Animal Crossing time travel is an infamous cheat that has been with the series since inception and New Horizons is no exception. Like those before it, ACNH takes place in real-time based on the Nintendo Switch's system clock. That means changing the system clock will change the in-game time. This simple time travel cheat can be used to speed through days, letting you get through the game faster, get more resources or cash (Bells), enjoy the day/night cycle on your schedule, check out missed events, and jump to seasons at will to catch different bugs and fish.
But messing with time itself always has its dangers. In previous Animal Crossing games, time travel has resulted in lots of weeds, dead flowers, villagers moving out, and much more. So I had to know... what happens if you do the biggest possible time jump? And how much do I stand to lose and gain by breaking this game completely?
“Why Would You Ruin Animal Crossing with Time Travel?”
I realize time travel is an upsetting concept to many who may be wondering why I would want to “ruin my game” or why I would “pay $60 to skip parts of the game.” The short answer is: for science. I was assigned to write our Animal Crossing: New Horizons Time Travel Guide, so I was doing this for the silent, large group of players who don’t mind taking advantage of a well-established exploit if it lets them enjoy their time a bit more - for numerous, valid, reasons.
Some people have limited time to play and can’t or don't want to wait until the next real-life day to progress New Horizons projects. Others may only be able to play at night and wouldn’t be able to see the sun or even buy turnips without some clock manipulation. And, of course, some of us just want to be filthy rich so we can shop to our heart’s desire and move buildings without having to grind for a quick 50,000 Bells a dozen times over.
All of this started out as mere research but I have to admit, by the end of the project, I was time traveling just for me. Sure, there are plenty of legitimate strategies to getting money plus some grey area exploits, but for many of us the only way we can make extra money, real extra money, is to go out and cut a few corners. And after everything I’ve seen and dealt with, I’d absolutely do it again.
From 2000 to 2060 and Back Again
So, I began my experiment. I traveled small increments at first, but with each letter I got from Nook Bank awarding me interest, I became more and more curious about how much interest I could accrue. I went for the biggest time jump I could. I was surprised to see the Nintendo Switch clock can go back well before the Switch’s existence. It even predates the GameCube with 1/1/2000 being the earliest date you can set the clock to. I was even more surprised to see that, according to the Nintendo Switch clock, the world ends after the year 2060.
A few leaps from 2000 to 2060 was all it took for me to gain the max interest: 99,000 Bells. It got to the point where I could jump ahead in 2 years increments and net 99K Bells in a matter of minutes.
Later I discovered another, less surefire hack. At this point, you’ve probably realized that burying 10K Bells in the glowing spot that appears every day on your island will grow into a money tree that can turn your investment into a total of 30K. You may also be aware that, despite all the rumors and misinformation floating around, this is the only amount guaranteed from the money tree. Planting 11K and even 99K could grow into a 33K or 297K tree, respectively but it’s rare and totally random.
However, planting 99K Bells in the year 2000 and jumping to the year 2060 will ensure you grow a 297K money tree as long as you don’t use the same two dates twice.
So as I rinsed and repeated my way to my first million, I was hyper-aware of my island and all I might stand to lose. Turns out, it wasn’t much.
A Slap on the Wrist
For the most part, things were fine after extensive time traveling. I had a few extra weeds but my town didn’t turn into an abandoned lot the way it did in New Leaf. None of my villagers left me. A few roaches had spawned in my one-room house but entering, stepping on them, exiting and repeating got rid of them pretty easily. I had some wicked bedhead too, but my character automatically cleaned up (no cost required) which even gave me an extra hairstyle. The biggest negatives were things I didn’t account for.
Unforeseen Consequences
To me, the worst thing about time traveling was the fact that some surprises were ruined for me. Not only am I aware of what gifts mom sends but I also have several of each kind. They go for nothing at the store but are perfect for regifting. Thanks, mom. And also, I’m sorry mom.
One unfortunate time travel accident put me directly on my birthday so my real-life January birthday celebration happened to me in March. I even rang in a new year with my unaware, soft neighbors.
