In March 2020, the world hit pause.

Flights were canceled.

Birthdays moved to Zoom.

Families stopped visiting each other.

And somehow…

A game about fishing, decorating an island, and talking to cartoon animals became one of the biggest cultural phenomena on the planet.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold tens of millions of copies during the pandemic. At first glance, it looked like perfect timing.

Researchers wondered if something deeper was happening.

Was everyone simply bored?

Or was the game filling a psychological need that real life suddenly couldn’t?

Your Brain Needs More Than Food and Sleep

Psychologists often talk about three basic psychological needs.

Not physical needs.

Mental ones.

Think of them as your brain’s daily vitamins:

• Autonomy → feeling like you’re in control of your life.
• Relatedness → feeling connected to other people.
• Competence → feeling capable and accomplishing things.

Normally, these happen naturally.

You decide where to eat.

You meet friends for coffee.

You finish projects at work.

Then COVID arrived.

Suddenly…

• You couldn’t go where you wanted.
• You couldn’t see who you wanted.
• Many people lost jobs, routines, or goals.

It’s no surprise that anxiety, loneliness, and depression increased during lockdowns.

Then Came Animal Crossing

Animal Crossing isn’t a game you “beat.”

There’s no final boss.

No scoreboard.

No timer.

You simply move onto an island where you can:

• Fish
• Catch butterflies
• Plant flowers
• Decorate your home
• Build your dream island
• Visit friends
• Chat with animal neighbors

It sounds incredibly ordinary.

Which may have been exactly what people needed.

It Gave People Their Freedom Back

Researchers interviewed players from around the world.

One common theme kept appearing.

The game gave people back something lockdown had taken away:

Choice.

One player described simply walking through the virtual world as replacing real-life walks in the park.

Another said boarding the tiny in-game airplane actually scratched the itch of traveling when airports were shut down.

Others enjoyed doing everyday activities they couldn’t safely do in real life:

• Fishing
• Gardening
• Exploring
• Wandering without a schedule

No Zoom meeting.

No news alerts.

Just a peaceful island.

The game couldn’t end the pandemic.

But it gave people a place where they could decide what happened next.

People Built More Than Islands

Animal Crossing has surprisingly powerful customization tools.

Players designed:

• Clothing
• Homes
• Parks
• Cafés
• Entire towns

Some used this freedom for something much more personal.

One participant created a virtual memorial for her stillborn daughter.

Another recreated favorite travel destinations they could no longer visit.

Others expressed political views, celebrated LGBTQ+ events, or simply built spaces that reflected who they were.

It wasn’t just decorating.

It became a form of self-expression.

Sometimes even grief processing.

The Social Part Was Surprisingly Real

Perhaps the biggest surprise wasn’t the decorating.

It was the relationships.

Players visited friends’ islands when they couldn’t visit their homes.

Families played together.

Long-lost friends reconnected.

Some people met complete strangers online who eventually became real-life friends.

Researchers found the game helped satisfy one of our strongest psychological needs:

Feeling connected.

Even the Cartoon Animals Helped

This might sound odd.

Many players said they genuinely cared about the animal characters living on their islands.

If they ignored them for weeks, the characters would ask:

“Where have you been?”

Players admitted feeling guilty.

They knew the characters weren’t real.

But emotionally…

They still mattered.

Psychologists call these parasocial relationships—one-sided emotional connections with fictional characters.

The same thing happens with favorite TV characters, podcast hosts, or sports teams.

Our brains are surprisingly willing to care about things we know aren’t real.

Small Goals Matter More Than You Think

During the pandemic, many people felt stuck.

Projects were canceled.

Vacations disappeared.

Work became uncertain.

Animal Crossing quietly gave people something many had lost:

Progress.

Players set their own goals.

Maybe catching every fish.

Maybe building the perfect garden.

Maybe earning enough money for a bridge.

Tiny accomplishments suddenly felt meaningful.

One participant explained it perfectly:

In real life, success felt unpredictable.

In the game, the rules were clear.

If you kept working…

Eventually you’d succeed.

The Magic Didn’t Last Forever

Interestingly, many players eventually stopped playing.

Why?

For the same reason they started.

Once the game stopped fulfilling those psychological needs, motivation faded.

Some people felt repetitive daily tasks became chores.

Others drifted away as friends stopped logging in.

Some found online communities becoming stressful or overly critical.

In other words…

The game wasn’t addictive for everyone.

It simply served a purpose during a difficult chapter.

Does This Mean Video Games Are Good for Mental Health?

Not automatically.

Researchers are careful about making broad claims.

Video games can absolutely become unhealthy when they:

• Replace sleep
• Replace exercise
• Replace real-world responsibilities
• Become compulsive or addictive

But this study highlights something important:

The effects of gaming depend heavily on how—and why—you play.

During COVID, Animal Crossing gave many people:

• A sense of control
• A way to stay socially connected
• Creative expression
• Achievable goals
• A comforting routine

Those experiences can support mental well-being, especially during periods of isolation.

What Researchers Think Comes Next

The lessons may extend beyond the pandemic.

Researchers suggest thoughtfully designed games could someday complement mental health support for people who are:

• Recovering from illness
• Living with limited mobility
• Grieving
• Feeling socially isolated
• Undergoing long-term medical treatment

Not as replacements for therapy.

Not as replacements for medication.

But as one additional tool that can help people feel connected, capable, and in control when those feelings are otherwise difficult to find.

The Bottom Line

Animal Crossing wasn’t successful during COVID simply because people had extra free time.

It succeeded because it quietly replaced things millions of people had lost:

A walk outside.

A visit with friends.

A creative outlet.

A small daily accomplishment.

A feeling of normal life.

Sometimes, good mental health doesn’t begin with solving every problem.

Sometimes it begins with giving people a place where, for just a little while, they can feel free, connected, and capable again.

_{Yee AZH, Sng JRH. Animal Crossing and COVID-19: A Qualitative Study Examining How Video Games Satisfy Basic Psychological Needs During the Pandemic. Front Psychol. 2022 Apr 1;13:800683. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.800683. PMID: 35465561; PMCID: PMC9022176.}