Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, known in Japan as Tomodachi Collection: Exciting Life, is an upcoming social simulation game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the third entry in the Tomodachi series, succeeding Tomodachi Collection (2009) and Tomodachi Life (2013). The game is scheduled for release on April 16, 2026.

Gameplay

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

Like its predecessors, Living the Dream is a social simulation game about the lives of interactable Mii characters living on a remote tropical island. As Miis live their daily lives on the island, the player can observe and interact with the Miis, including buying and gifting them clothing, food, and decorations. Living the Dream also introduces the ability to customize the layout and shape of the island. Unlike in previous entries, the game allows players to directly control interactions between Miis rather than relying on random chance for Miis to develop their relationships. Additionally, new options for the in-game Mii Maker allow more advanced customization, including new options for hair, facial features, and ears. Living the Dream is also the first entry in the series to allow non-binary Miis and same-sex relationships, with the player being able to customize Miis' dating preferences.

Release

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream was announced at the end of a Nintendo Direct presentation on March 27, 2025. It was one of the new Nintendo Switch games revealed alongside Rhythm Heaven Groove, with both being the first new entries in their respective series in over a decade. The announcement trailer posted to X by Nintendo in Japan became one of their most liked posts, surpassing that of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal.

A second Nintendo Direct presentation on September 12, 2025 introduced the creation of Miis and their interactions. It also revealed the initial release window for Spring of 2026. A 22-minute Direct presentation focused on the game was premiered on January 29, 2026. The presentation included demonstrations for Mii creation tools, locations, island customization, and romantic relationships. Different videos were also broadcast in North America, Europe, and Japan featuring a different cast of Mii characters.

Hugh Morris, a jester-themed Mii exclusive to the American trailer named after the word humorous, was met with widespread acclaim amongst critics and the series' fans. In other regions, different Mii characters gained popularity, such as Kirishima and Carlo, who appeared in the Japanese Nintendo Direct. A week after this Direct aired, the soundtrack for Tomodachi Life was added to the Nintendo Music mobile app.

The game is scheduled to be released for the Nintendo Switch on April 16, 2026, just under thirteen years following the release of Tomodachi Life on April 18, 2013. The Nintendo Switch 2 will be backwards compatible with the game. It was the last video game offered for the Switch Game Vouchers program the day prior to its discontinuation, with the vouchers being unavailable to purchase after January 30, 2026. Pre-orders for the game in the United Kingdom include a themed magnetic photo frame. During the month of March 2026, it was at the top of the Amazon pre-order charts in Japan. A demo was released on March 25, giving free access to a limited feature set of the retail version. It restricted Mii creation to a total of 3, and introduced players to the Fresh Kingdom food shop and the Where & Wear clothing shop, among other limited game mechanics and features. Progress established in the demo would carry over to the retail version upon its release.

Upon its initial reveal, fans speculated whether same-gender relationships would be included in the game. Neither of its predecessors contained the ability to form relationships with Miis of the same gender, which sparked controversy ahead of the international release of the latter. Despite vocal resentment toward this decision, Nintendo did not add the feature post-launch. However, they stated that if they were to create a third game in the series, they would "strive to design a gameplay experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players." Thus, when Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream was announced, speculation arose on whether Nintendo would commit to their statement. Additionally, the reveal trailer featured a scene with two female Miis interacting during a dream sequence, with fans theorizing the scene hinted at additional romance options. With the premiere of the game's official Direct, it was confirmed that the option for gay, bisexual, non-binary, and aromantic Miis would be present in the game.

Reception

Pre-release

Fans and gaming journalists alike praised the inclusion of gay relationships and non-binary Miis in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. Publications such as Checkpoint Gaming and The Daily Dot commented that the additions were well-received by a majority of fans. Amelia Zollner writing for Kotaku described the settings as "surprisingly inclusive", being particularly impressed by the explicit use of the term non-binary, calling it "a massive step forward for the developer". They also noted the majority of positive comments from fans during the live stream on YouTube, with Zollner feeling relieved that it was confirmed prior to its release. Olivia Richman writing for The Escapist called the addition "A big win for the LGBTQIA+ community". Alana Hagues writing for Nintendo Life called the addition "a huge win", crediting the developers for sticking to their promise from 2014. Jade King writing for TheGamer expressed her excitement being able to accurately represent her friends and family without needing to do any extra steps like in Tomodachi Life. King was also delighted that Nintendo was inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, as she feels much of the video game industry is regressing from representing those topics. In her summary, she wrote that "Tomodachi Life is woke now, and [she] couldn’t be more delighted". However, the inclusion of queer elements was not universally welcomed, as Richman called attention to some fans who were upset over their inclusion. Other fans showed resentment toward the localization of the game and the inclusion of women with colored hair, with video game designer and right-wing activist Mark Kern erroneously suggesting in a post on X that the recently appointed Nintendo of America CEO Devon Pritchard was behind the decision.

Upon learning that image sharing would be restricted so that "out-of-context scenes" wouldn't be misinterpreted, the decision was met with criticism, and fan response was mostly negative. Dustin Bailey writing for GamesRadar+ called the decision "downright absurd", as they believed sharing character interactions with others was one of the main appeals of the previous installment. Deven McClure writing for Polygon believed that restrictions on image sharing contrasted with the game's emphasis on creativity. Alana Hagues writing for Nintendo Life thought the decision was strange when compared to the additional inclusivity options. She speculated that the company was attempting to avoid another Swapnote incident, which was disabled due to offensive imagery being distributed, whereas Stephanie Liu of Siliconera thought the decision was made to reduce posts on social media platforms involving controversial people being recreated as Miis. Additionally, the lack of online functionality was criticized. McClure thought the inability to share Miis online would potentially impact the live streaming community, as well as the game's success overall. Anna Koselke of GamesRadar+ thought it was disappointing compared to other games such as StreetPass Mii Plaza (2011) and Miitopia (2016).