Time Capsules are an item given to the player by a villager in New Leaf. Occasionally, villagers will approach the player with the task of taking and burying it. The player must remember where it is buried as the villager will ask for it back in the future. When buried it leaves a star-shaped Crack.
The Time Capsule is stored within the player's Letter inventory, designated with a unique icon. Inside a time capsule is another item, which is usually a gift. However, once the capsule is opened and the letter is read or a gift is unwrapped, it cannot be re-sealed. Villagers become upset if you open their capsule, but the option to tell them will be gone the next day.
Once buried in the ground the crack revealing its location will disappear on the following day, but the crack will come back when they ask for you to retrieve it. The villager will ask for it back and it must be relocated and dug up. The time between burying and being asked to dig it up can span from only a week all the way up to two months. It is possible to have multiple capsules buried at the same time.
It is not possible to dig up a capsule while it is invisible, however on the set day that the villager requests it back it can be located before the villager asks for it.
Once a capsule is buried and vanishes, planting trees, bushes, flowers, or any other items in the space where the capsule was originally buried will lead to the capsule being removed. It is recommended that it is buried on the beach, or near a building where it will not be disturbed.
Trivia
- Villagers sometimes forget about their Time Capsules and move out of the player's town, allowing the player to dig up the Capsule and keep it for themself. This is usually announced by receiving a letter from the Villager that moved out, informing the player that they want the player to unearth the capsule and keep the contents.
- The items inside a Time Capsule are usually clothes, but sometimes wallpapers and carpets or furniture is inside.
- The player cannot create a Time Capsule and bury it; it is a unique villager interaction with the player.
- If a player agrees to bury a Time Capsule for a villager but does not complete the task, the friendship between the villager and the player will decrease.
- When time-travelling villagers often "forget" about time capsules.