Locating Isabelle in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

To track down Isabelle in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you can’t just boot up the game and expect her to pop up right away. Luckily, it won’t take long before you can enjoy her company on your island every day.

Isabelle is a key character in New Horizons, but there are a few essential steps to take before you see her wandering around. Here’s how to unlock Isabelle in just four straightforward steps!

After spending a few days on your island (I hit this milestone on day three), the Nook twins will ask for your assistance in setting up a proper shop, transitioning from their makeshift setup in the Resident Services tent to a full-fledged retail space called Nook’s Cranny. To help them level up their business, you’ll need to gather some building materials: specifically, 30 pieces each of wood, softwood, hardwood, and 30 iron nuggets.

Once you’ve collected these materials, you’ll choose a location for the shop. After that, just wait for the next in-game day for Nook’s Cranny to officially open its doors.

What might not be clear while you’re busy gathering resources is that building the shop is just the beginning of many exciting developments on your island, all of which will depend on your efforts—especially when it comes to increasing your island’s population.

Aim to invite three new villagers to your island as soon as you can. You can do this by purchasing a Nook Miles Ticket from the Nook Stop terminal in Resident Services after you’ve settled your moving fees. These tickets will take you to a randomly generated deserted island, where you can find crafting materials and possibly meet a wandering villager who’s eager to settle down.

Strike up a conversation with them, and they’ll eventually ask if they can move to your island. If you agree, they’ll contact Tom Nook to finalize the arrangements.

As you progress, Tom Nook will have several tasks for you to complete in preparation for your new residents, which for me started on day four. Here’s what you’ll need to do for him:

Next up is the major upgrade to Resident Services. You didn’t think it would remain a tent forever, did you? For me, this upgrade happened on day seven. Tom Nook will announce that Resident Services is moving to a new building. While it won’t leave the plaza, the entire area will undergo renovations.

The following day (day eight for me), Resident Services will be closed for these updates. But on the next in-game day, you’ll get to explore the newly revamped plaza and Resident Services building.

On the morning of that day (day nine for me), Tom Nook will make his usual island announcement, but this time he’ll be joined by a special guest—Isabelle! That’s right, Isabelle is now part of your island’s Resident Services team. From this point on, you can visit her anytime to discuss island evaluations, address any resident concerns, or even jazz up your island’s flag and theme tune.