Animal Crossing: New Horizons - 10 Things We Learned From Nintendo Direct
5. You Can't Be A Dick When Visiting Other Islands (Unless The Let You)
One of the big joys of Animal Crossing is visiting the towns of other players, either locally or online. It’s a great feeling to invite others and show off your town, or see the differences in the towns of your friends. You can of course do the same in New Horizons, but there are limitations when you’re the guest of another.
When you visit someone else’s island, you’ll notice that some of your tools are disabled. Things like axes and shovels can’t be used as a visitor, as Nintendo doesn’t want you running around digging up all the plants or cutting down all the trees. You’re still able to do things that don’t harm the natural environment, like catching bugs and fishing. In other words, don’t be a dick.
…unless your friends ALLOW you to be a dick! As long as your friend labels you as a “best friend”, you’ll be allowed to use the destructive tools in question. And the same holds true for any friend that you let visit you island. Just make sure that you trust them first.