Things Animal Crossing: New Horizons Doesn’t Tell You

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a gentle, relaxing escape: the digital embodiment of cozy island life. Yet even on your soft, palm-tree-laced paradise, Nintendo won’t hold your hand. There are little Easter eggs and shortcuts the game never spells out.

For example, did you know eating fruit gives your shovel superpowers, or that one island tree always has a surprise hiding in its leaves? Let’s snuggle up and talk through some of those sweet, surprising mechanics that the game keeps to itself. First up: your own island’s hidden treasures…

Hidden Island Treasures

Even your own island holds secrets underfoot. That shiny spot that appears each day? It hides 1,000 bells, and reburying those bells grows a money tree. Better yet, bury more bells (for example 10,000) in that hole and you’re likely to sprout a fatter money tree that blooms hefty bell bags. In other words, stash your bells wisely and your money tree can literally shower you with cash.

A cozy island scene in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, with villagers walking and palm trees swaying under a blue sky.

Another fun hack: fruit is more than a snack. Once you munch a piece of fruit, your shovel gains a new trick – it can dig up whole trees! After eating fruit, simply dig up an existing tree to put it in your pocket, then plant it elsewhere without chopping it down. It’s an easy way to re-arrange orchards or make space. (Shh, the game won’t tell you that – you had to hear it here first.)

One more quick tip: you can speed up slow animations. While this isn’t exactly a hidden mechanic, it’s a nice time-saver they don’t mention: press A repeatedly during crafting to skip those cute build animations, and press B to make villagers talk faster. A little button-mashing, and you’ll spend more time collecting seashells and less time waiting through DIY ladders of progress.

Secrets of the Sky and Sea

Life on the island isn’t just about terra firma – the sky and sea hide magic too. For instance, if you use a Nook Miles Ticket to visit a mystery island, make sure to shake every single tree. One of them will always spill out a piece of furniture (and a few wasp nests), which can be a nice gift.

The game quietly drops that hint: those trees are a little treasure trove you’d otherwise miss if you didn’t try.

At night, keep an eye on the stars. When the game’s news says a meteor shower may come, clear skies between 7 pm and 4 am mean shooting stars can appear. If you look up and press A each time a streak crosses, you make wishes.

Catching a big fish on a peaceful Animal Crossing beach. Sometimes even the ocean has surprises!

The next morning, the beach will be lined with star fragments (the sparkling bits needed for special celestial DIY recipes). It’s a lovely surprise that the game doesn’t blatantly point out, but now you know: wish on stars and enjoy the meteor rewards.

And what about that hooded otter friend, Pascal? If you dive and catch a scallop, he shows up to trade it for mermaid-themed DIYs or pearls, but only if certain conditions are met. Pascal will not appear if your island’s airport gates are open, and he won’t show up if your inventory is full when you surface with the scallop.

In short: plan ahead! Keep your pockets open and don’t let an open gate ruin your submarine surprise, then Pascal will gladly reward your diving efforts with shiny gifts.

Visitors and Village Secrets

Your animal neighbors and visitors keep a few quiet tricks of their own. For example, watch out for Jolly Redd, the shady art dealer on his boat: each time he visits, he only lets you buy one painting or sculpture, and all but one of his art pieces are fakes.

Blathers won’t accept the knock-offs, so it’s on you to inspect before you buy. Always ask to look closer at a piece, zoom in on the details, and skip the ones with glaring anomalies (like a scowling Mona Lisa). Redd can fob you off easily, so a sharp eye is your best tool against his cons.

Ankha and Domino, two villagers, chat under a warm sunset sky. Even your animal neighbors have secrets!

And if you ever find yourself with a full island of ten villagers and a new camper shows up at the campsite, there’s a subtle eviction hack. Talk to that camper over and over and they’ll eventually decide to move to your island – but that forces the game to randomly pick one of your current residents to replace. In other words, inviting a camper can secretly kick out someone else.

The game never tells you this “villager swap” trick directly, but clever players use it when they need a change of company. (Just save first – if it picks the wrong villager, you can reset and try again!)

Final Thoughts

No matter how cozy your island gets, keep these quiet tips and tricks in mind. They’ll help your virtual home run smoother than the game ever spells out. Happy relaxing, and may your island days be full of little surprises!