Animal Crossing New Horizons has captured the hearts of players around the world with its charming gameplay and the ability to design your own island paradise. One of the key features of the game is the ability to terraform and customize your island, allowing you to create a unique layout and design that reflects your personal style. With so many options to choose from, it can be challenging to decide on the perfect island layout. That's why we've compiled a list of the top 10 best island layout ideas in Animal Crossing New Horizons. From the creative use of water scaping to the unique placement of buildings, these islands are sure to inspire your own island design and take your gameplay to the next level.

Top 10 Best ACNH Island Map Layout Ideas 2023

Indeed, these layout new ACNH island ideas can provide valuable inspiration and help with the task of planning your island's layout. It can be challenging to determine how to arrange things and where to place them, but examining other island designs can give you ideas and insights into what works well and what doesn't.

Layout 1 - Island: Konoha (DA-5336-5153-9358)

In addition to designing your map based on your personal preferences and priorities, you can also find inspiration from external sources for your island's layout. For example, this particular island design is based on the map of Konoha from the anime Naruto. It's an exciting concept because you can transplant designs from pre-existing maps, whether they're from fictional or real-life places, onto your Animal Crossing island and make it your own. Although it can be challenging to recreate something like this in Animal Crossing New Horizons, it serves as inspiration for the entire island.

Layout 2 - Island: Sunbeam (DA-6286-0166-4327)

This island setup is incredibly unique. There are countless ways to structure your villager neighborhoods, whether they are close together or widely dispersed. In this case, each house has its own little section, separated by water, and you have to cross several different bridges to get to the various island buildings, such as the campsites and villager homes themselves.

Layout 3 - Island: Toadstool (DA-6064-5798-9106)

The layout is simply stunning. The stepping stones meandering throughout the landscape, including the layered ones, and the hills in the background create a breathtaking view. What's impressive about this design is that the creators didn't completely overhaul the existing map, but rather enhanced it by incorporating the river mouths and other natural features. The result is truly remarkable. The villager houses are thoughtfully arranged around the resident services, which is an excellent way to save space if you don't want a structured neighborhood. The houses have a cozy feel to them, but they are not arranged in a symmetrical manner, which adds to their charm.

Layout 4 - Island: Riverwood (DA-4134-5559-5354)

The unique feature of this island is how the houses and other buildings are arranged. The waterscaping is particularly impressive, with interesting shapes and designs throughout. The island feels open and spacious, with plenty of room for paths and walkways to wind through. While it's harder to visualize the custom pathing on the map, you can get a sense of how the pathways weave through the island based on the empty spaces. One thing we appreciate about this island is how most of the villager homes and shops are situated at the very back of the island, leaving the front half free for all sorts of terraforming possibilities.

Layout 5 - Island: Breezewood (DA-1753-4533-2113)

Despite the creator's decision to use custom design pathing instead of the game's default paths that would show up on the map, you can still see how well-planned and structured this island is. The pathways are straight and easy to navigate, creating a rigid layout. However, there are still some natural flow elements, such as the campsite, that add creative flair to the island. Despite its overall rigid structure, this area feels natural and organic.

Layout 6 - Island: Firdaus (DA-3446-9720-0538)

One of the highlights of this map is the way the villager homes are arranged, almost like little curly cues of path around them. The decision to place most of the villager homes near the back of the island frees up a significant amount of space for terraforming and allows for maximum creative freedom. The creator has taken this idea to the extreme, with all but one of the island buildings situated on the beach. While many players tend to place their buildings on the beach at the start of the game to make room for terraforming, it's impressive that this creator has managed to keep all the buildings on the beach while still creating a unique theme. The entire island is covered in pathing and decorated with various items, adding to its charm.

Layout 7 - Island: Calma (DA-1466-3382-5302)

The designer did an outstanding job of integrating natural terraforming, waterways, big lakes, and canal areas with structured neighborhoods, creating a beautiful contrast. The island's varied heights, featuring hills and narrow walkways, add to its appeal. The interplay between the open spaces and the narrow walkways is truly impressive. As for the placement of shops and other facilities, the designer wisely separated the Nooks and Able Sisters. Additionally, different neighborhoods were designated for different groups of villagers. All the houses are oriented in a forward-facing direction, which looks especially nice when viewing the map directly head-on.

Layout 8 - Island: Grimalkin (DA-1643-2945-4589)

All 10 of the villager homes are situated in the top right corner of the island, and they look stunning on the map. When exploring the actual island, you will appreciate how creative the layout is. The natural terraforming is particularly impressive, with cliffs cutting through the middle of the island, creating a beautiful natural feature. The shops are located behind the resident services building, adding to the enchanting beauty of the island.

Layout 9 - Island: Kameokona (DA-8046-0904-4134)

The island layout is truly unique, and the terraforming is particularly impressive. Waterscaping plays a significant role in the island's design, with a focus on the left side of the map dedicated to shaping the island around the various buildings, especially the villager homes. The overall effect is stunning and adds to the island's charm.

Layout 10 - Island: Atemoztli (DA-3329-7415-5350)

It's not an exaggeration to say that this is one of the coolest island maps we have ever seen. The museum area, with all its little inclines, is incredibly impressive. Even the gradient in the center around the museum, with the dark green and light green Cliffs, is stunning. Everything about this island is beautiful and feels like a piece of pixel art come to life. It's truly mind-boggling and a testament to the creator's talent and creativity.