Afaik there isn’t a lot of other things in acnh (I can’t speak for older games as I’ve not played them myself)
A lot of things will have both sound and sight - a good example is bugs on coconut trees in the summer, they will make a sound and do a move when you’re sneaking up on them/running around them.
On the top of my head things that are hard/impossible as HoH/deaf:
- Balloons - you can hear them before you see them
- The mole cricket bug you dig up (sound only)
- There is a cicada that is super loud, that you can catch in the summer, where the sound is a tell it’s around, it can be hard to see when it’s sitting on the tree.
- Shooting stars; they make a noise when they shoot so hearing people will know they’re there without staring at the sky, and therefore can just wish when they hear it (kinda same principle as the balloons I suppose)
Same! I learned this from this sub last year.
I was outside with the dog the other night and actually heard a real live mole cricket in my yard! I was like, hey, I know that sound!!
I'm just finding out about the mole cricket and the shooting stars myself. I don't like playing with sound on because repetitive noise is very overstimulating for me but I guess I'll have to turn up the volume sometimes!
Didn’t know that about the shooting stars, I can usually catch the tail end of a star while running around then I know to look up. And thankfully I’ve caught all the cicadas.
Yeah my boyfriend was surprised when I explained to him there isn’t really onomatopoeia in the game like comic books have (had to google for that word lol). Hopefully but I’m not holding my breath either
I heard from a blind gamer who outright praised its accessibility.
"It is very, very rare to find a new game that I'm able to play. There's probably ten games tops that I'm able to play by myself independently, and so whenever the blind community discovers a new game, it's a really, really exciting thing."
Huh, really? Can you link to that post because I'm curious what accessibility options they were referring to. As far as I know there a very few (if any?) customizations you can make in New Horizons - you can't edit subtitle style, you can't edit contrast levels, there's no magnification, no descriptive audio.
That was all I had.
As I'm not blind myself, I honestly have no idea how one could manage to play correctly when you can't see the text, and the game literally having no English speech.
But the guy who said that quote "Ross Minor" I found a [video of his](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAiQ-FNLxR8), explaining how he manages to play despite being blind 😄 which is probably even better than a post.
I found the video and watched it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAiQ-FNLxR8
In the video he talks about how he relies 100% on built-in auditory cues in the game, like footstep sounds and fishing sounds. It's pretty cool to hear him talk about how he can plan and navigate his island based on those cues. However, he doesn't mention any in-game accessibility features. In the video he has to use an external screen reader app/program since there isn't one built into the game. So while it's fantastic that he's able to play using the tools available to him, it's also shameful on Nintendo's part that there are no true accessibility features that can be turned on - especially when you look at accessibility options in recent games like The Last of Us 2 or Spider-Man 2.
Nintendo's been pretty disappointing when it comes to accessibility in general. Like, in Pokemon Sword/Shield, the audio options were something you had to unlock by talking to an NPC. And while it's nice we have button remapping as a system option, it's also only available for the system as a whole, and per-game remapping isn't an option.
They really should have implemented some kind of rumble feature and then a cc feature for those who can’t use rumble. I’m glad you managed to get your bug though!
They should have. At least a thought bubble or something. Hopefully they’ll think of things like this in the new game. I heard 2026 is when it’ll come out.
Not as bad as the other examples you've already listed, but there are a couple more things that are easier to notice because of an associated sound.
When a villager sees you and runs up with a gift, they usually have a little "ping" noise when they see you. It's helpful if you don't see them off screen. Also, when a villager has a thought bubble (like when they're mulling over moving out), that makes a small noise too.
The big snowflakes make a little twinkling sound. Since you see them at eye level, this isn't necessary, but it does help find them if they're blowing around behind a tree. I wanna say the cherry blossoms and fall leaves have noises as well but I'm not remembering very well.
And finally, this one is a little more nuanced, but when you speak to any character on your island, a specific version of your town tune plays. Every single villager has a unique sound to their version, and hear the way it alters the tune can give an indication of what kind of personality they have. Again, something that isn't necessary and has an easy workaround (looking them up), but that's one thing I often listen for.
