Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Graveyard Design Ideas & Tips

Players in Animal Crossing: New Horizons have found no shortage of creative potential with the game’s impressive furniture and customization options. Anything imaginable, from cozy kitchens to secret labs, is possible with the right materials and creativity. Even something as grim as a graveyard can be constructed in an otherwise peaceful game (save the bees and scorpions). Below are some tips to help players set up their very own cemetery if they are looking for an unusual landscaping project.

The first question players ought to ask, is where it should be built. Consider what portion of the island has the most amount of space available for the project, or if some house moving is in order. Building it far from the town’s center, or integrated into it, can definitely alter its mood; a spooky graveyard hidden in the forest or a local urban cemetery. If the player isn’t willing to take down their beloved creations, building a graveyard in their own home is doable despite how unorthodox it may seem. There are several unique floorings and wallpapers that depict ambient locations unobtainable on the island, like the swamp flooring or mangrove wall. Players that managed to receive special decorations like these from Saharah might consider making use of them for their graveyard.

Creating a Graveyard in Animal Crossing

Now for building, what objects should be used? Obviously, graveyards need graves! The craftable item, ‘Western-style stone’ features a basic grave that can be customized in several ways. Make sure to stock up on Customization Kits in the local store before starting to get these alternate designs, including an ancient mossy style. DIY recipes can be hard to obtain, so players should check in with their friends if they happen to happen a spare recipe or can craft the graves for them in exchange for bells. Stone Tablets, a more ancient-looking grave, are available for 800 nook miles in the Resident Services center, so if the player cannot obtain graves through DIY, this is an alternative. Another important component for graveyards is the paths the player will walk on, which can be built once K.K. Slider has visited their town at least once. What choice of pathing the player uses can also set the mood, with dirt paths appearing more rural than stone ones. Planting trees along the path can breathe some more life into the graveyard, so plan out where they’ll best tie everything together.

The most important part of planning and building the graveyard is what direction the player wants to go in; what style do they prefer, or suits their island the best? Is the purpose of their graveyard to spook visitors, or for ambiance? Below are several themes players might explore when designing their graveyard.

Creepy Style

Anything usable in a horror flick or episode of Scooby-Doo could fit right into a haunted cemetery. While spiders and tarantulas you display are kept in bug cages, Flick can make realistic models to place around the graveyard if 3 of them are donated to him. Anatomical skeleton models can be hidden behind graves, alongside creepy dolls and other paranormal objects. The iron-and-stone fence can give it a strong Gothic feel that would make it seem like a vampire could appear at any moment, so try lining the graveyard with the fencing that best suits it.

Ambient Style

Despite their melancholic feel, the architecture and landscaping of graveyards can make them rather peaceful for walks and photography. Leaf piles scattered around trees, hedges, some flowers, and other wildlife will help turn the graveyard into a place for a pleasant stroll. Streetlamps help light them up at night, making them more amiable than a spooky graveyard, as well as a park bench and water fountain for relaxation. It’s truly up to player preferences and what they have available in their catalog and DIY recipes, but those with a fondness for photography or nature will find this style best suited for them.

Cultural Style

There are a plethora of items from Japanese culture present in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which could lead a player to design their graveyard after such a theme. The imperial fence, coupled with bamboo, could make the cemetery feel straight from Japan. DIY from the bamboo set may also fit well if the player finds it suits their taste. But why settle with Japan? Many other items from around the world are present in New Horizons, and they can also be used to make culturally distinct graveyards. Pyramids, obtainable as Gulliver’s gift, can be used to make an ancient Egyptian tomb; Pyramids were tombs for the pharaohs after all. This is the one graveyard that could be built on the beach thanks to the sand, but the sand pathing will let it be placed anywhere. The golden dung beetle item might serve as a fun replacement for a scarab.

It’s also important to keep in mind the layout of the graves. Lining them up neatly one by one is neat, but not all graveyards are so orderly. Some are a little disorganized, so having the line up of the graves a little off-center can add some real character to them. Whatever the graveyard players wind up building for their island, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has plenty of options for any style.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available for the Nintendo Switch

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