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Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Playing together on one Switch

Two residents of the same island play at once in Party Play: one leads, the other follows with a narrower set of actions.

  • 4 parts · 12 steps

Steps from 9 text guides, 1 video to watch · checked Oct 19, 2026

0 of 4 done
Video: JSkeleton's Nintendo World on YouTube. Loads from youtube-nocookie.com only when you press play.

What each player can do here

P1 · Leader
  • Talks to villagers, enters buildings, uses the NookPhone and the shops; the camera follows the leader.
P2 · Follower
  • Moves and uses tools near the leader, but cannot open pockets or the NookPhone, chat, talk to villagers or go into buildings.

If your skill levels differ: The player who knows the game takes the lead first, since only the leader can shop and talk to villagers. A newer player can follow without getting lost, because a follower who wanders off is warped back, and the lead can be handed over at any time. How to split the roles

Before you start

Part 1 of 4. Get a second resident onto the island.

  1. FollowerThere is one island per Switch: the second player uses their own user account on the same console and moves onto the existing island as a new resident.
  2. BothUp to eight residents can live on one island, and up to four of them can play at the same time on one Switch.
  3. BothEach player needs their own controller.

Starting Party Play

Part 2 of 4. Call the other resident in.

  1. LeaderThe player who starts opens the NookPhone and picks Call Resident; the app only appears once more than one player lives on the island.
  2. BothWhoever made the call becomes the leader and everyone else follows.
  3. FollowerWhen prompted, each called player presses L and R on their own controller (SL and SR on a single Joy-Con held sideways).

What a follower can do

Part 3 of 4. Make the follower's time count.

  1. FollowerFollowers can use their tools, switching between them with the X button.
  2. FollowerAnything a follower catches, digs up or picks up goes to the recycle box at Resident Services, not to their pockets, so collect it after the session.
  3. FollowerStay near the leader: a follower who strays too far is warped back, and if the leader walks away mid-action, the follower's action is cancelled.

Good to know

  • If a follower shakes down a wasp nest, the wasps go after the leader.

Handing over the lead

Part 4 of 4. Give each player a turn at the shops and pockets.

  1. BothTo swap, shake the leader's controller (or open the Party Play menu and pick Change Leader); the player who wants the lead then presses A.
  2. BothSwap often, so each player gets a turn to shop, talk to villagers and use their own pockets.
  3. LeaderWhen the leader ends the session, the person holding that controller carries on alone on their own profile.single source
Sources (10)

Steps compiled from 9 text guides, checked Oct 19, 2026, and written in our own words. The videos are there to watch each part; they are not counted as sources for the steps. We did not play the game for this guide. A step marked “single source” rests on one guide so far.