How Animal Crossing Helps Me Cope with Loss & Isolation

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a simulation game developed by Nintendo and created by Katsuya Eguchi. You play as a humanoid character who, after moving to a deserted island, are tasked with exploring, decorating, inhabiting, and expanding the island all in real time. The game is completely open-ended and allows you to do whatever you want at your own pace. Feel like spending hours trying to catch a rare fish? Go for it. Want to spend the day chatting with one of several charming residents on your island? No problem. In the mood to get chased around by scorpions all night? Whatever you’re feeling, it’s all up to you.

The game was released in March 2020 and was an immediate hit selling 5 million digital copies in the first month. The wild success of it is regularly attributed to the time it was released which coincides with the fruition of the global COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine, however, I believe that its success runs deeper than just a coincidental release date.

I spent most of my time a child consuming media and playing with digital content. Video games were my go-to. I loved everything about them: the escapism, the fantasy, the achievements. I loved that they created a world that I had control over and for me that was everything. When COVID-19 started escalating and the quarantine began in the U.S., my partner’s mother had just died from cancer and I had recently lost my job due to mass lay-offs. To help us cope, my partner and I decided to get a Nintendo Switch and play New Horizons.

Immediately, we noticed how simple, immersive, charming, and addicting it was. We played for hours while discussing our plans for the island, what fish we caught recently, and what villagers we enjoyed the most. It was essential to helping us cope with the grief, fear and anxiety we were experiencing in our lives and became a safe haven for us without us noticing.

Problem Solved

Since deciding to pursue UX/UI Design, I’ve tried to pin point exactly why I have always cherished video games and what they’ve accomplished for me. I realized after playing New Horizons that the video games I’ve loved have always given me a sense of control, fantasy and escape which aren’t always provided in the real world.

The game itself is endless and gives the player full control over how they spend their time. Designing the game this way helps the player relinquish any pressure and cultivates a calm, open gaming experience which is perfectly suited for anyone experiencing stress or anxiety.

For decades video games have been designed with the intent of creating tension, inciting competition, and rewarding players for enduring difficult gameplay. In contrast, New Horizon provides players with a game that cultivates calmness and meditation. It satisfies a need seldom seen in the mainstream video game industry. One that is defined by a growing awareness of mental health issues and self-care.

Feel Those Feels

It feels a bit strange admitting that a video game is capable of inspiring true, unadulterated joy but New Horizons does just that. There are times when I talk to a villager and they respond with a charming one liner, an update on their day, an insecurity they had, or just something funny. I’m always aware that they are simple AI sharing their programmed personalities but it creates a sense of immersion that keeps me coming back.

The designers of the game took great care in crafting these villagers and their unique personalities. For me this creates a sense of immersion that encourages continued play. They went as far as to include unique dialogue for the player’s birthday which makes me feel valued and special something that is hard to come by when the world seems to be imploding left and right.

Intangible Value

It’s difficult to grasp what makes the design of this game great instead of good. I think that difference lies in the endless value it provides when sharing it with others. Don’t get me wrong, it’s perfectly enjoyable as a solitary experience, but the true magic of its design exists in its capacity to connect with strangers and friends alike.

The game allows you to take screenshots so you can share those funny, charming villager moments with your friends any time. It also encourages you to travel to other islands to check out what your friends have done with their islands. It gave us something to talk about that didn’t revolve around the state-of-the-world or my recent loss.

Also, after the release of the game, an entire community of gamers began connecting online by sharing memes, island designs and experiences. Its design succeeds in cultivating camaraderie in a world experiencing quarantined turmoil. Plus its simple, intuitive gameplay makes it easy for people of all ages, backgrounds, and accessibility.

Overall, the game is an example of great design because it takes into consideration both tangible and intangible qualities. Tangible in the sense that it provides enjoyable, calming gameplay and intangible in the sense it cultivates an emotional connection between the players and itself. The real world will never be free of anxiety or grief but it’s helpful to know that there are designers out there helping us take a break from it all to play and connect.