The Cardinal Sins of Animal Crossing: New Horizons Explained

Despite being over four years old since its launch, the life simulation game Animal Crossing: New Horizons still enchants and engages players from various genres. This groundbreaking title revitalized the franchise by reimagining what it could offer, setting new standards in gameplay mechanics like crafting and foraging. These elements have since become hallmarks for numerous games that share a similar relaxed, slice-of-life approach. Now, with Nintendo’s latest console unveiled, many players are returning to Animal Crossing: New Horizons to relive the magic that captivated a vast player community during the early months of 2020.

Exploring the excitement surrounding the rumored release of a new “Animal Crossing” game for Switch 2 in 2025, diving into “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” will feel as effortless as swatting at an unappealing villager with a net. Yet, both beginners and experts might be so enamored by the charm of the familiar and the novel that they overlook their decisions in “New Horizons.” Below are some common mistakes even experienced players can make in “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” and how to steer clear of them.

The Biggest Cardinal Sin for Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Starting Without A Plan

In the initial stages of “Animal Crossing: New Horizons”, an unprecedented sense of conclusion was introduced, which was unexpected in the series. From arriving on a deserted island to creating a paradise suitable for a K.K. Slider performance, the early days of “New Horizons” function as a guide for players to explore new aspects of the franchise. However, it’s quite simple to fall into typical gameplay traps during this learning phase; some errors can even begin within the first five minutes of the game.

Cardinal Sin: Picking a Map At Random

As soon as gamers start their game, they’re warmly welcomed by the charming duo, Timmy and Tommy Nook. These characters assist in selecting an island that serves as their home base. Initially, any island would do since the layout of essential structures like the airport or town hall didn’t seem to matter much. However, fast forward to 2025, making a hasty choice based solely on random selection can be a significant mistake due to the constraints and commitments players might encounter later in terms of building layout and location.

Cardinal Sin: Not Planning Where to Place Villager Homes

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it’s essential for players to thoughtfully arrange their building placements since villager homes play a crucial role in the island design. A player can have up to ten villagers living on their island, and relocating a villager home costs 10,000 bells each time. That means moving every house would set you back 100,000 bells. If you decide to move your own home, it’ll cost an additional 30,000 bells. To make matters worse, homes can only be moved once per day, which could stretch the process over a week or more. To bypass the financial and time-consuming strain, it’s wise to have a well-thought-out island layout plan right from the start.

Cardinal Sin: Don’t Overspend Nook Miles

At the start of the game, it can be really enticing to use Nook Miles on distinctive items for your character or to enhance your island’s appearance. However, since there are limited ways to earn Nook Miles initially, it might be wiser to hold off on buying cosmetic goods until later. Instead, focus on accumulating Nook Mile Tickets (NMTs) for more significant in-game rewards.

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Nook Mile Tickets serve as the unique means for players to explore mysterious islands. These journeys represent entry points into discovering rarer resources once an island begins to develop. Furthermore, these secret islands offer a simple way for players to find some of the game’s finest villagers. Therefore, it is advisable for players to momentarily set aside their personal comfort items like custom phone cases or tropical shirts and focus instead on acquiring those valuable Nook Mile Tickets, which will lead them to exciting discoveries.

Day-To-Day Cardinal Sins for Animal Crossing: New Horizons

After the initial challenges of the first few days in Animal Crossing: New Horizons lessen, players might unknowingly slip into poor habits despite mastering the game’s fundamentals. These detrimental gaming practices can significantly impede your island’s development to an exasperating extent, encompassing everything from poorly planned island layouts to financial missteps that stunt your progress.

Cardinal Sin: Not Giving The First Fossil or Critter to Blathers

In the enchanting world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, I find myself hooked on the bell-making cycle. As a player, I’m often tempted to sell various items such as accessories, bugs, furniture pieces, and fossils for quick bells. However, these bugs and fossils can bring in substantial income after being caught. Yet, I urge my fellow island representatives to think twice before selling them.

As caretakers of our vibrant islands, we have the honorable task of filling the museum with art, bugs, and fossils. Since bugs and fossils are more abundant than paintings, there’s a temptation to rush to Nook’s Cranny for a quick profit. However, a wise rule of thumb is to donate the first of anything we catch to Blathers, ensuring our museum becomes the envy of all other islands.

Cardinal Sin: Not Knowing When to Eat

Engaging in the quest for an ideal island on “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” frequently encourages players to delve deeply into extensive landscape modifications. Hours might slip away as you painstakingly alter the terrain, design waterways, and, most laboriously, move rocks and trees around. You may find yourself tirelessly attempting to break rocks with a weak shovel or uprooting and extracting tree trunks one at a time. However, amidst all this activity, players often neglect an unexpectedly potent and easily accessible aid that could significantly boost their progress: the simple snack.

Eating any food, whether it’s a simple piece of fruit or a complex meal made from one of New Horizon‘s DIY recipes, provides the player with a temporary boost of energy. This new strength enables the player to smash even the most resilient rocks with just one strike of their shovel, transforming what was once a tedious task into an instant demolition. Likewise, fully-grown trees can be effortlessly uprooted and replanted in a different spot.

In the enchanting realm of Animal Crossing, mindlessly munching on fruit “just in case” isn’t always a smart move. After all, striking rocks can lead to earning Bells or precious gems, and unintentionally forfeiting a potential income source for the day can be quite disheartening. As diligent players, it’s crucial for us to strategize our days effectively, avoiding unnecessary fruit consumption or dashing off to the nearest restroom to expel any excess energy we might have accumulated.

Cardinal Sin: Not Investing in the Stalk Market

You might not come across Daisy Mae early on Sunday mornings, especially if you’re not an early riser. But don’t overlook her, as she plays a crucial role in the Stalk Market of New Horizons. This market offers a great chance to amass large amounts of Bells at any stage of your island adventure – from immediately following the K.K. Slider concert to many years into a flourishing five-star island. Refusing Daisy Mae’s turnip deals could mean missing out on a significant wealth-building opportunity.

It’s important to note that turnips spoil after seven days in the game Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Spoiled turnips have no value and players stand to lose them if Daisy Mae doesn’t visit again before they rot. To avoid this, it’s advisable to sell the turnips before the end of the weekend. You can do this by visiting Nook’s Cranny where Timmy and Tommy will provide the current price for turnips. The price changes daily, becoming cheaper as Sunday approaches. For maximum profit, try selling your turnips mid-week (Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday). Players attempting to manipulate profits through time travel should be aware that their turnips will spoil automatically if such activity is detected.

Cardinal Sin: Getting Stressed Over an Unwanted Villager

In the game Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players have encountered the annoyance of unexpected villagers moving onto their island, causing them to scramble for ways to get rid of these newcomers. However, resorting to hitting the NPC characters with a net is not the most effective means of eviction in this game. Instead, it’s all about exhibiting patience. Island residents should strive to establish a rapport with the villagers they wish to part ways with, even if it seems illogical. It’s important to remember that every Animal Crossing game follows a cycle, and after a certain stage of friendship, each villager will eventually express a desire to leave the town. By cultivating relationships, even with unwanted NPCs, you can encourage them to ask for your permission to depart. If patience is not your virtue, or if the cycle doesn’t progress as desired, players can use an Amiibo card to swap out their unwanted villager for one they prefer without resorting to violence.

2025-07-05 14:14