Why Animal Crossing is the game for the coronavirus moment
Imagine escaping to an island paradise where bags of money fall out of trees and a talking raccoon can approve you for a mortgage.
With the world in the grip of a pandemic, that’s exactly the sort of escape that has captivated so many — not in their fantasies, but in the world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It’s the latest in a series that’s been around since 2001, but New Horizons is the first built-from-the-ground-up console release in 19 years. It’s also a conveniently timed piece of whimsy for gamers — and has become a phenomenon.
In Animal Crossing, players take on the role of a lone human on an island filled with pudgy anthropomorphic animals. Players are tasked with building a thriving society, filling it with shops, bridges and other accommodations for its residents. There are no high scores, vampire Nazis or final bosses. The game is played at a relaxed pace, in which the player can do as much or as little as they want on any given day. Upbeat acoustic jams or sultry bossa nova synths play in the background.
“There’s no nastiness. There’s no violence that exists. They get absorbed into the day-to-day things without the real world consequences,” said Romana Ramzan, a lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland who teaches game narrative. “It’s like you’ve been transported to a parallel universe. It’s the universe you’ve always wanted, but can’t get.”
Ramzan posits that the opportunities Animal Crossing affords players contribute to its wide appeal. For children, being able to engage in adultlike chores, like building and decorating a house, gives them power often out of reach. For adults, especially millennials who have lived through the Great Recession and current coronavirus-induced economic stress, it offers the white picket fence often associated with the American dream that’s increasingly elusive. Debt, which can accumulate quickly in Animal Crossing, can also be paid off easily. Goals feel attainable and within reach.
Though the aesthetics of the game might lead some to believe it’s geared toward children, it’s found a dedicated audience with millennials, some of whom grew up with the franchise, and with younger audiences experiencing it for the first time. It’s all the more intensified for those struggling with isolation and addiction.
Joseph Gorordo, 35, is a vice president of outreach for Recovery Unplugged, a chain of music-based alcohol and drug treatment centers. He and his clients have been using Animal Crossing as a way to connect while practicing social distancing.
“On Sunday night, I got onto my island, I opened it up, within an hour I had four friends, two colleagues, and two clients in recovery who were all hanging out on this island and having a mini support meeting,” said Gorordo, a former heroin addict.
He understands intimately many of the anxieties being felt by millennials, especially those who turn to drugs and alcohol. Animal Crossing offers a haven and can give players a feeling of empowerment and community, particularly at a moment when many are being told to stay at home.
The game’s chubby sweaterwearing bears and cardio-obsessed squirrels are upbeat and positive. And the entire warm-hug aesthetic gives the game its universal appeal.