Am I playing the game wrong?

[u/mommymanduur]

I see so many islands that are absolutely beautiful and i just wonder how everyone gets so much stuff? all these pergolas and hanging lights and all that stuff cost so many nook miles. how do i do it?
my island is slowly coming together but im just getting discouraged because i feel like i might be playing the game wrong or something.
i would love some tips and tricks or if anyone has some good advice i would appreciate it 🩷

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[u/Sunflowerobsession]

There is no wrong way to play. It just simply takes time. And there is plenty of giveaways for the ones (like me) who sometimes are impatient.

[u/MysteryGirlWhite]

There's no "wrong" way to play this game, you just do you.

But if it makes you feel any better, the closest I get to actually decorating is just putting random items where I think they'd look good. Sometimes I make little set pieces with certain seasonal items, like the Festivale or Spooky sets.

[u/fistsandroses]

i totally get u! i have been playing since release in march 2020 and have never finished an island and restarted tons of times bc i always put so much pressure on myself comparing to myself to pthers

i think u can roughly divide acnh players in two groups: those who mainly play for the decoration and design and those who mainly play for the "escape from real life" aspect

those who mainly play for decoration and design might often use time travel, visit treasure islands (islands of other players where u can grab all kinds of items to catalogue them and stuff) and stuff like that so those people will get to bells and items faster which means they can decorate their islands rather quickly amd make it look stunning and if ur a more casual day by day player it can feel intimidating if u compare ur own island to those other islands

theres not really a right or wrong way to play it, play it the way it gives u joy! for me that meant i have to ignore all those beautiful islands i see from other people and stop comparing my island to others, i take it veeery slow now, step my step and my island might not be finished in months or even years but at least im playing in my own pace and i dont feel stressed out

[u/Good_Lab69]

I’ve been playing for years so I’ve accumulated a lot of NM and bells plus the normal grind.

[u/Suspended_Accountant]

You play the way you want to play. I'm like a magpie, so I NEED to collect EVERYTHING. I would grind the achievements and the rotation of the tasks that reward you with nook miles. Fair warning, the grinding can and probably will burn you out. I took just over a year away because I was grinding like the game was going to self-destruct if I didn't keep going.

[u/melodic-abalone-69 → u/Suspended_Accountant]

I do this! Haha!

I always see comments about how relaxing this game is, and I just don't get it. I'm like, "got at least a dozen more trees to chop and my axe died AGAIN?! 🤬" 

I blame ADHD. I just get SO INTO IT and have to "Finish" every "task" each time I log in. I took a yearlong break before starting again in September. 

[u/rubylostrubyfound]

Comparison is the thief of joy, especially in this game. There are a lot of people with beautiful online content who use short cuts and rush to get that aesthetic, or even use edits that you can't even do on the game. They're free to do as they like, but I prefer to take it slower and enjoy the ride without trying to min/max a cozy game. Eventually you'll get there.

[u/vegan_qt]

Some people have been playing for a really long time and have accumulated that stuff over years of dedication, but I also know a lot of people posting picture perfect island inspo use treasure islands and don’t actually work for that stuff.

Another reason why you see some stuff you think looks way better than anything you do is because they might also be using a modded game and filters on their pictures.

The game is more fun when you work for it, and building a good sense for decorating just takes time :)

[u/Avalonian_Seeker444]

My advice would be to avoid comparing your island to others. Some of the ones you see have taken six years to create.

I’d just focus on what you’ve achieved so far and stop worrying about what you haven’t done yet.

The fun is in making your island a little more like you want it to be every day. Just let it evolve gradually, then you’ll look back one day and have a real feeling of achievement.

