How Long Does It Take for Isabelle to Come to Your Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Isabelle, the ever-helpful and adorable Shih Tzu, is a beloved character in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. But how long does it actually take for her to arrive on your island and bring her organizational skills to Resident Services? The short answer is: it typically takes around a week, give or take a few days, to unlock Isabelle. This timeline depends on how quickly you can complete the necessary milestones that trigger her arrival.

Unlocking Isabelle: A Step-by-Step Guide

While the exact time can vary based on your gameplay pace, here’s a breakdown of the key steps required to bring Isabelle to your island:

1. Establish Your Island: Begin by getting through the initial stages of the game. This involves choosing your island layout, setting up your tent, and generally familiarizing yourself with the mechanics of the game.

2. Build Nook’s Cranny: One of the first major milestones is constructing Nook’s Cranny, the island’s first permanent shop. This requires gathering resources like wood, iron nuggets, and clay. It might take 1-2 days, depending on how actively you pursue gathering materials.

3. Invite Three Villagers: After Nook’s Cranny is built, Tom Nook will task you with preparing plots for three new villagers to move in. This involves crafting furniture for their homes. This is a pivotal part of the unlock process.

4. Prepare Homes for New Residents: You’ll need to craft the interior and exterior furniture required for these three new homes. Once you have completed this, place them in your desired location.

5. Wait for the Villagers to Move In: Once you’ve prepared the plots, the villagers will start moving in. It usually takes about a day for each villager to arrive, so this process takes approximately 3 days in total.

6. Resident Services Upgrade: After all three villagers have moved in, Tom Nook will announce the upgrade of the Resident Services tent to a proper building. This upgrade takes one full day.

7. Isabelle’s Arrival: Once the new Resident Services building is complete, Isabelle will arrive the next day! She will make an announcement with Tom Nook and officially start her role on the island.

What to Expect After Isabelle Arrives

Once Isabelle joins your island, she will handle a variety of tasks including:

• Island Evaluations: She will evaluate your island and provide feedback on how to improve it.
• Changing the Island Tune and Flag: You can customize these elements through Isabelle.
• Handling Resident Concerns: You can report villagers’ inappropriate behavior or clothing to Isabelle (though this doesn’t actually make them leave; more on that later).
• Announcements: She will provide daily announcements about island events and visitor information.

Factors That Can Affect the Timeline

While a week is a general estimate, several factors can influence how quickly you unlock Isabelle:

• Active Gameplay: If you play regularly and actively pursue the objectives, you’ll likely unlock Isabelle sooner.
• Resource Gathering: The faster you can gather resources, especially for Nook’s Cranny and the villager homes, the quicker you’ll progress.
• Daily Check-ins: Consistent daily play helps keep the story moving forward and ensures villagers move in on schedule.

Isabelle: More Than Just a Friendly Face

Isabelle is not only a friendly face but also a vital part of your island’s infrastructure. Her services are essential for island development and maintaining a positive atmosphere. If you are interested in learning more about the social and emotional development of students involved in gaming, check out the Games Learning Society website. You can visit GamesLearningSociety.org to explore this further.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How soon after starting the game can I expect to see Isabelle?

Expect to see Isabelle about a week after starting the game, provided you actively work on the necessary tasks, such as building Nook’s Cranny, inviting three villagers, and waiting for Resident Services to upgrade.

2. What happens if I don’t invite villagers quickly enough? Does it delay Isabelle’s arrival?

If you don’t invite villagers promptly, the game will eventually fill the plots with randomly generated villagers. While this won’t necessarily delay Isabelle’s arrival, it will prevent you from choosing who your initial residents are.

3. Does time traveling in the game affect how quickly Isabelle arrives?

Yes, time traveling (adjusting the system clock on your Nintendo Switch) can significantly affect Isabelle’s arrival. You can fast-forward through the waiting periods for buildings to construct and villagers to move in, speeding up the process. However, be cautious as time traveling can affect other aspects of the game, such as turnip prices and villager relationships.

4. Can I invite Isabelle to live on my island directly without going through the story progression?

No, you cannot invite Isabelle to live on your island directly without progressing through the storyline. Her arrival is specifically tied to the upgrade of Resident Services.

5. What is the first thing Isabelle does when she arrives on the island?

The first thing Isabelle does upon arrival is make an announcement with Tom Nook about the opening of the upgraded Resident Services building. She will also introduce herself and explain her role in assisting with island management.

6. Can Isabelle help me get rid of unwanted villagers?

While you can complain to Isabelle about a villager, it doesn’t guarantee they will leave. Complaining resets the villager’s dialogue and clothing, but it’s not a direct method of eviction.

7. What does Isabelle do all day on my island?

Isabelle spends her days at the Resident Services building, providing island evaluations, customizing the island tune and flag, handling resident concerns, and making daily announcements.

8. Is there any way to speed up the construction of Nook’s Cranny to get Isabelle faster?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to speed up the actual construction process of Nook’s Cranny once you’ve provided the necessary materials. However, gathering the materials as quickly as possible will get you to the construction phase faster.

9. What happens if I already have 10 villagers on my island? Will Isabelle still come?

Isabelle’s arrival is not dependent on the number of villagers on your island. She will come as long as you complete the necessary storyline progression, regardless of how many residents you have.

10. What happens to Tom Nook’s role once Isabelle arrives?

Tom Nook continues to play a significant role even after Isabelle arrives. He focuses more on infrastructure development, such as building bridges, inclines, and expanding your home. Isabelle handles the more administrative and community-focused tasks.

11. Can I change Isabelle’s outfit in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

No, you cannot directly change Isabelle’s outfit in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. She always wears her signature green and white uniform.

12. Is Isabelle present in the Happy Home Paradise DLC?

Yes, Isabelle is present in the Happy Home Paradise DLC. If you have her amiibo, you can invite her to visit the archipelago and design a vacation home for her.

13. What are the benefits of getting a high island evaluation from Isabelle?

A high island evaluation from Isabelle leads to several benefits, including receiving the golden watering can DIY recipe and unlocking the ability to have K.K. Slider perform on your island. A higher evaluation also increases the chances of attracting new villagers.

14. Does Isabelle have any special dialogue or interactions on specific holidays?

Yes, Isabelle often has special dialogue and wears holiday-themed outfits during events like Bunny Day, Halloween, and Christmas. Interacting with her during these times can provide unique insights and festive cheer.

15. Can you get Isabelle on your island if you have multiple player profiles on one Switch?

Yes, Isabelle will arrive on the island regardless of the number of player profiles on one Switch. Her arrival is tied to the island’s progression, not individual player profiles. As long as the milestones are met, she will appear.