The early release of the final free update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons has fans excitedly exploring all the new additions to the game. The Happy Home Paradise DLC is set to add even more content, but the free update has some major additions to the game such as Brewster, Kapp'n, and a slew of new exploration and decoration possibilities. One of the lesser explored elements of the game is pitfall seeds, which have been included in previous Animal Crossing games but are less common in New Horizons. With so many players revisiting the game now that the update has dropped, now might be a good time to learn how to unlock pitfall seeds to play some pranks on other players.
Unlike some of the recent, more significant additions to the game, like cooking and Kapp'n's mystery island tours, finding and using pitfall seeds won't have any major impact on gameplay and customization. Rather, the pitfall seeds exist mostly for shenanigans and mischief. Part of the appeal of Animal Crossing games has always been the ability to play at your own pace, and New Horizons gives players a huge amount of freedom in this respect, so it makes sense to have fun additions that are included to enhance the multiplayer aspects of the game. Pitfall seeds allow players to trick villagers or friends into falling into a pit, where they'll be trapped for a few seconds.
How to Get Pitfall Seeds
Pitfall seeds can be found in numerous ways in New Horizons. The most effective way to acquire them is to dig up an existing pitfall trap (while being careful not to get trapped). This gives players the DIY recipe so they can craft their own pitfall seeds, which requires 4 clumps of weeds and 6 tree branches. Of course, this method calls for a friend with the recipe already, or players can check the various forums offering recipes and items for trading.
The other way to get pitfall seeds is to get lucky. The recipe is a random drop that can be found in bottles on the beach or in balloons shot down by slingshot. Residents on the player's island may occasionally be crafting pitfall seeds, at which point interacting with them will result in them offering over the recipe. Jock villagers are also more likely to hand over the recipe to players.
How to Use Pitfall Seeds
Again, the great appeal of Animal Crossing is just how much freedom it gives the player. While some will only want the recipe for the sake of completionism, other more deviously minded players can use them to wreak havoc. Once crafted, pitfall seeds can be buried in a hole to create a pitfall trap. Be aware, though, that these are one-use items, and once buried the pitfall seed cannot be dug back up. Once buried, a star shape mark that usually denotes a fossil or buried item will appear. Then, it is a matter of waiting until someone walks over the hole and gets temporarily trapped.
Overall, the feature is a bit of harmless fun. It's the same instinct that has players run into or try to hit each other in multiplayer games; no actual harm is intended, just an opportunity for some laughs. Players have been known to take it to extremes, though, placing pitfall traps all over their islands which makes it impossible to explore. Like most of Animal Crossing: New Horizons' features, pitfall seeds are yet another way to have some fun with fellow players or play some tricks on villagers.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now on Switch.