Basically, Lily. Lily is the reason why Animal Crossing is good for my soul. She is every conceivable shade of adorable and the sweetest little villager – possibly the most adorable I’ve seen so far from any village. She is always happy to chat, loves cute things so it’s easy to give her gifts, and did I mention she’s utterly adorable? Oh my God.

OK. All right. It’s not just Lily that makes Animal Crossing New Horizons my go-to cozy game when I need a break from reality or I’m feeling blue. There are a lot of reasons why it brings light and colour to my soul. I strategically log in first thing in the morning in an attempt to set the tone for the rest of the day. As a true beginner in the grand scheme of things – having only played ACNH for a couple of months – I’ve already become attached to some of the animals on my island, and I actually enjoy logging in each day to check what new goods are at Nook’s Cranny or see what’s on the mannequins at Able Sisters. I get that game burnout is a thing for ongoing games and bigger franchises, but I’m still in the honeymoon phase so yeah… it’s all good.

I didn’t expect there to be quite so much strategy for a cozy-type game like this, but you do have to plan ahead with certain things and inventory space management is a real struggle. If you want to build something – say, a bridge – you have to pay for it, and it’s not cheap, so you might end up saving for a few weeks before you’ve got the bells to invest. Tom Nook is a rampant profiteer and all I’ll say is it’s a good thing he’s cute. Seriously.

Villagers live their own lives while you play, doing tasks and participating in hobbies even when you’re off across the map doing something else. They will speak to each other and even form friendships between themselves, which is a lovely detail and makes your island feel more inhabited in a natural way. You can eavesdrop on their conversations too (this is often hilarious).

I also like the fashion element, collecting different pieces and dressing according to your mood. It’s a lovely addition that if you gift an islander with an item of clothing and they are interested they’ll actually put it on – and sometimes keep wearing it. I get the impression they just give me their old crap but hey, I kind of do that to them too. Still not been able to bring myself to give anyone the “skirt with suspenders” yet though, but maybe soon.

At the moment I’m stuck with one villager that I’m not too keen on. There’s nothing wrong with him, it’s just that I have another villager who is the same animal type and I like the variation of having different species. I’ve learned that if you ignore a certain villager for long enough they will eventually decide to leave your island, so I’m avoiding him at all costs until I can see that he wants to talk about leaving. That’s going to be a sad conversation.

(And yes, I do feel bad about upsetting a fictional character.)

Another adorable thing that villagers will do is either invite you over to their house or come and visit you while you’re in your house. Bill asked me around the other day to check out his fitness gear (honestly, he didn’t really have any fitness stuff, just some random furnishings) so I hung out for a bit and made myself at home.

Moving new islanders in is also fairly easy, especially if you’ve got the campsite set up. I prefer doing it that way than a random plot of land for sale as you can hand-pick who you want on your island. Otherwise, selling a plot of land is potluck as to who moves in.

Negatives

In my experience so far, negatives are really only superficial. If you’re impatient, certain things will happen slowly and might become frustrating. Many people get around this by adjusting the calendar date on their Switch but I actually like the pace – it’s one of the main reasons I play ACNH. Low pressure. Just chill. It happens when it happens. Yanno?

There’s also a possibility that if you don’t log in for a while, your islanders will comment on your absence and put you on a massive a guilt-trip. Some of them lay it on pretty thick too but just remember this is a game and you’re not really hurting anyone. Taking a break from gaming is a good thing from time to time, especially if you feel you need it. Don’t let the ACNH animals guilt you!

Not to mention the heartbreak when a beloved villager considers moving out. (Yes, I’m looking at you Bill. It’s a good thing I was able to persuade you to stay, but our friendship will forever be tainted.)

(I swear to God if Lily ever says she wants to leave I’m blowing up my island…)

And a final, very minor thing as a new player: deciding how to terraform my island. There is so much inspiration out there, so many beautiful island aesthetics. I am struggling hard deciding how to decorate. Send help!

Fun Media

It looks like this is from one of the older AC games, but it’s too good not to share: Isabelle singing is one of the best things I’ve seen this year. Just look at the comments on that video! Posted by Blaze.

A series of videos I’m becoming fast obsessed with: Animal Crossing Clips of the Week, courtesy of TRIKO. These are compilations of funny or cute AC clips that followers of the channel have sent in.

What are some of your favourite things about ACNH?