ACNH: Island rating - how to raise? 5-star island rating, tips Animal Crossing guide, tips

On this page of our guide to Animal Crossing New Horizons you will find out what the island rating is and how to raise it most effectively.

At Isabelle's, you can check the rating of your island.

The island's rating is presented in a 5-star scale. One star is the worst rating, and five stars indicate the best rating of the island.

• Where to check the island's rating?
• What is island rating for?
• How to increase island's rating?
• Rating levels - Requirements
• What can I get after receiving 5 star rating level?

Where to check the island's rating?

You have to ask Isabelle about the rating of your island - it will appear at Resident Services after this institution moves from tent to a building. Isabelle will also give you a handful of tips on what to do in order to get more stars. Unfortunately her advice is quite enigmatic, so it's better to rely on the guide.

What is island rating for?

First of all, after reaching rating level 3/5 we can complete the New Horizons story. When the rating rises to that level, the star of the Animal Crossing world - a musician-dog K. K. Slider, will appear on your island. The dog will do a gig. Then you will also watch the ending credits. Of course, the game doesn't end after this stage - you can have fun in AC almost endlessly and we wrote about it here.

How to increase island's rating?

Although the advice you get from Isabelle about raising the island's rating aren't that clear, fortunately the process itself is not difficult - it is time-consuming at best. In order to raise the rating:

1. Pull out weeds - do you appreciate the natural style of English gardens? Well, to get more stars, you have to take care of your gardens like in France - they have to be perfect! Weed is your enemy!
2. Add as many different pieces of furniture (bought or crafted) as possible to the outside areas - these can be benches, tables or even dinosaur figures (you can buy one of them in Nook Stop). The more, the better - as long as it is not one and the same type of item. It is not only the quantity that matters here, but also the diversity!
3. Fences are your friends. They make it difficult to move around the island, but they make it more attractive. You want them or not - it's worth constructing them.
4. Plant trees and flowers. The more blossoming flower beds or trees, the more beautiful your island will be in the perspective of your guests.
5. However, don't plant too many trees - having more than 220 trees has a negative impact on your rating.
6. Invest in infrastructure. Any bridge or stairs will improve your island's rating.
7. Attract as many merchants as possible - yes, Nook's Cranny isn't the only store that can start selling goods at your island. Buy clothes at Mabel's, and in time, she will construct the Albe Sisters' tailoring shop on your island.
8. Remove items lying on the ground - this does not apply to furniture, of course, but keeping aquariums with fish or fruit outdoors is not welcome.

Weed is your enemy. Wipe it out!

Rating levels - Requirements

1. 1 Star - none
2. 2 Stars - at least 7 residents (without player)
3. 3 Stars - at least 7 residents (without player), approximately 50 different furniture pieces set up outside, more than 100 flowers planted and most of the weeds removed.
4. 4 Stars - at least 9 residents (not counting the player), everything described above, as well as a lot of fences, 150 furniture pieces and over 200 flowers. It also requires additional stairs or bridges.
5. 5 Stars - everything mentioned above, but every flower, furniture piece or fence has to be evenly distributed throughout the island.

What can I get after receiving 5 star rating level?

Grand finale.

If you reach the highest rating level of your island, you will be rewarded with a recipe for a golden watering can (more about golden tools can be found here). In addition, only then will the rare Lilies of the Valley appear on your island.