Using Time Travel to Cheat the Stalk Market
This was pretty difficult to test prerelease but now that the game’s out it’s clear that the Time Travel Stalk Market cheat is the best, easiest, and safest way to make money fast through time travel. It also requires a little help from a friend or person willing to let you on their island when they have good turnip prices.
First, find a friend who has good turnip prices. Set your clock back to Sunday between 5 am to 12 pm to buy turnips from Daisy Mae, but don't change the time after you've made your purchase. Fly to your friend's island and sell the turnips. Then, repeat this process as much as your friend allows, or until their turnip sales price changes at noon or Nook’s Cranny closes at 10pm). Your friend can’t time travel while you do this, but you can leave them money or buy turnips on their behalf. Depending on their prices, you can make over 2 million Bells each trip.
Back in Real-Time (Sort of)
Now that I’ve learned all there is to know about time travel I’ve spent most of the Bunny Day event playing in real-time. But then I got a text from a friend asking me to time travel so I could buy and bring turnips to her island: Nook’s Cranny was buying them for 512 Bells. So I put on my cheating, time traveling cape once again. I convinced myself it was for the greater good. She just wants to pay off her second loan; she needs the storage.
But hey, after buying over 300K worth of turnips for her at no charge I had to make it back somehow… and a little extra for my trouble. Moments later my coworker announced turnips were selling for 591 Bells on his island and provided a Dodo code. It was already Sunday in my game, so I gave into temptation and netted over 4 million before lunchtime.
I understand and respect why people don’t want to time travel. Maybe one day, I’ll follow suit. But I have 155+ hours in this game and can honestly say time travel hasn’t ruined a single minute of it. I’m thrilled to spoil my friends and villagers rotten with my wealth until the next Animal Crossing comes out.
Time Traveling Tips and Reminders
At the end of the day whether or not you time travel is a personal decision. But if you’re looking to do it here are some important tips and reminders:
Don’t time travel with turnips or *they’ll spoil! (*jumping ahead one day at a time is fine but if you go back at all they spoil and they automatically go bad after 1 week so sell 'em before Sunday and before messing with time).
Do large time travel jumps early in the game because you have fewer villagers to risk and fewer rooms in your house mean fewer cockroaches you have to kill.
For more on manipulating time check out our time travel and cheats pages in our full Animal Crossing: New Horizons Wiki. Those playing by the book will want to make sure they catch all the April Fish and April Bugs they can while learning every Bunny Day and Cherry Blossom recipe out there.
Janet Garcia is an associate guides editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter to get a glimpse of her corrupt time travel island.
FAQs
Does anything bad happen if you time travel in Animal Crossing? ›
All players who time travel take the risk of their town becoming populated with weeds, downgrading Tom Nook's Store, the likely possibility of villagers moving out, bedheads, interrupting the growth of trees, and, depending on how far they have traveled, rafflesia growing.
What is the furthest you can time travel in Animal Crossing? ›The furthest date supported by the system is December 31, 2060, and while the game can progress into January 1, 2061, going beyond this date will result in an error message, warning the user that the date is unsupported and that they should set their time in between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2060.
Do turnip prices stay the same when you time travel? ›Your turnip price pattern resets every time you time travel backwards. If you want to fish out big spike price with TT, follow this method: TT to Tuesday at 11:58 AM and check your price. If the price is not anywhere within the 127-225 range, save and quit.
Can you get banned for time travel in Animal Crossing? ›If you're fed up with waiting around, you can time travel in-game by changing your Switch's date and time settings. There isn't danger of being banned or punished for time traveling.
Does Animal Crossing punish you for time skipping? ›Even though Nintendo doesn't support time traveling, you won't be punished for doing it. You can still play online with any other Animal Crossing player, even if your game is twenty years ahead of theirs.
What happens if you leave Animal Crossing for too long? ›The first problem that players encounter if they do not play New Horizons for over a month is the problem of cockroaches in their homes. Their in-game homes will become infested with cockroaches, which will terrify the villagers as well as lower the overall rating of the player's island.
What happens if you play Animal Crossing for 24 hours? ›What happens if you play Animal Crossing for 24 hours? It would give them plenty of time to talk to all of their villagers, complete any requests, and check out all of the available items at Nook's Cranny and Able Sisters, but there is almost no in-game effect.
