Welcome to our Beginner's Guide to Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) for the Nintendo Switch. In addition to tips on starting off the game, we will cover what you should do daily to make the most of your time when playing Animal Crossing.

Before Getting to the Island

Before Getting to the Island
1	Put in your name and birthday,
2	Set up your look.
3	Select a hemisphere.
4	Select an island layout.
5	Choose what you want to bring to the island.

1. Put in Your Name and Birthday

Cannot be changed later on!

The first thing you'll do when starting a new save game is typing in your name and birthday. These things cannot be changed later on, so pick something good!

Unchangeable Features

2. Set Up Your Look

Can be changed later on

Next, choose how your character will look by selecting your skin color, facial features, hairstyle, and more!

These can be changed later on, so no need to think too hard about it in the beginning. The hairstyles available to you in the beginning are scarce, but you'll get more later on.

How to Change Your Face and Hair

3. Select a Hemisphere

Affects the seasons

After choosing your name, birthday, and features, you will be able to select the hemisphere you want to live.

The main difference is that the seasons experienced will be polar opposites, meaning that the bugs and fish you can get in each month will differ.

If you don't have a preference, you can just go with the hemisphere you live in (northern hemisphere for U.S.A.).

Which Hemisphere Should You Choose?

4. Select an Island Layout

Rare Layouts
Enlarge Star-Shaped Pond	Enlarge Heart Pond
Enlarge Ribbon-Shaped Pond	Enlarge Bone-Shaped Pond

Some islands layouts are pretty rare

You'll be given four island layouts to choose from. If you're lucky, you might get one with a pond that has some kind of special shape! Your lifestyle will be slightly affected by the shape of island that you choose.

If you're particular about the layout you have, you could always reroll. To learn more about island layouts and rerolling, see the article below.

How to Choose the Best Island Layout

5. Choose What You Want to Bring to the Island

Has no effect on the rest of the game

The Nooklings will ask you what thing you would bring to a deserted island. Though it may seem like an important choice, it actually has no effect on the game, so answer with whatever first comes to mind!

What Should You Choose to Bring to the Island?

Tips and Tricks Before Getting Your NookPhone

Before Getting Your NookPhone
1	Greet your starting villagers.
2	Choose your tent location.
3	Get 10 branches and 6 fruits.
4	Decide on your island name.
5	Get your NookPhone after going to bed.

1. Greet Your Starting Villagers

There are a few rules that determine your starting villagers

The first thing you will need to do is greet the first villagers. There are a few rules for determining which starting villagers will appear, so be sure and check with the page below.

List of Starting Villagers

2. Choose Your Tent Location

You can move you house position later on

Next, decide the location of your tent. After getting ahead a bit, you'll be able to spend 50,000 Bells and move your house. If you want to avoid having to pay this later, we suggest picking a good spot.

You can also set up your neighbors' tents!

Best Tent Location and How to Move

3. Get 10 Branches and 6 Fruits

Shake trees to pick up items

After choosing your tent's location, Tom Nook will ask you for 10 Branches and 6 Fruits.

There's a limit to the number of fallen branches that you can pick up, so you'll need to shake the trees to get more. Each tree has three fruit on it, so shaking two trees and picking up the fallen fruit should be enough.

How to Get Tree Branches Fast

How to Get All Fruits

4. Decide on Your Island Name

This cannot be changed later

Next, Nook will ask you to come up with an island name. This can't be changed later on, so pick something that you won't regret later.

Take note that you also can't change the location of your town hall.

Island Names | What Will You Name Your Island?

5. Get your NookPhone After Going to Bed

After going to bed in your tent and waking up, Tom Nook will stop by to deliver your NookPhone. This will allow you to participate in various activities throughout the island, so be sure to check your apps!

List of NookPhone Apps and How to Unlock Them

Before Unlocking the Museum

Before Unlocking the Museum
1	Make a Fishing Rod and Net at Resident Services.
2	Hand 5 critters over to Tom Nook.
3	Decide where the museum will be built.

1. Make a Fishing Rod and Net at Resident Services

Once the payback of your first loan begins, the first thing you'll want to do is make a Flimsy Fishing Rod and a Flimsy Net.

Both of these recipes are obtained by inspecting the DIY workbench at Resident Services and taking part in the DIY tutorial. Get the recipes for free and make the tools right away.

How to Get DIY Crafting Recipes | List of Recipes

2. Hand 5 Critters Over to Tom Nook

What do you receive for each critter you hand over?

Item Number	Reward
1st Critter	Critterpedia
2nd Critter	Flimsy Axe and Wooden Furniture Recipes
3rd Critter	Flower Seeds (Random Type)
4th Critter	Flimsy Watering Can Recipe
5th Critter	Museum Unlocked After choosing a location, the museum will be open from the next day.

After giving a total of five bugs or fish to Nook, he will call his old friend Blathers, who will come to the island to set up a pre-museum tent.

You'll get an item or recipe each time you show Tom Nook a creature, so go out and get the five critters he needs!

3. Choose the Museum's Location

The building will be finished the following day

You will need to give five creatures (bugs and fish) to Tom Nook, at which point you will be able to choose the location of the museum.

After you do this, Blathers will come to your island on the next day, so start saving up things to donate!

How to Unlock the Museum

Tips and Tricks for Paying Back Your First Loan

Repaying the first loan
Save 5,000 Nook Miles and pay back the first loan.

Save 5,000 Miles and Pay Back the First Loan

After you pay back your first loan, you will be able to do a lot more on your island. After building your first fishing rod, shoot for 5000 miles to pay back your initial loan.

