Why Can’t I Invite a Camper to My Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

So, you’ve got a camper pitching a tent on your lovely island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and you’re practically bursting with excitement to invite them to stay. But, alas, the invitation seems to get lost in the digital ether. What gives? The truth is, there are several reasons why you might be encountering this frustrating situation.

The most common culprits revolve around island infrastructure, villager limits, and the type of camper visiting. Let’s break it down:

• Housing Availability: This is the number one reason. You must have an open housing plot available on your island to invite a camper to move in. If all ten of your villager slots are filled, you’ll need to convince one of your current residents to pack their bags before your camper can consider moving in.

• The First Camper Exception: The very first camper that visits your island after setting up the campsite is a special case. You are required to invite them to live on your island. There’s no wiggle room here. Tom Nook will ensure you have a housing plot ready for them. If you haven’t invited them yet, that could be why other campers are hesitant to join.

• Amiibo Campers vs. Random Campers: Inviting campers via Amiibo cards works differently from inviting random campers who show up on their own. Amiibo campers require a three-day process of inviting them to the campsite, fulfilling their crafting requests each day, before they’ll agree to move in.

• Progressing the Amiibo Invitation: Even with Amiibo campers, the game tracks each invitation as a separate event. You must invite them on three separate days and complete their requests each time.

• Game Progression and Buildings: If you’re still very early in the game and haven’t built Nook’s Cranny or fulfilled the initial housing requests from Tom Nook, new villagers might not be able to move in yet. Ensure you’ve progressed far enough in the storyline.

• Talking to the Camper: This may seem obvious, but you need to interact with the camper repeatedly. Random campers often require multiple conversations and may involve playing card games. Winning these games is usually the key to convincing them to move in, but even losing isn’t always a dead end – keep talking!

• Glitches and Bugs: While rare, there’s always the possibility of a glitch preventing the invitation. Try restarting your game or console.

Understanding these factors can help you diagnose the issue and get your desired camper happily settled on your island. Now, let’s delve into some frequently asked questions to further clarify the camper invitation process.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Inviting Campers

1. How do I get an open housing plot in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

You need to have fewer than 10 villagers. If you have 10, you’ll need to get one of them to move out. This can be achieved through various methods, including ignoring the villager, using Amiibo cards to “force” a move, or simply waiting for a villager to express their desire to leave. Once a villager has decided to move, Tom Nook will put the plot up for sale, making it available for new residents, including campers. This process helps maintain a dynamic community in your virtual world.

2. How do I invite campers using Amiibo?

Head to the NookStop in Resident Services and select “Invite a Camper”. Scan your Amiibo card. The villager will then appear at your campsite. Remember that you need to repeat this process on three separate days, fulfilling their crafting requests each day, before they’ll agree to move in.

3. How many times do I have to talk to a camper to get them to move in?

There’s no fixed number. It depends on the camper and the situation. With random campers, you might need to talk to them dozens of times and play several card games. With Amiibo campers, it’s a three-day process with crafting requests. Persistence is key! The Games Learning Society explores how such game mechanics promote perseverance and problem-solving. Check out GamesLearningSociety.org for more information.

4. Can I choose which villager moves out when I invite a camper?

If you invite a camper using an Amiibo card, you can choose which villager they replace. During the three-day process, on the third day, when the Amiibo camper expresses their interest in moving in, they will suggest a villager to move out. If you aren’t happy with that choice, you can decline and they will suggest another villager, and so on. However, if you invite a random camper from the campsite, the villager they choose to replace will be random.

5. What happens if I lose the card game with a camper?

Losing the card game isn’t the end! Keep talking to the camper. They may eventually change their mind and offer to play again. Persistence can pay off.

6. How often do campers visit my island?

Campers appear randomly, typically about once a week. However, if you time travel, you might skip over the day a camper was scheduled to arrive.

7. Do I need Nintendo Switch Online to invite campers?

No, Nintendo Switch Online is not required to invite campers to your island or to use Amiibo cards. It is only required for online multiplayer features, such as visiting other players’ islands or trading villagers.

8. Can I invite a camper if my island is full?

Not directly. You need to have an empty housing plot available unless you use an Amiibo card to invite a camper, in which case you can choose to replace one of your existing villagers.

9. What if I don’t like the camper that’s visiting?

You are not obligated to invite a random camper to move to your island (unless it’s the first camper after you build the campsite). If you don’t like them, simply ignore them. They’ll eventually leave, and a new camper will visit another day.

10. How long do campers stay at the campsite?

Campers typically stay for one day. If you don’t interact with them, they’ll be gone the next day.

11. Can other players invite campers from my campsite?

No, campsite villagers can only be recruited by players from the town that they are camping in. This is to prevent players from “villager hunting” on other people’s islands and ensures that recruitment is organic to each individual island.

12. Can I use the same Amiibo card multiple times?

Yes! Amiibo cards last forever and can be reused as many times as you like. The game tracks the visits and request completion, not the card itself.

13. Is there a limit to how many villagers I can have on my island?

The maximum number of villagers you can have on your island is 10. This is a hard limit, and you cannot exceed it under normal circumstances.

14. What happens if I accidentally ignore my first camper?

If you ignore the first camper, they will remain at your campsite until you speak to them. They are required to move in, and the game will not progress to the next stage until you invite them.

15. Why aren’t any villagers visiting my campsite?

Villagers will randomly show up at the campsite, unless you use an Amiibo card to summon a specific villager. This can occur whether or not you have an open plot. Keep playing and checking the campsite daily, and eventually, someone will visit.

Hopefully, this comprehensive guide and FAQ section have shed some light on the camper invitation process in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. With a little patience and understanding of the game mechanics, you’ll soon have your dream island populated with your favorite villagers!