Can villagers move out without telling you? ›Unlike previous games, villagers will never leave without your permission (unless a glitch involving inviting a camper when another villager is in boxes occurs). From time to time, villagers outside may be in a thinking pose, where a thought bubble will be visible above them.
What happens if you time travel one day in Animal Crossing? ›Animal Crossing: New Horizons time traveling on Switch changes a game that plays in real time, meaning that a day in the game is as long as a day in real life.
What's the highest turnip price? ›Turnip pricesedit
The prices can go from as low as 20 Bells to as high as 660 in a "large spike" pattern. The prices for a particular week follow a specific pattern. In addition, the pattern for the current week may be influenced partly by last week's pattern.
What to do with spoiled turnips? ›
The best use for rotten turnips is to use them as bait to draw out some bugs. By leaving spoiled turnips on the ground, you can attract ants and flies that you can catch and donate to Blathers' museum. Or you can just keep some for yourself if you want to start up your own personal ant farm.
What is the best day to sell turnips? ›The Nook brothers will quote a different price for the turnips each day, so players have to take the gamble and sell off the turnips at the price they deem the best. However, players have reported that turnip prices are usually the highest on Wednesdays, making it the most profitable day to sell the same.
Is there a jail in Animal Crossing? ›The jail bars can be obtained from crafting, which requires 5× iron nugget. The recipe for this item can be obtained from cranky villagers, either when they are crafting in their house, or when the player receives their message bottle from the beach.
Can visitors steal Animal Crossing? ›In general, only Best Friends can mess with your island in a destructive way. Nobody except Best Friends has access to the axe or shovel tools while visiting your island, so their ability to 'steal' items or resources is limited to whatever you've left lying on the ground.
Can you time travel to Toy Day? ›Toy Day Event Times
The main Toy Day event will take place from 5:00 am on December 24th to 5:00 am on December 25th. It's important to note that as of the v1. 6.0 update, all new holiday events are time-locked, meaning you can not time travel to these events before they are actually set to occur.
The Animal Crossing series may seem like an idyllic utopia where nothing can go wrong, but unfortunately that's not always the case. There's no shortage of heinous crimes you can commit in New Horizons.
Is time traveling in ACNH cheating? ›Time Travel isn't built into Animal Crossing New Horizons - it requires manipulating the game and technically counts as cheating.
Can you get banned in ACNH? ›In the case of Animal Crossing, no matter what mods you have or what you do in the game, you can't be banned. The most that will happen is the game prevents you from going online, until you remove the downloaded mods. And when they're removed, it's like nothing happened.
What happens if you don't give wisp his spirits? ›However, Wisp will not follow players around or haunt them in Animal Crossing, so there are no actual consequences to not returning spirits to Wisp. Players must note, though, that keeping the spirits also does not bring them much of a benefit. They simply vanish from the player's inventory the next day.
How long does it take to 100% Animal Crossing? ›| Single-Player | Polled | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Main Story | 610 | 61h 48m |
| Main + Extras | 471 | 167h 47m |
| Completionist | 57 | 384h 58m |
| All PlayStyles | 1.1K | 121h 51m |
When a villager wants to leave how long does it take? ›
Once the maximum of 10 villagers is reached, a villager will approach the player and ask them if they should move out. If they are not persuaded to stay, they will pack the furniture in boxes five days later and move out two days after that, and then they will send the player a goodbye letter.
What happens at 5am in Animal Crossing? ›In Animal Crossing, the day will reset at 5am. This means, unlike in the real world, you have an extra few hours after midnight rolls around to get any daily activities sorted. Every new day starts with an island-wide announcement from Tom Nook.
Can Animal Crossing be beaten? ›You can never beat Animal Crossing -- and, conversely, you can't lose. Instead, you play a bit every day, shaping your adorable house and village into the most idyllic environment possible.
