Animal Crossing: New Horizons Daily Tasks Master Cheatsheet

Introduction to Daily Routines

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a life simulation game that operates in real-time, with daily activities and events that refresh each calendar day. Establishing an efficient daily routine maximizes progress, resource collection, and island development. This cheatsheet outlines essential daily tasks, optimal timing strategies, and efficiency tips to help you maintain your island paradise while balancing real-life constraints. Whether you have 15 minutes or several hours to play each day, this guide will help you prioritize activities for maximum enjoyment and progress.

Core Daily Tasks (Essential Checklist)

Morning Routine (First Login)

• Check mailbox for gifts, ordered items, and HHA evaluations
• Look for daily message bottle on the beach (contains DIY recipe)
• Check with villagers crafting in their homes (3 different villagers craft daily)
• Assess weather conditions for fishing/bug opportunities and flower watering needs
• Check Nook Stop terminal for daily Nook Miles bonus and new items
• Find daily Money Rock (hit rocks with shovel for up to 16,100 Bells)
• Identify daily glowing spot (dig for 1,000 Bells; plant 10,000 for 30,000 return)

Resource Collection

• Collect all fruit that has grown since previous harvest (regrows every 3 days)
• Harvest fully grown crops (regrows every 2 days after watering)
• Gather tree branches from shaking trees (3-5 branches per day, per tree)
• Hit rocks for materials (max 8 hits per rock for clay, stone, iron, gold)
• Collect seashells from beaches (respawn throughout the day)
• Check recycling bin in Resident Services for discarded items

Visitor Interactions

• Talk to all villagers at least once (builds friendship, may receive gifts)
• Check for special visitors on your island (see Visitor Schedule table below)
• Visit Able Sisters for daily clothing selection
• Check Nook’s Cranny for new furniture, tools, and hot items

End-of-Day Activities

• Sell collected items at Nook’s Cranny before closing (10PM)
• Complete Nook Miles+ tasks for bonus miles
• Plant new flowers/trees if expanding your collection
• Arrange new furniture/decorations obtained during the day
• Store valuable materials for future crafting needs

Special Visitor Schedule & Activities

Visitor-Specific Activities

• Daisy Mae: Buy turnips Sunday morning for Stalk Market (prices change at Nook’s Cranny twice daily Mon-Sat)
• CJ: Sell fish at 150% of normal price, commission fish models (3 of same fish)
• Flick: Sell bugs at 150% of normal price, commission bug models (3 of same bug)
• Redd: Check art gallery on boat for real/fake art pieces (1 purchase per visit)
• Saharah: Purchase exclusive rugs, mysterious wallpaper and flooring
• Gulliver: Find 5 communicator parts on beach to help him return home
• Gullivarrr: Dive for communicator in ocean to help pirate return to ship
• Label: Complete fashion challenge to receive Tailor ticket and eventual clothing
• Leif: Buy exclusive plants, sell weeds at higher price (30 bells vs. 10 bells)
• Kicks (Plaza): Buy exclusive shoes, socks, and bags

Seasonal Activities and Time-Limited Tasks

Monthly Changes to Track

• New fish and bugs appear each month (some leaving, some arriving)
• New sea creatures for diving change monthly
• Seasonal materials (cherry blossoms, acorns, maple leaves, snowflakes)
• Seasonal DIY recipes from balloons during special events
• Seasonal Nook Shopping items in terminal/app

Weekly Tasks

• Check turnip prices twice daily (morning/afternoon) if participating in Stalk Market
• Saturday evening K.K. concert for new music (request specific songs after first visit)
• Plan island renovations based on accumulated resources
• Visit Happy Home Paradise for designing vacation homes (if DLC owned)
• Check beach for Bottle DIYs (one appears daily, plus one on HHP beach with DLC)

Time-Dependent Tasks

• Morning Activities (5AM-12PM):
  • Daisy Mae selling turnips (Sundays only, leaves at noon)
  • Morning bug spawns (paper kite butterfly, common butterfly)
  • Morning fish spawns (varies by season)
• Afternoon Activities (12PM-5PM):
  • Different bug spawns (mantis, honeybee, etc.)
  • Different fish spawns (black bass, koi, etc.)
• Evening Activities (5PM-10PM):
  • Nook’s Cranny closing soon (restock before 10PM)
  • Evening bug spawns (moths, beetles)
  • Evening fish spawns (varies by season)
• Night Activities (10PM-5AM):
  • Rare bug spawns (scorpions, tarantulas – seasonal)
  • Rare fish spawns (barreleye, rare shark species)

Resource Collection Optimization

Tool Efficiency Tips

• Stone Collection: Dig two holes behind you before hitting rocks to prevent knockback
• Wood Collection: Hit each tree 3 times for soft, hard, and rare wood types
• Fruit Collection: Use shaking instead of axe to avoid tree damage
• Tool Management: Carry a workbench and materials for emergency tool repairs
• Tool Durability: Standard tools break after ~30 uses; gold tools last ~200 uses

Material Daily Limits

• Wood: 3 of each type per tree (soft, hard, rare)
• Branches: Unlimited but diminishing returns after multiple shakes
• Stone, Clay, Iron: Up to 8 items per rock (time-limited hitting sequence)
• Gold Nuggets: Rare drop from rocks (approximately 1% chance per hit)
• Fruit: One harvest every 3 days (3 fruits per non-coconut tree)
• Coconuts: One harvest every 3 days (2 coconuts per palm tree)
• Fossils: 4-5 new dig spots daily
• Wasps: 5 nests daily (shake trees with net ready)
• Furniture: 2 drops daily from non-fruit trees