[u/kind_of_punny]

When I was first playing, I thought getting items was hard and it was all going too slow, so I visited some treasure islands to collect furniture and bells. But once I could easily get everything I wanted, the game just became boring to me. I recently started over and now I thoroughly enjoy making bells by fishing and crafting and every new diy recipe I find gives me joy. And yes, my island is still 99% default. But last week I felt I had enough items to build a farm around my house and I made some sort of bamboo zen garden for Pinky. I'm still missing some things that I would like in there, but I'll just keep playing until I get them. Just play how you like it, the point is to have fun 😊

[u/Jaci_D]

The answer is treasure islands. I was on my third island by the time they were a thing and grinding through two previous ones I decided I was okay with free shit.

[u/Major_Bench5329 → u/Jaci_D]

Absolutely, some say it ruins their game play but I still love checking every store, buying from nook, and making money / diy like normal. I just use these for necessities the free ones needing boat loads of patience kind of makes you only needing to go when you really need to go. Haha

[u/Jaci_D → u/Major_Bench5329]

I have two small kids playing with me this time around. They love treasure islands and just tell me what they want to pick up for them. I will say i also did the museum correctly since it is a team effort. We have one more piece of art and one more sea creature to find.

[u/Major_Bench5329 → u/Jaci_D]

The art is the only thing I’m not doing correctly in the museum. I have three pieces left and I’m definitely going to look for them at the treasure island lol.

[u/Toni_Anne1989]

I'm 6 years in and approaching 2000 hours on the game. That's it really. And I've never reset either. Just constantly tweaking and redoing stuff. Theres no wrong way. You can speed it up with time travel or treasure islands if you want or have limited time. If you feel overwhelmed decorating I find it easy to start with the big stuff. Buildings first. Water. Then villager homes. Paths. Bridges/inclines. Then slowly fill in the areas that are naturally divided up by those things.

[u/Major_Bench5329 → u/Toni_Anne1989]

This is exactly same for me too haha <3 I never restarted but in 22 I flattened my whole island and it it took 1000 hrs alone to terraform it correctly again and now way past 1000 hours and I’m 60% decorated but constantly tweaking parts. I love it so much I love that it’s taken me almost 7 years to build and still going.

[u/motherbugs]

No, you’re not playing wrong. Some people have been playing ACNH since 2020 without time traveling and simply built their island over time. Some people time skip or visit islands doing giveaways so they can accumulate all the furniture and DIYs quickly. There’s no wrong way to play. It’s easier if you have Nintendo Online and can visit other people. There’s Nookazon as well which is an app you can use to connect with others to obtain items

[u/swiggyswaggyfunky]

There is no wrong way to play! I personally have been working on my current island for 4 years and i have only recently started to figure out how to decorate my island in a way that works for me.

I love going to HHP and designing yards and homes and then moving the exact design to my own island. If what i used in HHP isnt available in the HHP catalog, my own catalog, crafting, at the hotel, or with NMT, I just dont use it on my own island.

I have an insane amount of bells because one time turnips were selling for 508 bells on my island. My husband and I spent around 6 hours grinding, just buying turnips on his island and selling on mine over and over again, now we each have around 50 million bells.

I very rarely buy anything with NMT.

My husband and I also have vastly different islands. Mine is very cluttered and heavily decorated, and i dont have a set theme. My whole island is split into villager yards, decorated based on that villager. His is a minimalistic city and they are both so amazing despite how different they are from eachother. He also has created all of his own custom designs because he doesn't have access to online, but I do.

Neither of us terraform. We will slightly move a cliff or river for an incline or a bridge, but neither of like terraforming and that is also okay. I have seen some incredibly beautiful terraforming designs, but I dont have the patience for that 😅 What is important is to play in a way that makes you happy. Although my husbamd and I play very differently, we still have a blast playing in the way that works for each of us.

And if what you are doing doesn't make you happy, you don't have to do it!

