Mastering the May Day Maze in Animal Crossing: A Guide to Your Island Adventure
Get ready for another exciting seasonal event in Animal Crossing: New Horizons! May Day is here, running from today until May 7. If you missed it last year, May Day offers players a week-long opportunity to embark on a unique May Day Island Tour at their own pace. This special tour takes you to a unique island, distinct from the usual Mystery Tour islands, featuring a maze that you can navigate for an exclusive reward. Even if you participated last year, it’s worth doing again—not only will you encounter a brand-new maze, but there’s also a fresh reward for returning players. The recent 1.10 update adds new twists to May Day and other returning events, so don’t miss out on the fun.
To kick off your May Day adventure, head over to Dodo Airlines to grab your May Day Ticket, which will be waiting for you at the counter. Remember, you must use this ticket by the end of the day on May 7, and it’s a one-time use only. The May Day Tour takes about 15 minutes to complete, so make sure you have enough time set aside. When you’re ready, chat with Orville, select “I wanna fly!” and then “Use May Day Ticket.” No need to worry about your inventory—everything you’re carrying will be stored at the airport, so you can leave your pockets full.
The May Day Tour is all about navigating a maze using only the items you find on the island. You’ll come across tools, your native fruit, and crafting materials, including DIY recipes for the flimsy axe and regular axe if you don’t already have them. Throughout the maze, there are 9 bell vouchers to collect, each worth 3,000 bells at Nook’s Cranny, but your main objective is to reach Rover, the special NPC waiting at the end.
The maze puzzle relies on fruit power, which gives you the stamina to dig up trees and break rocks—your main obstacles. Eating fruit allows you to dig up trees or smash rocks, opening up areas with more fruit or crafting materials. To collect all the bell vouchers, you’ll need to manage your fruit wisely, craft an axe, and chop down trees instead of relying solely on fruit power to pick them up. Save your fruit power for breaking rocks, as you can’t move them otherwise.
If you find yourself stuck, you can use the Rescue Service app on your NookPhone or ask Wilbur for a hint. Using the Rescue Service will reset the maze and your inventory, which is handy if you’ve used an item incorrectly. You can still reach the end of the maze without perfect execution, so if you’re not focused on collecting bells, you can easily make your way to Rover. This blue cat, a familiar face from previous Animal Crossing games, will reward you with a special piece of furniture for completing the maze and even hints at his future appearances.
As for rewards, while you can’t take any items back with you, the dodos will send Rover’s prize and any bell vouchers you collected via mail, arriving the next day. Rover’s briefcase, adorned with cute stickers from his travels, is a display item you can showcase. If this is your second time completing the maze, you’ll also receive a memento photograph of Rover—a nice keepsake for returning players.
The May Day celebration runs until May 7, but keep an eye out for other upcoming events like International Museum Day (May 18-31) and Wedding Season (June 1-30). There’s plenty more to look forward to in the world of Animal Crossing!
