Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Developer(s)	Nintendo EPD[a]
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Director(s)	Aya Kyogoku
Producer(s)	Hisashi Nogami
Programmer(s)	Yoshitaka TakeshitaHiromichi Miyake
Artist(s)	Koji Takahashi
Writer(s)	Makoto Wada
Composer(s)	Kazumi TotakaYasuaki IwataYumi TakahashiShinobu NagataSayako DoiMasato Ohashi
Series	Animal Crossing
Platform(s)	Nintendo Switch
Release	March 20, 2020
Genre(s)	Social simulation
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Animal Crossing: New Horizons^[b] is a social simulation game developed and published by Nintendo in 2020 for the Nintendo Switch; it is the fifth main entry in the Animal Crossing series. In New Horizons, the player controls a character who moves to a deserted island after purchasing a getaway package from Tom Nook, accomplishes assigned tasks, and develops the island as they choose. They can gather and craft items, customize the island, and develop it into a community of anthropomorphic animals.

Development of New Horizons began in 2012, following the release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. The game director, Aya Kyogoku, retained content from previous games to keep fans happy and also ensured that the game was simple enough to appeal to newcomers. With art and graphics, the developers used the concept of «trigger of play» and the «imagination gap», where the former kept the gameplay simplistic and easy to pick up while the latter kept the art style simple for the player to imagine the rest. The game was announced at E3 2019 via a Nintendo Direct and after an extended development period, was released worldwide on March 20, 2020.

New Horizons received acclaim from critics, who praised its gameplay and customization options. The game was nominated for over a dozen awards and was a major commercial success, selling over 44 million copies worldwide and breaking the console game record for most digital units sold in a single month. It is the best-selling game in the Animal Crossing series, the second best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch, the best-selling game of all time in Japan, and the 14th best-selling video game in history. Its commercial success has been attributed in part to its release amid global stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. The game has been used as a substitute for social interactions such as weddings and graduation ceremonies, as well as political campaigning and virtual protests. The game also inspired fan creations, such as a trading website, a talk show, comics, and merchandise. It received major updates adding new content until November 2021.

Gameplay

As in previous Animal Crossing games, New Horizons is a life simulation game played in real time. Weather also adjusts to the seasons of the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, depending on the player’s real-world location, a first for the Animal Crossing series.^[1][2] The game follows a villager customized by the player,^[3] who, after purchasing a getaway package from Tom Nook, moves into a deserted island.^[4] After Tom Nook gives the player essentials, such as a tent, the game proceeds in a non-linear fashion, allowing for the player to play the game as they choose with only a small amount of limitations which lessen as the player progresses.

The player is given open access to natural resources such as fruit and wood, which can be collected and crafted into a variety of items and furniture through D.I.Y. crafting. Alongside crafting, they can catch bugs and fish,^[5][6][7] plant and grow trees and flowers,^[8] extract natural resources such as rocks,^[9] and swim in the ocean to catch deep-sea creatures.^[10] The island gives open space for placing items and decorating as the player chooses.^[11] Certain content available, such as organisms, are season-dependant and only appear for a limited time of the year. Doing simple tasks rewards the player with «Nook Miles», which in return can be used to purchase premium rewards in Resident Services. The other currency «Bells», a staple in the Animal Crossing franchise, can be used to purchase other goods and services. Another feature offered early on is the «Dodo Airlines», an airport; through Dodo Airlines, and tickets purchased through Nook Miles, the player can visit other vacant islands to harvest resources and meet other villagers.^[12] The player can invite other villagers they meet to their island if they choose.^[13]

