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Animal Crossing: New Horizons – How to Get Villagers to Your Island

This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

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Despite the title, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has you playing as a human. That’s because all the other character sin the game are animals and the point is to get to know them all. Yes, despite our current situation in the real world, this game is all about getting closer to your neighbors, and there’s a lot to meet in this new one on Switch. But what do you do when you’ve met them all? Here’s how to get villagers to your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

How to Get Villagers to Your Island

There’s no quick answer for this, especially early in the game like you probably are right now. Starting out on your deserted island you will have two villagers, but more will come through playing the game normally. Tom Nook helps the most, giving you tasks to complete that will help build up your island. While you do this the island will grow naturally and visitors will show up who might want to move in. After that intro phase there are a feww ways to get more villagers though.

Using your Nook Miles Ticket will take you to a mysterious island where you can usually run into a villager who might be willing to move to your island. You get one for free and can but more for 3000 Nook Miles, so give them a shot if you want to get this done quickly.

Expanding and growing the island by exploring beyond the starting area, then clearing it of weeds is a good start. Also opening buildings like the museum and other businesses will attract new villagers who might show up and just wander around. If they do, be sure to talk to them and try to befriend them if you want them to stay. Beyond that there’s one theory on how to get more villagers, but it hasn’t yet been found in the game.

In previous Animal Crossing games there was a Campsite that would bring new villagers to town all the time. You could then speak with them and ask them to stay if you wanted to. We’ll have to wait and see if it’s still in for New Horizons, but odds are that it is. Once we have a way to unlock it we will update this guide, so check back often.

Otherwise you now know how to get villagers to your island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, at least all we know so far. And if you were wondering, here’s how many villagers you can have total.


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