Gameplay Journal #1

Animal Crossing New Horizons (as well as the many other Animal Crossing variations before this) provides the player with a world in which they are able to express themselves. The gameplay includes aspects of everyday life and simulation but also with a twist on the natural world. Players are able to communicate with animal characters in place of human AI and they each have their own personality that can be desirable….or not. Players are also able to customize their homes, collect items, customize their islands, and so much more. The best part, in my opinion, is having actual holidays and events also occur in the game as they would in real life. Players across the world can experience holidays together in a virtual way which is especially needed in COVID-19 times.

Animal Crossing is a very simple game to play. With it being on the Nintendo Switch console, it does not require much technique to activate all the controls of the game. When the controllers are detached from the console, I believe there is the option to move similar to a Wii controller when fishing in the game to cast a line or catch a bug. What the game does teach you mainly is patience. To collect everything in the game is a pretty tedious process (as long as you are not cheating.)

“Technicity” is defined as the relationship between technology and humanity. How does Animal Crossing New Horizons help bridge that gap? In a game that is seemingly singular, the ability to have other players join you on your “quests” for items, trade with you, join you on events and holidays, or even just play hide-and-seek, allows for a different perspective within an alternative goal.

“Chapter 4.” Game Cultures: Computer Games as New Media, by Jon Dovey and Helen W. Kennedy, Open Univ. Press, 2011, pp. 17–18.