Why will Animal Crossing: New Horizons stop working in 2061? ›As discovered by Reddit user AdTrue4863, Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn't work if the Nintendo Switch's internal clock is set to 2061. This effectively means Animal Crossing: New Horizons will stop working in 39 years, but luckily for those in the future, there's a way to fix the problem.
Can you bully a villager off your island? ›Make sure that you never give them gifts as well. Also, dabble in bullying to make them extra uncomfortable. The game recognizes bullying as hitting villagers with nets three consecutive times, pushing a villager for an extended period, and dropping a villager into a pitfall.
Can Isabelle get rid of villagers? ›In order to have Animal Crossing's Isabelle remove the villagers, players will need to discuss this resident with her multiple times. This approach could take days before the villager gets the hint. However, it is worth a shot to get rid of that unwanted neighbor.
Do pitfall seeds make villagers leave? ›When a villager or player walks over a buried pitfall seed, they will fall into it. If the player speaks to a trapped villager, they will rattle about their situation and jump out. Depending on the game or personality, they will be angry or sad after escaping.
Do villagers get mad if you keep talking to them? ›We've found that if you talk to a villager more than five times, they'll get burnt out and won't want to talk to you for a bit. You don't want to seem clingy, so make sure to restrain yourself a bit.
Can you annoy a villager into leaving? ›How to Get Villagers to Leave From Neglect. One of the best methods for getting the point across that a villager is no longer welcome is flat out ignoring them. Think social distancing to the extreme. Don't talk to them, don't fulfill requests or tasks for them, don't even ask them what they're building.
Can villagers enter your house? ›Villagers can now visit you! If you're home, you'll hear a villager knock and ask to come inside. They can only enter your house if you're standing in your main room on the ground floor. If you're outside and you speak to a villager with a thought bubble over the head, they might ask you if they could visit your home.
What happens if you bury 99000 bells? ›
If the player buries 10,000-99,000 bells, there is a 70% chance of 3x 10,000 bells and a 30% chance of 3x the amount buried. The game decides this the moment the money is buried in the glowing spot. There is no pattern whatsoever to when you will get the original investment back or the 'capped' investment.
Can you grow a 99000 bell tree? ›If you plant more than 10,000 however, it's a total gamble. While some villagers have earned three bags of 99,000 Bells from initially planting a 99,000 bag, others report a return of 10,000 Bells per bag. In other words, it's possible to plant 99,000 and only get 30,000 back.
Do bell trees regrow bells? ›Money Trees are, well, trees that grow Bells. They'll only produce Bells one time, and after you shake the money bags off the trees, they'll go back to being a regular tree. To grow a money tree, you'll have to do the following: Look for a glowing spot in the ground.
How many turnips should I buy? ›If you want to be a true Stalk shark, you should seek returns of 400 Turnips or more and pounce on them. For casual players there's usually at least one day per week where you can profit by a small amount.
How many villagers can you have in Animal Crossing? ›The maximum number of villagers you can have living on your island is 10. The first time you'll be able to invite new villagers to your island will be after Nook's Cranny opens. Tom Nook will give you three housing kits to place around the island.
How long does it take for blathers to move in? ›Once you've made five donations, Blathers will arrive and set up his tent . Blathers will arrive and set up his tent the day after you've donated these items. Upon talking to him in his tent, you'll learn that Blathers needs 15 more donations before he can open his museum.
How much do spoiled turnips sell for? ›Spoiled turnips generate if the player did not sell their turnips before 5 AM on Sunday or the player time-traveled backwards. It cannot have any price fluctuation and will only sell at 100 Bells at Nook's Cranny.
Is 97 bells for turnips good? ›In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the buy price of turnips will always be within the 90-110 Bells range. So it's best to purchase turnips if they are towards the 90-100 Bells buy range as that is objectively a 'good' price, but we recommend buying them no matter the price as 110 is certainly not a bad price either.
Is 135 a good turnip price? ›Data from the community suggests that the buying price is always between 90-110. so if you've got something in the low 90s, you've got a good price on turnips.
Can you eat old turnip? ›It's important to remove bad turnips from your stock and get rid of them as soon as possible. You can tell if turnips have gone bad if any part of them is soft or has dark patches. If the color changes from what it was when you purchased the turnip, they have likely gone bad, and you should discard them.
