Gamers today tend to follow the same sort of routine when picking up a brand new game to experience. They tear it open, dive in and consume it non-stop. Just as binge-watching has changed television, the way we consume games has changed, and developers craft their latest virtual adventures with this new normal in mind. But then there's Animal Crossing.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons invites players to take their time and relax right from the beginning. You start out being greeted by Timmy and Tommy from Nook Inc. These two friendly chatterboxes will congratulate you on choosing this island experience and walk you through the process of choosing your island.
Right from the start, the decisions you are given are simple and straightforward, and there is zero pressure to rush anything. Every choice you make is the perfect one according to these guys. You move along and pick out what your character looks like as well, but don't fret on that one either because you can change it all later on.
Games today often come shipped with more than just the game and some bonus features. They come with stress and pressure. Gamers are pressured to complete the game, often as quickly as possible so that they can take part of the larger conversation or avoiding having it spoiled for them. At the same time, there's the stress of getting everything perfect. Animal Crossing: New Horizons ditches both of those right from the start and casually invites you to just enjoy the game.
After completing some initial tasks, you'll name the island and hit the sack. Upon waking up, you'll be introduced to one of Animal Crossing's core mechanics: real-time. Unlike other games, the Animal Crossing games have always used the real-world date and time to influence gameplay. There's no hopping into bed or fast-forwarding to the next morning like in The Sims or Stardew Valley. If it's 2AM and all of the shops are closed in the real-world, it'll be 2AM and all of the shops will be closed on your Animal Crossing island too.
Hardcore players who accomplish everything there is to do in just an hour or so will be faced with the fact that Animal Crossing: New Horizons would really prefer you play casually. Especially in the first few days (before you've unlocked the tools to traverse the full island or the other facilities available), there's a finite amount of progress you can make before you have to wait until the next day to arrive.
Some tasks will take full days to complete, and outside of messing with the console's clock, there's nothing you can do about it. There's no premium currency like in mobile games that'll make the Museum open faster. This sort of gating of progression invites casual players to really take their time with the game. There's no need to rush since, even if you do gather those Iron Nuggets or pay off you loan in just an hour or two, you'll still have to wait until morning to reap the rewards. So in between you are left to just wander around, gather resources and stop to smell the roses.
There is no competition in Animal Crossing and no overarching story to keep up with. Like in other casual games like Minecraft, you are left to your own devices to figure out what you want to do. This might be off-putting to non-players who can't understand the appeal, but the play-at-your-own-pace style is what is so appealing. While some hardcore gamers might not see any fun to be had in a game without stress and pressure, casual games beg to differ.
Without a long list of stressful tasks hanging over your head, Nintendo has created a world that players can enter and unwind from life. As you progress, there will be more to do, but it never takes away from the core casualness of the game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a casual game where everyone is welcome to take a seat and hangout for a bit, and it's a nice departure from the fast-paced, high-pressure world we live in.