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Trying to figure out how to restart Animal Crossing: New Horizons? We’ve got you covered. Stick around for a step-by-step guide on starting a new island.
It’s been nearly four years since the wildly successful release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The Nintendo Switch launch brought with it all-new ways to craft items and make your island your own, encouraging players to get creative with island layouts, villager line-ups, town builds, and more. That said, things can get rather boring once you’ve completed your vision. Restarting your game has likely crossed your mind when you hit a creative wall, but it’s not an easy decision to make. We’ll cover the steps you can take to restart New Horizons — and whether it’s actually worth it in the long run.
![Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JAzQozLgL._SL160_.jpg)
- Take in-game photos of your designs and add them to your portfolio. Show them to other characters and you may get more requests to create vacation homes. Share the photos with other players using the in-game Showroom in the Happy Home Network app and they can tour your personally-designed resort islands or go tour theirs for some relaxation and inspiration.
- Purchase the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC from Nintendo eShop, or download and play it as part of an active Nintendo Switch Online plus Expansion Pack membership at no extra cost.
How to Start a New Game in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
In order to start a new island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you’ll need to clear your save data for your current file on your Nintendo Switch system. This is a tough decision to make, especially if you spent countless hours on an island build. If you’re certain you’d like a fresh start, however, you can easily reset the game by following these steps.
- If New Horizons is open on your Switch system, be sure to close it out before you start.
- Head to System Settings from the Switch Home Menu.
- From the options listed, select Data Management.
- Scroll down until you see Delete Save Data, then click this option.
- Choose Animal Crossing: New Horizons from the games listed on your system.
- Then, select Delete All Save Data for This Software.
- You’ll receive a Caution notification. Confirm your decision to reset by selecting Delete Save Data.
Note: Ensure that you are certain about your decision before deleting your New Horizons save file. Unless you have save data backup enabled another Switch system, you won’t be able to restore your previous island.
Is it Worth it to Start a New Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
It’s rarely worth it to start a new island altogether in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but there are certainly valid reasons to do so. Unless you’re attempting to reset for a specific island layout or spawn certain villagers, you may have second thoughts about clearing your save data.
Of course, the decision is entirely yours when it comes to starting fresh. Sometimes, your playthrough grows stale and all you need is a blank slate to get the creative juices flowing for a new island build. To be safe, carefully weigh the pros and the cons before resetting your game.
For more on Animal Crossing: New Horizons and similar titles, check out these guides from our team: