Im no better than them.
So what isAnimal Crossing, you ask?
Well… its incredibly complicated and simple at the same time.
I dont have a good shorthand to describe it, and theres no other game like it.
Wikipedia calls it a social simulation video game, but I dont think thats accurate.
I can tell you what youdoinAnimal Crossing: You do chores.
To pay off a mortgage.
Chores like chopping wood, catching fish, and plucking fruit.
You pay off your mortgage so you could get a bigger house, with a bigger mortgage.
Its all very mundane and chill.
Theres no challenge, no game-over.
Everything is cute, and nothing is stressful.
Its also the opposite of what I normally like about video games.
Animal Crossing never punishes.
And why dont more games like this get made?
So how doesAnimal Crossingget people so hooked?
It feels like a waste if you dont shake one of the trees!
Thats a few more bells you couldve given to [your loan shark landlord] Tom Nook.
Daily tasks and appointments are a big part of the loop inAnimal Crossing.
Van der Meulen says, If you dont visit your neighbor, they might leave and thats personal.
That would really hurt your feelings.
[Animal Crossing] has completion levels and checklists for anything you might do.
He says this creates a virtuous cycle for both kinds of players.
He says this is exactly how mobile games get players addicted.
Once the baseline is established, they scale it up.
It takes longer to get a reward, but the reward itself is bigger.
This means you arent hooked on paying your mortgage, but youre actually addicted to getting rewards.
She adds that she loves the puns.
His second point is the aforementioned daily tasks.
Animal Crossingexpertly uses that by having you check back the next day for things, Rami says.
The final trickAnimal Crossinguses is its social aspect.
Players want their island to look nice and feel nice.
Nothing can actually harm you in the game and everything in the game builds towards something.
The previous properAnimal Crossingcame out eight years ago.
Why dont they make this bang out of game more often?
Animal Crossinghas charming characters and a rich world with lots to do.
Building a game that your players want to invest their time in takes some careful balancing.
Its also a huge project.
Its a big risk to try and succeed in this genre.
Eline Muijres agrees that games like this are deceptively complicated.
My guess is that because the replay value is so high, its hard to top existing games.
She says its especially risky for smaller indie developers who dont make free-to-play games.
Sam Sharma thinks there are two major reasons why these games are few and far between.
His second reason is market dominance.
(The Sims 4came out in 2014,Stardew Valleyreleased in 2016, andMinecraftin 2009!)
But he agrees with the rest that these games are harder to produce then youd think.
He concludes that this is why most of these games end up being mobile free-to-play titles.
The mechanics on their own are meaningless.
And like the rest, Rami emphasizes the perceived market saturation.
If you have a Switch, I cant recommendAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsenough.
I guarantee you wont be bored any time soon.