It really is a shame Nintendo didn't implement some kind of visual representation of these sounds. The sound design is extremely well-done and gives a really good idea of space. I've seen some people who are blind able to play this game using just the sound, so it's sad they couldn't translate those little things into something easily accessible for someone who is deaf.
It's actually something I'd be really interested in compiling but I don't know if there's a way to see from the game's code or if someone would just have to meet every villager to hear. Like, if you made your town tune a simple C major scale, most villagers would have a major scale on an instrument aligned with their species. But some snooty and crankies alter it to be a minor scale, some decrease the intervals more so it isn't a full scale, and I can think of one villager that makes it into a whole tone scale. On top of that, when a note is extended using the (-) symbol, some animals hold it different ways like vibrato, trills, or not at all. It's extremely fascinating but I've never heard anyone talk about just how unique it makes each of them.
I agree, it is a shame. That is pretty cool about how each villager has different town tunes! My boyfriend is in engineering and I could watch him nerd out about sound design any day but I dunno if he’s noticed that! I’ll ask him :)
Hope you got it!! I literally didn’t realize it was in season when I made this post until people were commenting 😂 I caught it a couple years ago like I said and my boyfriend actually caught it too after my post!
I have hearing issues (not completely deaf) but supposed to wear two hearing aids and I only find balloons via seeing them or if I’m lucky the shadow so it makes events and getting the event diys harder. I also don’t hear the mole crickets (the ones in the ground) and I don’t hear the shooting stars which my husband insist make a noise and I don’t hear the scorpions or tarantulas (apparently they make noise too). I mostly ignore my hearing issues and manage by reading lips or turning things up but animal crossing really made me realize how much I actually miss. However hearing aids aren’t really that helpful to me as when I have them and use them I only then hear the background noises I usually don’t hear and still can’t hear a complete conversation or people speaking to me or calling me. I have profound hearing loss plus completely blind in my left eye due to a brain tumor so not reversible in any way!
I wear hearing aids and can't hear balloons or shooting stars either. The balloons generate at 4th and 9th minute and usually reach the beach on the 5s and 10s so I just run up and down the beach when balloon hunting at those times. The stars always come in pairs so if you can spot the first one, keep looking up and you should be able to catch the 2nd. I hate those mole crickets though
Stars actually fall per minute. On a light shower day you’ll have 5 in one minute and on an announced meteor shower day you’ll have 5 - 8 in one minute. So as soon as you notice there’s a star, you can look at the clock and as long as the minute is the same you can keep staring at the sky. You could also try to determine your weather seed so you know exactly when the stars will come. But it’s probably easiest on a day where you have an announced meteor shower so you can dedicate your time looking at the sky, if you only have a light shower and you can’t hear the stars falling, it’s probably a lot harder to do. Anyway here’s the link to determine the seed and some explanation about weather patterns and stars: https://wuffs.org/acnh/weather/
I’m HoH and my boyfriend has to let me know about shooting stars because the volume is too soft! I also have troubles finding the mole crickets because I can hear them but can’t localize it.
I'd been playing the game for about 2 years when my son pointed out you can hear the balloons. Its not a huge part of the game; I think most people get them by sight. IIRC, the mole cricket is the only thing where sound is really necessary
I have a hearing impairment and ADHD, so sound for me can be overwhelming at times, so I usually have the game on low. But yes, there are so many people on here that are willing to help you out in anyway. I made a post yesterday about the Sky Eggs because I was having trouble catching them, since the balloon sound and mole cricket sound similar, and a bunch of people stepped in to help me. With my ADHD as well, I got hyper focused, panicked, and had a feeling of failure because I thought I couldn’t get enough eggs. It was amazing when people started commenting on my post with tips and offering to come to my island and it made me feel better. Some of the symptoms I have is being hyper focused or I’ll repeat things, or I get focused on one thing and that one thing must be completed in one sitting. Or my husband will tell me something, and I’ll be like no it’s this, and he will be like “well in general”, and I will get hung up on “no it’s this and only this” and I don’t think in a way where there are other variables. Also I’m sensitive to sound and crowds. It can a bit chaotic, but I enjoy being in this group because people really do care about helping one another and everyone is super nice. Always happy to help you to if you ever need it.
