Is It Hard to Get a Five-Star Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?
The short answer is: not necessarily, but it requires consistent effort and understanding of the game’s mechanics. Achieving a five-star island rating in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a significant milestone for many players, unlocking exclusive rewards and bragging rights. While it’s not an insurmountable task, it does involve a degree of planning, dedication, and attention to detail. It’s less about difficulty in the traditional sense, and more about consistent, thoughtful gameplay and building your island to meet specific criteria. Let’s delve deeper into what it takes and address some common questions players have on their journey to a five-star rating.
What Does It Actually Take To Get 5 Stars?
Reaching a five-star rating isn’t just about randomly placing items. The game assesses your island based on two main scoring categories: Development points and Scenery points.
Development Points
This category focuses primarily on the buildings, structures, and furniture that you’ve placed around your island. It requires a minimum score of 665 points to achieve a five-star rating. The game checks for a good amount of furniture placed outdoors, suggesting that simply having items scattered around the island is crucial. It doesn’t seem to matter much what type of furniture you use, indicating that the emphasis is on quantity and distribution rather than design aesthetics, though overall aesthetics will encourage you to keep decorating.
Scenery Points
This category is all about your island’s greenery. You will need a minimum of 450 points from this to get a five-star rating. This includes plant life like trees, flowers, and bushes. Flowers are especially helpful, as Isabelle loves flowers and having a variety around your island will considerably boost this score.
Villagers and Weeds
Beyond these two score categories, there are other crucial factors:
- Villager Count: You need to have ten villagers living on your island. Vacant plots will drag down your score.
- Weed Control: Having too many weeds negatively impacts your rating. While a few weeds can give a rustic look, they will hinder your progress to the elusive five-star rating.
Key Takeaways:
- Achieving a five-star rating requires hitting specific point thresholds in both the Development and Scenery categories.
- Quantity of placed items is crucial for Development points, not necessarily specific kinds or layouts.
- Planting flowers and trees is essential for Scenery points.
- A full roster of 10 villagers is mandatory.
- Keeping weeds in check is also essential.
The Rewards of a Five-Star Island
The journey to a five-star island is not without its rewards. Once you achieve the coveted rating, Isabelle will reward you with a DIY recipe for the Golden Watering Can. This is a highly sought after tool due to its ability to water multiple tiles at once and it won’t break. Furthermore, a Lily of the Valley, a white flower, will begin spawning on your island. This flower only grows on five-star islands and will continue to appear as long as you maintain the five-star status.
Is Maintaining 5 Stars Hard?
The good news is, you don’t actually need to maintain a five-star rating after you get it for the first time! Once Isabelle gives you the golden watering can recipe and you get your first Lily of the Valley, you’re in the clear. Your island rating can subsequently drop without affecting the rewards you’ve already earned, although it will impact whether or not you continue to see Lily of the Valley grow on your island.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions to help further understand how to get, and keep, your five-star island:
1. How can I achieve a three-star island rating quickly?
To get a three-star rating, focus on planting lots of flowers, removing weeds, building fences, and moving in more villagers.
2. Is it true that too much clutter is bad for my score?
Yes, being too crowded is bad for your score. You need a good balance of items and space.
3. What kind of plants are best for getting 5 stars?
Flowers are highly beneficial for boosting your scenery score, and having a good variety will help. Don’t neglect trees and bushes, either.
4. Do I need specific kinds of furniture to get 5 stars?
No, you do not need specific kinds of furniture. The game mainly cares about the quantity, and having some distributed over the majority of your island.
5. How many trees should I plant?
Aim for at least 190 trees, including bushes and bamboo. Going over 220 trees may prompt Isabelle to say there are too many, potentially lowering your score.
6. Can I get a five-star rating if I don’t have every facility built?
You do not need every facility, but building essential ones like the Museum and the Tailor’s shop contributes to your development score.
7. Does terraforming affect my island rating?
Yes, terraforming helps you improve your overall island rating and allows for better customization of areas.
8. Can I have weeds on my island and still get 5 stars?
Having a few weeds is fine, but too many will drag down your rating. Make sure to clean them up from time to time.
9. What happens after I get a five-star rating?
After getting a five-star rating, you’ll receive the Golden Watering Can DIY recipe and Lily of the Valley will begin to spawn.
10. How is the island rating calculated?
The island rating is based on two separate categories: Development points (buildings and furniture) and Scenery points (plant-life).
11. What’s the maximum number of villagers I can have?
The maximum number of villagers you can have living on your island is 10.
12. Do I need all 10 villagers to get to 3 stars?
Not all 10, but you need at least 7 villagers or more to get a three-star island.
13. Can anyone visit my island if I have 5 stars?
Yes, your island can be visited by others whether it is a 1 or 5 star island.
14. Are shooting stars related to my island rating?
No, shooting stars are not directly related to your island rating. They occur randomly on clear nights.
15. What can I do after achieving a 5-star island?
You can pursue many goals, such as finding rare villagers, completing the Museum, entering the Dream Suite, and exploring various multiplayer options, to name a few.
Conclusion
Getting to a five-star island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a rewarding journey that’s more about consistent effort and understanding the game’s scoring mechanics than facing a hard challenge. By focusing on adding plenty of outdoor furniture, planting a ton of flowers and other plants, having ten villagers and controlling weeds, you’ll achieve your five-star rating in no time. Remember, you don’t need to maintain it to enjoy the rewards. So, relax, have fun, and build the island of your dreams!