I take my supposedly "cozy" building simulators very seriously, and Animal Crossing is probably the game series I've put the most collective hours into. Because of that, I'll always have a special place in my heart for the neighbors that, unlike some of the villagers, help you put in the work.

Timmy and Tommy appear in every mainline Animal Crossing game, generally fulfilling the same role as Tom Nook’s underlings. Sorry, apprentices. In my opinion, they’re the real laborers, actually manning each game’s iteration of a general store and directly helping the player build up their island.

While I'm grateful for their support, I appreciate that LEGO’s latest Animal Crossing-themed set embraces the idea that Timmy and Tommy do, in fact, get time to chill.

The LEGO Animal Crossing: Timmy and Tommy’s Fun Day Out Set comes with a total of 513 pieces across five bags.

I’ve seen criticisms of LEGO’s soulless box design that I have to say I generally agree with, but this box is a real winner. I don’t know if I’ll ever bring myself to throw it out. I was, however, immediately dismayed to also find a small sticker sheet, my enemy in LEGO, but it’s only for a few smaller details — everything to do with Timmy and Tommy is fully printed on.

I was also sad to discover that the instruction booklet jumps right into Step 1. Timmy and Tommy are surprisingly mysterious characters, and I would have eaten up some lore. Tom Nook has mentioned that he isn’t related to them by blood, but in New Horizons, he also calls them his nephews. Some villagers will suggest Tom found them on the street and took them in. Obviously they share the tanuki-inspired appearance — but what’s the real story?

To my surprise, you actually start by building these mysterious tanuki twins. I feel like most LEGO sets have a sense of their own ‘main feature,’ and save it for later in the build. Gives you something to look forward to, you know. This set gives you the opportunity to just build Timmy and Tommy and move on. It also quickly hands you some little accessories: fish food, a fishing rod, and a little flag.

Now, how do you tell which twin you’re building? In the games, Tommy theoretically has the higher voice. Tom Nook says you can tell them apart by a mole on their wrists, but this set doesn’t get that detailed.

In LEGO form, the only difference is one has open eyes and one has closed eyes. On the box, the open-eyed one is holding the flag. Tommy is usually the flag-bearer in New Horizons, so that’s my choice.

I was entertained by how many more pieces go into building the heads than either twin’s body. It’s relatively accurate to their in-game proportions, but these feel like some proper bobbleheads. They’re still surprisingly poseable, and I couldn’t help but wish this was how LEGO approached its Brickheadz line.

Once you’ve got your shopkeepers, you move to the foundation. One of my favorite details in this set is the swirling fish in the water, which unfortunately requires a sticker, but can also spin. Every time I spin it my brain automatically plays the in-game fishing sound, which is what I tend to use more than any visual cues. Little pro tip for you.

While you only end up marking one of them with the traditional ‘dig spot’ symbol, there’s actually two spots where you can hide things underneath the grass. The set includes a little fossil to put in one spot, so I decided to hide the fish food in the second one. Otherwise I would lose it.

Building a bridge is a big moment in ACNH, part of the main island milestones that bring you through Animal Crossing’s approximation of a ‘campaign.’ That first bridge you build is way uglier than the one you build in this set. It takes a lot (228,000 Bells, to be specific) to build the in-game equivalent, the red zen bridge, but I get why they went with this one. The bannisters add a great pop of color.

You finish up with some of the smaller details across the set. The biggest of these is the balloon present, which does in fact open and close. It also comes with a tiny LEGO version of Bells to throw in there. Though, again, you also have the fish food option.

The present, as well as a blue butterfly, are attached to the set with transparent rod pieces. I never like these pieces, but I understand the opportunity they provide for more variety. The balloon present’s rod is really easy to hide behind Timmy and Tommy, but I’ve been considering moving the butterfly onto one of the flowers.

I know I’ve been harsh on some random elements of this set, but now I’ll come out and say it’s the best Animal Crossing-themed set so far. Other sets inspired by the simulation game give you somewhat random sections and pieces of an island that, yes, if I had a million dollars would be very cool to assemble into a whole scene. This set feels cohesive and cozy while also giving you some tidbits to play around with.

I’d actually been waiting for a set that really captured the spirit of Animal Crossing, and I think that’s exactly what Timmy and Tommy do. They’re enjoying the life I myself play those games to pretend I’m living. Now I'm feeling inspired to dive back into New Horizons and...

The Latest Articles from IGN

Message History

Delivery option(s)