The player starts with two other random anthropomorphic villagers that also purchase the getaway package. These villagers will live alongside the player and can be interacted with, building relationships.^[14] When the player has made sufficient progress in the game, Tom Nook gives more freedom of expanding as a village. Other shop owners will visit and settle on the island: museum-owner Blathers, who will display fish, bugs, sea creatures, fossils, and art captured by the player; sisters Mabel and Sable, who sell clothing and other player-created accessories;^[15][16] and Timmy and Tommy, who run a store that specializes in selling furniture and other quality-of-life items,^[17] eventually expanding to sell more items per day. That store is named Nook’s Cranny.^[14] Eventually, the main area will expand to a Town Hall, run by Tom Nook with the help of Isabelle;^[18] other buildings and villagers will populate the community, and old tents and shops will grow into a more permanent structure that can still be moved if the player chooses. From there, the island will be given a star rating out of five, usually starting off at a one-star rating. As the island is further developed, the island’s star rating will increase. When a three-star rating is achieved, K.K. Slider, a popular musician, will visit and perform a concert at the island, marking the «end» of the game as the credits roll.^[19] However, more options for island customization are given to the player for further community growth, such as the ability to construct and destroy cliffs, bodies of water and paths, colloquially referred to as terraforming.^[20][21]

The game supports one island per Switch system.^[22] Animal Crossing: New Horizons supports both local and online co-op gameplay, with up to four players locally and eight players online able to occupy an island at any given time, an option available through the Dodo Airlines.^[23] The game supports amiibo cards and figures from the Animal Crossing series, which can be used to invite a villager to the island temporarily that can be convinced to join the island. Nintendo Switch Online cloud saving was added during a late July 2020 update, allowing users to recover game data if their Switch is broken or lost.^[24] Additional free content was added every few months via updates from Nintendo until the final version 2.0 update on November 3, 2021.^[25]

Updates

Since the game depends on seasonal changes, New Horizons received frequent updates, adding new seasonal items, events, and sometimes new gameplay features. Most updates are loosely based around national holidays, with the first update being themed around «Bunny Day» in April 2020 and based on Easter. Other seasonal updates followed, being «Nature Day» (Earth Day), May Day,^[26] Halloween,^[27] «Turkey Day» (Thanksgiving), and «Toy Day» (Christmas).^[28] Other popular seasonal events, such as summer, also came with new items.^[29][30] Each respective update also featured popular characters from past Animal Crossing games. With each update, the island changed in look, and the player’s island is often decorated for the occasion. Alongside seasonal changes, Nintendo has also released themed items from other popular media, such as Mario outfits and decor in celebration of the franchise’s 35th anniversary.^[31]

In an October 2021 New Horizons-focused Nintendo Direct, Nintendo announced the version 2.0 update would be released the following month and would be the final major free content update for the game.^[32] The update added returning characters Kapp’n and Brewster, both bringing new activities and locations to the game, as well as the ability to fund permanent locations for the game’s random visiting vendors.^[33] Alongside other quality-of-life improvements, it also included new purchasable items, such as furniture and music, new villagers, and the ability to cook food via farmed crops.^[34] The update released on November 3, 2021.^[35]

Happy Home Paradise

Announced alongside the final major update for New Horizons was paid downloadable content, entitled Happy Home Paradise. Similar to the 2015 spinoff Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, the expansion allows players to visit a distant island and design vacation homes for villagers, and adds new customization options that can also be used on players’ personal islands once learned. The Happy Home Paradise add-on was released on November 5, 2021.^[36]

Development

Hisashi Nogami (left) and Katsuya Eguchi (right), the producers of the series^[37]

Development of a new main series Animal Crossing game for the Nintendo Switch was confirmed in a Nintendo Direct on September 13, 2018, with an unspecified 2019 release date.^[38] Although the game was announced in 2018, game director Aya Kyogoku confirmed that the game had begun development in 2012, shortly after the original release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan;^[39] she stated how concepts for the game were forming long before ideas for the Nintendo Switch had even existed.^[40] Hisashi Nogami and Katsuya Eguchi reprised their roles as the game’s producers.^[37]

Nintendo released the game’s title and first trailer at its E3 2019 Nintendo Direct on June 11, 2019.^[41] The game was delayed until March 20, 2020, with Yoshiaki Koizumi stating that in order «to ensure [that] the game [was] the best it [could] be, [Nintendo had to] ask that [players] wait a little longer than [Nintendo itself] thought.»^[41] Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser cited a desire to avoid crunch and maintain a healthy work–life balance for Nintendo employees as the primary reason for the delay.^[42] Nintendo’s stock market value posted a 3.5% loss in reaction to the delay, amounting to a total loss in value of more than US$1 billion.^[43][44]

