One of the neatest aspects ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsis the ability to take trips to remote “Mystery” islands. These Mystery Tours are a subtle, but enjoyable feature that gives players something extra to partake in while mixing up the gameplay. On top of this, it allows them to extend their means of resource gathering and even lure newvillagers who reside on these desolate islands.
It’s a fun endeavor that provides some great benefits, to be sure. Yet, given its randomness and the costs involved in doing this, it’s important to go in with a plan of attack, as it were.
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This list will outline ten key tips, techniques, and means of preparation to help maximize each Mystery Island trip.
Updated March 16th, 2021 by Stephen LaGioia:Nintendo’s delightful social sim on Switch has continued much of its momentum into 2021. This is thanks, in part, to the fairly consistent stream of unique events along with various editions such as Mario-themed items. Though there’s also something to be said for the general staying power of the game, which rewards persistence and checking out one’s island happenings on the regular. Not only this, but the game has had a certainly fluidity, with tweaks such as the1.2 Earth Day update, which removed the Big Fish and Hybrid Flower Island. With these factors in mind, it seemed like a good idea to keep dedicatedNew Horizonsplayers in the loop with even more tips for maximizing their Mystery Island visits.
14Be Sure To Clear Up Inventory Space
Inventory management tends to be an ongoing task inNew Horizons. Yet, this is particularly the case when embarking on a Mystery Tour, as these are one-and-done trips that remove access to home storage anditem pawning.
Even those who have maxed out their inventory space will likely find it filled up rather quickly, given all of the unique and often valuable goods to gather at these locales. There will likely be ample fruit, wood, rocks, and even hybrid flowers. Before setting out, be sure to sell and/or store anything that isn’tessentialto bring on the trip. A good rule of thumb is to leaveat leasthalf of the inventory space clear for newly-obtained items.
13Bring A Ladder And Vaulting Pole To Travel With
While these Mystery Islands will be small, they’re also typically loaded with terrain that can be tricky to traverse without the right tools. Of course, gathering resources and goods are key - but so too is the equipment to get around obstacles togetthese goods in the first place.
It’s certainly possible to stumble upon a simpler, more traversable island. Still, the fairly-common “Spiral Island,” “Falls Island,” and the elevated “Mountain Island” pretty much demand Ladders and Vaulting Poles to cover all the ground needed. Be sure to bring these items, or at least the resources necessary to craft them while there.
12Bring Materials For Building
Speaking of building materials - these can be a key element for optimal island plundering. Basic building blocks such as wood, stone, and Iron Nuggets can come in handy in crafting or replacing various tools often needed to gather key items. Even something as simple as weeds can be useful, as they can help one prepare for an unexpected hornet onslaught by way of medicine-crafting.
As each Mystery Island will come with a Simple DIY Workbench, it makes sense to take advantage of this.
11* Collect Everything Possible In One Trip
As the pilot Wilbur wisely mentions, the same island (in its exact state) cannot be returned to once a player leaves. Everything resets during the next Mystery Tour. This means that it’s usually a good idea to stock up on anything and everything that can be carried, within reason. Gather things likeforeign fruits, clay and Gold Nuggets from rocks, as well as other items of value.
As there are several different Mystery Islands, there’s a good chance that the specific island visited will not be seen again after many more visits.
Each Mystery Tour trip will require2,000Nook Miles, which is triggered by buying a Nook Miles Ticket at the Nook Stop Terminal in Resident Services. Given its fairly steep price, it’s usually a good idea to load up on several thousand Nook Miles before making this investment.
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It’s certainly tempting to impatiently take the plunge and burn through any Nook Miles remaining. But doing so risks the potential of wasting precious Miles and being unable to return to a rarer, more bountiful island.
9Prioritize Mining Stones
Resource-gathering is an important task to partake in when exploring a Mystery Island, but this isespeciallytrue when it comes to mining rocks. It’s a good idea to “leave no stone unturned” as it were and gather all the precious stone, clay, and nuggets possible. For one, the odds of unearthing a valuable Gold Nugget are significantly increased by doing so.
And it’s important to keep in mind that home islands only have four or five stones, which only yield resources once per day. So assuming tools and/or time is limited, this handful of rock formations should definitely be a focal point when exploring a Mystery Island.
8* Shake Or Chop Down Trees
Like one’s own island, there will usually be quite a few trees to harvest for resources on a Mystery Island. These should be thoroughly searched by chopping them with axes, or at least shaken if the axe isn’t a feasible option.
Not only will these trees often drop foreign fruit, but they’ll also have a chance of yielding a new furniture item, as well as the ever-valuable Wasp Net. Just be sure to bring some medicine to remove the swelling that comes from those pesky wasp stings.
This can be useful as only a handful of furniture items and nests can be shaken free from trees on one’s own island daily.
7* Search For A Lone Fossil
Another relatively rare item that can be had on Mystery Islands is a fossil. Since just four or five fossils can be found each day on one’s home island, it’s definitely productive to seek out these buried goodies when venturing to these locales.
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Unfortunately, there’s a 50% chance that an island will not hold a fossil. But the good news is that one can catch on quickly as to whether or not one is there, given how small these islands are - keeping the time investment at a minimum.
6* Make Frequent Trips
There are several potential Mystery Islands that can show up, especially when upgrading one’s own island at Resident Services. With close to two dozen that are randomly sifted through, players should make a point to embark on these Mystery Tours somewhat regularly.Save up on Nook Milesand build up a savings of them for a rainy day.
Visiting often enough will maximize one’s odds at stumbling upon one of the rarer, more lucrative islands such as Finned Fish Island or Gold Rock Island. Both of these have just a 1% chance of showing up when embarking on the tour.
5Travel By Night To Reach Potential Scorpion Or Tarantula Islands
Highlighting a technique that’s a bit more nuanced - one potentially lucrative move in venturing to these islands is to wait until nightfall. Doing so will increase the chances of stumbling upon an island that’s home to Tarantulas or Scorpions (depending on the season).
Why should these pesky bugs be sought after? Well, it so happens that they’re among the most valuable assets to obtain in the wild, selling for a whopping 8,000 Bells apiece! Just be ready to put up a fight - as they will pounce!
