Anyone familiar with the previous entries in the Animal Crossing franchise will certainly be familiar with Gyroids, but those who just found this franchise with the release of New Horizons are probably wondering just what a Gyroid is, why people are going crazy for them, and how they can find one for themselves. Well, that’s why we’re here. Here’s everything you need to know about Gyroids in Animal Crossing: New Horizons (including where to find these elusive little items).

What Are Gyroids in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Gyroids are essentially animated decorations that the game uses like fossils in many respects (more on that later). While the origins of Gyroids within the Animal Crossing universe remain a bit of a mystery, they’ve long been treated as relatively rare decorations whose animated arms, unique designs, and fascinating interactions make them some of the most prized items in the game, especially among those who are obsessed with elaborate interiors (or even just collecting all of a particular type of item). So while most players are happy just naturally uncovering Gyroids as they play, some will want to do everything in their power to acquire Gyroids (or just specific Gyroids) as soon as possible. If you’re a member of the latter camp…well, let’s dive into that topic a bit deeper.

Where Do You Find Gyroids in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

There are a couple of ways to find Gyroids in Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0, and which method you ultimately end up relying on will depend on your luck, patience, and preferences. The first method involves digging up Gyroid fragments. The easiest way to find Gyroid fragments is to visit the islands that Kapp’n takes you to as part of his touring service. There, you may get lucky and spot an “X” on the ground (it’s the same visual used to identify fossils in the previous version of the game). Dig up the “X” spot, and you should find a Gyroid fragment. Once you find a Gyroid fragment, go back to your home island and plant it in the ground. Water the spot you buried it in, dig up that spot the next day, and you should find that the fragment has grown into a full Gyroid. It’s also possible to find full Gyroids on your own island, but they’ll only appear the day after it rains. Even then, there’s no guarantee that any of the “X” spots on your island will have a Gyroid in it, and it seems like you can’t find more than two Gyroids on your island on those given days. It’s not exactly a reliable method, but it does yield complete Gyroids rather than fragments. While all Gyroids will react to nearby music, each Gyroid produces distinct sounds that some players like to use to essentially form a “band.” You will have to play around with the unique sounds they produce and the ways that they interact with each other in order to make multiple Gyroids produce something close to bearable music, but it’s entirely possible to group them together in such a way that adds a little atmosphere to your home. Interestingly, some Gyroids produce unique visual effects (such as blowing bubbles) and every Gyroid naturally boasts a distinct visual design. While you can customize a Gyroid’s looks via your DIY bench, you should know that even Gyroids with the same name can sport unique “base” visual designs (though only some Gyroids have variations and there are only a few variations of those specific Gyroids). That finally brings us to the bad news was have to share with every prospective Gyroid collector out there…

How Do You Find Specific Gyroids in Animal Crossing: New Horizons?

Technically, there is no way to acquire a specific Gyroid or a variant of that Gyroid (unless you’re trading items with other players, of course). As we mentioned before, that’s part of the reason why specific Gyroids are so valued. In true Animal Crossing fashion, the only real way to increase your odds of finding a specific Gyroid is to cheat by “time-skipping” to either get around the “once a day” limit for Kappn’s island tours or by waiting for rainy days on your island in order to see if you can dig up a couple of Gyroid fragments the next day.

Complete List of Gyroids in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Here’s every Gyroid that was added to Animal Crossing: New Horizons via the 2.0 update: AluminoidArfoidBabbloidBendoidBloopoidBoioingoidBoomoidBrewstoidBubbloidBwongoidClatteroidCrumploidDootoidDrummoidFlutteroidJingloidLaseroidOinkoidPetaloidRattloidRingoidRumbloidScatteroidSpikenoidSproingoidSqueakoidSqueezoidStelloidThwopoidTockoidTremoloidTwangoidWallopoidWhirroidWhistloidXylophoid