You have just started your adventure on Animal Crossing New Horizons and you do not really know what to do? Do not panic, this complete walkthrough is there to guide you step by step through the main scenario of the game.
Welcome to your desert island
Your adventure begins directly at the Nook Inc check-in desk at the airport. You will leave for a desert island for a very special Escape package. Timmy and Tommy welcome you to ask you about the departure formalities.
- First, you will be asked for your name (nickname in the game) and your date of birth . Your username can be 10 characters long.
- To complete the registration, you will be asked for a photo . It's time to create your avatar from head to toe! Skin, hair, eyes, face and cheeks. It's possible to change your appearance later thanks to a chest of drawers.
- You must now choose whether you want to live in the northern or southern hemisphere . The seasons are different depending on the hemisphere you choose.
- Finally, you will be able to choose the layout of the island that suits you the most among 4 proposals. These proposals are random and you can restart the game until you find what you are looking for. Otherwise, you can also wait until you get your builder's permit to modify the island as you see fit.
- One last question: Timmy et Tommy asks you what you would take with you on the island between a sleeping bag, a lamp, something to keep you busy and food. This is the first object you will have in your tent so choose well!
You can now board the plane. A video presentation of Nook Inc (generic) will be presented to you and you will land on the island. It is at this moment that you will discover the two inhabitants who will be with you on the island, as well as your starting fruit. If you don't like it, it's time to start the game again! Below, you will find a guide to reset the game and a guide of the inhabitants available as starting neighbors (only animals with the Uchi and Jock personnality are part of this list).
Follow Timmy and Tommy and talk to Tom Nook to start the dialogue.
The installation begins!
Talk to Timmy or Tommy to get your starting tent. Once the tent is obtained, you can explore the desert island to find the best location. Just press X to open the inventory and place the tent on the ground. For the occasion, they will give you a Map. Since you cannot cross the rivers right away, you are still limited to an area to set up the tent.
Once your tent has been set up, return to Timmy and Tommy in the central square. Tom Nook will tell you that other villagers would like help finding their ideal location. It's your turn ! By talking to an inhabitant and choosing “I will search”, you will be able to collect his tent and place it where you want.
Once the two tents have been set up, return to Tom Nook to party. But for that, we will have to collect materials! It's time for the tutorial to learn how to pick up objects. Tom Nook will ask you to find:
- 10 tree branches (just press Y to pick up an object)
-
6 fruits (the fruit depends on your island)
The party can finally begin. In front of this pretty campfire, Tom Nook will finally ask you the name of the island. He will then appoint you Island Island Delegate.
Talk to Tom Nook again so he can give you your camping bed. Head to your tent to set up the bed and sleep!
Beginning of a new life
With a K.K tune, you wake up gently. This interlude marks the start of your new life: when you wake up, the time will be set to the same time as in real life.
Tom Nook will be waiting for you outside your tent. He will give you your Nookphone !
It will also give you… your invoice of course! This first invoice amounts to 49,800 bells, just that!
Big news: it is possible to pay your invoices in Miles and no longer in bells. To find out more, you can consult our guide dedicated to Miles Nook. Your bill is then 5,000 miles.
Your new life can finally begin in complete freedom. It's time to collect Miles to reimburse dear Tom Nook.
For starters, you have mail in the Mailbox! This is a letter from Nintendo offering you a DIY workbench plan. It will allow you to make different useful tools. But for that, you have to go back to the central square of Tom Nook, at the residents' office. To make an object, it's very simple. You have to :
- Get a building plan (Tom Nook will provide the simplest ones at the start)
- Harvest the materials necessary for construction
- Use Tom Nook's workbench to build the object in question
- By participating in his workshop, Tom Nook will teach you how to make a fishing rod to start. For this, you will need 5 tree branches.
Once the fishing rod is made, you will also have the possibility of making a net.
What to do now ?
After getting started, your daily routine can begin. Here are your first goals:
- Pay off your 5000 Miles loan by completing the Miles Nook quests
- Catch insects and fish and give them to Tom Nook to bring Thibou and his Museum to the island
-
Talk to Méli so he can tell you about his Boutique Nook
Here are dedicated guides to help you complete these goals:
The museum is one of the most important buildings in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Find out how to unlock and upgrade it into a haven of hard-earned fish, insects and fossils.