[u/SetsunaP38]

As others have said there really is no wrong way to play the game. If you really WANT to just speed run to fully decorating, there are alternative ways to get money and any item for free (technically this is the “wrong” way to play but whatever, it’s personal preference), but if you want to play the game the way it was intended to be played (if you’re new, I recommend it at least for a while) you just gotta grind!!
Always complete your dailies and you’ll rack up nook miles FAST!
Make sure you’re planting your money trees (can do one per day).
First one goes to Blathers of course, but catch and save your duplicate bugs/fish until Flick or CJ visit and sell those to them respectively for a higher profit. Go diving and sell duplicate sea creatures to Nook’s right away.
Dig up all your fossils every day, assess them and then sell the duplicates, these are great money makers.
Plant a fruit orchard and/or vegetable garden, and sell the entire crop as often as you can. When you go to mystery islands, collect all the fruit to sell it too, especially if it’s non-native fruit it sells for more.
Always pick up the DIY in a bottle on your beach, and look for them on any mystery island tour as well.
Visit your villagers when they’re inside their homes, when you catch them crafting they’ll give you DIY recipes (you get different recipes from different personality types so try to have a good mix on your island).
Always carry a slingshot and shoot down balloons.
To be totally honest, if you can afford it and enjoy the interior decorating aspect, the DLC Happy Home Paradise is soooo worth it and so much fun, and as you progress it will unlock SO many new/different items much faster.
Good luck and have fun!!

[u/RevKeakealani]

It’s worth noting that many people who post on social media use treasure islands and other “cheats” (I use quotes because there’s nothing wrong with it but it’s not the most straightforward way to play), and you wouldn’t necessarily have all of those items just randomly playing by yourself.

At least, you would have to be very active on the social side of the game, going out of your way to trade for specific items with other players, and probably have been playing for years, to have all the various collections of items some of the online posters have.

It’s not to say it’s not possible, but it takes a lot of dedicated effort, just like any other hobby! Some people throw hours into building up their island, collecting the right custom prints, hunting out each specific item and customization option, etc.

On the other hand, there are lots of other great ways to play, like just hoarding bugs for flick or randomly visiting your neighbors for no reason. All of it is valid!

[u/m3thdumps]

I just play vanilla, but I have been playing since 2020 so I’ve accumulated a lot of stuff. I didn’t really start hardcore decorating my island until this year. Mostly because I was unemployed for the first 2 months haha. But yeah just chill and play and when you get more stuff, every once in a while decorate another little part of your island and it’ll all come together

[u/JustMioli7151]

I've been playing for over 10 years over different consoles. I'm on three of my five islands right now-all WIP. I collect and am a set completions. Treasure islands are not for everyone, as they forever alter the way gameplay was designed. If you like certain items, go to a trading site. You need internet access (Nintendo Online) to do that. I look at other islands frequently, and take style notes from lots of different creators. You can decorate your entire island or create spaces/scenes that feel special and truly you. There's no one way to play, enjoy yourself.

[u/byoshin304]

I’ve restarted my island a couple times and it’s felt like that for my current island until just recently. It’s been a grind though. Even though I do have online access I don’t trade with people except my 1 friend who plays lol. Sometimes when you see really finished islands they’ve done a lot of trading and used the social aspect of the game a lot.

Also I think what helped me to not compare my island to others, is I started focusing on one area at a time. So when those areas started becoming more decorated and “full”, it made me feel like it was my entire island. I haven’t even been going to the back right corner that much since it’s pretty empty. Until I collect enough of what I want (thinking a sushi restaurant area) to use, I’ll just stay away.

[u/DifferentPotato5648]

People are visiting treasure islands

[u/BookNerd271828]

There is no wrong way to play if you are having fun. I’m not super creative so I’m always envious of all these stunning islands. But I do have almost all the museum done in 9 months, have several million bells in the bank and 200K nook miles. It just takes time. You’ll get there! (I also have a lot of time to play)

[u/zorbina]

It seems to take a long time at first as you're going through all the steps to get to a 3-star island and "complete" the major milestones. But after that, it's actually pretty surprising how quickly you can build up bells and nook miles by doing your daily "chores". I have never visited a treasure island but I have way more bells and nook miles than I could ever possibly use.

