Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers players a relaxing and rewarding experience as they build and customize their own island. But there’s more to the game than just decorating your home and interacting with villagers. Special features and unlockables can enhance your gameplay and provide exciting new opportunities for exploration. Here’s a guide on how to unlock some of the best special features in the game!
1. Unlocking K.K. Slider’s Concerts
One of the most iconic features in Animal Crossing is the ability to attend K.K. Slider’s weekly concert. K.K. Slider, a traveling musician, will perform on your island every Saturday night. But how do you unlock this feature?
How to Unlock:
- Reach Resident Services: To unlock K.K. Slider’s concerts, you first need to have the Resident Services building upgraded. This will take a few days after you’ve set up your island and completed various tasks.
- Build the Concert Stage: After Resident Services is upgraded, speak to Tom Nook to get the concert stage built. Once this is done, K.K. Slider will visit every Saturday.
- Visit K.K. Slider: After visiting him for the first time, you’ll unlock the ability to request specific songs from him each week.
K.K. Slider’s concerts provide a fun weekly event and even rewards you with a K.K. Slider song for your collection, which can be played on your island’s radio or music players.
2. Unlocking Harv’s Island and Photopia
Another special feature is Harv’s Island, a place where you can unlock and take part in photo shoots for fun rewards. Photopia is unlocked after a specific milestone in the game. Like our articles? Read also about Best Custom Skins in Minecraft.
How to Unlock:
- Progress Through the Main Story: First, you’ll need to progress through the main storyline and unlock the island’s facilities. Eventually, Tom Nook will mention Harv and his request to visit his island.
- Visit Harv’s Island: Harv’s Island will become accessible once you’ve built the airport and spoken to Tom Nook. After this, you’ll find Harv’s island on the map. Visit him, and he’ll explain how the island works.
- Unlock Photopia: Once you arrive at Harv’s Island, you will have access to Photopia, a photo studio where you can create and customize scenes with your villagers and other characters.
3. Unlocking Special Villagers
Throughout your journey in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you’ll encounter a wide range of villagers, and some of them are very special. Unlocking these special villagers can add fun, charm, and personality to your island.
How to Unlock:
- Amiibo Cards: Use Amiibo cards to invite special villagers to your island. These cards can be scanned at the Nook Stop terminal at Resident Services, allowing you to invite them to stay.
- Special Villagers via Events: Many special villagers, such as Leif, Redd, and K.K. Slider, appear after you’ve reached certain milestones or completed specific in-game events. They may offer exclusive items or activities.
- The Mystery Island Tours: You can also find special villagers by participating in Mystery Island Tours. If you visit enough islands, you’ll have a chance to recruit special villagers, including those with unique appearances or personalities.
4. Unlocking the Island Designer App
The Island Designer app is an essential tool that allows you to create paths, rivers, and cliffs, greatly enhancing the aesthetic of your island.
How to Unlock:
- Upgrade Resident Services: After upgrading your Resident Services to the next stage (once you’ve paid off your house loans and completed a few tasks for Tom Nook), the Island Designer app will be unlocked for your NookPhone.
- Get the Required License: You’ll need to purchase a License for designing paths, rivers, and cliffs. These licenses can be bought from the Nook Stop terminal using your Nook Miles.
The Island Designer app lets you take your island customization to the next level, allowing you to create stunning paths, water features, and cliffs for your island’s perfect layout.
5. Unlocking Special Events and Seasonal Features
Throughout the year, Animal Crossing: New Horizons celebrates various events, such as Toy Day, Bunny Day, and Halloween. These events bring special features, rewards, and activities that are available for a limited time.
How to Unlock:
- Progress Through the Year: To unlock special events, you’ll need to play through the game and experience the changing seasons. These events happen at specific times of the year, and you can participate in them by simply continuing your gameplay.
- Download Special Updates: Occasionally, special updates will add new events to the game. These updates are often announced by Nintendo, and they can be downloaded for free via the Nintendo Switch system. Be sure to keep an eye out for these updates to enjoy new activities, like the Fireworks Festival or Turkey Day.
Special events bring limited-time items, rare DIY recipes, and seasonal decorations that can be used to decorate your island.
6. Unlocking the Dream Suite
The Dream Suite allows you to visit other players’ islands and see how they’ve customized their islands. It’s a great way to get inspiration and share your creations with the world.
How to Unlock:
- Speak to Luna: After upgrading Resident Services, speak to Luna, the character you meet at the Dream Suite, to unlock this feature. Luna will let you leave your island’s dream address so others can visit it.
- Visit Dream Islands: You can also visit other players’ dream islands by entering their Dream Address. This is a great way to explore unique islands and gather new ideas for your own island.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is packed with features that add depth and fun to the game. Whether it’s unlocking special villagers, taking part in seasonal events, or using the Island Designer app to enhance your island, these features will make your time on the island more enjoyable and rewarding. Keep progressing, unlock new abilities, and make the most out of the endless opportunities this game has to offer!
For more detailed information about Animal Crossing and its special features, you can visit the Wikipedia page on Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
