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Updated October 12, 2026

Tomodachi Life

Tomodachi Life is a Nintendo game where you make Miis and watch them live. Here is what you do in the new Switch game and if the 3DS one still works.

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What is Tomodachi Life?

Tomodachi Life is a Nintendo game where you make Miis and watch them live together on an island. The newest one is Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, which came out on April 16, 2026, for Nintendo Switch.

You don’t control the Miis. You make them, give them things, and help when they ask. Then they make friends, fall in love, fight, and make up on their own. Most of the fun is the odd stuff they do that you didn’t plan.

People usually make Miis of themselves, their friends, their family, or famous people. Then they watch who ends up with who.

What is Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream?

It’s the new Tomodachi Life on Nintendo Switch. It came out on April 16, 2026. It also plays on Switch 2, where it loads faster. You pay once. Prices change with sales, so check the Nintendo store for the current one.

There is a free demo on the Nintendo eShop. It lets you make up to three Miis, and your save carries over to the full game.

The big change from the old game is the setting. The first game put your Miis in one apartment building. In Living the Dream, they live on an island that you design. Nintendo’s developers said they made this change to give the Miis more room to move around.

What do you do in Tomodachi Life?

Make Miis

You make each resident. You can build a Mii by hand, answer a few quick questions, or trade Miis with friends nearby. You can have up to 70 Miis on one island.

Build the island

You shape the land and decide where homes, shops, and restaurants go. There is a food shop, a clothes shop, a home shop, a market, a photo studio, and a news station. You can visit each Mii’s home and decorate it.

Look after them

You give your Miis food, clothes, and treasures. Some things they love. Some things they don’t. When a Mii is happy enough, it levels up. Miis also have worries, and you help sort them out. If one is moping at home, you can pick it up and move it near someone else.

Watch the relationships

Miis become friends, best friends, or rivals. They fight and hold grudges. Some confess their love, become sweethearts, move in together, and get married. Married couples can have babies. You can set each Mii’s dating preference, and it decides who they may fall for.

Can you still play the old Tomodachi Life on 3DS?

Yes, if you already own it. The first Tomodachi Life came out on the Nintendo 3DS in 2014 in North America and Europe. In it, up to 100 Miis lived in one apartment building.

You can’t buy it digitally anymore. Nintendo stopped sales in the 3DS eShop on March 27, 2023. If you bought it before then, Nintendo says you can still download it again for the foreseeable future. Online features on the 3DS ended on April 8, 2024.

In the new game, you can use Miis saved on your Switch, but you can’t bring in Miis from other games, such as Miitopia.

What is the difference between the old and new Tomodachi Life?

GameRuns onWhere Miis liveHow many Miis
Tomodachi LifeNintendo 3DSOne apartment buildingUp to 100
Tomodachi Life: Living the DreamSwitch, Switch 2An island you designUp to 70

If you have a Switch, get the new one. The old one is only worth it if you still have it on a 3DS.

Is there a game like Tomodachi Life where people talk to you?

In Tomodachi Life, you watch a whole island from above. The Miis talk, but from a script, so after a while you hear the same lines.

If you want people who say new things every time, try LifeSim. It’s our game, so keep that in mind. You make a character by describing them in one text box. Then you live in a real city on a 3D map of Earth.

The people there have their own jobs, homes, friends, and routines. You talk to them in your own words, and they remember what you said. They text you on their own. You can plan group outings, and things like house parties, a proposal, or a public breakup show up on the map.

It’s not the same kind of game. In LifeSim, you play one person instead of watching a crowd. It’s in English only. But it’s free and runs in your browser, so it costs nothing to try. For more picks, read games like Tomodachi Life.

Questions

Is Tomodachi Life on Switch?

Yes. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream came out on Switch on April 16, 2026. It also plays on Switch 2.

Is there a Tomodachi Life demo?

Yes. The free demo on the Nintendo eShop lets you make up to three Miis. Your save carries over to the full game.

Can Miis get married in Tomodachi Life?

Yes. Miis can become sweethearts, move in together, and get married. Married couples can have babies.

Is Tomodachi Life on PC or phone?

No. It’s only on Nintendo systems. If you want a free game about people and their drama in a browser, try LifeSim.

Sources

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