Even after almost five years of its release, Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to capture the hearts and attention of players across genres. This life simulation game is a must-play that sparked a revolution by redefining the possibilities of the franchise. It established quality-of-life features, such as crafting and foraging, as staples for many cozy games that follow a similar slice-of-life formula. And now that Nintendo has released its latest console, many players are coming back to Animal Crossing: New Horizons to experience the charm that captivated an entire player base during the early days of 2020.
With endless replayability and rumbles about a new Animal Crossing game for Switch 2 igniting the fandom, getting into Animal Crossing: New Horizons in 2025 is as intuitive as hitting an ugly villager with a net. However, newcomers and veterans alike are likely too dazzled by the comfort of the familiar and the new to think about their New Horizons choices carefully. Below are the cardinal sins of Animal Crossing: New Horizons that even the most seasoned player can commit, and how to avoid them.
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The Biggest Cardinal Sin for Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Starting Without A Plan
The early hours of Animal Crossing: New Horizons introduced a kind of finality that was unheard of in the franchise. From landing on a deserted island to having a paradise worthy of a K.K. Slider concert, the first few days of New Horizons serve as a tutorial for players to discover new features of the franchise. However, it’s pretty easy to be a victim of common gameplay pitfalls during this tutorial period—some mistakes even starting as early as the first five minutes of the game.
Cardinal Sin: Picking a Map At Random
When players first boot up their game, they’re immediately greeted by the adorable Timmy and Tommy Nook, who help them pick an island to call home. At launch, it was easy to choose an island at random—paying little attention to the layouts and locations of unmovable buildings, such as the airport or town hall. However, in 2025, a mindless map selection is a cardinal sin due to the limitations and investments players will have to accept later on.
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Cardinal Sin: Not Planning Where to Place Villager Homes
Of course, a not-so-small part of the game is that player should carefully plan out their building placements. However, villager homes are critical to an island’s layout, since players can have up to ten villagers on their island. Moving a villager home will cost 10,000 bells every time. Therefore, players would need to invest 100,000 bells if they were to move every house on the island to achieve their desired aesthetic. And if players want to move their own home, 30,000 bells will be added to the bill. To make the inconvenience a triple whammy, homes can only be moved once a day, so the hassle will extend itself well over the course of a week. It’s best to avoid this financial and time-consuming stress by having a solid island layout plan in New Horizons early on.
Cardinal Sin: Don’t Overspend Nook Miles
Early in the game, it’s incredibly tempting to spend Nook Miles on swag items that make an avatar feel unique, or an island more lived-in. But with no quick way to earn Nook Miles in the first few days of in-game efforts, it’s best to leave purchasable cosmetics for last. Instead, players should save up for Nook Mile Tickets (NMTs).
Nook Mile Tickets are the only way players can visit mystery islands. These trips are the gateway to foraging for scarcer resources once an island is starting to take proper shape. Additionally, mystery islands are an easy way for players to scout out some of the best villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. So, players should ditch the comfort of a custom phone case or a tropical shirt for only a while when their eyes should be on the prize: those precious Nook Mile Tickets.
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Day-To-Day Cardinal Sins for Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Once the grind of the first few days in Animal Crossing: New Horizons subsides, players may still fall into bad habits even after they have surpassed the learning curve. The gameplay sins in New Horizons actually hinder island growth to a frustrating degree, from inefficient island compositions to money-stunting oversights.
Cardinal Sin: Not Giving The First Fossil or Critter to Blathers
Making bells in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an addictive cycle. Players looking for a quick bell may be inclined to sell just about anything: accessories, bugs, furniture items, and fossils. And while bugs and fossils may be big money-makers after catching them, island representatives may want to pause before selling. Island representatives are tasked with the fulfilling task of populating the museum with art, bugs, and fossils. And because bugs and fossils are a lot easier to find than a painting, players may rush to Nook’s Cranny to make a profit. A good rule of thumb to follow should be to donate the first of anything one catches to Blathers to have a museum worthy of envy.