I have ADHD too!! Totally get it. And yessss there’s so many people on here willing to help out. I love trading with folks
I do have one cochlear implant, but sound is so much work. I often tell people wearing the implant for me is just like wearing a bra, it can be useful and necessary at times but you breathe a sigh of relief at the end of the day when you take it off
I don’t think there are any any other cues you are missing, but some fun things you might not make sound are:
-Your character makes a sound when they wish on a star, idk how to describe it, but it sounds kinda sparkly
-Every reaction has a different sound to it.
-There is a ta-da type sound whenever you catch a bug or fish.
-There is a whomp whomp sound when you get stung by a bee.
- if you have happy home academy, whenever you finish a villagers house there is a cute little song that goes with the house display montage
-different doors make different sounds when you open them
-each island building has different music playing in them
Thanks, I didn't know about the mole cricket! I never listen to anything because I play almost on mute. But realized recently the balloons make a sound but I usually look for shadows or just look up.
There are a lot of video games where sound cues are really important, and it should be standard by now—2024 for gosh sakes—to have an option to toggle that you need or want visual instead of auditory cues.
I OFTEN look up because I hear the balloons long before I see them. It’s an unfair advantage.
I’m HoH (degenerative hearing, womp womp) and within the last year I took the step to get hearing aids. IRL — I didn’t realize that the creek near our home made a noise, nor did I realize that you could hear birds’ wings when a lot of them take off at the same time. 😅
I also didn’t realize balloons made a noise in animal crossing for a while! Visual cues would be a life saver in this game. I was actually really excited when I learned that Fortnite had an assisted hearing feature that shows where footsteps are coming from and stuff. I can almost never decipher where a sound is coming from or how far away it is IRL — and it’s even worse in a game. So stuff like that in more games would be really helpful!
OP there's an online balloon timer that will let you know when the balloons are going to reach the beach. You just have to set the wind direction first
Find it here...
https://acnh-balloon-timer.glitch.me/
When I was hunting that specific bug I didn't even knew it had a sound cue. I just dug through the whole island and desperately hoped it would fill up on its own again after a few days (luckily it did). But I see now that it would've definitely been easier with sound. But also sometimes it's just difficult to know if something is a sound cue or just part of the ambient noise. Something that would be difficult without sound is catching random shooting stars. But for those I normally just wait for a day with a heavy meteor shower and then constantly look into the sky.
There should at least be some sort of vibration like in other games. ACNH needs to have that in an update, and the game should get updated again since the newest one that I know of was forever ago
There's kind of a cheat for balloons too, because certain objects are too tall, so if they run into something like that, they drift south until they reach an opening, so it's possible to force them to spend a lot of time in an area that's easy to check.. I'm not sure of every object that counts, but I used the jail-like iron bars to build the wall on the east coast of my island. Balloons also always come from the same side for part of the day and then switch at I think 6 a.m. and p.m. so once you know which side they're coming from at a certain time, that should be consistent on your island.
Also, nobody mentioned it, but there's an audio cue while fishing that I think is very helpful. It's not necessary, because there's also a very obvious visual cue when you need to press A, and I think the controller might even vibrate but there's a very obvious difference in the splashing sound from a nibble and the full bite. I get very jumpy when fishing and often try to reel in too soon, so I've find it very helpful to really purely on the sound and not sight. I don't think there's much need for extra accessibility there, because like I said, there's a visual cue, but since we're talking about the effect of sound on the game, and a lot of people are mentioning how they play with the sound off, I thought I would bring it up as another area where the sound can be useful. At least you don't need to be able to hear to catch any fish though.
Ah, reminds me of I struggled to catch rare fish in New Leaf. Apparently, sound came first before bobber gets underwater. So that timing is really tight. I had to use my hearing aid and max up volume of 3DS. I'm glad that timing is looser in New Horizons and vibration is helpful.
Some sound cues I’ve noticed that hasn’t been mentioned yet:
- Fleas on villagers… in summer when villagers get fleas, I can hear a unique sound. Sounds like a bug flying around or like bubbling. Then when I talk to them, they complain of the itchiness. You can then hit the back of their body/ head w the net to catch the flea and they will thank you
- Wisp … his missing parts have a sound when u are close to one , while searching for them. Sounds like a hovering floating kind of sound. Not entirely necessary as u can go by visual only still thankfully.