Kyogoku stated that the success of the Animal Crossing series was due to the fact that the developers make each game different enough from the last, to bring appeal to newcomers yet keep the core concept for returning players.^[45] Kyogoku and Nogami stated that they selected a deserted island as the game’s setting to differentiate it from previous Animal Crossing games, which are set in established villages, and to allow greater freedom to customize the game’s world.^[46] Additionally, a deserted island took away established parameters in the series to allow for different ideas and player interactions.^[47] Other concepts, such as the internet and multiplayer, were able to be implemented, unlike previous games due to advancing hardware.^[48] Kyogoku made sure to keep balance of introducing new and fresh ideas while retaining core elements to satisfy long-term fans of the series.^[47]

The developers were very disappointed when the game’s release cycle overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to quarantine during the pandemic, Kyogoku hoped that the game would be an «escape» for fans at the time. They emphasized a global release to allow for international connections between the players.^[49]

Game mechanics and concepts

The developers sought to make the game both welcoming to new players and to retain core concepts from the previous games to keep older fans of the series happy. A crafting system was implemented to allow the player to keep the player from running out of things to do after the in-game stores close.^[40] Kyogoku mentioned how the D.I.Y. crafting system would keep players in theme with the game by interacting and using the natural environment to their advantage. She took note of players who began playing Animal Crossing games via mobile apps, such as Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, by implementing the Nook Miles feature which would show the player what kinds of activities and concepts they can achieve by rewarding them to do so. The Nook Miles system also rewards the player for doing common tasks and collecting materials that would sell for cheap to keep the player from only tediously searching out expensive materials. Furniture and clothing accessibility and customization were emphasized for multiplayer so players could show pride in their islands.^[47]

Additionally, the developers noticed that players would repeatedly restart their save file in previous titles, in hopes of getting their desired island shape. Because of this, landscaping was implemented to allow for easy shaping of the island. Another issue they noticed was «time-traveling»; due to the game running in real-time, players would change the clock on the console to put themselves further into the future, so they don’t have to wait in real-time. To help avoid this, they made sure landscaping and crafting did not have any wait-time restrictions.^[40] They also tied seasonal events to updates instead of implementing the content into the game from the beginning so players could not skip ahead and retrieve exclusive items. The interest rate in the game’s bank system was also decreased to lower the incentive of time-traveling.^[50] Although the developers intended no time-traveling to be the ideal way of playing, they did not shun the concept entirely.^[51]

Art and graphics

The game’s art director, Koji Takahashi, followed the philosophy of «trigger of play» to make sure there was something within the player’s field of vision or grasp that they would want to explore. With this, the island was designed from a 45-degree angle similar to that of a cylinder, or a «curved» perspective, where the player could view other content occurring in the background that would «trigger» them to investigate further or interact. By making an everyday concept simple and easy to grasp, it would cause the player to explore it further and be able to easily pick up the new material. Takahashi believed that if the game’s art was complicated and realistic, the player would possibly receive too much information and make progression difficult. The simple design allowed for a multiple of one object to be stacked close to each other, such as flowers, or allow for simplistic objects to compliment others.^[52]

By leaving empty space and with a simplistic design, with simple graphics and little nature complexity, Takahashi explains how it would have the player attempt to fill in that gap with their own perspectives and ideas, called the «imagination gap», and further motivation to create their own designs and space with the features available. In the game, the grass is designed to look like that of a checkerboard. Although this concept was only used in prior titles due to a lack of hardware complexity, it was retained because it could be used as a form of expression for the player and allow them to conceptualize ideas with the «imagination gap».^[52]

