You will call me an animal crossing crazy

[matt2019]

So with our city announcing code red lockdowns all over again, I’m gonna have a lot of time on my hands. I just ordered my 4th switch ( I have a regular switch, a blue switch lite, a grey switch lite, and a yellow switch lite on the way ). Now before everyone goes saying I have a ton of money, I actually don’t. I recently lost my job due to layoffs. Finding another one is hard during these lockdowns. But animal crossing has been the thing that’s helped me through this past year of depression, and I absolutely love playing and designing islands.

I’m excited to start my new one when my switch gets delivered tomorrow. For me, this is my way of coping, is playing ACNH, rather than the really unhealthy ways that it could have gone.

has ACNH helped you through this year? I know for me it’s been one of the biggest things for me.

 

[Pyoopi]

That's a lot of switches. I hope you have designated areas for them or cases. I would go crazy where to put them all, lol.

ACNH definitely has helped me but I also really slowed down after the first 3 months after launch. I hit the burnt out feeling and had to take it easy. So now I'm not glued to the game as much.

 

[Dunquixote]

It has especially since my dad and I are still not talking; I forgot how many months it has been but leaving my room has been harder than before. I have been taking it easy now though because I’m stumped on ideas and this egg hunt has taken 100% of my time. Then I also have two gacha games I play that require some investment in time (one more than the other).

After the egg hunt is done, I plan on tting back to halloween even though i have gotten everything and now have way too much furniture. I didn’t get to play as much as i wanted to due to egg hunt. I want to take more pictures of my villagers for my island journal and screenshot thread. Looking at people’s screenshots and their designs/artwork, as well as working on my island journal has helped lift my mood and inspire me to keep trying to come up with ideas (in spite of what i said being in a slump). Whoops; sorry that’s more of the forums than the game. I think it’s a combination of both.

But anyways, something about the game usually helps me cope with my issues and anxiety; not always but more often than not. I think it’s the generally positive atmosphere and vibes from my villagers (I wish my crankies were more cranky though and my snooty more snooty even though I used to not like snooties much excluding Ankha).

 

[maddycha]

i definitely feel you, i don't know how i would've survived these past few months without it!
feels like animal crossing is one of the biggest constants in my life, and it is just free serotonin playing it, you're definitely not alone

 

[daffodilcrossing]

I think whatever you want to spend your money on is nobody’s business you know? Like if you want four switches and they make you happy then that’s fine! And yeah, animal crossing has helped a lot. It’s been a rough time with everything that’s happening in the US and it’s nice to escape for a little while and just hang out with some animal and stuff

 

[Xara]

honestly, having 4 switches is definitely something i’d do, too, just to be able to have more than 10 villagers lmao, so there’s no judgement here!

as for me, new horizons has definitely helped me out a bit this year; realizing that i actually did want it after thinking that i didn’t is actually what brought me back to the forums after a 2-3 year hiatus. i’ve made loads of good friends here and with the pandemic, the forums and animal crossing are basically the only platforms i have for socialization lmao. new horizons has ensured that i had things to look forward to this year and gave me a place to hide when real life wasn’t going so good.

it’s also been really good reconnecting with animal crossing again; during my hiatus, i didn’t really play any of the games at all after selling my copies of new leaf and deleting pocket camp from my phone and so, just getting to see villagers again and getting to do the basics such as fishing and bug-catching has been an immaculate dose of serotonin for me this year c’:

 

[ekcomyth]

wait, you can definitely do what you want but why choose over tearing down your whole island to start a new one?

 

[Islander]

I'm looking forward to AC helping me through lockdown 2. I am hoping the Harvest Festival will keep me occupied for a good portion of it, then immediately after that its my birthday and the following week lockdown is hopefully lifted.

But I am sticking with the island I've had since March!

 

[Jas]

i've had a lot of anxious moments this year and doing something simple and repetitive like fishing or diving helps me out when i need grounding! it's really calming!

 

[EmmaFrost]

ACNH has DEFINITELY helped me through the year. My mental health is awful plus autism and chronic pain...so I am always looking for ways to distract myself and stay away from things that cause myself harm. This year has been insanely difficult, particularly because I have a constant feeling of impending doom. I don't know how long this virus will last or how long it'll directly impact my family and my work situation. The unknown is overwhelming and I really struggle with it. I love that in Animal Crossing you can kind of create your own goals and then work toward them. I can give myself specific tasks to complete like finishing off a particular area or revamping my house or front yard. Sometimes when I have been in a lot of distress and I feel hopeless, I turn on the game and zone the hell out. The island is so vast and there's so many ways to work on filling it up, whether it's through crafting or through trading/buying items online. I am so thankful for this game and how many hours it has allowed me to be focused on something other than wanting to die etc.

