What You Should Do Every Day in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a game designed to be enjoyed at your own pace, but establishing a daily routine can significantly enhance your island life and maximize your progress. While there’s no strict “right” way to play, a consistent approach unlocks a wealth of opportunities, from building friendships to expanding your island paradise. This guide will detail the most beneficial activities you should consider incorporating into your daily Animal Crossing routine.

Daily Must-Do’s in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

At its core, a productive day in Animal Crossing involves a mix of exploration, social interaction, resource gathering, and island development. Here’s a comprehensive list of what you should aim to do each day:

1. Check for Special NPCs: Keep an eye out for visitors like Daisy Mae (for turnips on Sunday mornings), Kicks (for shoes and bags), Leif (for shrubs and flowers), Redd (for art), and Saharah (for rugs and wallpaper). These characters offer unique items and services that rotate daily, and sometimes their visits coincide with limited-time events.
2. Visit Nook’s Cranny and Able Sisters: Nook’s Cranny stocks new furniture, tools, and other items each day, and often features a “Hot Item” that sells for double the price. At the Able Sisters, you’ll find new clothing and accessories to personalize your character.
3. Talk to All Your Villagers: Interacting with your villagers builds friendships. Each day, take some time to chat with all of them at least once. This can lead to receiving gifts, learning new reactions, getting DIY recipes, and even being asked to help with a quest.
4. Find Your Daily Fossils: Look for the four fossil cracks in the ground each day. Dig them up, take them to Blathers at the museum, and have them assessed. Donating fossils completes the museum collection, and any duplicates can be sold for bells or gifted to villagers.
5. Gather Resources: Hit rocks to collect materials like iron nuggets, clay, and stones. Shake trees for branches and sometimes items or coins (be wary of wasps!). Harvest fruits from trees to eat or sell.
6. Go to the Roost: Have a daily cup of coffee with Brewster at the Roost. Over time, he will reward you with unique items for consistent visits.
7. Visit the Nook Stop: At the Nook Stop terminal in Resident Services, collect your daily Nook Miles bonus and check for special items and offers. You can also redeem Nook Miles for valuable rewards.
8. Search the Beach: Walk along the beach and check for messages in bottles that often contain DIY recipes. Keep an eye out for a washed-up Gulliver (or Gullivarrr) who will ask for your help to retrieve pieces of his communicator for unique rewards.
9. Find the Money Rock: Every day, one of the rocks will be a Money Rock. Hitting this rock repeatedly will dispense bells.
10. Check for Crafting Villagers: Visit each villager’s home to see if anyone is crafting. If they are, they will give you the DIY recipe for the item they’re working on.
11. Water Your Flowers: If you’re trying to breed hybrid flowers, be sure to water them daily. This increases the chance that they will create new blooms the next day.
12. Check for Weeds: Pluck any weeds growing on your island to maintain its clean appearance.
13. Complete Nook Miles+ Goals: The Nook Miles+ app will present various simple challenges to earn bonus Nook Miles, such as catching fish or planting trees. Completing these is a great way to accumulate miles for rewards.
14. Clean Up Clutter: Take some time to move or store items that are scattered about, maintaining the organization and look of your island.
15. Plan Island Development: Spend time thinking about what you would like to build or improve on your island. This can include landscaping, housing, paths, and many other possibilities.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Animal Crossing Daily Routines

1. Do I have to play Animal Crossing every day?

No, you are not forced to play daily, but playing regularly does provide a number of advantages. You’ll receive daily Nook Miles bonuses, see new stock in shops, and consistently build relationships with your villagers. However, the game is designed to be relaxing, so play when you enjoy it and at your own pace.

2. How important are Nook Miles?

Nook Miles are incredibly important! They are used to buy upgrades for your island and character, access island tours, and get valuable crafting materials.

3. What happens if I miss a day in Animal Crossing?

Missing a day doesn’t have severe consequences. You might miss out on some daily activities like shopping, a special NPC visit, or your daily Nook Stop bonus streak. Your villagers might be slightly upset if you go too long without talking to them. However, there aren’t any severe punishments for not playing daily.

4. What are the benefits of having good relationships with villagers?

High friendship levels with villagers unlock new dialogue, gifts, DIY recipes, and sometimes even personal photos that can be displayed in your home.

5. Is it bad to time travel in Animal Crossing?

Time travel, or altering your console’s system clock, can have some consequences. Specifically, turnips will spoil immediately if you travel to a past date or beyond the following Sunday. Weeds will also grow more rapidly. Time travel is widely accepted by players, however, it’s important to be aware of potential drawbacks.

6. How do I get more DIY recipes?

DIY recipes can be found in message bottles, received from villagers, or purchased from Nook’s Cranny. Talking to crafting villagers daily is a great way to get new recipes.

7. How do I find all of the special NPCs?

Special NPCs randomly appear on your island on specific days of the week. There’s no way to force them to visit, but checking your island each day will maximize the chance of encountering them.

8. Is it okay to sell fossils right away?

While you can sell assessed fossils for bells, it’s best to donate them to Blathers at the museum first. You can also gift them to villagers to raise friendship levels.

9. How often does the Hot Item change at Nook’s Cranny?

The Hot Item at Nook’s Cranny changes every day. Selling this item will net you double the usual selling price.

10. How do I breed hybrid flowers?

Plant different color flowers next to each other and water them. With time, this can result in new hybrid colors. Experimenting with different flowers and combinations is the best method.

11. What does eating fruit do in the game?

Eating fruit gives your character the strength to dig up trees and break rocks. Each fruit consumed will give you one unit of power, up to ten.

12. What should I do if I’m bored in Animal Crossing?

There are a plethora of things to do if you are bored, including gardening, writing letters to villagers, redesigning your island, trying to catch every bug and fish, exploring dream addresses, or completing your museum collection.

13. How do I get more bells quickly?

Turnips can be bought and sold at a profit. Completing tasks and selling items, especially the Hot Item, is also a good way to gain bells. You can also sell resources you have in excess.

14. What are some hidden island secrets?

There are small hidden details that many players may miss. Some examples include villagers having unique dialogues if you watch them for too long, Nook’s Cranny being seasonally decorated, and villagers changing their attire based on the weather.

15. Can I play Animal Crossing alone?

Yes! While multiplayer is an option, the game is equally enjoyable in single-player mode. It is designed to be a relaxing and personalized experience that can be enjoyed at your own pace.

By incorporating these daily activities into your Animal Crossing routine, you’ll make the most of everything the game has to offer. Have fun creating your dream island, and remember there’s always something new to discover!