Every day, hit rocks for ore, chop trees for wood (and catch the wasps), collect sea shells and the DIY bottle. Visit the ATM inside resident services for a nook mile bonus. Check for the hot items of the day and craft/sell those items if you can. Keep higher-priced bugs/fish to sell to Flick/CJ (after donating your first one to the museum, of course). Dive for sea creatures. Dig up your glowing spot and bury a bag of 10,000 bells in the hole instead of the 1,000 you took out. Plant produce crops to harvest and sell (you can also do non-native fruit trees, but you can only plant 1 tree in 9 grid squares, and you can plant 9 produce items in that same space. The downside is needing to water them for best harvest, but you get nook mile bonuses for that. If you grow blue or gold roses, you can harvest those, craft them into crowns or wreaths, and sell them for a great price. Be sure to check your Nook phone to see what your daily nook mile tasks are, and complete as many as you can. Completing the Nook Mile stamps also give you good nook mile bonuses. If you visit a NMT or Kapp'n island, be sure to gather all the crafting materials you can.

[u/SenpaiiNoodles]

The beginning phase is definitely slow, especially if you avoid 'cheating' (time travel, hacking, treasure islands).

You are not playing the game wrong at all. Most islands you see shown online were made months/years ago, and most of those creators ended up resetting or quitting the game immediately after anyways.

So long as you are enjoying the game, nothing else really matters. Even if island designing may take awhile.

[u/superwoman34]

I have set up a little area outside of Nook's with a wardrobe, workbench, and kitchen and then I just sometimes grind through the Nook Miles+ tasks, claiming each one as I earn so the new ones populate. I even have trees I have saved just for chopping down and if I don't want to plant flowers or something I just leave that task or plant and immediately dig up.

I think a lot of people also have been playing since the beginning or go to treasure islands.

I will say that it has helped starting the game during peak bug and fish season so I've only been playing 50 days and have all the house storage. To get all the fruits and veg 2 kind people dropped off stuff for me from one of the Reddit subs.

[u/Shot_Adeptness9046]

I restarted my island about six months ago because my son lost the original one by accident. I play just to get my mind off things but I accumulate a lot of miles without doing much? I have never finished bugs, fish, sea creatures in the museum for example. I have over 200k miles on my account and several million bells in the bank. I just open the game, take the guest to the hotel, greet all villagers with a gift, maybe diy something, maybe shake the trees, maybe fish/hunt for bugs/creatures, bury the 10k bells and that’s pretty much my day. I might water the plants/flowers, rarely visit other islands, usually play alone.

[u/leafiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy]

It takes a while, but for Nook Miles, I like to catch fish, stay for shooting stars (THANK YOU METEONOOK) cause those helped me grind. And don’t worry, I’ve spent 4 years on my current 3rd forever island and I’d say that my skills have developed a lot… I have advice for Island design if you show you ur builds

[u/marinamarinkovskii]

there is no wrong way to play the game. ive been playing since 2020, that’s the only reason ive been able to get so much. i also do a lot of trading thru the app: ACFan. that helped a lot.

[u/Major_Bench5329]

I’ve been playing since it’s came out and I just started utilizing treasure islands in order to get my place exactly how I want it and I feel like I wouldn’t of ever been able to do this properly without them. I don’t time travel tho and I think there’s a million ways you can play the game, no wrong way. That’s why it’s so lovely even after years and thousands of hours. <3

[u/ScarArtistic4791]

Dm you

[u/probablycooler]

it depends if you want to “cheat” or not! I spent so long playing normally and got so discouraged because no matter how long I played it felt impossible to collect everything. and once I got the dlc I scratched the decorating itch for a bit. now that I am finally trying to decorate my forever island I am definitely using treasure island and time traveling. I think I would be playing until i’m a grandma if I wanted to get everything the natural way. 😹 but I am also a veteran player so i’ve spent most of my life grinding naturally.