Does burying turnips stop them from rotting? ›
No, burying turnips will not stop them from rotting in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH). While burying turnips in the ground will shield them from physical damage, they can still rot if they're left sitting in the ground for too long.
Do spoiled turnips attract ants? ›Ants will appear on spoiled turnips as a long colony, taking bits of turnip away into an ant hill. If you miss with your net, they will scatter and disappear, but don't worry! Just leave the spoiled turnip on the ground and return later.
Does Daisy Mae change her prices? ›Daisy Mae will arrive with a fresh batch of turnips every Sunday at 5 a.m. and she'll stick around until 12 p.m. Once she arrives, she'll be selling her turnips at a fixed price, no exceptions — and it won't change that day at all.
What time does she stop selling turnips? ›If you've landed on this article, you probably already know that you can buy turnips in Animal Crossing every Sunday from Daisy Mae - she'll traverse your island from 4am to 12pm, selling turnips from her Stalk Market for a price between 90 and 110 Bells for a stack of 10.
How many turnips should you buy from Daisy Mae? ›Daisy Mae's Turnip prices will be different each Sunday but typically ranges from 90 Bells to over 100 Bells. Unlike other items, you have to buy Turnips in bundles of 10, which is what makes them so expensive. Buying Turnips at under 100 Bells is usually a good bet for getting good Bell returns.
Is it cheating to time travel in Animal Crossing? ›There is a way around this, however - you can time travel, but it comes at a cost. Time Travel isn't built into Animal Crossing New Horizons - it requires manipulating the game and technically counts as cheating.
What happens if you leave your Animal Crossing island for a long time? ›The first problem that players encounter if they do not play New Horizons for over a month is the problem of cockroaches in their homes. Their in-game homes will become infested with cockroaches, which will terrify the villagers as well as lower the overall rating of the player's island.
Do bad things happen in Animal Crossing? ›The game, for the most part, is all smiles and sunshine, but as many players know, all is not what it seems in the happy go lucky world of Animal Crossing. You see, there are many things in the games universe that just aren't quite right when you start to think of them, and many of these things can be downright evil.
Can I time travel with turnips? ›For those unaware, time traveling spoils turnips in the same way that keeping them for too long does — especially if you time travel to a Sunday, the day Daisy Mae sells her wares.
Can you get banned for cheating in Animal Crossing? ›In the case of Animal Crossing, no matter what mods you have or what you do in the game, you can't be banned.
Will villagers leave your island? ›
Once there are nine villagers living in the player's town, a villager will move out. Before a villager moves out, they come up to the player and ask if they should move. If the player lets them move, they will pack up 10 days later (five before the Welcome amiibo update) and move out the day after.
How long does it take to bully a villager off your island? ›If you can drop every conversation about moving, it should take a little over 30 days to definitely remove the villager of your choosing.
How long does it take to kick a villager off your island? ›You'll know a villager is ready to move out when they have a cloud above their head. After talking to them, they'll tell you they've been thinking of moving out, and if you agree, they'll be off the island in a couple of days.
What happens if you talk too much Animal Crossing? ›We've found that if you talk to a villager more than five times, they'll get burnt out and won't want to talk to you for a bit. You don't want to seem clingy, so make sure to restrain yourself a bit.
Who is the real villain in Animal Crossing? ›Redd (In Japanese: つねきち, Tsunekichi), also known as Crazy Redd or Jolly Redd, is an antagonist of the Animal Crossing franchise. He is a kitsune (or fox outside Japan) who makes a living by scamming people into buying fake artworks and overpriced furniture.
What is the rarest thing that can happen in Animal Crossing? ›The rarest and most expensive item in the game is the Royal Crown. Purchasable from the Able Sisters shop, the Royal Crown costs 1,200,000 bells.
Was K.K. slider bullied by Tom Nook? ›When KK Slider was a puppy, he was bullied by Tom Nook and his friends at school, but he had a crush on Isabelle. When he entered Vesterland, he meets a grown-up Isabelle, but becomes jealous that she had already got a boyfriend(Blue Yoshi).