Animal Crossing: New Horizons – How Getting A 5-Star Island Really Works

Getting a five-star island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is harder than it seems. Achieving the maximum possible island evaluation rating is, of course, a long-term goal; it’s not the kind of thing you can achieve in your first day, week, or even month of playing ACNH. But even beyond that, the requirements for a five-star island are arcane and mysterious. You could build up an island for years, and still be stuck at a four-star rating because you missed some obscure requirement you never would’ve thought of on your own.

But thanks to the efforts of dataminers who discovered the inner workings of island evaluation, along with the game’s official guidebook, we now know the exact metrics that Isabelle uses to rate your island on a scale of one to five, and the exact conditions you’ll need to get a perfect score. So, in case you’re struggling to get that five-star rank, here’s everything you need to do to get a perfect island evaluation, along with the rewards you can expect once you get there.

How To Check Your Island Rating, & What’s Needed To Get A 5-Star Island

Getting An Island Evaluation

You can check your rating any time you like by visiting Isabelle at Resident Services and selecting the “Island evals” option in the dialogue menu. She’ll then give you your rating, along with a little advice about what to work on if you want to improve it. Note that this option won’t be available until after you’ve constructed the town square and convinced your first visitor to become a permanent resident of your island.

That’s all well and good, but what Isabelle doesn’t tell you is that island evaluations are calculated based on two hidden points systems: Development Points and Scenery Points. Different items, activities, and achievements count towards each of the two categories. You must have at least 665 Development Points and at least 450 Scenery Points in order to gain a five-star rating. In the following sections, we’ll look at the various ways you can earn points in each category.

How To Increase Development Points

Development Points are mainly awarded for the various buildings, structures, and outdoor furniture you’ll place throughout the island. The following table shows various tasks you can undertake to increase your Development score, and how much each is worth.

There are special restrictions and bonuses available for the furniture category. Island evals divide your island up into 8×8 squares, and detract points for repeating the same type of furniture within a square. If there are six or more of an item, you’ll lose half a point for each duplicate, and if there are 11 or more, you’ll lose three-quarters of a point each.

You’ll also gain an extra half point each time you use a piece of furniture specifically designed for placement outdoors. The value of your furniture also affects the number of points you receive for it. If it exceeds 20,000 Bells, your Development Points for furniture will be doubled.

Scenery Points

Where Development Points revolve around furniture and buildings, Scenery Points are awarded based on your island’s natural flora and fauna (for the most part). You’ll receive them for everything from planted trees to ripened produce. The table below contains all the tasks and items that reward Scenery Points in ACNH, along with the point values they’ll earn you.

Similar restrictions and bonuses apply here. If you have ten or more unique types of DIY furniture, you’ll get an extra 0.75 Scenery Points per type. Also note that you can never receive more than 190 points total from the trees and bushes you plant on your island; these Scenery Point values are capped there.

Tips & Tricks To Get A 5-Star Island The Fast Way

Speedrunning A 5-Star Rating

Now, you could spend weeks, months, or even years getting your island together, tweaking every aspect of it until it’s absolutely perfect. But what if you want to hit five stars as quickly as possible? Thankfully, there are a few easy tricks for that, and the first of those is to plant a ton of flowers. A fully matured flower is worth the same as a fully matured tree, but it takes up less airspace and grows much more quickly. Flowers also aren’t subject to the same point cap as trees and bushes, which means you can never have too many.

Gyroids are also an excellent way to increase your rating quickly. Each Gyroid counts as a unique furniture type, and only takes up a single square. Therefore, filling up an island with them is an excellent way to boost Development Points.

Finally, removing weeds can increase your Development score without too much effort. Remember, you get more points the fewer weeds you have on your island, so just try to remove them whenever and wherever they pop up, and your score should improve in no time.

Mistakes To Avoid When Increasing Your Island Rating

Clutter & Repetition

But it is possible to go too far when building up your island, and actually decrease your rating as a result. First, let’s look at the risks of clutter. Not every item you leave lying around will count towards your furniture bonus; things like fruit, seeds, materials, clothing, unplaced furniture, consumables, and presents count as clutter.

If you have 15 or more pieces of clutter, you can’t achieve a five-star rating. Try to avoid leaving random items around, even if they’re sitting on top of furniture. Ensure that the only items you keep out are furniture, and remember, try to avoid repetition of the same item within an 8×8 square.

It’s also possible to simply have too many items placed. If, within the 8×8 squares your island is divided into, more than 45 of the tiles are covered on average, Isabelle will tell you that your island is too cramped for residents to move around in. Remember to space things out adequately to avoid this penalty.

Too Many Trees

While trees can be an excellent way to increase your Scenery score, there is such a thing as too many trees. If you have 220 trees or more, Isabelle will tell you that it looks more like a desolate forest than a developed island, and you’ll need to remove some of them to get a five-star rating.

What Happens When You Get A 5-Star Island

Five-Star Island Eval Rewards

Once you’ve achieved a five-star rating, you’ll immediately receive the crafting recipe for the golden watering can, the longest-lasting watering can in the game with 180 uses. In addition, for each week they remain at a five-star rating, a lily of the valley flower will bloom on your island. This is the only way to get these rare and beautiful flowers.

And that’s about everything you need to know about getting a perfect five-star island evaluation. Although shortcuts can help you get there quickly, they’re no substitute for hard work and dedication. Therefore, achieving a five-star rating should only be a long-term goal in Animal Crossing: New Horizons; don’t try to rush it for the rewards.