Animal Crossing: New Horizons players can now explore and create entirely new worlds with the recent 3.0 update. This significant expansion introduces Slumber Islands, a dedicated dream realm feature allowing collaborative island design and exploration with friends. The update, released on January 14, 2026, offers a unique sandbox experience separate from players' main islands.[evrimagaci]
Unlocking Your Dream Realm
To access Slumber Islands, players must meet several in-game requirements and have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. First, players need to have upgraded their starting tent to a house and placed a bed inside it. They also need at least five villagers residing on their island. After fulfilling these conditions and updating the game to version 3.0 or above, players will receive a letter from Luna, the tapir guide of the dream world. This letter invites them to the new dream region. Players then lie down in any bed inside their home and select the "it's slumber time" option to enter Luna's dream area.[eurogamer+11]
Creating Your Personal Slumber Island
Upon entering the dream area, Luna will guide players through the process of creating a new Slumber Island. Players can host up to three unique Slumber Islands, providing ample space for various creative projects. When creating a new island, players choose from small, medium, or large sizes. Each size offers different terrain rules, including variations in river mouths and cliff configurations. Players also select one of four available map layouts to begin their design. If a player already has three Slumber Islands, they can delete an existing one to free up a slot for a new creation.[gamerant+6]
Designing Without Limits
Slumber Islands function as a creative playground where players can design without the usual limitations of their main island. Players can place any item from their catalog, including furniture, plants, and other decorations, without needing to craft or purchase them, and without using up crafting materials. Inventory space is not a concern, as items disappear when picked up and can be freely placed again from the catalog. Basic tools for digging and chopping down trees are also available. Players can freely terraform the island, adding or removing cliffs, digging rivers, and building waterfalls. Lloid, found on the pier, assists with adding or demolishing bridges and inclines without the typical construction limits. Players can also interact with a wardrobe on the dock to change their appearance and can invite villagers who have lived on their main island to their Slumber Island. The host of a Slumber Island can also change the time of day and weather conditions.[thegamer+14]
Collaborative Island Building with Friends
A key feature of Slumber Islands is their collaborative multiplayer functionality, allowing friends to design and terraform together. An island owner acts as the host and can invite up to seven friends to visit, creating a session for up to eight players on a Nintendo Switch. Players on a Nintendo Switch 2 can host up to 10 friends. The host must remain online for the session to continue; if the host disconnects, all other players will return to their own islands. To invite others, the host speaks to Luna on their Slumber Island and selects the "invite others" option. They can choose to invite friends directly from their friend list or generate a "Doze Code," similar to a Dodo Code, to share with specific players. All players present can decorate and terraform simultaneously. Visitors use the host's item catalog for placing items. Only the host has control over certain elements, such as relocating the house, changing its appearance, and adding bridges and inclines. Progress on a Slumber Island saves automatically, eliminating the need for manual saving before leaving.[thegamer+14]
Slumber Islands Versus Dream Addresses
It is important to distinguish Slumber Islands from the older "Dream Address" feature, also known as the Dream Suite. The Dream Address system, introduced in update 1.4.0, allows players to visit static, read-only copies of other players' main islands. These "dream islands" are snapshots of an island at the time it was uploaded to Nintendo's servers. Visitors to these dream addresses cannot affect the island in any way, meaning they cannot take items, chop down trees, or make permanent changes. The primary purpose of Dream Addresses is for players to gain inspiration for their own island designs and explore others' creations without impacting the real island. In contrast, Slumber Islands are dynamic, customizable spaces where multiple players can actively build and terraform together in real-time, functioning as a collaborative sandbox for creative experimentation.[nookipedia+13]
Slumber Islands introduce a new level of creative freedom and social interaction to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Players can experiment with island layouts, build elaborate projects with friends, and design without the constraints of their main island, fostering a vibrant and collaborative community experience.
