Nintendo held its latest dedicated Direct presentation on Thursday, this time focusing on Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, the first entry in the Tomodachi Life franchise in over a decade. Hosted by Nintendo game director Yoshiaki Koizumi (seen in both human and Mii form), the 20-minute showcase teased all-new customization capabilities, Mii shopping opportunities, island minigames, as well as a confirmed launch date of April 16, 2026.
In this cozy and quirky island life sim, players create their own island bursting with tailor-made Mii characters. Create and customize your islanders to resemble real-life friends and family, or make a bunch of silly, nonsensical Miis for even more chaos. Once your residents are ready, players will build their living quarters to accommodate each resident’s specific needs. As you explore, interact, and create, your residents will show their personalities and personal preferences for, well, everything. Help them profess their crushes to their neighbors, introduce them to their favorite (and least-favorite) in-game snacks, and observe as island life unfolds around you.
Not everyone has the opportunity to tune into 9 a.m. weekday Nintendo Directs, so we’ve summarized the showcase in its entirety right here. Check out everything you missed from Nintendo’s newTomodachi Life: Living the Dream Direct presentation:
Inclusive Mii customization
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream gives players the chance to tailor their Mii’s in-game dating preferences using three gender options: Male, Female, and Non-binary. According to the presentation, players can select one, two, all three, or none.
To make your Mii, use the guided “Get Help” feature or start with a blank canvas using “From Scratch.” Find the most fitting facial features, the perfect hairstyle, combine different features, or even use face paint to tailor your residents’ appearance further.
Fellow franchise fans, don’t worry — the classic Tomodachi Life voice selection tool is still here. Change octaves, cadence, and overall vibe of their voice to reflect their personality or complement real-world likeness.
Mii relationships
While you may know your friends well outside your in-game island, your new tenants have yet to get acquainted! No one wants to be the odd Mii out in a new place; help your tenants connect with other residents. Arrange get-togethers with your new neighbors and become a fly on the wall as the day-dates and meet-cutes unfold.
Drop Miis near each other, and different situations might play out. If they have similar interests, the characters may build a bond quickly. If they butt heads, though, you’ve gotta clean up the mess! Awkward…
Once acquainted, the Miis will be able to interact on their own. Up to eight residents can live together in one building, and once they’re all under one roof, islanders are free to live their lives how they choose.
New island features
GAMEPLAY. Time passes even when you’re not playing, just as life on your Animal Crossing island continues when you’re not there to see it.
SHOPPING. Help your Miis discover their favorite foods, pick out new outfits, revamp living spaces, and so much more. Fresh Kingdom offers fresh snacks; Where & Wear sells stylish new clothes; T&C Reno helps with your home-renovation projects; hunt for deals in the Marketplace; improve your isle with Quik Build amenities; and shoot perfect pics of your Miis at Foto-Tomo, and more.
NEWS. MNN, the Mii News Network, will keep players abreast of island goings-on. Wacky news announcements from the TV station’s talking heads will surely get a laugh.
PROPERTY RENOVATION. Wanna live in a library? Shack up at a supermarket? The island is your oyster! Make each resident’s personal space their very own, no matter how wacky their requests.
PHOTO MODE. Photo-Tomo, the game’s island-based photography studio, serves as your personal photography hub. Say cheese!
LANDSCAPING. Spruce up your island by adding to the scenery — expand land, improve the appearance of common areas with colorful foliage, shuffle shop and store locations, plant trees, build benches, install vending machines, and more.
QUIRKS. Your islanders will exhibit human-like “quirks”: some may toss and turn while sleeping, while others will show off some peculiar eating habits.
PETS. In Palette House, players can craft in-game pet companions — and just about any other offbeat island additions they can dream of! Want the ground to look different? Come here and create your new path patterns. Tailor special apparel per islanders’ preferences, customize buildings’ exterior to perfect your island’s skyline, and make your in-game apartment mirror your real-life living space.
Ready for island life? Us, too! Check outTomodachi Life: Living the Dream when it launches on April 16, 2026, for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 systems. Pre-orders will be available on Nintendo eShop and on My Nintendo Store later today.