 

[Maiana]

I hit the burnt out feeling and had to take it easy. So now I'm not glued to the game as much.

I felt that. I had lost so much creative inspiration for my island, on top of not knowing what to do with it. I recently created a new one and hopefully this keeps me engaged for a longer time. ;m;

 

[azurill]

AC has definitely helped me through this year . I have stayed working throughout since it is considered an essential business, coming home to my island has helped my anxiety. I have thought a couple of times and might still buy an extra switch and another copy of NH.

 

[Emmsey]

I agree with others here, AC has been a welcome relief during lockdown. I started working from home at the end of March and as part of a vulnerable shielded family I didn't have the opportunities to see others that some had. We started meeting up and hanging out on one another's islands it was a great replacement at least for the short term. My friends have all since stopped playing but I have continued to play every day since its release. As we approach a second lockdown here I will continue to be grateful for it!

 

[FoxFeathers]

Yeah, AC helped me in general even before the stupidity in the rest of the world kicked in. Helps me to de-stress and unwind with a sorta creative outlet.

 

[6iixx]

yeah, four switches may seem like a lot - but you do you, boo boo. your four switches aren't hurting anyone (and hopefully not you, financially, but that's neither here nor there).

animal crossing has been a huge help for me. since i got it and officially got into the swing of things, i've been glued. it's hard to put down. i've been forcing myself, actually, to put it down for extended periods of time so that i a) wont get burnt out and b) so i can spend proper time with my fiance. but it's.. a huge escape from so much in my life right now that it's really hard not to think about it even in my daily day-to-day activities.

i like the control it gives you over your own little island, where nothing happens without you essentially making it so. it's been a really nice breath of fresh air to all the constant crap in the real world. and if that makes us crazy, then i don't want to be sane.

 

[TheSillyPuppy]

OP, you must have a wild time switching between your consoles. I'm sorry, I'll see myself out... Best of luck with your job hunt!

For the most part, I echo many of the sentiments that everyone has already conveyed. It's nice to regain a sense of control over things, even though the game is just one aspect of my life. I will add that this quarantine has made me realize how important and irreplaceable face-to-face interaction with the people I care about is to me personally, despite self-identifying as an introvert.

 

[nightglow]

AC has helped me alot this year with anxiousness/restlessness. I lost my job this year on top of stuff I already deal with normally. Also in my country we have elections today which everyone is anxious about. Truth be told I have dealt with quite a bit of sadness this year more than normal too.. and those little animal humanoid things are just cute to see when you feel that way. I have been feeling a little bit of burnt out on the game, so I decided to add characters over time so I can use their houses for my island.

 

[DragonLatios]

So with our city announcing code red lockdowns all over again, I’m gonna have a lot of time on my hands. I just ordered my 4th switch ( I have a regular switch, a blue switch lite, a grey switch lite, and a yellow switch lite on the way ). Now before everyone goes saying I have a ton of money, I actually don’t. I recently lost my job due to layoffs. Finding another one is hard during these lockdowns. But animal crossing has been the thing that’s helped me through this past year of depression, and I absolutely love playing and designing islands.

I’m excited to start my new one when my switch gets delivered tomorrow. For me, this is my way of coping, is playing ACNH, rather than the really unhealthy ways that it could have gone.

has ACNH helped you through this year? I know for me it’s been one of the biggest things for me.

IF i had the money i be doing the same thing. Before i lost my job i try to collect cool looking system i think look nice to me and mount them on my wall with there box or play on them on a guestroom tv or for friend to play on.

 

[Monokuma73]

So with our city announcing code red lockdowns all over again, I’m gonna have a lot of time on my hands. I just ordered my 4th switch ( I have a regular switch, a blue switch lite, a grey switch lite, and a yellow switch lite on the way ). Now before everyone goes saying I have a ton of money, I actually don’t. I recently lost my job due to layoffs. Finding another one is hard during these lockdowns. But animal crossing has been the thing that’s helped me through this past year of depression, and I absolutely love playing and designing islands.

I'm not surprised, as I (as a household) have two Switches and other (older) Nintendo consoles in working orders. I must admit I'm really curious about your consoles... if everything is related to ACNH, you playing all of them - having three independent islands (so far) or maybe in your circumstances each console is for one family member.

has ACNH helped you through this year? I know for me it’s been one of the biggest things for me.

Some members may read this, some not... but I started my adventure with ACNH in August... so when everything has collapsed, I didn't know anything about this game... however I played a lot those days Breath of the Wild and it was a true immersion is "safe world".