As players move around their islands in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, they might begin to notice something new: some items left lying around the island without an owner. Just like in real life, villagers in Animal Crossing can lose objects from their pockets, and with this new feature, players can have a new reason to be neighborly and speak to their villagers. If players can figure out who the item belongs to and return it to the right villager, they may even receive a reward.
In a new addition to this game mechanic, players can inspect the item to try and narrow down to whom it might belong. The item will always correspond to a different villager personality trait. This is especially important because, as with lost items in other games in the series, after one day of being in a player's inventory, the item will turn into trash, called What Was This Again? and players will have to simply find a way to dispose of it. Here is everything to know about lost items and returning them or getting rid of them in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Lost Items in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Lost items can be found anywhere on the island and will always be either a book, notebook or one of two styles of drawstring bag. Players can pick these items up the same way they might pick up shells or other items on the ground. Items will always belong to one of the resident villagers living on the island.
Players can inspect the item once it is in their pockets to learn more about it. Unlike previous versions of this mechanic, where the player blindly needed to guess to whom the item belonged, players can get a hint to the item's owner. There is a catch, though: the player has to be good friends with the owner to learn more about the item and its contents upon inspecting it. Otherwise, the description of the item will just say, "Someone lost this...." This is a good incentive for players to get to know their resident villagers better and improve their friendship with them.
If the player is good friends with the item's owner, they will find out about the contents of the item. Usually, these details reveal something about the personality type of the villager who lost the item. There is a special description for each of the four kinds of lost items for each unique personality trait.
Returning Lost Items in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Players should try to return the lost item to its owner. In return, the villager will present the player with a reward, usually a clothing or furniture item. Returning the item will also earn friendship points for the player and the owner.
If a player returns the item to the correct villager on the first try, without showing it to another villager, this will result in a bigger and better reward. Additionally, if a player returns the item to the owner without being asked about it first, they will earn extra friendship points with the owner.
If a player shows the item to the wrong villager, the villager will let the player know who the owner is. Players can and should still return it to them, but the reward will not be as good.
Getting Rid of Lost Items in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Players only have the day to return the lost item to its owner. Sometimes, that is not possible. If a day passes without returning the item, it will turn into trash in the player's inventory, and the player will need to get rid of it.
Trash items can be disposed of at Nook's Cranny or the trash can in a player's home. It cannot be sold.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available for the Nintendo Switch.