Art designer Hiromi Sugimoto made sure furniture would lead to motivation and hard work, and thus make the player want to connect with others to show off their achievements. She made sure the furniture could be customized by the player to ensure the difference between islands that would motivate visiting others and seeing unique ideas. Each furniture model was designed to have a «likeness» to it which would show exactly what to expect and what the player envisions; the pieces of furniture and items implemented various portions on how players view an object to look like and combine the commons ideas into one model. From there, using the «imagination gap», the player could fill in the smaller nitpicky info they would expect and further imagine how they could use the item.^[52]

Release

The March 20, 2020, release date for New Horizons coincided with that of id Software’s Doom Eternal. Due to the demand expected for both games, and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, GameStop decided to begin selling Doom Eternal one day earlier, on the 19th, to minimize crowding.^[53][54] The stark contrast in tone between both games, combined with them being released on the same day, prompted fans of both series to celebrate the coincidence by creating light-hearted crossover art featuring Doom‘s Doomguy and Isabelle as «best friends».^[55][56] When New Horizons released on March 20, 2020, video game retailer EB Games attracted criticism for allowing fans who pre-ordered the game along with Doom Eternal to line up at its flagship Canadian location on Yonge Street, Toronto amid a COVID-19 pandemic in the country, when all levels of government urged the public to close non-essential businesses and maintain social distancing.^[57]

Touching on New Horizons in a December 2020 interview with Polygon, Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser stated the game sold «well beyond expectations» and applauded the developers for their efforts. He noted the game would continue to see updates all throughout 2021.^[58]

Reception

Reception

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	90/100[59]

Publication	Score
4Players	8.0/10[60]
Famitsu	38/40[61]
Game Informer	9/10[62]
GameSpot	9/10[14]
GamesRadar+	[63]
IGN	9/10[64]
Nintendo Life	[65]
PCMag	4/5[67]
Pocket Gamer	5/5[66]
USgamer	4.5/5[16]
VentureBeat	95/100[68]

Animal Crossing: New Horizons received «universal acclaim» according to review aggregator Metacritic, becoming the highest-rated game in the series on the website.^[69] The game was awarded perfect scores by Nintendo Life and Pocket Gamer.^[65][66] However, the game has been subject to review bombing due to its handling of Switch profiles and multiplayer.^[70][71]

Most enjoyed the Nook Miles system, stating that it gave the player something to do and a goal to reach.^[65][16] Dann Sullivan, writing for Pocket Gamer, liked how it gave the player «optional direction».^[66] USGamer also joked how nobody can complain how there is nothing to do.^[16] The D.I.Y. system was also praised, with Nintendo Life taking note of how no resource is useless.^[65] Polygon‘s Russ Frushtick lauded the ability for unrestricted creativity that allowed for the player to design the island with furniture and building layout, leading to a «true representation of the player who created it.»^[72] Eurogamer Deputy Editor Martin Robinson stated that the game has some very impressive improvements which allowed for a much clearer and more defined structure overall that gave the game play a better feel and cohesion than ever before.^[73]

Critics from GameSpot and Game Informer praised the creative freedom and control offered by the game, such as being allowed to choose where buildings and bridges are placed.^[62][14] In particular, the Island Designer App was lauded with its ability to create natural structures,^[64][16] although there were minor complaints about how the player could not expand the island and could only reshape it.^[63] GamesRadar+ appreciated the retaining of old characters and concepts with the addition of new gameplay mechanics.^[63] TechRadar lauded the game’s sound and visuals, writing «everything is sharp, smooth, colorful and a big improvement on previous releases.»^[74]

Slant Magazine’s Steven Scaife was more critical of the game, arguing that «By consolidating so much power in the hands of an individual player, New Horizons threatens to upend the Animal Crossing vision of community living.»^[75]

Many had complaints about time restrictions in the early phases of the game.^[64][62] Since the game runs in real-time, most of the resources available replenish the next day, and reviewers were left with little to do in the beginning.^[64][16] IGN‘s Samuel Claiborn refused to time travel in prior titles, but ultimately was tempted into putting the system’s clock ahead 15 days in when more tools were unlocked and to begin what he believed was when the game had faster pacing.^[64] 4Players enjoyed the lack of time-related pressure and the option to time travel if preferred.^[60]

Outside of gameplay itself, New Horizons received acclaim for the timing of the release, coming out just as stay-at-home orders were being fortified. Reviewer Louryne Strampe of WIRED found that the game was exactly what she needed for her mental health and added that she and her colleagues find solace when visiting each other’s respective islands.^[76] Due to online multiplayer options, it also gave critics the opportunity to play with friends during quarantine.^[76][77] The release of New Horizons, has also sparked in popularity of the term cozy game^[78] which meant that the term was also adopted to various farm sims such as Stardew Valley.

