In September, my social media was overflowing with excitement. After a dry video presentation, Nintendo spontaneously announced during Nintendo Direct that an Animal Crossing game would be released for Switch next year. The series, which has been running across various platforms since 2001, has been met with mass critical praise selling 30 million units worldwide. In this article, I’d like to examine the Animal Crossing series to find out why the game is so loved.

Animal Crossing has found wild success despite sticking to an overwhelmingly similar formula. The player has just arrived in their new town, full of cute and chatty creatures and it’s their job to pay the bills, maintain the town and keep the animals happy. This formula is so sacred that fans have been quick to dismiss spin-off games like Amiibo Festival and Pocket Camp as these are not “real Animal Crossing games.”  Although features are often slapped on for new consoles (like the short lived WII Speak in City Folk) the basic premise of the game has remained the same. So what is it about this approach to gameplay that has led to such appraisal?

Now on paper, being the errand-boy for a cat or a lion may not sound very fun, yet the games have a way of pulling you into the world. Firstly, it is remarkably easy to form relationships with the characters. Most players have at least one they hold close to their hearts, and maybe even a few they loathe. (*cough* Harry the Hippo *cough*) Your anthropomorphic neighbours are always happy to see you, if you haven’t played in a few days they will remind you. Nothing stings more than hearing “I haven’t seen you in 65 days!”, believe me. This is particularly effective for children playing the game who spend hours on end reading the same text from their favourite residents. More than anything, it gives them a sense of responsibility. No one wants to upset a small pink squirrel by not checking in on them every now and then.

The freedom of Animal Crossing is perhaps its most appealing quality. Players are basically given a blank canvas with each town. There are no rules, no arbitrary goals or quests (except your crippling mortgage but hey we’ve all been there). I’ve personally found that people play and experience Animal Crossing differently. Some primarily focus on collecting furniture and building their house, some throw themselves into gardening, some even become fixated with completing a museum exhibit. Players are truly free to focus on whatever takes their fancy. Everything is customisable from your character’s hair to the tiling pattern of your roof. So much so that visiting a friend’s town often feels like stepping into an alternative reality, one where you don’t know every nook and cranny (there’s a pun in there). Animal Crossing has no fixed narrative, it operates in real time with the changing seasons reflecting on your screen. This is not a challenging game by any means, it’s not attempting to test player’s skills. It instead provides a charming and relaxing world that people can escape to. If you want to see people take pride in themselves, just ask a player about their Animal Crossing achievements and projects.

It would be impossible for me to talk about the Animal Crossing games without mentioning the music. Nintendo’s legendary Kazumi Totaka is behind the score and he is nothing short of a genius. Every hour of the day has a designated tune, my personal favourite is the 2am jingle from the Gamecube edition for the chaotic trumpets alone. The music also reacts to seasonal changes, shifting with the rain, snow and sunshine, giving a unique atmosphere to each day. Soft piano, xylophone and acoustic guitar are the benchmarks of a successful Animal Crossing score. Players can even compose their own Town Tune, which rings frequently (yet subtly) throughout gameplay. The relaxing music works in perfect harmony with the gameplay, resulting in a powerful atmosphere that continues to excite players some 17 years on.

So if you crave an escape to the countryside, a countryside filled with talking animals, look no further than Animal Crossing. The game is really what you make of it, so be prepared to log in some serious hours, but I can guarantee you they will be some of the most relaxing hours of your life, unless of course you stumble across a bee’s nest.