One of the best new features in Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the Island Designer App, a great tool that allows you to create paths around your island for the first time in the series history as well as other things.
Using the app, you can also Waterscape and construct cliffs to your leisure, giving you freedom in an Animal Crossing game to shape your town to perfection in ways we never imagined were possible!
But how do you unlock this feature and, more importantly, how fast can you unlock it? Well, that is what we are here to tell you about. Before we begin, though, a huge spoiler alert for the story of the game as well as what you might be able to get and encounter! So be warned.
Sadly anyone looking to get these features early will be disappointed. It is a late-game unlock that will take by an average of about 2-3 weeks to get so long as you are rushing all the main requirements in your town. It doesn’t look like Able Sisters; however, it is a requirement.
You will need to have gotten the Museum, Nook’s Cranny open, upgraded Resident Services, have a three-star rating, and had K.K. Slider visit your town before Nook finally gives you the chance to make Paths and change the Terrain at your leisure.
Once you have finished listening to K.K.’s song for the first time and see the credits, only after that will you receive the Island Designer App and be able to create a limited pool of paths to start.
You can unlock the ability to create different Paths, as well as Rivers and Cliffs, by buying the extra options at the ATM Terminal in Resident Services afterward. Waterscaping Permit and Cliff Construction Permit cost 6,000 Nook Miles each while each different path permit costs 2,000 Nook Miles each.
So prepare to be in the game for the long run should you want to unlock this amazing feature. It will take a while.