The downloadable content expansion, Happy Home Paradise, was well received. Lisa Segarra of Kotaku found the prompts for designing villager homes to be «exhilarating» and that it «sparked inspiration». She found that the update brought «so much new life into the game».^[79] Kate Gray of Nintendo Life described the new content in the expansion and the free update as being comparable to «a big lick of paint over the whole game». The depth and quantity of new content were praised, and minor improvements were deemed to «really make it worth sticking around», though the finality of the update was criticized.^[80]

Retrospective

Due to the seasonal and real-time connection in New Horizons, the game saw multiple second opinions by critics and fans as new content was released, usually of positive to mixed reception. According to Vice Media and VentureBeat about 6 weeks after the release date, players who played the game for large amounts of time shortly after its release tended to suffer from burnout and play significantly less by the time the game had been released for six weeks.^[81][82] Vice Media noted how the game wasn’t designed for people to be playing all the time and was rather intended for distraction, but «the pandemic isn’t giving people much of a choice»; they reflected on the nature of the Animal Crossing series and how the game is better enjoyed at a slower pace of action.^[81] Venturebeat‘s Jeff Grubb was able to recognize smaller hindrances and slow-paced gameplay that became increasingly frustrating the more he had to use them. Despite this, both reviewers continued to play and looked on the game positively by April 2020.^[81][82]

A year later, past reviews were revisited by Andrew Webster and Brendan Lowry, writing for The Verge and iMore respectively, and both expressed similar thoughts of what the game had become;^[83][84] they both agreed the lack of island progression not continuing beyond a few months made returning difficult to enjoy, with iMore expressing concerns for the lack of upgrades to components such as buildings and shops,^[83] and The Verge considering the Nook Miles system to be «an afterthought» rather than goals to look forward to.^[84] Both still continued to enjoy daily tasks of tending to the island, however, with both citing how it gives the player something to do and offers a small distraction from the real world.^[83][84] By the release of the November 2021 update, fans were torn on restarting their island entirely to recapture the experience, as highlighted by Nicole Carpenter, writing for Polygon.^[85]

Sales

Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold over 1.88 million physical copies at launch in Japan, breaking the record held by Pokémon Sword and Shield for biggest Switch game debut in the region.^[86] The game sold 720,791 physical copies in its second week in Japan,^[87] selling more than Animal Crossing: New Leaf did in its first week. As of April 26, 2020, the game has sold 3,895,159 physical copies in Japan.^[88] In North America, it was the best-selling game of March 2020, becoming the second-bestselling game of 2020 and surpassing the lifetime sales of all previous Animal Crossing games. New Horizons generated the third highest known launch month sales of any Nintendo-published game (since The NPD Group began tracking video game sales from 1995), after Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008).^[89] In the United Kingdom, the physical launch sales were roughly quadrupled than those of New Leaf, making it the biggest Switch game launch in the region.^[90] It also sold triple the units of the second-bestselling game, new entry Doom Eternal.^[91] In Germany, New Horizons sold more than 200,000 copies after a few days of release, for which it has been certified with a Platinum Sales Award by German trade association GAME.^[92]

Nielsen division SuperData Research estimates that New Horizons sold five million digital copies worldwide in March 2020, setting a new digital sales record by selling more digital units in a single calendar month than any other console game in history. It surpassed the previous record set by Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018).^[93] Nintendo reported that 11.77 million units were sold within 12 days by March 31, 2020, and a total of 13.41 million units after six weeks on the market, making it «the best start ever for a Nintendo Switch title» by the end of its 2019 fiscal year,^[94] as well as one of the best-selling games on the console and the best-selling game of the Animal Crossing series.^[95] It later sold 22.4 million units worldwide after three months by June 2020^[96] and 26.04 million units after six months by September 2020.^[97]

