Islands Apart

Keeping Social-but-Distanced During Covid-19

Renate
Videodame
6 min readAug 11, 2020

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An idyllic island escape (Nintendo via nintendo.com)

If you had asked any Animal Crossing fan what was giving them hope in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons is sure to have featured in their answer. Against the backdrop of the tumultuous reality of 2020, an idyllic island getaway was exactly what we all needed.

But while Animal Crossing has indeed given us a picture-perfect version of life to escape to in the face of global uncertainties, it offers more than a mere distraction; as one of the most customisable life sims available that also offers an online multiplayer mode, it’s rapidly evolved into a valuable social platform. Beyond simple hangout sessions with friends, Animal Crossing has become the setting for countless virtual gatherings during the pandemic, allowing players the opportunity to stay connected despite physical distance and celebrate the events that would normally mark their lives.

Melati, a student from Malaysia, bought a Switch and Animal Crossing in March. She quickly connected with a group of Malaysian Animal Crossing players through Twitter, and the game helped them to celebrate Eid, the Islamic religious holiday marking the end of the month of Ramadan. In Malaysia, although the biggest Eid celebrations are held during the first three days of this period, people visit each other for Eid over the whole month. This led to multiple gatherings for Melati and her friends, with cross-island visits and activities every few days.

Player characters are standing amongst colourful flowers. Melati is saying “selamat hari raya!”, which means “happy Eid!”
“Happy Eid!” (@melatiafandi via Twitter)

“The host would usually have a special place designed with Eid decorations,” Melati said, describing the customised panels, oil lamps, and food arrangements that would be set out. The group also used the in-game fashion tools to design their own baju kurung and baju melayu, the traditional clothing normally worn during Eid in Malaysia, for the celebrations. During each visit, she and her friends spent time taking photos together, occasionally catching bugs and fish or exchanging gifts.

“Eid and Ramadan during non-pandemic times is usually more festive,” Melati said, detailing the food bazaars, social visits, and religious activities that would normally characterise this period, but which all took a different form or were cancelled this year. “To compare [Eid in Animal Crossing] to real life, of course it’s different,” she continued. “However, it was a refreshing experience. It’s great how technology is able to bring people together.”

Six players sitting at tables in front of decorated food stalls. A player is lamenting that the other guys are late.
Waiting for everyone to arrive (@melatiafandi via Twitter)

Pete, a microbiology and biochemistry graduate from Northern Ireland, similarly calls Animal Crossing “a blessing” in the time of the pandemic. Having recently completed his university studies, he was due to attend his graduation, but COVID-19 saw the ceremonies cancelled. His social network came to the rescue, though, throwing a full graduation ceremony for him and another friend, complete with a proper stage setup, speeches, photos, and a musical tambourine interlude — it is Animal Crossing, after all.

“It was such a shame we couldn’t have our big moment in a real-life graduation,” he noted, giving voice to a sentiment that many people have felt this year as key milestone events have been postponed or cancelled entirely. Nevertheless, the role of Animal Crossing in bringing people together during this time can’t be understated. “Moments like [the graduation ceremony] give you such a warm feeling of support,” Pete said. “It was a way to bring us closer together while being trapped in our own houses.”

A stage is set up. Two players are wearing graduation caps. A player is starting a speech, saying “helo homies and welcome”
Pete’s graduation ceremony (@PJQ97 via Twitter)

Part of what makes Animal Crossing so well-suited to hosting a diverse range of virtual gatherings is the unrivalled amount of customisation and control afforded to players in the game. The series has long been known for its customisability; New Horizons offers the ability to choose your character’s hair, skin colour, and facial features right from the start, and the game’s extensive fashion options take this one step further. Being able to design your own clothing like Melati’s friends did for Eid is an important feature that enables players to express their creativity through their fashion choices, and the ability to wear any type of clothing regardless of gender allows for greater freedom of self-expression.

Beyond this, though, what sets New Horizons apart from its predecessors is its environmental customisation. For the first time, not only are players able to place furniture outside, but the game also introduces powerful terraforming tools, allowing players to shape cliffs, waterways, and paths. This opens up truly unlimited possibilities for gameplay that are constrained only by players’ imaginations.

A player in Animal Crossing laying down a path using the game’s customisation tools.
New Horizons allows a greater degree of customisation than ever before (Nintendo via nintendo.com)

Quart, a project manager from the United States, celebrated her birthday with a party in Animal Crossing that was hosted by one of her friends. The game’s customisation options were fundamental to the birthday party activities, with terraforming used to set up a riddle-based game, while a memory game made use of the ability to lay down designs on the ground. A whole day’s work went into setting up for the event, but it ultimately was a great success, with five people attending from across the United States.

“I had a lot of fun,” Quart reflected. “Had COVID-19 not happened, my plans probably would have been seeing Black Widow and going out to dinner and hanging out with friends afterwards. I personally don’t care for going out and partying, so the Animal Crossing party was perfect for me, plus friends who live far away got to participate.”

It’s not just bigger celebrations that Animal Crossing is suited to hosting, however; the game has also functioned as a new setting for life’s humbler moments as well. Korey, a freelance artist from the United States, has been playing Animal Crossing since the days of the GameCube. Unable to see their girlfriend in person due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, they decided to arrange an in-game date instead, setting up an oceanside corner of their island with a picnic rug and candles. They invited their girlfriend over, where the two relaxed, chatted over Discord, and exchanged in-game gifts.

Two players at a picnic spot with candles, a picnic rug, and different decorations in ACNH. Player is saying “too cute omg”
Korey’s Animal Crossing date spot (@reallycoolsword via Twitter)

“I think games with online connections like Animal Crossing help a lot,” Korey said of the experience. “I’m able to see [my girlfriend] in a way that might not be physical but at least she’s here with me in some capacity! It means a lot and I’m really happy with it.”

This is an incredibly relatable sentiment. For someone like myself who lives alone, the last five months would have been far lonelier had I not been able to hop on a call to play games like Animal Crossing with friends. Indeed, in the early days of the pandemic, all I played was Animal Crossing. Although my friends and I didn’t organise special events during our hangout sessions, simply exploring the same spaces, sharing our in-game creations, exchanging gifts, and joking together just as we might in person has helped me to maintain my own social network during the lockdown.

Two players sitting on a bench in Animal Crossing. The player on the right is using the joy Reaction.
My best memories of Animal Crossing have been of the times spent chilling with friends (source: supplied)

Animal Crossing’s undeniable charm has brought a vibrancy to the electronic communication which has become ever more crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. While many of us may default to social media, phone calls, emails, texts, and video chatting to stay connected, Animal Crossing stands out against these more traditional choices for the way it lends itself to such a wide range of creative events. With its endless customisation options, extensive in-game item catalogue, and sandbox gameplay, the game has emerged as a new, meaningful, and creative forum for players to stay connected in their locked-down lives.

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