Animal Crossing: New Horizons lets you live on an Island and build on it however you want to. There are many things that you can do to make the most of the game but they can be a bit daunting if you're new to the franchise. We've got some helpful beginner tips that should make your journey into Island life slightly easier.
Read More: Animal Crossing New Horizons: How to Get a Perfect Island
Beginner Tips
Earn as Many Bells as You Can
The currency, known as Bells, is vital to obtain if you want to get anywhere with your Island. We've listed a few of the easiest ways to get your hands on some Bells early in the game.
- Sell Bugs.
- Sell Fish.
- Sell Materials from Rocks.
- One random rock in the town will reward you with Bells when you hit it. If you hit it repeatedly without stopping, you will get the maximum amount of Bells from it which can be up to 10,000 or more.
- Plant Bells in the ground to create a money tree.
Time Travel Can Be Lucrative
Time travelling is a risky thing to do in the game but it can be profitable. If you want to get items or experience events that are outside of your current real-world season, then time travelling can be the answer. Grabbing items from out-of-season events then selling them when you return to your usual time and date can mean they sell for more money.
You will need to close your game and head into the settings page for the Nintendo Switch. From here, you will be able to change the date and time that you are currently set to. Once you have set your desired date, you can head back into the game and the game should correspond to the time or date you've set. However, some items and events will not be available if you time travel.
Nook Miles Are Valuable
Nook Miles are a type of currency in the game and are extremely valuable when you look at what you can do with them. Tom Nook will reward you with Nook Miles after you reach certain milestones or complete certain tasks on your Island. So, like any rewards program, the more you save the bigger the rewards.
You can spend your Nook Miles at the Nook Stop in Resident Services. You can buy anything from furniture to special items such as character posters.
Eat The Fruit
If you eat a piece of fruit, you should notice a little counter appear at the top of the screen. If you eat one piece of fruit then the counter will turn to 1/10. This means you can eat a total of 10 fruits to be able to reap the benefits of it.
By eating fruit, you will be able to use your shovel to lift up and move entire trees without destroying them. The trees will be put into your pockets for you to plant at another time. This is particularly useful if you have non-native fruit trees that you want to preserve.
Invest in High-Quality Tools
There are several tool types in the game and the basic ones are flimsy tools. These are the only ones you will be able to have at the very beginning but as you progress your Island, higher quality ones will become available.
Flimsy tools are easily broken but higher quality ones will last longer. They may be slightly more expensive either in Bells or in materials but they are worth it. Also, higher-quality tools can have different functions than their lower-quality counterparts.
Dig a Hole, Hit a Rock
Some rocks will produce money or multiple resources if you hit them repeatedly without stopping. However, when you hit a rock you will be knocked back and this can mean that your streak of items stops. To prevent this from happening, face a rock then turn around and dig a hole behind you then face the rock again. Now you can repeatedly hit the rock without falling backward and you will get the maximum amount of resources from it.
Dive Dive Dive!
Once you buy a wetsuit from Nook's Cranny, you will be able to swim in the ocean surrounding your Island and dive to collect various animals or objects. If you're swimming about and see a circular shadow with bubbles appear on the surface of the water, dive down instantly. Swim towards the shadow and once you catch up to it you will collect it.
Sometimes the shadow can be a sea creature and sometimes it can be sea trash however both are surprisingly valuable in terms of Bells or materials. In short, diving is an extremely important part of Island life.
These are just a few tips to help you get started in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. As your Island progresses and you will learn that there are many more things you can do. If you're new to the game then head to our how to unlock all shops guide and our how to get medicine guide.
Updated on November 2nd, 2021 by Marie Pritchard. Contributions from Nick Farrell.
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