First identify your maze: one fruit left of the entrance and no cliffs means the flat layout; two fruits diagonally left and visible cliffs means the cliff layout. Follow only that layout’s route. Both mazes require you to collect tools and materials on the island, and reaching Rover completes the main objective. Bell Vouchers are optional.
Identify your maze before you start
| Layout | Entrance clue | What to expect | Year pattern reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat | One fruit to the left of the entrance; no cliffs visible | A ground-level route with tools and materials to collect | Even years: 2020, 2022, 2024, 2026 |
| Cliff | Two fruits diagonally to the left of the entrance; multiple cliffs visible | A route with ledges that requires crafting and using a ladder | Odd years: 2021, 2023, 2025, 2027 |
The even- and odd-year pattern is reported for Version 2.0 and newer by Animal Crossing World’s May Day walkthrough, updated April 29, 2026. Use the visible entrance clues to choose your route rather than relying on the calendar alone.
How the maze works
You arrive without your carried inventory. Everything needed for the puzzle is on the island: collect fruit, branches and other materials, then use the tools you find or craft. You can jump gaps only from the correct side, and you need to decide which trees or rocks to clear.
Eating fruit gives you energy to dig up trees or break rocks. Fruit is limited, so do not spend it on an obstacle that a tool can handle—especially if you are trying to reach the optional vouchers. Resources you consume cannot be recovered unless you reset the maze.
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#1 Best Overall
![Animal Crossings New Horizons - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ErvUL40zL._SL160_.jpg)
- Build your community from scratch on a deserted island brimming with possibility; Create your personal getaway and customize your character, home, decorations, and even the landscape itself
- Collect materials to construct everything from furniture to tools. Then, use what you create to give your island a personal touch
- Watch as the time of day and seasons match real life—even your hemisphere. Each day holds potential for surprises and discoveries
- Get to know the island residents, garden, fish, decorate, hunt for fossils, and more.
- Show off your paradise – play on the same system with a total of 4 people, or play together online or over local wireless for fun with up to 8 players
Flat maze walkthrough
Use these steps only if your entrance has one fruit on the left and no cliffs. For the complete route, follow the flat-layout walkthrough; the important resource decisions are:
- Pick up the shovel, dig up the bush blocking the fruit, and eat the fruit so you can remove the first tree.
- Work through the branches and tool materials along the route. Use the worn axe to open the area containing fruit and branches.
- Collect the iron nugget and other materials needed to craft an axe. Use the axe to clear trees where possible instead of spending fruit.
- Keep fruit for the rocks on the optional voucher route. Clear the remaining trees on the main path to reach Rover.
Cliff maze walkthrough
Use this route if you see two fruits diagonally left of the entrance and cliffs ahead. Do not apply the flat route: the ledges change the path and the required tools.
- Start by collecting the shovel and fruit, then follow the cliff-layout route to gather branches and other crafting materials.
- Collect the materials needed to craft a ladder. Use it to reach the cliff ledges that form part of the route.
- Use the worn axe where the walkthrough directs, and conserve fruit for obstacles that must be cleared with energy.
- Follow the cliff walkthrough’s numbered sequence to reach Rover. Continue into its bonus route if you want all voucher groups.
The complete guide includes separate numbered directions and bonus steps for both layouts.
Rank #2
- Share Your Paradise - Show off your island utopia to family and friends - or pack your bags and visit theirs.
- Get Building - Experience a robust new crafting system - collect materials to construct everything from furniture to tools!
- Create Your Perfect Getaway - Craft everything from tools to creature comforts as you create and customize your island community.
- Explore Your Island - Collect bugs, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean.
- Play Together - Up to eight players can reside on an island; four residents of the same island can play together simultaneously on a single system.
Optional: collect all nine Bell Vouchers
There are two voucher groups: four near Rover and five on the bonus route. On the flat layout, after meeting Rover, dig up the bush beside the campsite to reach the first four. Then take the island’s outer path to the three rocks in the lower-left area; use your remaining fruit to break them and collect the final five.
The cliff layout has its own bonus route, so follow the cliff-specific directions rather than trying to reuse the flat map. Animal Crossing World reports that all nine vouchers are worth 27,000 Bells in total; they are mailed to you rather than carried home as ordinary inventory.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Resetting after a mistake
If a spent resource or blocked route leaves you unable to progress, open the NookPhone’s Rescue Service app and pay 100 Nook Miles to reset the maze, according to the Animal Crossing World walkthrough. The maze provides its own tools and materials; you do not need to bring a shovel, ladder or consumables.
Rank #3
![Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Happy Home Paradise - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51JAzQozLgL._SL160_.jpg)
- Take in-game photos of your designs and add them to your portfolio. Show them to other characters and you may get more requests to create vacation homes. Share the photos with other players using the in-game Showroom in the Happy Home Network app and they can tour your personally-designed resort islands or go tour theirs for some relaxation and inspiration.
- Purchase the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC from Nintendo eShop, or download and play it as part of an active Nintendo Switch Online plus Expansion Pack membership at no extra cost.
Rewards for reaching Rover
According to the walkthrough, completing the maze for the first time earns Rover’s Briefcase by mail. Completing the other maze type afterward earns Rover’s Photo. The Bell Vouchers are also delivered by mail, not added to your pockets during the tour.
Getting access to the May Day tour
Event availability depends on the in-game year. Animal Crossing World’s April 29, 2026 update reports an April 29–May 7 window for 2026 and says to get the May Day Ticket at the airport from Orville after Tom Nook’s invitation. Check that the event is active in your game before relying on those dates.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsNintendo’s official April 26, 2021 event notice gave the same April 29–May 7 window for that year and said the ticket was single-use: “These tickets are single-use, so plan your trip accordingly.” If an event does not appear, Nintendo advised restarting the game while connected to the internet. That notice is historical, not a current-year schedule announcement.
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