The ultimate island getaway

If only there was a desert island to get away to in a time of lockdown. Well, there is, and for 5,000 Nook miles, it’s yours. Animal Crossing: New Horizon was always going to be a big hit. It’s the fifth in the series of a beloved franchise and the online communities were abuzz for months before its release, though no-one expected it would become the fastest-selling Switch game ever in Japan and the UK. It unwittingly cracked the perfect timing of a global pandemic when playing games indoors is encouraged and people want to roam free on their own island.

The premise: you want to escape the city and so you sign up for an island getaway package from Tom Nook, a business raccoon. He and his assistants whisk you away to your island where you work off your debt by fishing, shaking trees for sticks and fruit, collecting weeds and helping to pitch tents. Time passes in real time, with seasons linked to your hemisphere, allowing you to slow down and get lost in the simple act of running around and digging up fossils. As the game progresses you explore more and craft your surroundings; buy a house, build a museum, interact with ghosts and create a community.

You can visit other islanders in your area or go to your friends’ islands and hang out together in close virtual proximity. Kids are creating in-game birthday parties, people are going on dates and one couple got married with their friends virtually in attendance when the virus cancelled their realworld plans.

We’ve never needed an oasis escape like we do now. This game provides it. ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ is available for download on Nintendo Switch