Animal Crossing: New Horizons came out in mid-March, and it quickly became a bit of a phenomenon. If you’re unfamiliar with the game, Animal Crossing is a cute life simulation game where your job is to manage your quaint little island town, make friends with your virtual villagers, and decorate to your heart’s content. There are also tons of bugs and fish to catch, fossils to dig up, and flowers to pick!
There’s no particular endgame, nor a final boss: in Animal Crossing, it’s your little world to do with as you please. That’s a huge part of why New Horizons quickly skyrocketed to be such a success. When the game launched, many parts of the U.S. had just begun rolling out Coronavirus lockdown restrictions, leaving quite a few people finding themselves stuck at home, unable to visit friends or family, and feeling a bit out of control of their lives.
Enter Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game offers players a chance at sanctuary: quite literally a faraway island where one can escape their worries.
Given the game’s intense popularity over the past 6 months, there’s plenty of cool and cute Animal Crossing merch out there. Here are a few of our favorite picks, chosen by someone who has put over 100 hours into the game:
Bellionaire Tee
I may not be a millionaire in real life, but in Animal Crossing, I’m a multi-“bell”ionaire. That’s close enough, right?
Scrunchies
Because who wants their hair getting in the way when it’s time to catch some rare fish? That’s right, no one.
Enamel Pins
Wear your favorite villager on your sleeve! If you were wondering, the sweet clown sheep in the bottom right-hand corner, Pietro, is my favorite.
Mini Backpack
Take your Nintendo Switch anywhere, and you’ll always be ready to catch some bugs when the desire strikes.
Tom Nook’s Camp Shirt
Emulate everyone’s favorite furry home lender with this human-sized recreation of Tom Nook’s shirt.
Socks
Keep toes cozy while you make friends with your favorite villagers. The more you talk to them, the more gifts they give you!
Isabelle Planter
Combine two of your favorite quarantine hobbies – Animal Crossing and house plants – with these cute planters.
Face Masks
It wouldn’t be a 2020 article if we didn’t include these!
Young or old, pro-gamer or casual player – Animal Crossing: New Horizons has something for everyone. And with so many characters and in game items, there’s plenty of merchandise to go around too!
On that note, I need to get back to my island…
