Ever since the duplicitous pirate Redd made his way to our islands in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, we’ve had numerous chances to pick up some pretty sweet art from everybody’s favorite thief. Unfortunately, he comes with a few complications, including fake art he likes to peddle, and even some haunted pieces. For those wanting a little spookiness on their island, here is what you need to know about how haunted art works in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Jolly Redd isn’t the most virtuous character, but we love the goods he has to sell. Many of his pieces are authentic, allowing players to feature true works of art throughout their homes, but even if he stumbles upon a fake? He’ll still try to get the most bang out of his Bell-bucks. Fakes are pretty easy to spot, especially for art lovers that can spot the difference in an iconic piece. Usually, something in the painting will be moved or it will be a slightly different color, but how do players spot a haunted feature?
There are a few things to note about haunted art, including that you’ll never find an authentic piece of art that is haunted. Any haunted piece found will be a fake, but you won’t actually know it’s haunted until the sun sets, which puts the timeframe from dusk until dawn.
As of this month, there are five haunted pieces in total that have been confirmed:
- Fake Wistful Painting
- You’ll see the eyes in the painting are closed
- Fake Informative Statue
- A faint glow will be seen
- Fake Scary Painting
- The frown is less of a frown, more of a creepy … smile?
- Fake Graceful Painting
- The direction of the person will differ
- On the back, you’ll see a stain that looks like a body (not creepy at all)
- Fake Ancient Statue
- The painting will float and the eyes will offer a subtle glow
A lot of players like these haunted pieces to display, but if you’re worried they’ve lost value compared to the regular forgeries; don’t be. Just like the fakes – since they are fakes – haunted pieces can’t be displayed in museums, nor can they be sold to the Nooks. They can’t even be gifted, but they can look pretty dope in your creepy af basement. Another option is to bury it, which will make your island haunted. Be aware though, doing this can/and most-likely will lower your island ratings. You make like hauntings, but your islanders don’t.
Haunted paintings aren’t brand new, but they are newer, which means even more haunted paintings could be found. We’ll update this list as we find more, so keep it tuned in here and don’t forget – ghosts are friends, not food. Wait, no, that’s sharks. Nevermind; run for your life.
Big thanks to our very own Mags for her enthusiastic love of this game and always inspiring us to write more about it.