By Ben Wynd
On March 20th, the latest installment in the Animal Crossing franchise, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, was released on the Nintendo Switch. For those that don’t know, Animal Crossing consists of a human character who lives in a village inhabited by various anthropomorphic animals, with daily tasks of fishing, catching bugs, and digging for fossils. New Horizons has sold more than 13.4 million units since its launch and sold 5 million copies in March, making it the highest-selling installment for any console in a single month. Why is this game selling so well? Many hypothesize the game’s unexpected success is largely due to the coronavirus pandemic. With much more time spent at home and less time spent on obligations like schoolwork or a job, more people are looking for something to fill their time with. The game runs on a real-time clock, which allows for a consistent change in the game by the hour. The seemingly limitless content makes New Horizons a worthy investment, seeing that social distancing protocol will be in place for months to come. I’ve personally been enjoying the game during my time in quarantine. The peaceful nature of the game alongside routine activities make a great stress reliever in a time that can be unnerving for all of us.