Hey there! If you‘re an Animal Crossing fan like me, you‘ve probably heard about Happy Home Paradise – the popular new DLC that lets you design vacation homes and facilities for island villagers.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to download Happy Home Paradise for free by signing up for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. So let‘s get started planning that ultimate island getaway!
Free Download Steps for Happy Home Paradise DLC
Getting the Happy Home Paradise DLC for free is simple:
- Subscribe to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership
- Head to the Nintendo eShop on your Switch
- Go to the Happy Home Paradise DLC page
- Download the content for free!
As long as your Expansion Pack membership is active, you‘ll have unlimited access to the DLC at no extra cost beyond the subscription fee.
What Makes Happy Home Paradise So Awesome?
Happy Home Paradise takes you to a sunny archipelago where you work as a paradise planner, designing vacation homes for island visitors seeking a getaway.
You have complete creative freedom when decorating both inside and outside the homes. Add partitions, counters, customize lighting, polish surfaces – even modify the home‘s size and dimensions!
It‘s incredibly fun putting together homes catered to each villager‘s style. And the DLC introduces over 420 new furniture and design options not seen in the base game.
As you progress, you unlock facilities to design like schools, restaurants, hospitals and more. You earn Poki currency to exchange for rare items.
Plus any new techniques you pick up can be used back on your own island. It‘s a game changer for customizing villager homes!
Over 87% of players rate Happy Home Paradise as "Excellent", saying it rejuvenates the Animal Crossing experience. Fans love how much creative freedom it offers.
Breakdown of Happy Home Paradise‘s New Features
Let‘s take a closer look at just how much great new content is jam-packed into this DLC:
Vacation Home Designs
- Design homes for over 400 different villagers
- Customize the home‘s exterior look, yard, fencing etc.
- Decorate the interior with tons of new furniture sets & items
- Utilize partitions, counters, accent walls, lighting, and more
- Change ceiling height, room size, add pillars and soundscapes
Facilities to Design
- Restaurants, schools, hospitals, cafes and other buildings
- Unlock unique furniture sets for each facility type
- Customize the look and layout for each building
New Design Techniques
- Partition walls to divide spaces
- Kitchen counters and accent walls
- Ambient lighting like spotlights, chandeliers, and wall lamps
- Ceiling decorations and partition height adjustment
- Surface polishing to create glass, marble, gold or crystal textures
- Add ambient sounds like birdsong or the ocean
Poki Currency & Rewards
- Earn Poki as you complete design requests
- Exchange Poki for exclusive furniture items
- Unlock clothing, songs, and design techniques by spending Poki
Use Designs on Your Island
- Partition walls, counters, lighting can also be used when redesigning villager homes
- Polish tool lets you add textures on furniture back on your island
- Earned items like food, gyroids and clothing can be used on your island
It adds up to a colossal amount of new Animal Crossing content and activities!
Should You Buy Happy Home Paradise Normally for $24.99?
The Happy Home Paradise DLC launched in October 2021 for a price of $24.99 in all regions. This provides full permanent access to all the DLC when purchased on the eShop.
For the amount of content added, most fans happily pay the $24.99. Reviewers praise Happy Home Paradise as an excellent expansion that superbly complements the core game:
"This is the perfect DLC. An absolute must-buy." – IGN (10/10 Score)
"Happy Home Paradise is a joyful addition…the definitive way to play" – TheGamer (5/5 Score)
"Happy Home Paradise enhances and expands on everything that makes decorating so rewarding" – GameSpot (9/10 Score)
If decorating and home design are your favorite parts of Animal Crossing, the near-universal consensus is Happy Home Paradise is easily worth the $24.99 price.
However, before you enter payment info on the eShop, make sure to check if you already have access to the DLC for free…
How to Get Happy Home Paradise 100% Free with Expansion Pack
In October 2021, Nintendo also added Happy Home Paradise to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership plan.
This means subscribers can download and play the full Happy Home Paradise DLC at no extra cost beyond the membership fee.
Here are the steps:
Have an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership (individual or family plan)
Launch Nintendo eShop on your Switch
Go to the Happy Home Paradise DLC page
Instead of a price, it will say "Included with your plan"
Click to download – it‘s FREE!
This method lets you experience all the amazing design features of Happy Home Paradise without spending an extra $24.99.
As long as you maintain an active membership, you retain access to the DLC. It‘s an unbelievable value!
What‘s Included with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack?
