Crossing Animals With Dr. Moreau

I have found a new way to procrastinate. The wife got Animal Crossing a few weeks back. She let me try it last Monday. So far Moreau Cay has a museum and four residents, counting myself as Dr. Moreau.

What is Animal Crossing

In the game, your character signs up to move to a desert island. Shortly after arrival, the tanooki behind the endeavor to settle the island hands you an itemized invoice for 49,000 Bells. Tom Nook owns everything, and is happy to loan you the money (without interest or due dates) to fund your home expansions. The state goal of the game is to earn a high enough rating that the famous singer K.K. Slider will come to perform and eventually move in. Other than that, you can fish, harvest and build to your heart’s content.

Is It a Game?

Animal Crossing is laid back. I think that we’re playing it wrong by plowing through loans in a day. Some people see its lack of structure as meaning it isn’t really a game. You can’t lose. But, I’d argue so is the campaign mode of Halo. Cnce you decide to pursue the goal of reaching the next checkpoint, it’s not like you can fail to reach the end.

The dictionary definition of game is pretty much any activity. Not just ones with rules and winners and losers. Animal Crossing is a way to pass time. Which in CovidTime, isn’t so bad.

What’s Next

I’m a week into my game. As I’m waiting for residents to move into a completed home each day, I’ve almost unlocked the Town Hall. Then I’ll learn how to improve my town rating to get the famous singer to show up. That’s kind of quick, but then the Call of Duty campaigns were only ten hours of gameplay. In real life, I need to get back to writing. Books don’t write themselves.