Update []: Well, would you look at that: ACNH’s big free update is out now, with a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition to follow. Who needs free time in 2026, hey?
We’re currently updating our New Horizons guides to reflect the new content and changes in due course. Keep your eyes peeled!
Original Story: Animal Crossing: New Horizons slowly but surely took over many of our lives when it launched in 2020, but if you’re at a loss for what to do next in the game, then you should check out the tips and hints we’ve outlined below.
So, sit back and relax as we’ll take away the stress of your new island. Let’s begin.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Walkthrough
Getting started in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Given how much there is to do in New Horizons, just knowing where to begin is quite intimidating.
Not only do you have to deal with a seemingly deep question right at the beginning, but you also have to pick a spot to place your tent, acquire essential tools like the axe, shovel and ladder and unlock vital amenities like the Museum and upgraded Resident Services.
Then there’s the process of bringing villagers to your island and attracting key talent, like the one and only K.K. Slider. Fear not, for here we answer your most pressing early-game questions:
Best Tools and Best Gear
You’re not going to get very far in New Horizons unless you have the best gear and tools. You can buy tools from various sellers in the game using Bells but you can also craft them yourself using components scattered around the island.
Make sure you unlock the tool ring early on as it makes switching between tools a little bit easier, and be sure to upgrade your axe and shovel as soon as possible – the more advanced the tool, the longer you’ll be able to use it before it breaks.
Unlock And Upgrade Buildings And Amenities
There are several amenities and shops for island residents to unlock and upgrade as you play. To get the most out of your island getaway experience, you’ll want to add the following buildings and characters to your deserted island.
Manage Your Resources
Resources are essential in Animal Crossing: New Horizons when it comes to crafting and upgrading items, and pretty much anything you can pick up on the island can be sold for Bells.
However, items like wood, rocks, nuggets (both iron and gold) and clay are used in the construction of important items and structures. Make sure you have plenty of them in your pockets at all times!
- Balloon Spawn Rate, Hunting and Colour Guide
- Cherry Blossom Item List – What Do You Use Cherry Blossom Petals For?
- Collecting Hardwood, Softwood and Wood Explained
- Cooking Recipes – How to Cook, Full Recipe List
- Farming Iron Nuggets, Gold Nuggets and Ore
- Growing and Breeding Flowers, Hybrid Flowers and Gold Roses Explained
- How to Customize Fences
- How to Find Gyroid Fragments and Grow Gyroids
- How to Get 8 Things From Rocks – Iron Nuggets, Clay, Stones, Bells and Rock Respawns
- How to Get More Pearls
- How to Get the ABD / ATM In New Horizons
- How to Get the Froggy Chair
- How to Get and Use the Storage Shed
- How to Grow Tomatoes, Potatoes, Wheat, Sugarcane, and Carrots
- How to Get the Mermaid Furniture Set
- How to Get Pumpkins – DIY Pumpkin Patch Recipes Crafting Guide for Spooky Furniture
- How to Wish on a Shooting Star and Get Star Fragments
- Robot Hero – How to Farm Rusted Parts and Build the Gundam Robot Fast
- Shell Prices – How Much Do Shells Sell For?
Fishing, Bugs and Fossils
There’s a whole ecosystem of critters living inside New Horizons, and you’ll want to collect as many as possible to donate to Blathers in the island’s museum (which also accepts artwork donations, too). Some of these can only be acquired at certain times of the year, so you’ll need to keep checking back constantly!
Special Days and Events
Throughout the year special holidays and events take place in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to coincide with real-world festivals and holidays. Here they are in the order they occur throughout a calendar year.
- Festivale – Pavé, Rainbow Feathers, Reactions, Clothing and Valentine’s Day Gifts
- Bunny Day Date, Start Time, Egg Collecting and Crafting Explained
- Nature Day Event – Leif the Sloth, Bushes, Shrubs and Nature Day
- May Day Event – May Day Tours and a returning “Special Visitor”
- International Museum Day Event – The Stamp Rally and Event Rewards
- Wedding Season Event – Cyrus and Reese’s Wedding Rewards and Heart Crystals on Harv’s Island
- Bug-Off – Event Date, Start Time, Flick and Rewards Explained
- Fishing Tourney – Event Date, Start Time, C.J. and Rewards Explained
- Fireworks Show – Event Date, Start Time, Redd’s Raffle Items List and Custom Fireworks Explained
- Fall Update – Complete Autumn Events Guide
- Halloween Event Guide – How to Get Candy, Lollipops and Prizes from Jack
- Turkey Day – Franklin, Thanksgiving DIY Recipes, Secret Ingredients and Rewards
- Christmas Toy Day Event Guide – Jingle’s Magic Bag and Toy Day Set
- New Year’s Eve Guide – Tom Nook New Year’s Items List
Special Characters
Special characters — many recognisable to series fans from previous Animal Crossing games — periodically pop up around your island or even set up shop. These beloved characters invariably bring opportunities to expand your catalog with special items, so it’s well worth chatting with them when they turn up.
General Help, Tips, Advice, How-Tos, FAQs
Here are some general tips and tricks to make your life in New Horizons that little bit easier. From earning Bells quickly to making use of amiibo cards and figures, we’ve got you covered!
How to Time Travel – What Happens when you Time Travel
Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Happy Home Paradise DLC Walkthrough
The Happy Home Paradise DLC — available for purchase separately or bundled as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription — unlocks a whole range of possibilities in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, including various expanded decoration abilities, new furniture, new and returning characters, the ability to change the time of day and the season and much more.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 3.0 Update & Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – NEW
On 14th January 2026, Animal Crossing: New Horizons got a brand new update to coincide with the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition‘s launch, which is out on 15th January.
There are a ton of new features available via the update, so we’ll cover all of these here, such as the brand new Hotel, Resetti’s services, and Luna’s brand new Slumber Isle.
Where to buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons
If you are completely new to the series, you might want to give our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review a read, where we concluded that the game is an “accessible and addictive masterpiece – 10/10.” Alternatively, find out everything that’s in the Happy Home Paradise DLC.
If you don’t currently own the game, check out Where To Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons On Nintendo Switch and How To Buy The Happy Home Paradise DLC.
Thanks for reading! That concludes our walkthrough guide for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. We’ll continue to update this page and all our other articles on the game.