How to Get 5,000 Nook Miles Fast

Ask to upgrade your home right away

After paying of the 5,000 Nook Miles, go ahead and ask Nook for a home renovation. This will allow you to pick up even more Nook Miles, giving you access to Nook Mile-exclusive items from the Nook Stop.

How to Pay Off Your Loan and Upgrade Your Tent and House

Tips and Tricks for Unlocking Nook's Cranny

Unlocking Nook's Cranny
1	Gather 30 of each required material.
2	Decide on the shop's location.

1. Gather 30 of Each Required Material

Required Materials	Quantity
Wood	30
Hardwood
Softwood
Iron Nugget

In order to unlock Nook's Cranny, gather up 30 of each required material from the list above. Resources will drop from trees and rocks once per day. Collect lots of materials to craft items!

Things you should collect daily

Source	Material Gained
Trees (Including Fruit Trees)	3 of the following: ・Softwood ・Wood ・Hardworrd
Rocks	8 of the following: ・Stones ・Clay ・Iron Nuggets Occasionally Bells will appear from a Money Rock

2. Decide on a Location

After you've finally gotten all of the materials above, feel free to choose the shop's location.

Anywhere open should be fine, but since you'll be going there a lot, try and pick a spot near your own house! Talk to Timmy again after to complete the preparations.

To see more details on how to build Nook's Cranny, see the article below.

How to Unlock Nook's Cranny and Upgrade It

Tips and Tricks for Building a House

Building a House
1	Get a lot of Miles to collect even more items.
2	Make lots of money.

1. Get a Lot of Miles to Collect More Items

The Nook Stop terminal will be accessible after asking Tom Nook for a home upgrade. This terminal lets you exchange miles for items, such as more durable tools.

After paying off your initial loan, you'll be able to upgrade to Nook Miles+.

Read our guide below for what you should be spending your Nook Miles on first!

What Should You Spend Nook Miles on First?

2. Make Lots of Money!

You have to repay a new loan of 98,000 Bells after upgrading your home. This time, you have to pay in Bells instead of Miles, so sell fish and bugs and start saving!

How to Get Bells (Money) Fast

Frequenty Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Should I Do After Day 2?

Answer: Become an Island Designer!

One of the main goals in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is to become an Island Designer. To do this, complete Tom Nook's tasks to earn as many items, bells (money), and Nook Miles as possible.

What You Can Do with Island Designer

How Do I Chop Down Trees?

Answer: Chop trees down with the Axe.

Though you can easily obtain the Flimsy Axe and the Stone Axe, early in the game, you won't be able to chop down trees until you have the Axe.

Once you've paid the initial loan of 5,000 Miles to Tom Nook, you can purchase the Pretty Good Tools Recipes for 3,000 Miles from Nook Stop on the “Redeem Your Miles” screen. This will give you access to a variety of non-Flimsy tools, including the Axe.

How to Chop Down Trees

How Do I Get Across the River?

Answer: One method is by using the Vaulting Pole.

Cross the river after obtaining the Vaulting Pole. To obtain it, give Tom Nook 5 distinct creatures, obtain the DIY recipe from Blathers, then craft it in the DIY workbench.

Check out the link below for detailed instructions and for other methods of crossing the river.

How to Cross the River

Do I Have to Wait a Day for Events to Pass?

Answer: No. You can travel to the future by changing the date and time on your Switch.

If you can't wait for the actual day to pass, manually change the date and time of your Switch. However, there are pros and cons to time travelling, so do it wisely.

Check the button below to learn how to time travel.

How to Time Travel

How Do I Climb a Cliff?

Answer: Obtain and use the Ladder.

After crossing the river, you will still be limited by cliffs. The ladder won't be obtained until later in the game, but don't worry! You'll be able to progress through the game without obtaining it right away.

Check out the button below for detailed instructions on how to get the Ladder and climb cliffs.

How to Climb Cliffs

Can I Break Rocks?

Answer: Yes! Eat fruit, then break rocks with an Axe or a Shovel.

It's possible to break rocks by eating food to gain stamina, then breaking rocks with an Axe or a Shovel. You can break one rock per one fruit eaten.

Rocks return after a day, so don't worry about running out of rocks to break!

Click the button below for detailed instructions of how to break rocks.

How to Break Rocks

When Will the Airport (Online Play) Be Available?

Answer: One day after starting

The Airport is open for business from the second day of play. When you start playing, Tom Nook will announce that the Airport has been opened.
How to Unlock the Airport

How Do I Raise My Island Rating?

Answer: Decorate your Island!

Increase the island's star rating by decorating it with lots of furniture and add more flowers and trees. Placing DIY furniture will significantly increase your ratings, so rack up those materials and recipes!

How to Increase Island Star Rating

Can You Proceed With the Story As The Second Player?

Answer: You cannot proceed if you're not the Island Representative

The second and subsequent players cannot affect the story directly. Instead, they have to help the Island Representative to gather materials and furniture necessary to advance the story.

How Do You Make a Second Island?

Answer: You need a second Switch

To create a second island, you need to have a second Switch. The way save files work in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is that each save file contains one island for one Switch. Every user on a Switch will have to share that island.

Related Guides

All Tips & Tricks

Beginner Guides

Beginner Guides
Beginner's Guide to Animal Crossing New Horizons	Unchangeable Features
Which Hemisphere Should You Choose?	Best Island Layouts
What Should You Choose to Bring to the Island?	Island Names
Best House and Tent Location	How to Cross Rivers and Waters
How to Get Furniture and Materials for House Kits	How to Climb Cliffs
What is the Bulletin Board?	How to Get Pocket Camp Items
How to Get Nook Points