Everyone needs some Mii time
By Paul Hunter
Nintendo's Tomodachi life simulation series went quiet after 2013, and Living the Dream is the comeback thirteen years in the making. This third entry in the franchise, developed and published by Nintendo, is out now on Nintendo Switch and is compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.
Living the Dream drops you onto a tropical island, where Mii characters you create go about their lives however they please. You choose who moves in, and that means you can bring family, friends, celebrities, your favourite fictional characters, or any combination you want. Then the island takes on a life of its own and the fun takes over.
Is this the island life worth settling into? Let's find out!
Your role as caretaker helps shape everything from the start. Miis arrive as strangers and develop into acquaintances, friends, and sometimes something more, at a pace that builds naturally over time. You can pick Miis up and physically bring them together to kick off a connection, or step back and let the AI handle things. The outcome is rarely predictable either way, and that unpredictability often leads to silly moments.
The family tree feature lets you establish pre-existing relationships between Miis before they even meet, giving your island personal history before the interactions kick off. When couples have a baby, the growing-up process now plays out in a proper cutscene rather than real-time stages, which gave those moments more impact than in the 3DS version. The Mii News Network broadcasts overnight events as morning headlines, turning your island's routine into an ongoing drama with daily recaps. Dream sequences can also arrive without warning and send Miis into bizarre, funny scenarios with sometimes wild outcomes.
Living the Dream also delivers the most inclusive relationship system in the series. Same-sex relationships are fully supported for the first time in the franchise. Non-binary gender options are available in the Mii Maker and pronouns can be set independently from gender. Aromantic and panromantic Miis are also fully possible. It's a meaningful update to the series, and it opens the island to everyone.
Food and clothing work on a trial-and-error basis, and I found it to be one of the more entertaining systems in the game. I was certain one of my Miis would love a specific dessert from the Fresh Kingdom food mart. She disliked it so much she turned her back and walked away. Three tries later I found something she loved, and the reaction she gave made every previous miss worth it.
The Island Builder is where the real creative depth opens up. Build Mode gives you full control over building placement, terrain shaping, and walkway paths. Quik Build, the store where you can buy amenities, extends your options with a range of island decorations. Pair all of that with the Palette House, where you design custom pets, food, clothing, and ground tiles from scratch, and the scope here goes well past a standard life sim.
Minigames like Red Light Green Light, Bowling, Moving Cups and What's Missing break up the daily caretaking routine with fun activities. You can also hilariously teach Miis new vocabulary through the in-game lexicon and watch them actually use it in unexpected ways during organic coversations. With up to 70 Miis allowed on the island, 16 personality types and Quirks layered on top, no two days ever play out the same.
The voice filters for your Miis are a genuine source of comedy. Adjusting pitch, speed, and tone during setup turns every character into a personality before they have even arrived on the island, and the new in-house text-to-speech engine makes those voices smoother and clearer than anything the 3DS version managed.
On Nintendo Switch 2, a resolution boost over the base Nintendo Switch version makes the island look noticeably crisper. The game targets 30fps, which holds steady during island gameplay, although Dream sequences can have small frame dips during their most intense moments. Touchscreen support is available for select interactions but not across the board, and Mouse Mode is currently absent from the Nintendo Switch 2 version.
Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Simulation
Modes: Single-player
By Paul Hunter
Nintendo's Tomodachi life simulation series went quiet after 2013, and Living the Dream is the comeback thirteen years in the making. This third entry in the franchise, developed and published by Nintendo, is out now on Nintendo Switch and is compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.
Living the Dream drops you onto a tropical island, where Mii characters you create go about their lives however they please. You choose who moves in, and that means you can bring family, friends, celebrities, your favourite fictional characters, or any combination you want. Then the island takes on a life of its own and the fun takes over.
Is this the island life worth settling into? Let's find out!
Story and Narrative
Like in previous Tomodachi Life games, the story is entirely emergent, built from the daily interactions between your Miis and whatever the game decides to do with the relationships you set in motion.Your role as caretaker helps shape everything from the start. Miis arrive as strangers and develop into acquaintances, friends, and sometimes something more, at a pace that builds naturally over time. You can pick Miis up and physically bring them together to kick off a connection, or step back and let the AI handle things. The outcome is rarely predictable either way, and that unpredictability often leads to silly moments.
