enjoy. Plus, their modular design makes it simple to expand the village at a relatively affordable cost.

Building each set individually doesn’t fully reveal the cohesive storytelling across the collection. When assembled together, the sets showcase their size and integrated connections. From biomes to seasons, the elements of nature shine through, with iconic Animal Crossing characters and buildings standing out as recognizable centerpieces of this wave.

You can't grasp the size of these sets until all put together.  Not only does it take up space but there is such a variety of aesthetics.

You can’t grasp the size of these sets until all put together. Not only does it take up space but there is such a variety of aesthetics.

With only one repeated minifigure across the sets, any die-hard fan of the games will likely want to collect them all. For those considering just a few, I hope this review helps highlight what each set offers. A summary of the ratings is provided below to assist with your decision, with some of the best sets available at a reasonable price. Overall, I’m thrilled to see Animal Crossing in LEGO form. If the sets sell well, we can look forward to many more iconic moments from the game in future releases.

With even more Animal Crossing sets in 2025, it’s a great time to pick up these sets before their likely retirement at the end of the year. Please consider using our referral links if you decide to start building your own LEGO Animal Crossing island!
The LEGO Group provided sets for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed by the authors of this article are strictly their own—providing sets for review does not guarantee a positive review. Photos in this article by Koen Van Der Hoeven unless otherwise noted. Visit the About page for more info about our journalistic standards and affiliate programs.

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