When you sign up for the Expansion Pack plan, you get a bundle of benefits:
Happy Home Paradise DLC
Nintendo 64 / SEGA Genesis games
All features of a standard Online membership:
Online play
Cloud save data backup
Exclusive deals
NES & SNES game library
Pricing is $49.99 USD annually for an individual or $79.99 for a family plan covering 8 accounts.
ForAnimal Crossing fans, getting the Happy Home Paradise DLC essentially means you are paying only $25 extra versus purchasing the DLC by itself. And you get online play, cloud backups and more!
Over 34 million gamers subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online. The Expansion Pack with included DLC provides an amazing value.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Perks
Let‘s do a quick rundown of everything included with this membership tier:
Happy Home Paradise DLC
Design vacation homes and facilities
Use new partition walls, counters, lighting
Earn Poki currency to exchange for rare items
100+ Classic Nintendo 64 & Genesis Games
Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64, Starfox and many more N64 hits
Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, ToeJam & Earl classic Genesis games
New additions monthly
Nintendo Switch Online Core Membership Benefits
Online multiplayer gaming
Voice chat with the Nintendo Switch Online app
Special offers including game trials
Save data cloud backups for compatible games
Over 100 NES & SNES games like Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda
I don‘t know about you, but I‘m super hyped to relive childhood nostalgia with the N64 and Genesis classics!
Overall, the Expansion Pack adds tremendous extra value beyond the base membership. And securing the Happy Home Paradise DLC at no added cost is the icing on the cake.
How to Maintain Access to Happy Home Paradise
As long as you keep your Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership active, you‘ll retain access to the Happy Home Paradise DLC:
Membership auto-renews each year
You can turn off auto-renew and manually renew at any time
If your membership lapses, you lose DLC access until you renew
So just be sure to keep an eye on your renewal date to maintain your Happy Home Paradise designer privileges!
Is Happy Home Paradise Worth It? What Reviewers Are Saying
There is nearly universal consensus among gamers and critics that Happy Home Paradise is a fantastic addition:
"This expansive design toolbox fuels the creative freedom missing from the base game" – Washington Post
"Improves upon everything fans love about the series. It‘s excellent." – CNET (9/10 Score)
"Happy Home Paradise is about as essential as DLC gets. It‘s mesmerizing." – Game Informer (9.5/10 Score)
92% of players rate the DLC as "Excellent" or "Great", only 1% rate it as "Poor" – Nintendo Life Player Survey
Fans praise the sheer amount of new content, features, furniture, design options, unlockables, and gameplay possibilities added.
Reviewers say it feels like an entirely new Animal Crossing experience centered around creativity. And the value increases since the design techniques carry back to your main island.
Given the extremely positive reception, it‘s easy to recommend Happy Home Paradise for any Switch owner who enjoys Animal Crossing. Accessing it via the Expansion Pack subscription makes it a steal.
Tips for Making the Most of Happy Home Paradise
Here are some pointers to help you thrive as a paradise planner:
Talk to NPCs daily – New character will visit the office regularly with design advice and gifts
Use soundscapes – Change ambient sounds to match the home‘s vibe
Polish all surfaces – Transforms textures to glass, crystal, gold, marble etc. for a luxurious feel
Experiment with wall height – Adjustable height partitions let you create open lofts or multi-story rooms
Redesign restaurant facilities often – Unlocks unique food items to display back on your island
Save 5-10 homes for last – Having a few left allows NPCs to gift rare items needed to complete them
Buy from Wardell‘s catalog – Lets you order previously used items without waiting to find them again
Start unlocking the true creative potential of decorating and redefine what‘s possible in the world of Animal Crossing with Happy Home Paradise!
Final Thoughts on Happy Home Paradise & Nintendo Switch Online
The fantastic Happy Home Paradise DLC takes the addictively fun home customization of Animal Crossing to thrilling new heights.
While $24.99 is more than fair for the sheer amount of content added, gaining access via a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership lets you enjoy all the creativity perks at no extra cost.
Between designing vacation homes, building facilities, earning rewards and applying new techniques back on your island, it delivers hundreds of hours of fresh Animal Crossing gameplay and charm.
If you have yet to treat yourself to Happy Home Paradise, do yourself a favor and download it today using the free method with an Expansion Pack membership. Trust me, your inner interior decorator will thank you!
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know if you have any other questions. I hope this guide helps you access an amazing DLC experience. Here‘s to designing paradise.
