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Animal Crossing

March 2024

  • Getting along while the world stopped … the pandemic’s most popular game.

    ‘A fascinating insight into pandemic psychology’: how Animal Crossing gave us an escape

    It was the biggest online game in lockdown. Now the National Videogame Museum has collected players’ experiences to find out what it meant to them

March 2023

  • Lacoste and Minecraft collaboration.

    Hot buttons: why fashion houses are getting into video games

    As players spend more and more time and money in the digital hangout spaces provided by video games, it makes sense for fashion houses to join them there – opening up exciting worlds of rule-breaking design

February 2023

  • Super Mario Bros 2

    ‘Get something that’s fun to play, then think about the story’: how Nintendo keeps levelling up

    With 100m sales of its Switch console, a new Mario movie and even a California theme park, the Japanese tech giant is riding high again. What’s its secret?

September 2022

  • Disney Dreamlight Valley.

    ‘Economists should study it’: inside Disney Dreamlight Valley, the latest game taking over TikTok

    ‘Disney Animal Crossing’ is all over the video platform, but is it merely an imitation of everyone’s favourite pandemic play? Or will Mickey and co have you enthralled?

December 2021

  • In a screenshot from Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a player rolls a snowball in front of their wooden house

    Pushing Buttons newsletter
    Pushing Buttons: was 2021 the worst year ever for games?

  • Smart phone illustrations in Brazil.<br>Mandatory Credit: Photo by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock (12527046f) In this photo illustration the Roblox logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Smart phone illustrations in Brazil.

    Pushing Buttons newsletter
    Pushing Buttons: the sketchy economy that helps Roblox make its millions

November 2021

  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons screenshot - update 2.0

    Old friends and new horizons: my emotional return to Animal Crossing

    The smash-hit Nintendo Switch game has been updated with a wealth of new content – and no shortage of familiar comforts

May 2021

  • Julie and Andy Mason enjoy a video game.

    ‘A wonderful escape’: the rise of gaming parents – and grandparents

    Video game popularity soared during the pandemic, as people sought distraction and ways to connect with loved ones

March 2021

  • A teenager playing video games at home.

    Lockdown boredom drives UK video games market to £7bn record high

    Gaming fans joined by million of newbies in 2020 resulting in £1.6bn more spent compared with 2019

December 2020

  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons on large screen

    Games prove Christmas hit as UK spends holiday in lockdown

  • Stunningly beautiful ... clockwise from top left: Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Hades, The Last of Us Part II.

    Best culture 2020
    The 15 best video games of 2020

November 2020

  • From left: Okechukwu Nzelu, Arctic, Animal Crossing, Prince, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, Fred Astaire

    Lockdown culture
    Culture to cheer you up during the second lockdown: part one

    As parts of the UK enters another month – at least – of being stuck indoors, our critics pick out top music, games, books, TV, dance and art fixes to lift your spirits

October 2020

  • A cloud-based console is displayed at the Microsoft Xbox stand during a video games trade fair

    Australian arts in focus
    'Video game planes emit real carbon': why gaming is not merely guilt-free escapism

    Video games seem like radical relief from hard reality, but they’re also deeply implicated in the problems we collectively face

September 2020

  • Joe Biden’s campaign has introduced official yard signs in the game Animal Crossing.

    Animal Crossing: Biden campaign offers virtual yard signs in Nintendo game

    Move is part of effort to make virtual inroads with voters at a time when many traditional campaign events are considered unsafe

June 2020

  • Animal Crossing

    Think Animal Crossing is just a cutesy 'capitalist dystopia'? Think again

    Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ simulated paradise is said to have a dark capitalist underbelly. But a popular subreddit where players can donate items reveals the kindness – and generosity – of strangers

May 2020

  • Red Dead Redemption 2 screenshot

    Escaping lockdown into a world of video games is nothing to feel guilty about

    Francisco Garcia
    Right now, we all need to take refuge somewhere, and there are worse things than a few snatched hours on Animal Crossing or Red Dead Redemption, says journalist Francisco Garcia
  • ANIMALcrossing

    'It’s a way to live out fantasies': how Animal Crossing became fashion's new catwalk

    The biggest video game of lockdown has become a new home for fashion lovers where avatars can dress in Prada, Off-White or Sports Banger hoodies
    • The best games of 2020 so far

    • Lockdown culture
      'It's uniting people': why 11 million are playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons

    • The allure of Animal Crossing? You get to play God

      Rohit Thawani
About 59 results for Animal Crossing