Isabelle has received positive reception, to the point of becoming one of the most prominent characters in the Animal Crossing franchise and its de facto mascot.

[3][4] Animal Crossing designers wanted players to reject Isabelle's offer of a ceremony for various accomplishments as mayor at least once so that they feel bad about having done so.

As a playable fighter, multiple of Isabelle's moves reference commonly used items in the Animal Crossing series, for example, a fishing rod, and a net.

While under Isabelle, the account tweeted in the style of the character in order to remind players about current or forthcoming Animal Crossing titles.

[22] A crossover promotion between Sanrio and Animal Crossing lead to a digital menu theme depicting Hello Kitty and Isabelle in a truck.

[25][26][27][28][29][30] She was ranked as one of the best video game characters of the 2010s by Polygon staff; writer Nicole Carpenter called her a "pure, helpful pal" and a "very real icon.

Writer Nadia Oxford praised her for her intelligence and selflessness, stating that she is "guaranteed to turn your heart into a crimson puddle of pulsating goo.

"[27] She also noted that all Nintendo has to do to get her to go back to playing New Leaf is for them to "release a sketch of Isabelle the shih tzu sitting forlornly at her cobweb-covered desk, a cup of coffee turning to ice by her elbow.

"[32] Kotaku's Patricia Hernandez called Isabelle adorable and her "beloved," while expressing sadness at how difficult it was to obtain her amiibo card.

"[35] GamesRadar's Henry Gilbert called her his favorite resident in Animal Crossing due to her cute appearance and reliability.

[38] Author Ashley Brown discussed Animal Crossing's systems where characters in the game are designed to be aware of the passage of time.

[43] Electronic Gaming Monthly writer Mollie L. Patterson praised her inclusion in Mario Kart 8, calling her adorable and stating her infatuation with the character.

[50] Paste magazine writer Holly Green ranked her as her least favorite of the newcomers in Ultimate, noting her dislike of some of her moves while praising her Fishing Rod attack.

[56] When Animal Crossing: New Horizons was delayed and ultimately released on the same day as Doom Eternal, fans of both games began creating and sharing artwork depicting Isabelle and Doomguy together as friends, which eventually trended on social media in 2020.

Commentators responded positively towards the fan-made pairing,[57][58][59] including acknowledgments from Aya Kyogoku, director of New Horizons,[60] as well as Doom franchise creator Bethesda.