The family tree feature lets you establish pre-existing relationships between Miis before they even meet, giving your island personal history before the interactions kick off. When couples have a baby, the growing-up process now plays out in a proper cutscene rather than real-time stages, which gave those moments more impact than in the 3DS version. The Mii News Network broadcasts overnight events as morning headlines, turning your island's routine into an ongoing drama with daily recaps. Dream sequences can also arrive without warning and send Miis into bizarre, funny scenarios with sometimes wild outcomes.
Living the Dream also delivers the most inclusive relationship system in the series. Same-sex relationships are fully supported for the first time in the franchise. Non-binary gender options are available in the Mii Maker and pronouns can be set independently from gender. Aromantic and panromantic Miis are also fully possible. It's a meaningful update to the series, and it opens the island to everyone.
Gameplay and Mechanics
Keeping your Miis happy is the core goal in Living the Dream, and the systems built around that are deeper and more rewarding than they first appear. Feeling Bubbles can appear above your residents at any point while playing, with yellow ones signalling personal requests, and orange ones mean a Mii wants your guidance on dealing with another islander. Solving Troubles, feeding residents the foods they love, giving them their favourite clothing styles, head-patting them when they're down, and generally keeping spirits up all raise Happiness and generate Warm Fuzzies. You then pour those into the Wishing Fountain to level up the island and unlock new Prezzies (gifts), Quirks (personality traits), and landscaping options.Food and clothing work on a trial-and-error basis, and I found it to be one of the more entertaining systems in the game. I was certain one of my Miis would love a specific dessert from the Fresh Kingdom food mart. She disliked it so much she turned her back and walked away. Three tries later I found something she loved, and the reaction she gave made every previous miss worth it.
The Island Builder is where the real creative depth opens up. Build Mode gives you full control over building placement, terrain shaping, and walkway paths. Quik Build, the store where you can buy amenities, extends your options with a range of island decorations. Pair all of that with the Palette House, where you design custom pets, food, clothing, and ground tiles from scratch, and the scope here goes well past a standard life sim.
Minigames like Red Light Green Light, Bowling, Moving Cups and What's Missing break up the daily caretaking routine with fun activities. You can also hilariously teach Miis new vocabulary through the in-game lexicon and watch them actually use it in unexpected ways during organic coversations. With up to 70 Miis allowed on the island, 16 personality types and Quirks layered on top, no two days ever play out the same.
Presentation and Audio
Visually, the jump from 3DS to Nintendo Switch is immediately apparent. Living the Dream is a vibrant, colourful game with an art style that suits its silly tone perfectly. Miis are more expressive than ever, with anime-style hot pink blushes and personalised greeting behaviours that make every character feel individual. Palette House custom designs, including outfits you drew, pets you built, and food you created, show up naturally across the island, which makes your creative work feel like an integral part of the experience.The voice filters for your Miis are a genuine source of comedy. Adjusting pitch, speed, and tone during setup turns every character into a personality before they have even arrived on the island, and the new in-house text-to-speech engine makes those voices smoother and clearer than anything the 3DS version managed.
On Nintendo Switch 2, a resolution boost over the base Nintendo Switch version makes the island look noticeably crisper. The game targets 30fps, which holds steady during island gameplay, although Dream sequences can have small frame dips during their most intense moments. Touchscreen support is available for select interactions but not across the board, and Mouse Mode is currently absent from the Nintendo Switch 2 version.
The Verdict
Living the Dream is the best the Tomodachi series has ever been. The inclusive relationship overhaul is a landmark addition, and the Island Builder and Palette House give creative tools that go well beyond anything in the 3DS original. Warm Fuzzies and Wishing Fountain give you a constant sense of progression, and the Dream sequences and the Mii News Network keep the island feeling unpredictable from day one. Best enjoyed in regular, daily check-ins, this is a strong recommendation for fans of the series and a great starting point for newcomers.Final Score: 8/10 - Great
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream details
Platform: Nintendo SwitchDeveloper: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Simulation
Modes: Single-player