Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is the Cozy Game I Needed This Year – CNET [CNET]

If you’re looking for a wholesome game to give as a gift this holiday season, Animal Crossing could be just the thing.

I graduated from college and started my first real adult job this year, and it would be a total lie to say the transition was anything less than disorienting for me. I was not only leaving the familiarity of the academic environment I’d been in for 18 years but I was also reaching ever-elusive adult freedom that I had been working toward my whole life. 

That newfound freedom wasn’t all I’d imagined it was. I went from busy evenings filled with studying and nights out with my friends to… boredom. Once I got home from work, I’d have nothing to do. I wasn’t used to having this much time to myself. There was no homework to be done and no exams to cram for, just free time. So, since I was making enough money to finance what for me was a large purchase, and I had way too much free time to enjoy, I took the plunge on a treat I’d wanted for months: the Nintendo Switch OLED and the latest installment of the Animal Crossing franchise, Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Though my Switch is great and all (I bought this one), what I really fell in love with was Animal Crossing. The game had already proved itself to be a balm to the soul for other folks during the pandemic, but I didn’t realize just how fantastic it was until I played for myself. It’s $49 on Amazon right now — not a supersteep discount from its usual price, but that’s $11 less than buying it on the Nintendo Store.

From soothing instrumentals and friendly Islanders to the incomparable joy that comes from catching a rare bug or fish, Animal Crossing and its wholesome vibes have won me over.

The first night I had the game, I played for about four hours. If you’re a regular gamer, that might not seem too intense, but I don’t usually play video games in my free time. So getting me to sit down and engage with a game for that long was an absolute feat, and a testament to the power of Animal Crossing. 

It’s now a part of my nighttime routine to play Animal Crossing for about an hour before I go to sleep. If you’re like me, and you’re looking for a fun treat to give yourself to kick boredom, or if you’re just looking for a wholesome game to add to your rotation, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has my vote.