As quarantine and social distancing quickly become the norm around the world, fans and new players alike will at least have ample time to try out the new version of an old Nintendo game, “Animal Crossing.”

“Animal Crossing: New Horizons” proves to be much different than previous versions since your house, museum, Town Hall and stores are not already established when you start the game. You basically move to a deserted island and create everything from scratch. Your first day in the game consists of catching bugs, fish, gathering (and sometimes depleting) natural resources in a single day, getting the game started, slowly at first. Everything regenerates when you wake up the next day and play again, and as each day goes by you “unlock” new features and actions, such as moving from a tent to a real house or building a museum after catching enough fish and bugs.

The game is connected to real time, so the days that pass within the game are 24 hours long. Some people don’t find this slow pace all that appealing, so by turning back time on their switch, they time skip to the future in the game to progress faster. Others refrain from this tactic, believing it to be a form of cheating. Personally, I don’t see much of an issue with time traveling as long you’re enjoying the game. That said, time traveling is too much of a hassle for me, so I’ve decided to just play it normally.

The graphics and animation within the game are amazing, as is the fun and relaxing music. Tarantulas, scorpions and bees introduce disorder and excitement to an otherwise simple and peaceful game. Different characters and villagers you can find and invite to your island for them to move into are also big reasons why so many people love the game, including myself. The interactions and conversations you can have with these characters are wildly hilarious and memorable.

“Animal Crossing: New Horizons” never fails to take my mind off of the endless worries and thoughts that arise while I’m cooped up in my room, and it would definitely do the same for many others. Although playing the game does not measure up to actually being outside, “Animal Crossing” allows players to hang out with friends in an idyllic, albeit virtual, setting, making this devastating situation just a little more manageable.