On Mar. 20,  a new “Animal Crossing” game was released, giving people an escape from quarantine into a world they can build and control. 

Although I haven’t played the game myself, a lot of my friends have and feel as though it’s a relaxing getaway from the world. 

“Animal Crossing,” created by Katsuya Eguchi and published by Nintendo in 2001, is a simulation game where a human character is created and lives in a village with various animals. In the game, there are various activities such as fishing, fossil hunting and catching bugs such as spiders. Since then, there have been five more for various consoles such as the Nintendo Switch, the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Wii.  Animal Crossing has sold over 30 million units worldwide and has also made three spin-off games for mobile devices. 

Madison Fielding has been a player of the game since 2007 when she got Animal Crossing Wild World on Nintendo DS.

“This game even compared to the last Animal Crossing that came out is so much better than I imagined. The customization options are endless. You can customize literally everything. The graphics and storyline upgraded a ton as a result,” she said. 

Players of the game feel as though it’s the perfect way to relax. Tyler Hawk has been playing the game since it first came out.

“The reason the game is so appealing is because it’s low stress,” he said.

Hawk plays many other games such as “Fortnite” and “Call of Duty.” He tends to switch to Animal Crossing when those games get too intense.

Fielding agrees about how the game is relaxing and even feels that it’s her favorite part of the game. 

“My favorite thing about the Animal Crossing series is how relaxing it is. There are goals and objectives in the game, but they are of your own creation done at your own order and pace so your progression in the game is unique to your personal playing style,” Fielding said.

The game has become increasingly more popular as each new version comes out. 

“I feel like that is what makes the game so appealing as well as how cute the characters are. The aesthetic is really cutesy and that appeals to a large audience,” she said, “Also there are over 400 characters that can live in your town/ island and each has their own personality, and some get along with each other more than others.”

The game is made so that the character that the player chooses can be put through different obstacles. The gamer gets to create a world for the character and have a lot of control over what they do. 

“There is stuff to do and people to talk to everyday, so you have to play it at least a little bit every day. That’s what makes the game unique in my opinion., “Fielding said.

Hawk believes that’s what makes the game so much fun.

“The grind is starting from nothing and creating something fun,” Hawk said.

The timing of the release couldn’t have been better with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people to stay inside.

“Nintendo also spammed the heck out of the fame because they released teasers pretty much every week pushing the whole tropical island and relaxation vibe. Both of those things are desperately needed right now as many people are trapped in their homes, wishing they could be on vacation,” Fielding said. 

During this time with the novel coronavirus, it’s important to have things to take your mind off of the world and entertain you while being stuck in quarantine. “Animal Crossing” is a game that allows a distraction.