As the world became enveloped in a universal uncertainty as COVID cases increased by the minute globally, there was one thing that I and many others could count on: the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons for the Nintendo Switch. The long-awaited addition to the Animal Crossing franchise resulted in previously closed GameStop stores being opened back up for midnight releases, and everyone counted down the hours until they could log onto their Switches and get ready for their island getaway. For those who are unfamiliar with Animal Crossing, it is a series of games released by Nintendo in which you play as the one human character in a world entirely inhabited by animals. What makes Animal Crossing different from many existing games is that there’s no end goal to the game. You have different tasks that you can complete, like collecting bugs for villagers or donating fish and fossils to the museum, but the game doesn’t ever really end.

While Animal Crossing has always been a popular game, the massive amount of people collectively playing during quarantine surprised me. I think that Animal Crossing ended up being the perfect quarantine game because of its “island getaway” theme. You’re meant to think of the game as a vacation away from your life, but it ended up being more of a literal escape, in my opinion. While our world was being continually closed off through quarantine requirements and changes to work and school, and the grocery store turning into a battlefield, it was a relief to be able to log onto a virtual island and have my concerns only revolve around planting flowers and chatting with my islanders. It was not only relaxing gaming, but almost necessary gaming, in my mind. Even though I couldn’t go out to school or work, or hang out with my friends in person, I could do the next best thing, which was living a
virtual island life.

Although I’ve gone back to living an almost-identical life prior to COVID, I still visit my Animal Crossing island for some much needed getaways. Sometimes, I just don’t have the energy or mental bandwidth to focus on completing a quest-oriented game like The Legend of Zelda, or participate in a high intensity multiplayer game like Fortnite. In those cases, it’s nice to curl up with a game like Animal Crossing and unwind from a long day.

The rise of “cozy gaming,” as it is referred to, has added a much-needed corner to the gaming world. While the gaming community can be seen as intimidating territory, with games that require a certain skill level to play them or some games just having too-competitive a vibe, cozy games provide a friendly alternative to mainstream gaming.

Along with the popularity of Animal Crossing, there are many other similar games, in that there’s no specific end goal or strict requirements that you have to follow in order to move on in the game. You’re free to do whatever you want, and to play for as little or as long as you want. Cozy games are a great option for those who are maybe hesitant about starting to play video games, or who might be intimidated by some of the more action-focused mainstream games that are available. Another cozy game that I like to play is Stardew Valley, which can be described as a more reality- based version of Animal Crossing. In Stardew Valley, you play as a character who has
inherited their grandfather’s farm and leaves their soulless corporate office job to become a farmer in the magical, mysterious Stardew Valley. There are lots of different things you can do in Stardew, like fish, mine for ore, plant crops, and go exploring. There is also the option to romance one of the villagers, if you’re looking to spark your virtual love life. There are cozy games ranging from the magical, like Little Witch in the Woods, to the mundane, like the upcoming indie game Lake, where you play as a postal worker who delivers mail to residents of a lakeside town.

For those who like the appeal of cozy gaming and want to find more media that emulates the warm, cozy feeling of being the main character in a sleepy town full of unique/eccentric characters, there are some books that fit that aesthetic. For fans of Animal Crossing, the Wildwood trilogy by Colin Meloy takes place in the woods of Portland, Oregon, where two human children are on a search for a baby brother amidst a cast of anthropomorphic forest creatures. For fans of Stardew Valley, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society follows author Juliet Ashton who visits the island of Guernsey during WW2 in search of the subject of her next book, and gets to know the island’s quirky residents, all while corresponding with one of the island’s residents via letters.

Dina Delic is the Assistant Children’s Librarian at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood, MA. Look for her article in the August 5, 2021 issue of the Transcript and Bulletin.