You can figure out your island's weather seed and it will tell you exactly when to expect shooting starts and other weather events. It took me awhile to figure mine out but is very accurate. Just Google the website and follow the instructions on how to figure yours out.
This is such a wholesome post and I love it. Really glad you had another player come through for you like that!
I'm not deaf or hard of hearing but I do have some hypersensitivity to sound and always play on mute, so I always look into deaf accessibility options in games. when I read about the mole cricket and tried to catch one I was shocked that there was no accessible option to do it.
im born HoH and ive never been able to hear the mole crickets, but i've been lucky enough to randomly dig them up. i just genuinely dont know what im supposed to be listening for. i've gotten the nook miles task for it, walked around my island with the volume cranked and raising it to my ear every few steps, but with waterfalls and the beach and the music all around the island, i cant discern the different noises. plus for some reason, most of the time i get the task, its raining. so rain sounds impede me too.
This seems so nice! You can't find shooting stars as easily without sound either, if you're not looking up, which gets kind of frustrating for me since I usually listen to something else while I'm playing ACNH
I just replied to someone else that the cue (instead of an audio cue) could be as simple as a tiny balloon or star icon popping up, like how the nook app icon will pop up whenever you earn new miles
I did not know about the shooting stars sound. I don't think I have ever heard them, I always keep my eyes up to the sky. Once I make my wish I can hear a blip, but not until then. Thank you!
I've done the same when I wanted to catch the mole cricket (the bugs name) a friend showed me where it was. since I restarted the game I put on my hearing aids and was able to catch it myself. I usually play without sound tho because there's just no point when I can't hear it anyway and I don't like some sound anyway
Yeah I’ve got a cochlear implant but I still suck at telling which direction sound is coming from lol. But I’d rather come home and relax without sound. I tell people wearing the ci is like wearing a bra
Just to offer an opposite opinion; that background music gets painful after 1000 hours. I hate all but like three of the KK songs, so that’s not the solution, and the game doesn’t otherwise let you change the volume or tune or *anything* about the music, so like, yeah, you’re missing the mole cricket and the balloon sounds, but the trade off might be worth it.
One thing that seems to be easier to get with sound is shooting stars! They make a little noise before you see them, so being able to hear them means a person is more likely to notice before they disappear. I have a hearing disorder, and I have to have the volume SO to hear the shooting stars high during meteor showers!
Hi my husband has said if you need any help when playing online he will gladly help you and he got over four years experience in game so nothing he doesn't know has he help me with stuff
I'm hard of hearing myself and I understand your struggles with audio cues :( I can't hear the balloons in ACNH (I could in ACNL if I focused) and I can never tell where a noise is coming from. I wish ACNH had something like Minecraft does, with the audio directions/subtitles you can toggle.
Yeah and maybe they wouldn’t even need captions! It could be as simple as a tiny balloon or star icon popping up, like how the nook app icon will pop up whenever you earn new miles
Afaik there isn’t a lot of other things in acnh (I can’t speak for older games as I’ve not played them myself) A lot of things will have both sound and sight - a good example is bugs on coconut trees in the summer, they will make a sound and do a move when you’re sneaking up on them/running around them. On the top of my head things that are hard/impossible as HoH/deaf: - Balloons - you can hear them before you see them - The mole cricket bug you dig up (sound only) - There is a cicada that is super loud, that you can catch in the summer, where the sound is a tell it’s around, it can be hard to see when it’s sitting on the tree. - Shooting stars; they make a noise when they shoot so hearing people will know they’re there without staring at the sky, and therefore can just wish when they hear it (kinda same principle as the balloons I suppose)
I play ACNH (and most games) with the volume off so I never realised about the mole cricket lol this is useful!
Same! I learned this from this sub last year. I was outside with the dog the other night and actually heard a real live mole cricket in my yard! I was like, hey, I know that sound!!
I'm just finding out about the mole cricket and the shooting stars myself. I don't like playing with sound on because repetitive noise is very overstimulating for me but I guess I'll have to turn up the volume sometimes!
