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Yes, there’s plenty of new content in Animal Crossing: New Horizons update 2.0 but there are also some essential new skills hidden within the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise DLC. Animal Crossing’s only paid DLC, this is a purchase from the Nintendo eShop which unlocks an archipelago of islands that you access via the airport. It’s here you can design all manner of homes for characters looking for the ultimate vacation retreat.
And if you’re an Animal Crossing: New Horizons design pro, you’re going to want the skills the DLC gives you to take back to your home island. Of course, in true AC fashion, these aren’t all unlocked at once, you’ll need to earn each individual skill as you progress.
Here are all the house design techniques you learn as you make your way through the DLC and at what stage you’ll unlock each one. We’ve also added some key bonus unlockables that will come in handy. Also good to know is that you’ll gradually see a pay increase in Poki too so you’ll be able to keep buying the items that appear in the office.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise unlocks
Gameplay features
Sparkling Furniture - 4th Client
Regardless of your fourth client, it turns out that they’ll like their home even more once you’ve learned to polish furniture. Pressing the left shoulder button will pop you into dusting mode and you can use a cloth to make furniture sparkle. You can then bring this skill home to your island to make your furniture look properly shiny and new.
Glowing-Moss/Vine DIY and workbench - 5th Client
It’s not a home design skill but after your 5th client, you’ll get a random glowing-moss or vine DIY Recipe from Niko at the dock. This will also prompt Lottie to ask for a workbench to be installed in the Happy Home Paradise office which will appear after your sixth client.
Edit room size - School (1st Facility)
After your sixth client is your very first facility, the School, and it’s here where you’ll unlock the ability to edit room size. This lets you increase both room width and length so you can fill your designs with as many items as possible. Unlike the other edit tools though, you can’t edit your own rooms at home with this skill. No Dr Who TARDIS for you…
Amiibo Reader - 7th Client
Complete your 7th client and you’ll unlock the Amiibo Reader on Lottie’s desk. This allows you to import Animal Crossing characters from your Amiibo so you can design houses specifically for them.
Partition Walls - 8th Client
Complete your 8th client and you’ll unlock another excellent feature to take home to your island. You’ll be given a DIY Recipe for a Partition Wall so no more having to carefully position and customise simple panels to make your rooms look the way you want.
Furniture Polishing upgrade - 12th Client
If the sparkles on your furniture wasn’t enough after some basic polishing, completing your 12th home will unlock 14 more different glistening effects. Here you can add electric zaps, steam clouds and even butterflies. We can’t wait to see what the community creates with these.
Lighting customisation - Cafe/ Restaurant (2nd Facility)
Anyone who has smart lighting in their IRL homes will tell you that regular bulbs are just plain boring. So it’s good then that you’ll learn how to customise Animal Crossing lighting as you work in the Restaurant or Cafe. Here you can learn how to change colour and intensity. Who needs Philips Hue anyway…?
Pillars and Counters DIY Recipes - 15th Client
Finish your 15th client and Lottie will tell you that Niko wants to speak to you upstairs. Heading to visit the little monkey is absolutely worth your time as he’ll hand you the DIY recipes for and teach you how to use both pillars and counters. Two essentials for ultimate home design. The counters even come in two heights for ultimate personalisation.
The tall wooden island counter will set you back 3 wood, 3 hardwood and 3 softwood, while the low island counter will only set you back 2 of each. The wooden pillar also costs 2 wood, 2 hardwood, and 2 softwood.
Roommates unlocked - 16th Client
Just when you thought the DLC couldn’t get any cuter, Happy Home Paradise adds the ability to give the Animal Crossing: New Horizons characters roommates. There are a number of head canon jokes we can make here so it’s best you probably just make your own.
Soundscapes unlocked - 17th Client
Take a much needed break after learning about roommates and head to see Wardell to learn all about mindfulness. He’ll then teach you about how relaxation is key for island life and unlock the ability to add natural sounds to your vacationers homes. These initial soundscapes include the peaceful sounds of the ocean, fields, rain, and even space. More soundscapes will be unlocked as you progress.
Second floors - 18th Client
One floor not enough? Now you can have two!
Nook Shopping Catalogue - 27th Client
If you’re sick of not being able to have your favourite items in your designs, this changes now. Finish your 27th holiday home and you will unlock everything from your Nook Shopping Catalogue.
Home Island Villager remodelling - End of DLC
And here it is, the dream. After finishing no less than 30 homes, you’ll get to build the Apparel Shop, and the end of the DLC will unlock the ability to edit the homes of your villagers back on your island with all of the skills you have learned so far.
Facilities
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise unlockable facilities
School - After 6th Client
Restaurant - After 12th Client
Cafe - After 12th Client
Hospital - After 24th Client
Apparel Shop - After 30th Client
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