*Friend Collection* on Switch! What a shame there’s no online multiplayer.

To start with the conclusion: Tomodachi Collection: Dream Life is really good at creating chaos, but the lack of online multiplayer kind of broke me a little. As a junior in college who plays co-op with my roommate every night, my first reaction when I see a game is always: can we laugh at this together? But this game puts your friends into it without actually letting your friends come in and play, which feels like a dorm group chat where you can only screenshot things and amuse yourself alone.

Today, Nintendo’s life simulation game Tomodachi Collection: Dream Life officially launched on the Switch platform, and the review embargo was lifted at the same time. IGN gave it a 7 this time, with an overall attitude that was fairly friendly. It acknowledged the game’s fun and personalization, while also pointing out that the sense of repetition becomes heavier later on. That score feels pretty reasonable to me—not low, but not exactly a no-brainer buy either.

The most appealing part of the game is still making characters and watching the drama unfold. You can turn your friends, family, celebrities, or even favorite fictional characters into cute chibi-style cartoon avatars. Then you throw them into the same setting and watch their relationships develop on their own. This setup is honestly perfect for a dorm-room gaming session—it’s like stuffing your whole class onto a small island, and just seeing who suddenly becomes close with whom is enough to make everyone laugh for ages.

The IGN editor also shared their own custom island and characters, and that part really does show off the game’s charm. It’s not the kind of game that relies on skillful controls; it’s more like an electronic social-circle observer. The better you are at filling in the blanks with your imagination, the more fun you’ll get out of it. For example, if you put your roommate into the game and watch him randomly socialize around the island, that kind of joy feels a lot like staying up chatting after lights-out.

At the same time, the problems are also pretty obvious. IGN mentioned that after playing for dozens of hours, the repetitiveness of the content becomes noticeable. I can totally understand that. The biggest fear for life simulation games is having the daily routine feel too similar. The first few days are all freshness and novelty, but later it can start to feel like clocking in for work. Without new social stimulation, it’s easy for the experience to shift from hilarious to boring.

The most outrageous part is that it doesn’t have online features. IGN also treated this as a key issue affecting the score. For a social player like me, this is a major point deduction. It’s called Tomodachi Collection, but you can’t visit each other’s spaces with real-life friends, and you can’t share the island’s chaotic daily life together either. It’s like opening a co-op lobby and finding only bots left—the excitement is cut in half.

The buying advice is also pretty simple. If you like making characters, watching them interact automatically, or want to build your own funny little island, then it’s worth trying. Especially for people on Switch looking for a relaxed life sim, this will really hit the spot. But if you’re like me and mainly buy games to play together with your roommate, then I’d suggest waiting and seeing whether online multiplayer gets added later.

Looking at the trend, life simulation games are increasingly relying on social sharing now. Screenshots, short videos, and visiting friends are all fuel that makes a game feel more lively. Tomodachi Collection: Dream Life already has a great foundation for hilarious emergent moments, but it’s a shame it’s missing the trump card of online multiplayer. It can let you put your friends into your Switch, but it still can’t bring your friends to your side.