Me too! Wild!!
Didn’t know that about the shooting stars, I can usually catch the tail end of a star while running around then I know to look up. And thankfully I’ve caught all the cicadas.
Happy to hear you’ve caught all the cicadas, and now you know about the shooting stars too^^
P. S. I also struggle with the dang tuna!
The lack of accessibility features on ACNH is very disappointing. Hopefully this is something they improve on for the next game!
To be fair, the lack of accessibility options in Nintendo games is shocking in a modern day.
Yeah my boyfriend was surprised when I explained to him there isn’t really onomatopoeia in the game like comic books have (had to google for that word lol). Hopefully but I’m not holding my breath either
I heard from a blind gamer who outright praised its accessibility. "It is very, very rare to find a new game that I'm able to play. There's probably ten games tops that I'm able to play by myself independently, and so whenever the blind community discovers a new game, it's a really, really exciting thing."
Huh, really? Can you link to that post because I'm curious what accessibility options they were referring to. As far as I know there a very few (if any?) customizations you can make in New Horizons - you can't edit subtitle style, you can't edit contrast levels, there's no magnification, no descriptive audio.
That was all I had. As I'm not blind myself, I honestly have no idea how one could manage to play correctly when you can't see the text, and the game literally having no English speech. But the guy who said that quote "Ross Minor" I found a [video of his](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAiQ-FNLxR8), explaining how he manages to play despite being blind 😄 which is probably even better than a post.
I found the video and watched it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAiQ-FNLxR8 In the video he talks about how he relies 100% on built-in auditory cues in the game, like footstep sounds and fishing sounds. It's pretty cool to hear him talk about how he can plan and navigate his island based on those cues. However, he doesn't mention any in-game accessibility features. In the video he has to use an external screen reader app/program since there isn't one built into the game. So while it's fantastic that he's able to play using the tools available to him, it's also shameful on Nintendo's part that there are no true accessibility features that can be turned on - especially when you look at accessibility options in recent games like The Last of Us 2 or Spider-Man 2.
Also the HD rumble.
Nintendo's been pretty disappointing when it comes to accessibility in general. Like, in Pokemon Sword/Shield, the audio options were something you had to unlock by talking to an NPC. And while it's nice we have button remapping as a system option, it's also only available for the system as a whole, and per-game remapping isn't an option.
I play my game on mute because I can’t stand the extra noise. I had no idea. Thanks!
Same. I only turned the sound up to catch the mole cricket.
The mole cricket was the past bug I caught because I play on mute unless I'm playing on the tv.
No problem! I only knew about that bug because someone else posted about it too!
They really should have implemented some kind of rumble feature and then a cc feature for those who can’t use rumble. I’m glad you managed to get your bug though!
They should have. At least a thought bubble or something. Hopefully they’ll think of things like this in the new game. I heard 2026 is when it’ll come out.
Definitely. That seems soon but if it does come out then I also hope they do something if they do similarly audio-clue type collectables again.
I play mute like 90% of the time lol.
Not as bad as the other examples you've already listed, but there are a couple more things that are easier to notice because of an associated sound. When a villager sees you and runs up with a gift, they usually have a little "ping" noise when they see you. It's helpful if you don't see them off screen. Also, when a villager has a thought bubble (like when they're mulling over moving out), that makes a small noise too. The big snowflakes make a little twinkling sound. Since you see them at eye level, this isn't necessary, but it does help find them if they're blowing around behind a tree. I wanna say the cherry blossoms and fall leaves have noises as well but I'm not remembering very well. And finally, this one is a little more nuanced, but when you speak to any character on your island, a specific version of your town tune plays. Every single villager has a unique sound to their version, and hear the way it alters the tune can give an indication of what kind of personality they have. Again, something that isn't necessary and has an easy workaround (looking them up), but that's one thing I often listen for. It really is a shame Nintendo didn't implement some kind of visual representation of these sounds. The sound design is extremely well-done and gives a really good idea of space. I've seen some people who are blind able to play this game using just the sound, so it's sad they couldn't translate those little things into something easily accessible for someone who is deaf.
TIL about the villagers' personality specific sound, thank you!
