Halloween

Halloween is an autumn event that is celebrated by the villagers of the town in the. Jack, a character wearing a pumpkin on his head, appears at 6:00 PM until 1:00 AM (12:00 AM in and ). During this time, villagers around the town will dress up like him. The event happens in, , , and.

In, from 6:00 PM until 1:00 AM, the player can go around their town where all the villagers are found wandering outside wearing identical costumes to look like Jack, a special character who wears a jack-o-lantern head and purple clothing. If the player is seen by the villagers, they will be chased. If they are caught, they will be forced to give Candy to the animal. If they do not provide Candy, they will be punished by having their clothes or their items transformed. Jack and Tortimer are the only two characters who do not chase the player, which makes them easy to be told apart. Tortimer will give the player a Model of Katrina's Tent when spoken to. Jack can be spoken to as many times as the player desires in order to receive furniture from the Spooky Series. He will move to a different spot in town once the player leaves the acre.

Halloween was absent from, but returns in. Unlike the original Animal Crossing, not all villagers go out on Halloween night - those who remain inside become targets for trick-or-treating. Approaching a villager while indoors will result in the villager giving the player candy, but only if the player is wearing a costume which makes up a Look in GracieGrace. An example of an appropriate Look is the witch's hat and cloak, which are sold throughout August, September and October, and make up a suitably spooky costume. Costumes don't necessarily have to be spooky, however.

In addition to trick-or-treating indoors, from 6:00 PM until midnight, villagers will chase the player outside upon seeing them, and if the player is caught by villagers outside, they will ask for Candy. If the player doesn't have any on them, the villager will play a trick on the player, resulting in one of the following:
 * An item in the player's pocket may be turned into a Jack-in-the-Box
 * Any worn accessory may be turned into a Pumpkin Head
 * The player's shirt/dress may be transformed into a Moldy or Patched Shirt/dress.

Unlike villagers, Jack won't chase the player, making him easy to distinguish. If Jack is approached by the player without having any candy on them, Jack will give out one of four items: a Pumpkin Head, Moldy Shirt, Patched Shirt, or a Jack-in-the-Box. Refusing to give candy to Jack four times will result in obtaining all four of those items. Otherwise, if the player gives Jack candy, Jack will give the player a piece of furniture from the Spooky Series.

Halloween is carried out the same as in, but with a few extra details. On Halloween night, the player's goal is to scare the villagers in their town. To prepare for this, during the month of October, players should buy masks from the Able Sisters, and candy from Timmy and Tommy's store. Speaking to villagers during October may reveal to the player what they are scared of. The player may also have the chance to give villagers a piece of candy in exchange for finding out what costumes scare the other villagers.

On Halloween night (6 PM - 12 AM), the majority of villagers will be in their homes; the rest will be dressed as the "Pumpkin King" and will try to trick the player. The player has three tasks they can do:
 * Scare the villagers - The player can scare villagers in their homes by wearing the mask that each villager is scared of. When the player scares a villager, the villager will give the player a lollipop. If the player fails to scare a villager, they will get a chance to play a game with the villager; if the player wins, the villager will give the player a piece of candy. If the player loses, the villager will do a trick, such as changing the flooring of the main room of the player's home, or changing one of the player's inventory items into a Jack-in-the-box. If the player has nothing on them, they will get old Wallpaper or Flooring instead.
 * Interact with villagers outside - All outdoor villagers will be dressed as the Pumpkin King. The villager may offer to play a game and will give the player candy as a prize. Otherwise, the villager may just perform a trick on the player.
 * Find the real Pumpkin King (also known as Jack) - The Pumpkin King can be given lollipops in exchange for pieces of the Creepy Theme. The Pumpkin King can also be given candy in exchange for Halloween furniture or clothing.

While initially absent from, Halloween returned in the Fall Update, with Jack reprising his role as host of the event.

Throughout the month of October, Candy can be purchased from Nook's Cranny for 120 Bells each once a day and Halloween-themed costumes can be purchased from the Able Sisters. Additionally, villagers can teach the player Spooky Series DIY recipes throughout the month, and special body paint and colored eye contacts can be unlocked by spending 2,400 Nook Miles each. From October 28 to October 31, Tom Nook, Isabelle, Timmy, and Tommy wear the, , , and , respectively, and two s appear outside Resident Services.

From 5 PM to 12 AM on October 31, outdoor villagers, who are dressed in costumes, will ask for Candy from the player; if the player does not give them Candy, they will be pranked. If the player gives a villager Candy, they will give them an item or DIY recipe from the Spooky Series in return. Additionally, players can give Candy or Lollipops to Jack in return for, , and a or its DIY recipe. Besides being decorative, Jack's Face and Jack's Robe will trick villagers into thinking the player is Jack if both are worn, and the villager will give the player Candy regardless of whether they have already done so. However, each villager will only be fooled once, and will then treat the costume as a standard Halloween costume.

For villagers that are indoors, the player can receive a piece of Candy by talking to them while wearing any Halloween costume.

There are two reactions, Scare and Haunt, that can be learned from the event; the former by giving Candy to any villager, and the latter by giving Candy to Jack.