On August 9, 2020, it was reported that Animal Crossing: New Horizons became the second-highest selling game of all time in Japan, only after Pokémon Red and Blue.^[98] It was also reported in November 2020 that it was the fastest game to sell over six million copies in Japan.^[99] It was the year’s best-selling game in Japan, second best-selling game in the United Kingdom, and third best-selling game in the United States.^[100] The game grossed $654 million in global digital sales by the end of 2020, making it the year’s seventh highest-grossing digital premium game worldwide.^[101] In January 2021, The NPD Group revealed the best-selling games of 2020 in the United States. New Horizons was ranked third behind Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The publication revealed that New Horizons was the best-selling Nintendo game in terms of physical copies in the US since 2010’s Wii Fit Plus.^[102] It was also the second best-selling game of the year in physical copies in the United Kingdom, behind FIFA 21.^[103]

By March 2021, the game had sold 32.63 million units, making it the second best-selling Nintendo Switch game, behind only Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.^[104] The game had grossed an estimated $2 billion in its first year as of March 2021, the fifth highest first-year revenue for any video game.^[105] After the 2.0 update in November 2021, Nintendo revealed in a financial report that game sales reached 34.85 million units sold.^[106] A February 2022 report revealed that the game had sold 37.62 million units, selling more than the rest of the Animal Crossing games combined.^[107] As of June 30, 2022, total sales reached 39.38 million copies.^[108] Total sales reached 40.17 million by September 30, 2022.^[108] On November 9, 2022, it was reported that Animal Crossing: New Horizons became the best-selling game of all time in Japan.^[109] As of June 30, 2024, total sales reached 45.85 million copies.^[108]

Awards and nominations

New Horizons has won numerous awards; the game won the categories for «Best Game in China» and «Game of the Year» at the Famitsu Dengeki.^[110][111] Additionally, the game also was nominated for «Game of the Year» as well as the best multiplayer and family game at The Game Awards 2020, and ultimately won the «Best Family Game» category.^[112] At the Japan Game Awards 2020, the game was nominated for the «Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Award» as well as «Game of the Year», and won both categories. The game received an «Award for Excellence» at the event.^[113] New Horizons was nominated for similar categories at the Golden Joystick Awards 2020 and won the «Nintendo Game of the Year» category. During the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Animal Crossing: New Horizons with «Family Game of the Year», along with nominations for «Online Game of the Year» and «Game of the Year».^[114] The game was nominated at the 2021 Kids’ Choice Awards for Favourite Video Game.^[115] The game won the «Game Beyond Entertainment» and «Best Multiplayer» categories at the 2021 British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA) and was nominated for four others.^[116] The Game Developers Choice Awards saw nominations for Best Design alongside Game of the Year.^[117]

Year	Award Ceremony	Category	Result	Ref.
2020	Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2020	Best Game in China	Won	[110][111]
		Game of the Year	Won
	Japan Game Awards	Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Award	Won	[113]
		Award for Excellence	Won
		Game of the Year	Won
	Golden Joystick Awards	Ultimate Game of the Year	Nominated	[118][119]
		Nintendo Game of the Year	Won
		Best Game Community	Nominated
		Best Family Game	Nominated
		Best Multiplayer Game	Nominated
	The Game Awards 2020	Game of the Year	Nominated	[112]
		Best Multiplayer Game	Nominated
		Best Family Game	Won
2021	24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards	Game of the Year	Nominated	[114]
		Family Game of the Year	Won
		Online Game of the Year	Nominated
	Kids’ Choice Awards	Favorite Video Game	Nominated	[115]
	17th British Academy Games Awards	Best Game	Nominated	[116]
		Family	Nominated
		Game Beyond Entertainment	Won
		Game Design	Nominated
		Multiplayer	Won
		EE Game of the Year	Nominated
	21st Game Developers Choice Awards	Game of the Year	Nominated	[117]
		Best Design	Nominated
2022	25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards	Family Game of the Year (Happy Home Paradise)	Nominated	[120]