Cardinal Sin: Not Knowing When to Eat
Pursuing a perfect island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons often leads players down the path of extensive terraforming. Hours can be spent meticulously adjusting terrain, shaping waterways, and, perhaps most time-consuming, repositioning rocks and trees. Players might find themselves chipping away at rocks with a flimsy shovel unsuccessfully or chopping up and plucking out tree trunks one by one. Yet, amidst the hustle and bustle, many players overlook a surprisingly powerful and readily available tool that can drastically accelerate their efforts: the humble snack.
From a piece of fruit to a more elaborate meal crafted using one of New Horizon’s DIY recipes, consuming any food item grants the player an expendable surge of energy. With this newfound power, the player can destroy even the most stubborn rocks with a single swing of their shovel, turning what was a laborious process into a swift act of demolition. Similarly, fully grown trees can be uprooted and replanted with ease in a new location.
But eating fruit in Animal Crossing “just in case” is not always a great idea. In a world where hitting rocks can result in earning money or valuable gems, accidentally losing a source of income for the day can be devastating. Players should carefully plan their days and ensure that they don't eat when they don’t need to, or head to their nearest toilet to flush away excess energy.
Cardinal Sin: Not Investing in the Stalk Market
It’s easy to miss Daisy Mae on Sunday morning, especially if one is not an early bird. However, Daisy Mae is the key to the stalk market. New Horizon’s stalk market is a surefire way to earn big bells at any point in the island journey—from right after the K.K. Slider concert to years down a thriving five-star island. Rejecting Daisy Mae’s turnip offerings means missing out on a prime opportunity for wealth.
However, players should be warned that turnips spoil in seven days. Rotten turnips are worthless, leaving to a total loss by the next time Daisy Mae rolls into town again. Players should prioritize selling their turnips before the end of the weekend. To sell turnips, the island representative can head over to Nook’s Cranny, where Timmy and Tommy will share the current price for turnips. This value fluctuates daily, being cheaper the closer it is to Sunday. The best time to sell turnips in Animal Crossing: New Horizons will generally be mid-week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday). However, players who are caught cheesing their way toward profit will learn a valuable lesson in cheating, since turnips will go bad automatically if time traveling is detected.
Cardinal Sin: Getting Stressed Over an Unwanted Villager
Every Animal Crossing: New Horizons player has experienced the frustration of an unwelcome villager moving to their island, often leading to a frantic search for eviction strategies. Yet, swinging a net to whack the poor NPC is never the best way to get rid of a villager in New Horizons. All it takes is patience. Island representatives should build a relationship with their unwanted villagers, even if it seems counterintuitive. However, all Animal Crossing games are meant to be cyclical. And after a certain point in the friendship, every villager will want to leave the town behind. Building rapport even with an unwanted NPC will mean that they will eventually ask the island villager for their blessing to go. And if all else fails and patience is not a virtue, players can scan an Amiibo to replace their unwanted villager with one they don’t want to whack.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- March 20, 2020
- ESRB
- Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Nintendo EPD
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- Havok
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Expansions
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons — Happy Home Paradise
WHERE TO PLAY
Escape to a deserted island and create your own paradise as you explore, create, and customize in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game. Your island getaway has a wealth of natural resources that can be used to craft everything from tools to creature comforts. You can hunt down insects at the crack of dawn, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean. The time of day and season match real life, so each day on your island is a chance to check in and find new surprises all year round.
Show off your island utopia to family and friends—or pack your bags and visit theirs. Whether playing online** or with others beside you***, island living is even better when you can share it. Even without hopping on a flight, you’ll meet a cast of charming animal residents bursting with personality. Friendly faces like Tom Nook and Isabelle will lend their services and happily help you grow your budding community. Escape to your island getaway—however, whenever, and wherever you want.
- Franchise
- Animal Crossing
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2
