Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream took roughly nine years to develop and focuses on user-generated content for 'infinite ways to enjoy the game', developer reveals

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15 Apr 2026, 13:06 by https://www.techradar.com/uk/author/dashiell-wood · TechRadar

News By Dashiell Wood published 15 April 2026

(Image credit: Nintendo)

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Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream releases for Nintendo Switch tomorrow
Ahead of its launch, a developer has revealed that the game took nine years to make
They say user-generated content was a big focus

The team behind Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream has spoken about the title's development ahead of its launch tomorrow.

In an interview on the Nintendo website, game director Ryutaro Takahashi revealed that "development started around 2017" not long after the release of the mobile title Miitomo. He said he has "a special attachment to Tomodachi Life" and played the previous Nintendo 3DS installment for many years, which gave him a strong desire to create a sequel.

Even so, he said he wanted to avoid turning the development of a new game "into a quest for quantity" as he feared that players might become bored once they had "seen everything the game had to offer".

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"So, we started development with the direction of leveraging user-generated content — also known as UGC — a system that allows players to create their own content to play with in the game." he explained.

"The concept of Tomodachi Life is to be 'the ultimate inside joke game' that can be enjoyed among people who are close to each other or share things in common. We felt that UGC, which lets players create whatever they want, fit well with this concept. We thought that combining the gameplay provided by the development team with what players themselves create would open up infinite ways to enjoy the game."

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream – Overview Trailer – Nintendo Switch - YouTube

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This approach is evident in a recent Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream trailer, which revealed that, in addition to creating Miis and customizing their islands, players will be able to design their very food, clothing, treasure items, objects, landscaping elements, and more for characters to interact with.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is set to launch for Nintendo Switch on April 16. A developer recently confirmed that the game will not support the Nintendo Switch 2's new resolution boost feature, but still runs in a higher handheld mode resolution on the company's latest console.

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