How to Pass Time in "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" (Productively!)

To be patient or to be impatient?

If you’ve had your eye on Animal Crossing: New Horizons but haven’t given into the temptation to buy it yet, we’re about to make it a lot harder to resist.

The newest installment to the Animal Crossing series entices players with a deserted island getaway, sandy beaches and heaps of new adorable characters to interact with.

But before you dip your toebeans in, you should know that the game progresses in real time, so if you’re an impatient player, you’d better get comfortable.

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If you’re not keen on traveling through time by changing your Nintendo Switch’s time and date settings, here are some things you can get up to in the meantime.

Getting Started

The first thing you need to know is that when you initially open the game, you are introduced to raccoons Tommy and Timmy, who greet you at, what appears to be, an airport check-in desk.

After building and naming your character, you select from one of four islands to travel to, where you eventually meet Tom Nook, who tells you all about the island, gives you a tent, a map and a Nook phone before introducing you to the other new residents.

Once your cozy new tent is set up, you are re-approached by Tom Nook who explains that you owe him 49,800 bells or 5,000 Nook Miles for your moving and accommodation expenses.

Don’t worry too much! These do not accrue interest or have a time limit so you can take all the time you need to pay these off.

This essentially becomes your main goal: as you progress you will build bigger and better accommodation and a larger township, ultimately costing more bells that you will eventually have to pay back to Tom Nook.

Nook Miles

One of the most rewarding elements of the new game is the accumulation of Nook Miles.

Not only do these allow you to pay back your first loan with Tom Nook but they also encourage all elements of gameplay and environment exploration.

Nook Miles are like achievement checkpoints; you collect them on your Nook phone app by doing things like collecting fruit, selling things, catching fish, catching insects, crafting things and so much more.

If you’re stuck on Day One of the game this is a great way to pass the time.

Not only will you quickly accrue all the Nook Miles you need but you will also start to discover all the different types of items and species of fish and insects; information which you will collect in an app on your Nook phone.

There are countless fish, insects and items to discover in the game so crafting a net and fishing rod is sure to get you a few good hours of game play.

Exploring the Island

Another great way to earn Nook Miles and pass the time is to explore the island and meet new characters.

This also allows you to discover items, collect recipes and discover how you can use the island’s natural resources to advance through the game.

Simply shaking the trees on the island will soon have you discovering fruit, insects, bells, building materials and, unfortunately, even dangerous wasps that can attack you.

Starting up a conversation with other residents or Tom Nook will help you find new recipes, items and subtly teach you how to complete new tasks.

Planting seedlings and removing weeds are a great way to customise your island and start discovering new plants.

Interacting with message boards, mailboxes and DIY workbenches will also quickly build up your Nook Miles and can even save you bells in the long run.

Collecting Bells

Collecting as many bells as you can as quickly as you can is the surefire way to fast progression in Animal Crossing.

While the loans you owe to Tom Nook might seem a bit steep, collecting bells is actually a lot easier than you might think.

With all the island exploring, fishing, insect catching and fruit picking you’ve been doing, you’re going to have a full inventory of stuff that you’re not sure what to do with.

Luckily, all these items (yes even the nasty insects) can be sold to Timmy inside the Resident Services Tent allowing you to make some quick coin.

At first, this will be the best way to build up your bank balance but as you progress you will discover money rocks, money trees, balloons, hot items and the stalk market… but that’s a discovery for another day.

Collecting 'Recipes' and Building Items

If you want to make any progress in the game before you put your Switch away for the evening, you will have to start collecting and learning recipes.

These oddly named 'recipes' are actually instruction kits to items, furniture and clothes you can build in the game.

In the beginning many of the items you will need to start exploring (like a net, a fishing rod or axe) will require building before you can purchase it from Timmy in the Resident Services Tent.

Once you have collected and learned a recipe you can then take it to Tom Nook’s workbench (or build your own) and start crafting all the useful tools you may need.

Collecting the recipes for these items is also a challenge on its own as some recipes can only be found around the island or given to you by other residents.

Once you have learned how to build items you can also start customising your environment and tent.

Building side tables, lamps, beds and decorations will allow you to get creative and make your character feel more at home.

Day Two and Onwards

If you reach the end of the day and you don’t think you could possibly discover another bug, fish or recipe, don’t worry, a new day will bring new things.

Depending on how you played Day One, if you completed the tasks Tom Nook suggested to you, you may wake to a new home, new residents, the Nook’s cranny store or even a museum.

You will also soon discover how to cross rivers, dig for fossils and start discovering new species and recipes that weren’t available the previous day.

So, if you’ve been patient enough to make it here, you’re sure to be fine, slowly exploring your way through your new island home.

Animal Crossing is now available on the Nintendo Switch.

Header Image: Nintendo