And after ?
Once the Museum and Shop are built on your island, Tom Nook will ask you for help in bringing in three new residents. You will play a considerable role since you will have to:
- Build a bridge to connect two parts of the island
- Place the 3 houses where you want
- Craft interior and exterior furnitureIn order to access the parts of the island of your choice, he will also give you the craft plan of the ladder .
Residents' office turns into town hall
Once the 3 new residents are well established, the residents' office will be in work for a whole day. To be able to continue to craft during this day, consider making your own workbench the day before.
The next day, you will see a beautiful town hall in place of the office. It will also be the time to welcome Isabelle. She will make the island newsletters instead of Tom Nook now. For the occasion, you will receive a free Miles Nook ticket in your mailbox.
The Nook Stop having been closed all day yesterday, you will receive 500 miles by logging in today. A whole bunch of new outdoor items are now available on the Nook Miles Catalog.
New features
Isabelle's corner:
- Change the city anthem (the clock that rings every hour): you can compose your own anthem
- Change the City Flag: thanks to a personalized pattern, you can change the City Flag and make your own symbol
- Neighborhood problem: you can tell Marie that a neighbor is a problem for you. This option removes the tick of language from an inhabitant.
Tom Nook construction corner:
- Participate in the inaugurations of buildings
- Improve and expand your home
- Install infrastructure on the island (bridges, ramps, house grounds, etc.)
The K Project
After transforming the Residents' Office into a Town Hall, go to Tom Nook and ask him “I have to do what”. He will tell you about his plan to bring K.K Slider to the island for a concert.
Talk to Tom Nook asking “I have to do what” so that he expresses the 3 main stages of his project
- Attract more visitors
- Increase the population of the island
- Make your island attractive
Build a campsite on the island
Tom Nook will give you a construction plan for a Camping Kit to place on the island. To build the campsite, you will need:
- 15 wood
- 15 softwood
- 15 hardwood
- 15 iron
Once the kit is placed where you want it, don't forget to go back to Tom Nook to tell him. The campsite will be built the next day. Now you have to wait for a visitor to settle at the campsite.
A visitor will come the next day and must be your next neighbor. Talk to him.
Return to Tom Nook to give you a house kit to place wherever you want on the island
Once the ground has been laid, return to Tom Nook.
The site will be completed the next day.
Once the new inhabitant is installed, return to Tom Nook. You will have to ask him again “What I have to do” to trigger the rest of the scenario.
Your next objective will therefore be to improve the image of the island. In order to understand what the locals want to beautify the island, you have to consult Isabelle. Infrastructures, flowers, decorations… Everything will have to be done to obtain a perfect island.
Responsible for the reputation of the island, you just need to ask Isabelle“The reputation of the island”.
To obtain a rating of 3 stars , you will need to ensure that you have the perfect balance between development (infrastructure and number of inhabitants), natural environment (flowers and trees) and decor (decorative furniture).
One of the first key steps will therefore be to bring more people to your island, thanks to Camping in particular. But before all things, you must place Sales Plots (Mr.Nook window) “infrastructure” then “sell land”. It costs 10,000 bells per lot. As usual, it's up to you to find the ideal location on the island to install the housing kit.
Once you have welcomed all the new inhabitants (you must have 10 animal houses), it's time to decorate your island! We advise you to buy large outdoor objects such as a lighthouse, an outdoor bath, wind turbine available at the Nook Stop.
Place 5 large objects outside, furniture, flowers, and fences should be enough! Also remember to pick up any objects lying around on the ground.
Regularly ask Isabelle about the reputation of the island to see where you are.
When you reach 3 stars, KK will leave a positive comment and come to do a concert on the island!
By logging in the next day, you can see the concert that took place the day before. From now on, KK will come to your place every Saturday evening at 8 p.m. to give a concert.
In front of your home, Tom Nook will then offer you the music "New Horizons" and the Remod'île application allowing you to modify the surface of your island as desired. For now, the application only allows you to make paths but by buying permits at Nook Stop, you will be able to widen your field of action.
What to do next ?
Now that you've unlocked the ultimate app for customizing your island, you are free to do whatever you want, but there are lots of other goals waiting for you! Below, you will find all our guides for obtaining the golden tools for example, planting bell trees, filling the Museum to 100% etc.
