Time keeps on ticking in Animal Crossing. Even when you aren’t playing and your 3DS is turned off, the game magically keeps working—townsfolk go about their lives as if the game were always running. Be sure to check in every once in a while, or you’ll miss out on all sorts of things!
Depending on the time of day, you might find that your neighbors out and about, or resting comfortably in their homes. Most shops only operate at certain hours, too, so you might find stores locked up tight during the wee hours of the night. Still, there’s always something to do in Animal Crossing, no matter what time of day it is. In fact, some things will occur only during certain times of day—for example, insects such as fireflies only appear at night.