I can tell you why I enjoy the game.

1) It’s something to do that is enjoyable and can use many hours.

2) The game has cross-generational appeal, and not just for “gamers”.

In my nuclear family of four people that reside in my home, three of us play Animal Crossing: New Horizons (which I will refer to in the rest of this post as ACNH) every single day. The game demographics are quite wide. The rating of the game suggests that it’s for children, but this article by the New York Times describes its appeal to millenials. Dr. Romana Ramzan, an expert quoted in this article, explains how the game is attractive on multiple levels. Children can do adult things, and adults have a gentler, idealized existence where you experience calm and control. It’s a simple game to learn but allows me a lot of creativity, like this post by website The Gamer says.

3) I can play the game whatever way I want.

The last game to captivate me in such a way was Minecraft, another “sandbox” game that offers multiple ways to interact. (The game I loved the most before that was Webkinz.) I notice that my young adult daughter, teenage son and I all play in different ways. Our methods relax us, like this article by the SpielTimes mentions, and we all have different priorities – and that’s okay. There are benefits to engaging in certain activities but players do not fail if they ignore or minimize those tasks; for instance, I had not been visiting the villagers inside their homes regularly, which meant that I received less DIY recipes from them.

4) The game provides me with a social outlet and achievable goals.

Sometimes, my family will sit down and just watch someone play ACNH. It’s gentle and calm, as this How To Geek article describes, but it is also entertaining. When my son landed on Tarantula Island, we all watched attentively as he captured the “most dangerous” creatures in the game. (Tarantulas make you faint. You can’t “die” in ACNH but seeing a big spider attack you is thrilling enough.)

I’ve also invited some of my friends that also own ACNH to our island. It’s the only way we can visit each other right now. We love seeing how others have designed their islands and visiting with the non-player characters that live alongside them.

I love to take photos in real life and I’ve been able to transfer this hobby into the virtual realm. I’ve linked my ACNH account to one of my social media accounts and have been posting screen shots of my adventures (late at night, so that those who aren’t ACNH aren’t peppered with too many photos of my video game play).

 

1) Media construct reality.

My current / new reality is partially shaped around my game play. I report to work (which is just another room in my house) from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm and then I go visit my island of Morioh. On Saturdays after 6:00 pm, each of us visits the island for a free concert by the ACNH singer KK Slider. On Sundays before noon, some of us seek out Daisy Mae to buy turnips.

Me with Daisy Mae

In-game economics are significant. Bells (and Nook Miles) are the currency and expanding connections helps you financially if you are interested in buying and selling turnips at a major profit. Players will sometimes offer their island access codes if their turnip prices are particularly lucrative, and even celebrities like Elijah Wood can come to your island to take advantage of the great offer.

This was the first place I lived on ACNH – a tent.

This was my first house, with a loan.

This is my house as of this week (May 2020)

You can earn money in different ways. My son’s favourite way to earn money was to go “tarantula hunting” on other islands that you can travel to after buying Nook Mile tickets. He taught me the strategy to maximize his captures (nicknamed “No Bully Lane” (c) 2020) and if I’m patient, I can wait to sell the tarantulas (or scorpions, because tarantulas aren’t in season right now) for the regular going rate plus 50%.

6) Media communicate political and social messages.

It’s not just me who thinks this. The Atlantic ran an article called “Animal Crossing Isn’t Escapist; It’s Political” and does a convincing job of describing how it supports capitalism AND pastoralism. There are elements of consumerism but also community works.

I do not know if the gender constructs in ACNH have been examined, but they are present and fascinating. There are eight types of villagers, four male and four female. The female types are sisterly, normal, snooty and peppy. The male types are jock, smug, lazy and grumpy. There are a few characters in the past that push beyond the binary, but they aren’t very popular. My daughter also informed me that the player character’s gender is not fixed. This game, she tells me, is popular with trans fans because it doesn’t ask if you are a boy or a girl. The pronoun used by villagers to refer to players is always the gender-neutral “they”. Speaking of popularity, there are over 300 non-player characters (NPCs) that can be your villagers. Certain villagers have become very sought-after and the reasons center on their beauty. Their personalities are limited to their type, so the only difference is their appearance.

8) Each medium has a unique aesthetic form.

It is easy to recognize the “style” of ACNH, both visual and behavioural. When you catch something like a fish or a bug, your avatar holds it up to the camera for the player/audience to see, describing what has been caught and adding an amusing pun.

There are different clothes associated with different cultures but whatever you wear, you can tell you are in ACNH. There are different objects you can buy, learn how to craft, or can be gifted (thanks to floating presents in the sky). They can be recognized as coming from ACNH.

This is my bedroom.

This is my craft room.

This is my kitchen.

This is my living room and bathroom.

This is my upstairs entertainment suite.

In conclusion, I don’t see any conclusion to my Animal Crossing New Horizons obsession / admiration in the near future. I won’t be including it in my teaching (because not all elements of popular culture should or must be included into education), but I will be using ACNH avatars as a club photo in lieu of our in-person group photo. If you ever want to visit my island, contact me and let’s see if we can connect – just make sure to abide by those hospitality rules that makes ACNH such a beloved pastime of mine and others.