2020. The year that put many things on hold. Normally around this time, I would have recently returned from my travel in the U.S. to see family and friends. Unfortunately, the year has played out differently from past ones, and I don’t need to explain why. Not only were my plans to return home this holiday season put on hold, but I haven’t been able to travel nearly as much as I would have liked. So what exactly have I been doing with my time? Well, of course I’m continuing to study my Japanese, on and off. Focusing on my health as well, trying to keep to a daily routine. I’ve also been cooking more, not relying on convenience store lunches as much as I had in previous years. However, there was one more thing that helped me get through the year. That thing was Animal Crossing.

For those of you that don’t know, Animal Crossing is a video game for the Nintendo Switch. In this game, you are transported to a deserted island with no more than a tent to get started. From there, you can gather sticks and stones to craft tools such as a fishing rod, net, and shovel. You can then catch fish and bugs, which can be sold for money to afford yourself to buy more things. Digging up certain areas gives you fossils, which you can have assessed at the museum and either donate, or sell for more money. In the beginning, there is little more than this to do. However, day by day the number of things to do steadily increases. Soon, you can upgrade your shabby tent into a house, a store can be built where you can purchase items (to place in your new home), you can travel to new islands where you can find animal villagers to invite to live on your island, and the list goes on. The concept is simple, but quite addictive.

In addition to being able to purchase items, you can also obtain recipes to make your own items, and provided to you have the proper materials, you can make as many as you like.

Later in the game, you are given the tools to carry out construction on your island, giving you the ability to build and destroy rivers and cliffs to your heart’s content. After this point, the possibilities of what you can do expand tremendously. People can pretty much make their island the way they want it, and seeing other’s imagination take form is tremendously rewarding. I’ve lost hours on YouTube just looking at what others have come up with on their islands.

My island, named “Cafecito”, appropriately has cafes in various areas of the island. Of course, I haven’t limited it to only a coffee theme. Some notable features are an ice rink, money tree grove, and snapping turtles galore! Using the construction tools, I even made a lake area where I can choose to either fish, or simply gaze at the calming scenery.

If displaying a large collection is your thing, you can donate any bugs and fish you catch to the island’s museum. You can also donate any fossils you have dug up. Occasionally, a fox will come to the island and sell you pieces of art (some real, some fake). You can donate the real pieces to the museum to expand your collection. Anything you donate will be put on display for your viewing pleasure at any time.

Along with the ability to customize your island any way you like and collecting things, there are also holidays and festivals throughout various points of the year. For example, there is a Halloween event in which Jack, the ‘Czar of Halloween’, comes to your island and asks you for candy in exchange for various furniture items and recipes. You can either buy this candy from the local store on the days leading up to the event, or you can scare your fellow villagers to get their candy to give to Jack.

There’s also a Thanksgiving Day event in which Franklin, the turkey, comes and plans to cook a large feast for everyone, but needs help finding the proper ingredients. Of course, it is your job to scour the island in search of exactly what he needs. Upon retrieving and presenting said ingredient(s), you will be rewarded with Thanksgiving related items.

For Christmas (or “Toy Day” as it’s called in the game), a happy little reindeer named Jingle asks for your help in delivering presents to all of the island residents. After doing this, you are able to do your own gift exchange with each resident, increasing your relationship with them. Simple, but like many other things in this game, quite enjoyable.

One of my favorite events so far was not related to a holiday per say. On every Sunday in August, there was a festival at night. Throughout the island fireworks could be seen in the sky, making for a beautiful scene. You could even make a custom design that would be made into one of the fireworks shot in the sky. Items such as sparklers and bubble wands could also be purchased, allowing you to participate to the fullest.

Though of course, I have to mention the New Year’s event. The celebration featured festive hats, party poppers, and a real-time countdown. In lieu of gathering with others in real life, this was a nice (and cute) substitute.

Once a week, a dog with an acoustic guitar named K.K. Slider will come the island. He sits and plays all day, taking requests after 6 p.m. I’m sure that a large portion of my time playing the game has been spent listening to this little dog play his catchy tunes. His digitized voice and puppy dog howls are too charming to resist. Not to mention he has a lot in the ways of variety. From upbeat to melancholy, I believe there are 98 songs in his repertoire (My personal favorite is K.K. Sonata).

One of the most frustrating parts of this game was the snowmen. In winter, once a day there are two snowballs somewhere on the island. They can be rolled around to make them larger. If they are rolled into each other, it will create a snowman. When the snowman is created, it will come to life and speak to you. If the proportions are to its liking, you will be rewarded with a special recipe. However, if the proportions are even a little bit off, you fail and must wait until the next day to try again. I somehow managed to get it right twice, but it really is a pain (even with online tutorials).

One nice little function is using Amiibo cards (trading cards with cute animal villagers on them) to enhance your experience. Almost any villager card can be scanned into the game, allowing that villager to visit your campsite. They will ask you to build a certain piece of furniture, and if you bring it to them, they will reward you with a random item. If you invite the same villager three times, you also have the chance to invite them to stay and live on your island.

Hands down the best part of this experience is playing with others, and I’m happy to say that me and my better half have had a lot of enjoyment doing just this. From deciding what new facilities to build on the island, to what villager we should invite next, or simply goofing off, we’ve had a blast! I don’t think it would have been nearly as fun playing without someone to enjoy it with, and I’m grateful for the unforgettable memories we’ve made playing together.

There are many other features available in the game, though I think this gives a fairly good idea of what it’s about. Recently, my play time has slowed down, but I do still check in on Cafecito when I can. It’s a nice escape from reality when I need it. Today, I think we all could use a bit of that now and then.