Those first few days in Animal Crossing can be a bit bewildering - especially if you’re new to this most eccentric of series - so here’s a few handy Animal Crossing New Horizons tips to help you make the most of your first few days as an islander. And, once you’re fully settled on the island, check out our list of other guides at the end of this page - which includes various money making opportunities and material sources - and will be expanded upon in the days and weeks after release. Don’t fret too much about those first big decisions New Horizons offers a much more flexible take on the Animal Crossing, and many elements are there to be crafted - and re-crafted - by you. So when you’re picking out your first pitch for your home, don’t worry if it’s not perfect - soon enough you’ll be able to relocate (for a small fee, of course). The same goes with big facilities, which can be relocated by simply talking to Tom Nook at Resident Services. Oh, and you don’t even need to worry about your appearance - you can now change your features, or indeed your gender, at any point after you acquire or build a mirror. And in this new Animal Crossing, I wouldn’t even be bothered if your first island layout isn’t quite how you want it. Terraforming is an option that won’t come until you’re quite some way into your new island life, but it does mean you can resculpture cliffs or reroute rivers with ease at some point down the line. So there’s no need to spend your first few hours with Animal Crossing: New Horizons worrying about getting things just right - there’s plenty of room for adjustment here. Double down on that inventory Stuffing your pockets full of what you’ll find around the island is your way to riches - and to paying off your loan and getting a bigger house - so you’ll want your pockets to be as big as possible. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, your inventory is upgradeable, granting you access to greater storage space when you’re out and about (it’s also worth noting that your storage space at home is pretty much unlimited, so you’ll always have somewhere to offload any excess items you may have). When it comes to your own personal storage, you’ll want to head to the ATM machine in Resident Services where you’ll be able to upgrade your inventory space. There are a couple of upgrades available, both paid for in Nook Miles - and it makes sense for this to be the first thing you spend your Nook Miles on, as bigger pockets means a bigger cashflow. It’s all about bells, bells, bells. Tool up! You won’t start Animal Crossing: New Horizons with everything you need, and some tasks will prove infuriatingly impossible over your first few days as you lack the resources or crafting items to make key tools. There’s a way around that, though - if you go to the airport and head to a mystery island (something which is possible shortly after the tutorial), Wilbur will be waiting for you when you disembark and he’ll have every tool you’ll need available for purchase. They’re not free - and for repeated trips back you’ll need a Nook Miles ticket too - but they are cheap, and a quick and easy way to get all the tools you need in your arsenal early on in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Start planing a fruit farm There are plenty of ways to make money in Animal Crossing - selling shells, fish and bugs, playing the stalk market by picking up a batch on Sundays and then trying to spin a profit during the week, or even selling the ‘hot item’ in Nook’s Cranny for a nice injection of cash - but early on it’s wise to build a decent fruit farm. You’ll only have one type of fruit to start with, though you can quickly attain more - either head to a mystery island where you should be able to pick up coconuts and another type of fruit, or visit other friend’s islands to see what they have. And when you’ve got a new and exotic fruit, don’t sell it straight away! Instead plant it, and maybe even set up an orchard so that you’ve got a healthy source of cash ready to be picked and sold every few days. It’s a bit of forward planning that will pay dividends as you keep coming back to your Animal Crossing: New Horizons island. Talk to other islanders! It’s easy to get lost in your routine, running around to find the four fossils that appear every day or trying to find that one rock that gives out bells every time you strike it with a shovel, but while you’re running your errands don’t forget to stop and chat to other villagers every once in a while! If you’re ever lost for something to do, speak to Tom Nook and he’ll make it perfectly clear what’s needed to progress further, or simply talk to other islanders as you come across them. They’ll give you DIY designs, clothes and items to help you pretty up your island, all for nothing but a few seconds of your time. You might even end up becoming friendly with a few - and they might have a few surprises in store as they set you off on some challenges of their own. Don’t rush things Animal Crossing games are designed to be played over weeks, months and years - and not to be binged over a weekend (although it’s tempting to try). Sometimes the best way forward is to simply call it a day and see what tomorrow brings. You can always, if you’re really desperate, time skip so that you can access the bugs, fish and other items that are season specific and complete your collections. Or you could just sink into Animal Crossing’s laidback vibe and watch the seasons unfold in-game as they unfold out your window - which is certainly our preferred way of playing the game. Getting started in New Horizons:
How to customise your character in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Seasons and hemisphere differences explained Ideas on how to choose an island name in Animal Crossing: New Horizons How multiplayer works in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Amiibo support explained
Tools and item storage in New Horizons:
How to get an Axe, Shovel, Rod, Net, Slingshot and Watering Can How to get the Golden Tools in Animal Crossing: New Horizons How to get a ladder to climb cliff ledges How to cross rivers using a bridge and vaulting pole How to expand and manage your inventory in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained
Resources and materials in New Horizons:
Materials sources list, including wood, stone and nuggets How to find Iron and Gold Nuggets in New Horizons How to get Bamboo Pieces, Shoots and Young Spring Bamboo How to wish upon shooting stars in Animal Crossing: New Horizons How to plant fruit trees, grow back time and eating fruit benefits Flower list, including hybrids, crossbreeding and colour combinations How to get Kitchen Furniture in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Seasonal materials in New Horizons:
Cherry blossom season and how find the cherry blossom DIY recipes explained How to find summer shells and their DIY recipes explained How to find acorns and pine cones How to grow pumpkins, pumpkin colours and how to use pumpkins How to get elegant, flat, rare, round and skinny mushrooms, including the mushroom DIY recipes How to get maple leaves and find maple leaf DIY recipes How to make a perfect Snowboy and find the frozen DIY recipes How to get snowflakes, large snowflakes and the snowflake DIY recipes How to find red, blue and gold ornaments, including the Festive DIY recipes
Fishing in New Horizons:
How to catch rare fish and use fish bait in Animal Crossing: New Horizons How to catch a Blue Marlin How to catch a Barreleye How to catch a Coelacanth How to catch a Giant Trevally How to catch a Golden Trout How to catch a Mahi-mahi How to catch an Ocean Sunfish How to catch Salmon and King Salmon How to catch every a Saw Shark, Hammerhead Shark, Great White Shark, Whale Shark and Suckerfish How to catch a Soft-shelled Turtle and Snapping Turtle How to catch a Stringfish How to catch a Sturgeon How to catch a Tuna
Bug catching in New Horizons:
How to catch rare bugs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons How to catch Tarantulas and visit Tarantulas Island How to catch Scorpions and create a Scorpion Island
Sea creatures in New Horizons:
Swimming and diving in New Horizons explained Sea creatures in New Horizons explained
New features to learn in New Horizons:
How Nook Miles work in New Horizons How to craft, get DIY recipes and a DIY Workbench How saving works in Animal Crossing: New Horizons How to scan custom clothing designs using QR codes How to get more hairstyles in Animal Crossing: New Horizons How to get a three-star island rating in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Terraforming: How to create paths, rivers and cliffs using the Island Designer app Harv’s Island and Photopia, including villager posters, explained How to sit down on the ground and get the Hip Reaction Collection
Special island visitors and events in New Horizons:
Island visitor schedule in New Horizons How to unlock K.K. Slider and his first concert in New Horizons How to help Gulliver find all five communicator parts Gullivarrr and the pirate themed rewards explained Flick, his art commissions and increased bug prices explained How to catch Wisp’s spirit and your reward How to complete Label’s fashion challenge Saharah and lists of every mysterious wallpaper, flooring and rug she sells Leif and how to grow shrubs and bushes Redd, how open the gallery and visit Redd’s ship Pascal and the Mermaid set explained Fishing Tourney future dates, point system, prizes and trophies Bug Off future dates, point system, prizes and trophies
Holiday events in Animal Crossing: New Horizons:
Bunny Day and all the DIY recipes for the Easter event explained How to get an Earth, Leaf, Sky, Stone, Water and Wood eggs for the Bunny Day DIY recipes Nature Day and Nature Day tasks explained How to complete the May Day maze How to complete the stamp rally for International Museum Day The Wedding Season photo-shoot explained The August Fireworks Show explained How to find spooky furniture and spooky furniture DIY recipes How to grow pumpkins, pumpkin colours and how to use pumpkins Where to purchase new eye colours and body pain for Halloween Halloween event, including rewards, Candy, Lollippos and Trick and Treat explained Turkey Day event: Every Turkey Day ingredient, secret ingredient and rewards Festivale event: How to get feathers, Rainbow Feathers and Festivale items
And familiar Animal Crossing staples:
How to make money and Bells fast in Animal Crossing: New Horizons How to get a good Turnip price in Daisy Mae’s Stalk Market How to get a house and house upgrades explained How to add new villagers and remove villagers in New Horizons How to upgrade Nook’s Cranny How to get Blathers and unlock the Museum How to spot fake art from real art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fossil list for Animal Crossing: New Horizons How to unlock the Able Sisters tailor shop How to get Isabelle and unlock the Town Hall How to change Tunes and a list of example Town Tunes Dream Suite and Dream Addresses in Animal Crossing: New Horizons explained How to deal with wasp stings and get medicine How to increase your Happy Home Academy ranking How to incorporate Feng Shui into your home design What time does the day reset in Animal Crossing - and our daily checklist recommendations How to make a perfect Snowboy and find the frozen DIY recipes