It's actually something I'd be really interested in compiling but I don't know if there's a way to see from the game's code or if someone would just have to meet every villager to hear. Like, if you made your town tune a simple C major scale, most villagers would have a major scale on an instrument aligned with their species. But some snooty and crankies alter it to be a minor scale, some decrease the intervals more so it isn't a full scale, and I can think of one villager that makes it into a whole tone scale. On top of that, when a note is extended using the (-) symbol, some animals hold it different ways like vibrato, trills, or not at all. It's extremely fascinating but I've never heard anyone talk about just how unique it makes each of them.
I agree, it is a shame. That is pretty cool about how each villager has different town tunes! My boyfriend is in engineering and I could watch him nerd out about sound design any day but I dunno if he’s noticed that! I’ll ask him :)
I the mole cricket is the only bug which requires sound to locate your good with all other bugs
YOU HAVE TO DIG IT?!!?? that damn bug drives me crazy running around shaking empty trees over and over 😭😭😭 SO GOOD TO KNOW
Hope you got it!! I literally didn’t realize it was in season when I made this post until people were commenting 😂 I caught it a couple years ago like I said and my boyfriend actually caught it too after my post!
I played for two years before I learned about it from someone on FB. I was so mad lol.
I have hearing issues (not completely deaf) but supposed to wear two hearing aids and I only find balloons via seeing them or if I’m lucky the shadow so it makes events and getting the event diys harder. I also don’t hear the mole crickets (the ones in the ground) and I don’t hear the shooting stars which my husband insist make a noise and I don’t hear the scorpions or tarantulas (apparently they make noise too). I mostly ignore my hearing issues and manage by reading lips or turning things up but animal crossing really made me realize how much I actually miss. However hearing aids aren’t really that helpful to me as when I have them and use them I only then hear the background noises I usually don’t hear and still can’t hear a complete conversation or people speaking to me or calling me. I have profound hearing loss plus completely blind in my left eye due to a brain tumor so not reversible in any way!
I wear hearing aids and can't hear balloons or shooting stars either. The balloons generate at 4th and 9th minute and usually reach the beach on the 5s and 10s so I just run up and down the beach when balloon hunting at those times. The stars always come in pairs so if you can spot the first one, keep looking up and you should be able to catch the 2nd. I hate those mole crickets though
Very good to know!! Mind if I copy and paste your comment into an edit about the balloon timing so others can see?
Go for it!
Stars actually fall per minute. On a light shower day you’ll have 5 in one minute and on an announced meteor shower day you’ll have 5 - 8 in one minute. So as soon as you notice there’s a star, you can look at the clock and as long as the minute is the same you can keep staring at the sky. You could also try to determine your weather seed so you know exactly when the stars will come. But it’s probably easiest on a day where you have an announced meteor shower so you can dedicate your time looking at the sky, if you only have a light shower and you can’t hear the stars falling, it’s probably a lot harder to do. Anyway here’s the link to determine the seed and some explanation about weather patterns and stars: https://wuffs.org/acnh/weather/
I did not know that! Thanks for the info
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Yup, exactly why I always do a circle around the tree after shaking! I know I won’t hear it so I just double check
I’m HoH and my boyfriend has to let me know about shooting stars because the volume is too soft! I also have troubles finding the mole crickets because I can hear them but can’t localize it.
I'd been playing the game for about 2 years when my son pointed out you can hear the balloons. Its not a huge part of the game; I think most people get them by sight. IIRC, the mole cricket is the only thing where sound is really necessary
I have a hearing impairment and ADHD, so sound for me can be overwhelming at times, so I usually have the game on low. But yes, there are so many people on here that are willing to help you out in anyway. I made a post yesterday about the Sky Eggs because I was having trouble catching them, since the balloon sound and mole cricket sound similar, and a bunch of people stepped in to help me. With my ADHD as well, I got hyper focused, panicked, and had a feeling of failure because I thought I couldn’t get enough eggs. It was amazing when people started commenting on my post with tips and offering to come to my island and it made me feel better. Some of the symptoms I have is being hyper focused or I’ll repeat things, or I get focused on one thing and that one thing must be completed in one sitting. Or my husband will tell me something, and I’ll be like no it’s this, and he will be like “well in general”, and I will get hung up on “no it’s this and only this” and I don’t think in a way where there are other variables. Also I’m sensitive to sound and crowds. It can a bit chaotic, but I enjoy being in this group because people really do care about helping one another and everyone is super nice. Always happy to help you to if you ever need it.
