BASIC ISLAND INFORMATION
What is the maximum number of characters for your island name?
10.
What is the maximum number of characters for your islander name?
10.
Will the game require me to add a suffix like “Isle,” “Bay,” or “Island”?
In the Japanese version, island names must end in one of three suffixes – “shima,” “jima,” or “tou.” Overseas versions do not have suffixes.
Who is the Resident Representative?
The Resident Representative is the Switch profile used to create the first resident of your island. They are in charge of making critical decisions and can change basic features of the town that other residents cannot such as changing the town flag, tune, and moving new villagers in.
Can the Resident Representative be transferred to another profile?
Unconfirmed, but deleting the Resident Representative profile will delete your island rather than transfer the rep status to a different profile.
Can I have a town tune?
Yes, once Resident Services is upgraded.
Can I have a town flag?
Yes, once Resident Services is upgraded.
When will the hourly music appear?
After the Resident Services building is built.
How do you change your islander's appearance?
You can get a mirror DIY recipe from a message in a bottle. Redeem more styles using Nook Miles at the Nook Stop terminal.
How do you move items your inventory?
Select an item by pressing the A button, hold, and drag.
How do you expand your inventory?
Purchase the Pocket Organizer Recipe with Nook Miles at the Nook Stop terminal. A second upgrade is available after the Resident Services tent is converted to a building.
Do accessory bags expand inventory?
No.
BUILDINGS & SHOPS
Where can you plot the main resident’s home?
You may plot your own home on the mainland area or the beach. You cannot plot it beyond the river on the first day.
How do you increase the storage in your home?
The storage increases as the house is upgraded.
How do you upgrade your tent?
Pay off your first loan with Nook Miles, then Tom Nook will upgrade the tent to a house.
What is Resident Services?
A building where you can craft DIY recipes at the DIY workbench, buy items from the Nooklings, redeem miles at the Nook Stop terminal, or sell items to the Nooklings.
What is the Airport?
Dodo Airlines is the Dodo duo who transfers you to your getaway island destination. The station is called the airport, but it works as an airport and post office. You can send letters to your friends and visit their islands using DAL's services. The airport also is the gateway to other islands such as the Mystery Tours and Harvey's Photopia.
Can you change the color of the Airport?
Currently, no.
What is a Dodo Code?
A Dodo Code is a unique 5-character password provided by the attendant if you select the “Dodo Code” option upon opening your town for visitors. The code is valid for only the current visiting session.
Can you move buildings, shops, and houses?
Yes, besides Resident Services and the Airport you can move all buildings, shops, islander homes, and villager houses for a fee.
How do you upgrade Resident Services?
After 5 villagers have moved in, the tent will upgrade to a building. Prerequisites include building Nook's Cranny, building a bridge, and plotting 3 villager homes.
How do you unlock The Museum?
Donate 5 creatures to Tom Nook. Blathers will move into a tent the next day.
How do you upgrade The Museum?
Donate 15 creatures to Blathers to upgrade the Museum tent to a building.
How do you unlock Nook’s Cranny?
Sometime after paying off your first loan and building the museum, Timmy will request materials to build a new shop. You need to provide 30 pieces of each resource: wood, softwood, hardwood, and iron nugget.
How do you unlock Able's Sisters?
Mabel must visit your town at least 3 times. You should spend at least 5,000 bells at her shop.
How do you unlock the Campsite?
After Resident Services has been upgraded to a building, Nook will request you to plot a campsite to allure more residents to the island.
When can you build more bridges and slopes/inclines?
Tom Nook will provide this option after the Resident Services upgrades to a building.
What are the dimensions required for bridges?
See
here.
Source.
What are all of the building size dimensions?
See
here.
Source.
CRAFTING & CUSTOMIZATION
How many materials can you stack in one inventory slot?
30. Although weeds stack up to 99.
What are the tools used in ACNH?
Fishing Rod, Axe, Shovel, Net, Slingshot, Vaulting Pole, Ladder, Watering Can.
How many uses per flimsy tool must be used up before the tool breaks?
Speculated to be 25-30 uses.
How to upgrade tools?
Redeem Nook Miles for the Pretty Good Tools recipe.
Are golden tools in the game?
Yes.
Can golden tools break?
Yes.
How do you unlock the fishing rod?
Talk to Tom Nook at the DIY workbench, collect 5 tree branches, and he will initiate the flimsy fishing rod DIY project. Or purchase the recipe from Timmy.
How do you unlock the net?
Go to the DIY workbench in Resident Services after creating a flimsy fishing rod. The recipe will be available to craft using 5 tree branches.
How do you unlock the axe?
Keep donating creatures to Tom Nook and he will send you the DIY recipe for a flimsy axe.
How do you unlock the watering can?
Keep donating creatures to Tom Nook and he will send you the DIY recipe for a flimsy watering can.
How do you unlock the vaulting pole?
Talk to Blathers once the Museum tent is open.
How do you unlock the shovel?
Talk to Blathers once the Museum tent is open.
How do you unlock the ladder?
After unlocking Nook’s Cranny, Tom Nook will request you to plot 3 villager houses, then he will also provide the ladder recipe.
How do you unlock the golden axe?
The golden axe recipe will be unlocked after breaking 100 axe tools.
How do you unlock the golden shovel?
The golden shovel recipe will be unlocked after helping Gulliver on your island 30 different times.
How do you unlock the golden fishing rod?
The golden fishing rod recipe will be unlocked after catching every fish at least one time.
How do you unlock the golden net?
The golden net recipe will be unlocked after catching every insect at least one time.
How do you unlock the golden watering can?
The golden watering can will be unlocked after reaching a 5-star island rating.
Medicine recipe?
Purchase from Timmy or get stung by wasps and talk to an uchi villager.
Do the recipes in the Nook Stop terminal change every day?
Only the fences. The other PWP-type recipes remain the same.
What are all of the Nook Stop - Nook Miles furniture color and design options?
See here.
Source.
Variant article also on AC World!
A villager is crafting at their workbench. Can anyone visit to grab the recipe from the villager?
Yes! If it's their first time speaking to them, be sure they talk to them twice to prompt the recipe dialogue.
My villager doesn't have a workbench in their house! Can you still get DIY recipes from them?
Yes, a workbench will appear when their crafting and disappear when they're no longer crafting, so check every villager house for recipes!