Which first Animal Crossing spin-off revolves around designing houses for villagers?

The first Animal Crossing spin-off centered on designing villagers’ houses is Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.

Released for Nintendo 3DS in 2015, the game makes the player an employee of Nook’s Homes rather than a town mayor or ordinary resident. Each animal client describes a preferred theme, and the player turns that request into a furnished home. The game emphasizes interior and exterior placement, gradually unlocking more furniture and design options.

Happy Home Designer grew from an idea already present in the main series: imagining what kind of home would suit each animal. Its amiibo-card support also let players invite specific characters and design homes for special figures such as Tom Nook and K.K. Slider.

A common mix-up is Happy Home Paradise, the 2021 paid expansion for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. That later content also involves designing vacation homes, but it is not the first dedicated spin-off; Happy Home Designer holds that distinction.