How Often Do Campsite Villagers Come to Your Island?
Campsite visitors in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) appear with a degree of randomness, making it a common question among players how frequently they can expect these potential new residents to visit. In short, a campsite villager will appear approximately once a week, although it isn’t on a fixed day. This means the exact day of the week and which villager will appear are both random, adding an element of surprise to each visit. If you happen to skip forward in time, you may unintentionally miss a visit. Now, let’s dive into more details about how campsite visitors work and some of the nuances surrounding them!
Understanding Campsite Mechanics
Campsite villagers are a unique part of the ACNH experience. They provide a way to encounter new villagers without relying on mystery island tours or hoping for a villager to move out naturally. These villagers set up camp on your island, allowing you to interact with them, play games, and even eventually invite them to move in. This is true whether your island is full, or you have available empty plots, they will still come visit you.
Factors Affecting Campsite Visits
While the general guideline is that campsite villagers appear roughly once a week, there are some factors that might lead you to see them more or less frequently:
- Randomness: The most significant factor is the randomness of their appearance. No specific day is guaranteed for a visit.
- Time Skips: If you are time traveling (TT), you may inadvertently skip days on which a camper is scheduled to visit. This can make it seem like they are showing up irregularly.
- Amiibo Invitations: Using Amiibo cards or figures will force a visit. You can invite a specific villager to your campsite at any time, regardless of when a random camper last visited.
- First Camper: The very first campsite visitor you receive is tied to the game’s progression and is not random. This villager is part of a mandatory quest, after which the random visits will begin.
Engaging With Campsite Visitors
When a camper arrives, it opens a new way to interact with the villager in question. This can include:
- Conversations: Speaking to them multiple times can reveal tidbits about their personality, why they are camping, and potentially lead to the option to invite them to stay.
- Games: Campers may invite you to play games, which must be completed to progress in inviting them to stay. Even if you do not win these games, keep trying.
- DIY Requests: If you’re inviting a villager to move in, they will often ask you to complete DIY crafting requests over a few days.
- Moving In: If you choose, and after fulfilling their requests, you can get them to move onto your island.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Campsite Villagers
Here are some of the most common questions about campsite villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
1. Can I get campsite villagers if my island is full?
Yes, absolutely. Campsite villagers can still show up even if you have 10 villagers living on your island. In this case, if you invite the camper to move in, they will ask to replace an existing villager. This happens randomly without your input, unless you use an Amiibo to invite them.
2. How do I get a campsite villager to move to my island permanently?
To have a campsite villager move onto your island permanently, you typically need to talk to them multiple times, fulfill their DIY requests on three separate days, and then invite them. Sometimes, they may play games with you first, but regardless of win or lose, continue to try to engage with the camper.
3. How do I invite campsite villagers with Amiibo cards or figures?
You can invite a specific villager to your campsite using Amiibo cards or figures by visiting the Nook Stop machine in Resident Services, choosing the “Amiibo” option, and then scanning your Amiibo.
4. Can I skip days to refresh campsite villagers?
While you can use time travel to try and get a new camper to appear, it is usually faster just to wait it out. Time traveling may lead to missing a day where a camper was due to arrive, or to other unforeseen issues related to TT.
5. Can visitors take campsite villagers?
No, campsite villagers can only be recruited by players from the town that they are camping in. They cannot be taken by visitors.
6. How long do villagers stay in the campsite?
Campsite villagers will stay until 5 am the next day, unless you ask them to move to your island, in which case they will stay and wait for an open plot, or a villager to move out. The exception to this rule is your first camper, who is part of the game progression and is mandatory to invite.
7. Can a random camper replace a villager if my town is full?
Yes, if you invite a random camper to your island when you already have 10 villagers, they will ask to replace one of them. The villager they choose is random unless they were invited via Amiibo.
8. What do I do if a camper refuses to move in?
Some campers are more stubborn than others. If a camper initially says no, just keep talking to them. Eventually, they will give you the option to move in.
9. Can I force a campsite villager to move in?
You can’t force them, but you can persist in your conversations. They will eventually ask to move to your island, if there is room, or if they can kick someone out.
10. How does a random camper choose which villager to replace?
The game will randomly select which villager to replace if you have a full island and choose to invite a random camper. Amiibo campers, on the other hand, will let you choose which villager to replace.
11. What if I don’t like the camper?
If you don’t like a camper you can simply choose not to interact with them and they will leave at 5 am. There’s no need to ask them to leave.
12. Can you villager hunt twice in one day?
No, you can only encounter one new villager per day from mystery islands. The second one will be a random villager.
13. Why am I not getting campsite villagers?
Randomness is the biggest reason why you might not be seeing campsite villagers. If you have been skipping forward, or you have already seen a camper recently, this might delay their next visit.
14. How long does it take for a camper to move in once I invite them?
Once you invite a camper, it can take 1-3 days for them to move in, depending on what’s happening on your island. Their house will be roped off to show that they are moving in.
15. Are certain villagers rarer than others at the campsite?
All villagers have an equal chance to show up in the campsite, except in the case of special or promotional villager events. However, some villagers are naturally rarer to encounter due to the amount of villager options in the game.
By understanding the mechanics of campsite visitors and addressing common questions, you’ll be better prepared to welcome new neighbors to your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Happy gaming!