How to Use Amiibo and Amiibo Cards in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Out of all games with Amiibo functionality included, Animal Crossing has proven itself to be uniquely compatible with the process. After all, building a community with the coolest, most interesting villagers you can manage is the entire point of the game, and if you can expedite that process a smidge using Amiibo and Amiibo cards, then all the better! Here’s how to use Amiibo and Amiibo cards in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

There are two ways that Amiibo can be used in Animal Crossing: New Horizons: at the Nook Stop machine in town hall, and at Harv’s Island. Using Amiibo at the Nook Stop allows you to invite particular villagers to your island’s campsite. They’ll show up the next day, and if you invite them back a few times, you’ll have the opportunity to ask them to move in permanently, provided you don’t already have the maximum number of villagers on your island. On Harv’s Island, you can use Amiibo to call up specific villagers to participate in photo shoots, and unlike with the campsite, you don’t need to wait a day for this.

How to Use Amiibo and Amiibo Cards in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

To use an Amiibo in Animal Crossing: New Horizons at the Nook Stop, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Nook Stop machine in town hall
2. Press the Invite Camper button.
3. Hold an Amiibo to the NFC Touchpoint on your Switch controller.
4. Watch the in-game cutscene.

So how do you actually do this? It’s easy! For the Nook Stop, just visit the machine and press the Invite Camper button. You’ll be prompted to hold an Amiibo up to the NFC Touchpoint on your Switch controller (the game will tell you where the point is if you don’t know). When you touch the Amiibo or Amiibo card to the point, you should get a little cutscene with the villager accepting your invitation.

However, do note that only Animal Crossing Series 1 to 4 Amiibo Cards can be used to invite villagers. While you can use any Animal Crossing or Animal Crossing-adjacent Amiibo (such as the Villager and Isabelle Super Smash Bros. Amiibos), using anything besides the Series cards will only unlock small items for purchase in the Nook Stop store. Also, special characters like Isabelle and KK Slider can’t be invited to the island, even if you use their card.

On Harv’s Island, just enter the photo room and switch to photo mode, then touch the Amiibo or Amiibo card to the point to make that particular villager appear in the room. You can move and pose them freely at this point.