Impact and legacy

See also: Nookazon and Animal Talking with Gary Whitta

Reviewers and news organizations highlighted the game’s sense of escapism, in contrast to the COVID-19 pandemic, as attributing to its success.^[121] An NBC News op-ed declared, «[New Horizons] is the coronavirus distraction we needed» at a time of widespread social distancing and stay-at-home orders.^[122] Imad Khan of The New York Times called the game a «phenomenon», and stated that «with the world in the grip of a pandemic, the wildly popular game is a conveniently timed piece of whimsy, particularly for millennials.»^[123] Many people have utilized the game in different ways for business and/or socialization. Funerals, weddings, and graduations were held in the game,^[58] with even a talk show spawning, titled Animal Talking.^[124] The Monterey Bay Aquarium, California, during the COVID-19 pandemic, has regularly held live streams of animal feedings.^[125] Twitter revealed, in early January 2021, that Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the most tweeted-about game in 2020.^[126] During the lockdowns, the release of the game led to the increased popularity of cozy games. Colin Campbell of GamesIndustry.biz found only «a handful» of the «dozens» of games described as «cozy» on digital distributor Steam were released before 2020.^[127]

The Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign released official digital yard signs for use in the game that players could use to decorate their islands.^[128][129] The game was also used by democracy activists in Hong Kong, including Joshua Wong, as a platform to protest virtually. In reaction, the game was removed from online stores in China such as Taobao where it had been available on the grey market.^{[130][131][132]} Nintendo announced on November 19, 2020, a new set of guidelines for using the game, including the ban on using it for political activities.^[133]

In March 2021, the National Videogame Museum kept a record of the game and its impact during the COVID-19 pandemic, titled the «Animal Crossing Diaries». The records contain visuals, audio, interviews from players throughout 2020, who kept track of their progress and reflected on their experience and how it affected them. According to Lex Roberts, the curator, the goal was to encapture what made the game so popular, alongside its cultural impact, to players who enjoyed the game after COVID-19 restrictions settled. They were requested by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to «collect the history as it’s happening», and they were funded by the charity to do so.^[134] The website containing the records opened in September 2021, and covered the 18 months after the game’s release.^[135]

Two Japanese aquariums have hosted a special Animal Crossing: New Horizons themed event in collaboration with Nintendo. Hakkeijima Sea Paradise, located in Yokohama, held this event during the months of July and August 2021.^[136] Umigatari Joetsu Aquarium, in Niigata Prefecture, held the second event for three months in the summer of 2023.^[137] Both aquariums offered a stamp rally, exclusive merchandise and many Easter eggs were hidden within their regular exhibits.

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A tie-in manga series, Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Nonbiri Shima Dayori (あつまれ どうぶつの森〜のんびり島だより〜, lit. «Get Together: Animal Forest ~Carefree Island News~»), began serialization in the manga magazine Ciao on December 28, 2019. The series is written and illustrated by Minori Katō, and follows a villager named Hana who moves to an unpopulated island.^[138] Another manga series, Atsumare Dōbutsu no Mori: Nonbiri Shima Diary, launched in the June 2020 issue of Coro Coro Comics.^[139] The first volume was published in English as Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Deserted Island Diary on September 14, 2021, by Viz Media.^[140]

Nook Tails, a tie-in comic strip series by Cho Hanayo featuring the characters Tom Nook, Timmy, and Tommy, began serialization on the game’s Japanese website on October 15, 2019.^[141][142] An English-language translation of the series has been posted on the game’s English Twitter account beginning on March 4, 2020.^[143] Multiple guide books have been released in Japan, some with well-over 1000 pages. These guides have been greatly popular in the country, with large queues (despite shelter-in-place orders), and prompting mass reselling online.^[144]

In January 2021, ColourPop released a makeup collection inspired by the game’s characters.^[145] In March 2021, Build-A-Bear Workshop announced an Animal Crossing: New Horizons collection of plush toys.