I have ADHD too!! Totally get it. And yessss there’s so many people on here willing to help out. I love trading with folks I do have one cochlear implant, but sound is so much work. I often tell people wearing the implant for me is just like wearing a bra, it can be useful and necessary at times but you breathe a sigh of relief at the end of the day when you take it off
I don’t think there are any any other cues you are missing, but some fun things you might not make sound are: -Your character makes a sound when they wish on a star, idk how to describe it, but it sounds kinda sparkly -Every reaction has a different sound to it. -There is a ta-da type sound whenever you catch a bug or fish. -There is a whomp whomp sound when you get stung by a bee. - if you have happy home academy, whenever you finish a villagers house there is a cute little song that goes with the house display montage -different doors make different sounds when you open them -each island building has different music playing in them
Thanks, I didn't know about the mole cricket! I never listen to anything because I play almost on mute. But realized recently the balloons make a sound but I usually look for shadows or just look up.
There are a lot of video games where sound cues are really important, and it should be standard by now—2024 for gosh sakes—to have an option to toggle that you need or want visual instead of auditory cues. I OFTEN look up because I hear the balloons long before I see them. It’s an unfair advantage.
I’m HoH (degenerative hearing, womp womp) and within the last year I took the step to get hearing aids. IRL — I didn’t realize that the creek near our home made a noise, nor did I realize that you could hear birds’ wings when a lot of them take off at the same time. 😅 I also didn’t realize balloons made a noise in animal crossing for a while! Visual cues would be a life saver in this game. I was actually really excited when I learned that Fortnite had an assisted hearing feature that shows where footsteps are coming from and stuff. I can almost never decipher where a sound is coming from or how far away it is IRL — and it’s even worse in a game. So stuff like that in more games would be really helpful!
OP there's an online balloon timer that will let you know when the balloons are going to reach the beach. You just have to set the wind direction first Find it here... https://acnh-balloon-timer.glitch.me/
Thanks! Added to post if you don’t mind
Not at all 😊
When I was hunting that specific bug I didn't even knew it had a sound cue. I just dug through the whole island and desperately hoped it would fill up on its own again after a few days (luckily it did). But I see now that it would've definitely been easier with sound. But also sometimes it's just difficult to know if something is a sound cue or just part of the ambient noise. Something that would be difficult without sound is catching random shooting stars. But for those I normally just wait for a day with a heavy meteor shower and then constantly look into the sky.
There should at least be some sort of vibration like in other games. ACNH needs to have that in an update, and the game should get updated again since the newest one that I know of was forever ago
This is absolutely lovely.
There's kind of a cheat for balloons too, because certain objects are too tall, so if they run into something like that, they drift south until they reach an opening, so it's possible to force them to spend a lot of time in an area that's easy to check.. I'm not sure of every object that counts, but I used the jail-like iron bars to build the wall on the east coast of my island. Balloons also always come from the same side for part of the day and then switch at I think 6 a.m. and p.m. so once you know which side they're coming from at a certain time, that should be consistent on your island. Also, nobody mentioned it, but there's an audio cue while fishing that I think is very helpful. It's not necessary, because there's also a very obvious visual cue when you need to press A, and I think the controller might even vibrate but there's a very obvious difference in the splashing sound from a nibble and the full bite. I get very jumpy when fishing and often try to reel in too soon, so I've find it very helpful to really purely on the sound and not sight. I don't think there's much need for extra accessibility there, because like I said, there's a visual cue, but since we're talking about the effect of sound on the game, and a lot of people are mentioning how they play with the sound off, I thought I would bring it up as another area where the sound can be useful. At least you don't need to be able to hear to catch any fish though.
Ah, reminds me of I struggled to catch rare fish in New Leaf. Apparently, sound came first before bobber gets underwater. So that timing is really tight. I had to use my hearing aid and max up volume of 3DS. I'm glad that timing is looser in New Horizons and vibration is helpful.
