How do you play Animal Crossing?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is similar to many of the past Animal Crossing games before it. Selling fish, bugs, and fruit is your main source of income, and bells are the currency used in game. In New Horizons, you can build up your little island into a 5 star resort with up to 10 villagers living there. Decorate your island, redesign your island with terraforming, and invite friends from other islands online (with a Nintendo Online Membership)!

New Things in This Game

The main aspect of New Horizons that sets it apart from its predecessors is the crafting component. You now must gather building materials from your island to craft various tools, decorations, and more! Wood can be found by chopping trees with an axe, branches found by shaking trees, iron and rock found by hitting rocks with your shovel. However, each rock and tree has a limited output of material per day, so sometimes you need to go around grinding materials for a while.

Another feature is Nook Miles! Previously, the only way to purchase items were with Bells, which could only be gained by selling things. However, now you can get daily Nook Miles by completing various tasks or accomplishing milestones. These Nook Miles can get you various goods to decorate your island, upgraded inventory, or DIY recipes!

Another new feature is the inclusion of Dodo Airlines! These dodo pilots can take you to see your friends from online islands, or help you invite your own friends over. Another bonus are the Mysterious Island Tours. You can only go on these trips if you buy a Nook Miles Ticket (purchased only with 2,000 Nook Miles), but there is plenty of pay off to doing so. Normally, the tour will land you on an island similar to your own, with the same fauna and fruits. However, you may sometimes land on an island with a non-native fruit, which you can then harvest, regrow on your island, and sell for double the price! And if you are very lucky, you may get a rare island. These include

Bamboo IslandOnly bamboo is present on the island

Hybrid Flower IslandAll fauna are composed of hybrid flowers, usually only found when trying to cross breed flowers

Money Rock IslandAll rocks on the island can be struck by a shovel, and bells will come out

Tarantula IslandTarantulas, which sell for 9,000 bells a piece, spawn indefinitely

Scorpion IslandScorpions, which sell for 9,000 bells a piece, spawn indefinitely

Dorsal Fin IslandHigh amounts of fish with dorsal fins, which all sell for varying high prices

. Or perhaps you may be unlucky and land yourself on

Garbage IslandThe only things you fish up are garbage

Tools and How to Use Them

Shovel
- Shovels can be used to hit rocks and dig up fossils and clams. Fossils can be found by the cracks in the ground, and you dig at its center. Clams can be located by finding a stream of water occasionally protruding from the sand on the beaches. Shovels can also be used to uproot tree trunks after cutting down the tree. Also, if you eat a fruit before hand, you are capable of uprooting an entire tree to be planted later.

Axe
- There are 2 types of non-flimsy axes. A stone axe is excellent for getting wood and leaving the tree intact. An axe can be used to cut down a tree fully.

Fishing Rod
- Used to catch fish in streams, ponds, and oceans. You can find fish by looking for shadows in the water. You can also use manila clams to make fish bait that will instantly spawn a fish.

Net
- Nets are used to catch various bugs. Creep up close to a bug and press “A” to swing your net. But be sure not to chase off any bugs by running by too quickly!

Pole Vault
- Very useful in the beginning of the game, as it is the only way to get over the river if you don’t have a bridge. This item allows you to finally explore the other parts of your island!

Ladder
- Also very useful in the beginning of the game. It lets you climb up cliff sides, so you can finally access the higher parts of your island!

Slingshot
- Be sure to always have a slingshot handy, because you never know when a present will come floating by! Gifts are usually spotted in the sky floating by a balloon. It’s presence is accompanied by a windy noise, so make sure you have your volume on. Simply place yourself directly under the balloon, shoot up, and you have yourself a free gift!