Island Development and Maintenance

Daily Maintenance

• Pull weeds that have grown since last login
• Water flowers for hybrid breeding and to maintain golden sparkle
• Check for new flower breeds that may have spawned overnight
• Clear fallen branches if maintaining a tidy island appearance
• Remove unwanted flowers that spread after rain

Weekly Development Goals

• Bridge/incline construction: Talk to Tom Nook, pay construction fees
• Villager plots: Check with Tom Nook for available land or visiting campers
• Island rating check: Speak with Isabelle for current rating and improvement tips
• Expand home: Talk to Tom Nook about home expansions and pay loans
• Rearrange island: Use Island Designer app for terraforming (after 3-star rating)

Time Management by Play Session Length

Quick Session (15-30 minutes)

1. Check mail and Nook Stop (daily bonus)
2. Find message bottle on beach
3. Identify and talk to crafting villager
4. Hit money rock and check glowing spot
5. Check shops for must-have items
6. Sell items from previous day

Medium Session (30-60 minutes)

1. Complete all quick session tasks
2. Harvest all mature resources (fruit, crops, materials)
3. Check for special visitors and complete their activities
4. Talk to all villagers at least once
5. Complete high-value Nook Miles+ tasks
6. Check turnip prices if participating in Stalk Market

Extended Session (1+ hours)

1. Complete all medium session tasks
2. Go fishing or bug catching for museum/selling
3. Dive for sea creatures
4. Visit mystery islands using Nook Miles Tickets
5. Redesign/decorate areas of your island
6. Work on DIY projects and crafting
7. Visit other player islands for trading/inspiration

Common Challenges and Solutions

Managing Inventory Space

• Challenge: Limited pocket space for collecting items
• Solutions:
  • Upgrade to maximum inventory (40 slots) via Nook Miles redemption
  • Carry a pipe for quick returns to home storage
  • Use fruit to increase holding capacity temporarily (10 items stacked in 1 slot)
  • Craft and sell immediately rather than hoarding materials

Efficient Island Navigation

• Challenge: Time spent traveling across the island
• Solutions:
  • Place pipes between frequently visited locations
  • Build inclines and bridges at strategic points
  • Create dedicated harvesting paths for daily runs
  • Organize trees and rocks in accessible patterns

Missing Special Characters

• Challenge: Not seeing important visitors
• Solutions:
  • Check entire island including beaches, plaza, and remote areas
  • Look for Redd’s boat at the secret beach on north shore
  • Visit during appropriate times (e.g., Daisy Mae before noon)
  • Check in multiple times throughout the day for wandering visitors

Flower Overbreeding

• Challenge: Flowers spreading uncontrollably after rain
• Solutions:
  • Place custom designs or transparent patterns around flower beds
  • Create contained breeding areas with fencing
  • Plant flowers on sand or dirt paths to prevent spreading
  • Regular maintenance to remove unwanted spawns

Best Practices for Maximum Enjoyment

1. Balance Collection and Creativity

   • Alternate between resource gathering and island designing
   • Set specific goals for each play session
   • Avoid burnout by focusing on what you enjoy most

2. Turnip Strategy

   • Buy below 100 bells for safest investments
   • Check prices twice daily (prices change at noon)
   • Use online communities to find high selling prices
   • Consider storing turnips on mystery islands to prevent spoilage when time traveling

3. Seasonal Preparation

   • Stock up on seasonal materials before they disappear
   • Save rare seasonal DIYs for trading
   • Prepare areas for seasonal events in advance
   • Plan landscaping around seasonal visual effects

4. Friendship Optimization

   • Gift wrapped assessed fossils for maximum friendship points
   • Talk to villagers daily but not excessively (diminishing returns)
   • Return lost items to correct owners promptly
   • Fulfill requested favors for bonus friendship points

5. Long-Term Planning

   • Create a wishlist of items/DIYs you’re seeking
   • Designate themed areas for future development
   • Save certain materials for high-value crafting (gold, zodiac fragments)
   • Take “before” screenshots to track your island’s transformation

Resources for Further Information

In-Game Tools

• Critterpedia: Tracks fish, bugs, and sea creatures you’ve caught
• DIY Recipes App: Shows available crafting options
• Nook Shopping Catalog: Records items you’ve owned for reordering
• Best Friends App: Connect with other players for easier visits
• Island Designer App: Terraforming tool (available after 3-star rating)
• Custom Designs Portal: Download community-created designs

External Resources

• ACNH Guide Apps: Real-time tracking of collectibles and events
• Turnip Exchange: Website for finding islands with high selling prices
• Dream Address Sharing: Visit other islands for inspiration (DA-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX)
• Pattern Design Websites: Download custom designs for paths and decorations
• Item Catalog Websites: Check complete item variations and availability
• ACNH Communities: Reddit, Discord, and Facebook groups for trading and tips

This cheatsheet provides a comprehensive overview of daily activities in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, helping you maintain an efficient routine while maximizing enjoyment and progress. Whether you’re a dedicated player or can only log in occasionally, following these guidelines will help you make the most of your island experience!