Until I got a Nintendo Switch last year, I had never owned a Nintendo console of my own — meaning I had never played an Animal Crossing game until New Horizons. Like thousands of others who dove into this game head-first to cope with COVID-19 lockdown orders, I immediately became obsessed. I spent hours talking to villagers, decorating my island, and playing around with terraforming.

Although it’s “just a video game,” New Horizons got me through 2020 — and it’s also unequivocally changed my life.

Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s Release

When ACNH was released, everyone in my circle of friends excitedly swapped Switch Friend Codes and used the game as a tool for social interaction. We’d open our airport gates in-game and let people come and go as they pleased, giving them tours and introducing them to our villagers and swapping gifts. Some of my friends got super into cultivating hybrid flowers, while others built massive waterfalls, reconfigured rivers, or put their homes on third-level cliffs with a two-tier incline to make it feel like a castle on a mountain.

Initially, I shared an island with someone else, which was both delightful and frustrating. To be honest, my only child came out in an ugly way over sharing a Switch and this game. I didn’t want to accommodate their playstyle and tastes; I wanted to have the freedom to redecorate and redesign and terraform and invite or kick out villagers of my own volition. Simultaneously, I wanted them to be more into the game than they were, which wasn’t fair. I wanted it all to myself — which is why no one ever wanted to play with me as a kid, come to think of it.

Lockdown has been traumatic for everyone, and we all coped in different ways. My coping mechanism was Animal Crossing, and I let my obsession with it get the better of me, to the detriment of an important relationship in my life. There were other factors at play, of course, but I’m not proud of how I acted about a digital island with digital, anthropomorphic animal characters. I’m admitting that here because it feels important, when considering how this game has impacted me, my mental health, and my life.

Is there a point at which escapist fantasy becomes Too Much? Absolutely. Did I reach that point? Probably. But I think I’ve since found a healthier balance, and I’m proud of myself.

Nesting With a New Island

When I started a new island in the fall, I leaned into the game harder than ever, right when most people in the fandom — and even my group of friends — were starting to experience burnout.

A year after release, I’ve yet to get completely burned out on the game. I never go more than a few days without picking it up for at least a little while, and I think it’s because I’m never completely satisfied with how my island looks. It’s gone through so many iterations at this point that it’s almost hard to keep track, although the camera roll on my Switch boasts thousands of photos that reveal my various themes and ideas.

Fewer people have their gates open now, because fewer people are spending their days playing the game, but that’s OK. Now, I watch YouTube videos and Twitch streams, and even share my own island on stream. It’s scary, but exciting, and it’s given me a different appreciation for and love of the game.

New Horizons has primarily allowed me to channel my desire to nest into something that offers large- and small-scale projects on a regular basis. The last year has rocked the foundations of my life and pushed me to make major changes, many of which felt like jumping into an abyss and hoping not to hit the bottom. Having something to come back to — even something digital — helped me move through those changes without feeling entirely discomfited.

The game has also allowed me to reconnect with old acquaintances, form new bonds, and get closer to some of my favorite people. It’s introduced me to new creators and communities. It’s allowed me to channel my own lagging creativity and it’s provided me with a serious amount of serotonin. Animal Crossing: New Horizons means so much to me, for so many reasons — which is probably why I can’t bring myself to criticize it too much, even when Nintendo withholds beloved NPCs or releases lackluster updates.

Obviously, I say that from a place of relative privilege — I think Nintendo was too slow to introduce more hair types for Black players and still doesn’t have enough customization options for players. I think there are accessibility issues, not to mention some obnoxious gameplay elements that can and should be streamlined.

However, I’m super grateful for ACNH, its community, and the ability to dive into an island paradise whenever I want. I hope that feeling doesn’t fade.

✦ Like what you read? Leave a tip!