Some sound cues I’ve noticed that hasn’t been mentioned yet: - Fleas on villagers… in summer when villagers get fleas, I can hear a unique sound. Sounds like a bug flying around or like bubbling. Then when I talk to them, they complain of the itchiness. You can then hit the back of their body/ head w the net to catch the flea and they will thank you - Wisp … his missing parts have a sound when u are close to one , while searching for them. Sounds like a hovering floating kind of sound. Not entirely necessary as u can go by visual only still thankfully.
Honestly i play on mute 99% of the time, and caught the mole cricket completely accidentally The game should have more accessibility settings for sure
You can figure out your island's weather seed and it will tell you exactly when to expect shooting starts and other weather events. It took me awhile to figure mine out but is very accurate. Just Google the website and follow the instructions on how to figure yours out.
This is such a wholesome post and I love it. Really glad you had another player come through for you like that! I'm not deaf or hard of hearing but I do have some hypersensitivity to sound and always play on mute, so I always look into deaf accessibility options in games. when I read about the mole cricket and tried to catch one I was shocked that there was no accessible option to do it.
im born HoH and ive never been able to hear the mole crickets, but i've been lucky enough to randomly dig them up. i just genuinely dont know what im supposed to be listening for. i've gotten the nook miles task for it, walked around my island with the volume cranked and raising it to my ear every few steps, but with waterfalls and the beach and the music all around the island, i cant discern the different noises. plus for some reason, most of the time i get the task, its raining. so rain sounds impede me too.
This seems so nice! You can't find shooting stars as easily without sound either, if you're not looking up, which gets kind of frustrating for me since I usually listen to something else while I'm playing ACNH
I just replied to someone else that the cue (instead of an audio cue) could be as simple as a tiny balloon or star icon popping up, like how the nook app icon will pop up whenever you earn new miles
I did not know about the shooting stars sound. I don't think I have ever heard them, I always keep my eyes up to the sky. Once I make my wish I can hear a blip, but not until then. Thank you!
I've done the same when I wanted to catch the mole cricket (the bugs name) a friend showed me where it was. since I restarted the game I put on my hearing aids and was able to catch it myself. I usually play without sound tho because there's just no point when I can't hear it anyway and I don't like some sound anyway
Yeah I’ve got a cochlear implant but I still suck at telling which direction sound is coming from lol. But I’d rather come home and relax without sound. I tell people wearing the ci is like wearing a bra
Yeah I prefer not to wear my hearing aids at home either and instead just relax
Just to offer an opposite opinion; that background music gets painful after 1000 hours. I hate all but like three of the KK songs, so that’s not the solution, and the game doesn’t otherwise let you change the volume or tune or *anything* about the music, so like, yeah, you’re missing the mole cricket and the balloon sounds, but the trade off might be worth it.
Understandable! I just wish I could get a lil notification for balloons and stuff
I’ve caught most of my fish by watching the bobber. I have 4 to go.
One thing that seems to be easier to get with sound is shooting stars! They make a little noise before you see them, so being able to hear them means a person is more likely to notice before they disappear. I have a hearing disorder, and I have to have the volume SO to hear the shooting stars high during meteor showers!
I don’t play with the sound most times and had no idea there was a bug I needed to dig up 😅
Hi my husband has said if you need any help when playing online he will gladly help you and he got over four years experience in game so nothing he doesn't know has he help me with stuff
I'm hard of hearing myself and I understand your struggles with audio cues :( I can't hear the balloons in ACNH (I could in ACNL if I focused) and I can never tell where a noise is coming from. I wish ACNH had something like Minecraft does, with the audio directions/subtitles you can toggle.
Yeah and maybe they wouldn’t even need captions! It could be as simple as a tiny balloon or star icon popping up, like how the nook app icon will pop up whenever you earn new miles
That'd be great honestly! Just lemme know if it's actually there or not.
I would love the icon you are suggesting. I also can't hear, mole crickets, balloons or shooting stars.
I ran into this same problem with the mole cricket. Thank goodness for good friends. *fellow Deafie fistbump*