Time ticks on in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and I'm both reassured and sometimes overwhelmed that this series never sits still whether I'm obsessed with playing or taking a break

If a tree is chopped down in a forest, and nobody is around to hear bees getting to work with their stingers – does it make sound? Likewise, if it's New Year's Eve and you don't boot up Animal Crossing: New Horizons to celebrate the countdown with your villagers, does the event happen? Logically, I know that it didn't, but over the years Animal Crossing has crafted such a vibrant world that my heart can't accept that. I know that even when absent, Animal Crossing goes on without me, whether I like it or not. Even though the code might not be running, that feeling it creates within me is still a true one.

Ever since falling in love with Animal Crossing: Wild World on Nintendo DS, I've gone through phases of enjoying the series, dipping in and out of certain entries, skipping others altogether. Animal Crossing fits the definition of a cozy game – relaxing life-sims, games like Stardew Valley are welcome escapes from the drudgery of the real world where you can impose your own order and time. They might come with their own time pressures, but largely fit into chunks of play time in your real life. But, unlike many imitators, it feels like Animal Crossing resists bending to the player's will – it's there to welcome you and totally can be one of the best relaxing games out there, but it doesn't exist solely at your whim.

Butt heads with this structure and Animal Crossing can feel oddly punishing – and I don't just mean Mr. Resetti screaming at you if you didn't save properly before turning off the game (now a relic of the past, but he lives on in my nightmares). Constantly encroaching weeds build up in your village over time, neglected villagers will move out, and the turnip market – the best way to make money to fund my decorating habit – requires you to both rise early, and to coordinate with other players' market prices. Even beyond the bounds of your own island paradise the world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons moves on, other players' experiences now more important than ever.

New game, new me

While each Animal Crossing game still exists, and you can go back to play in your older villages, new entries help to feel like the universe has moved forward in time. Starting out in a small village, we've flirted with dreams of the big city, of a home designing business (a little random but it works), and now we've moved back to an idyllic island village a little older, a little wiser, able to put those life lessons to work. It's either a little player journey if you've played each one, or simply, for newcomer, a reflection of the times a-changing. This is what Animal Crossing is now, and that's that.

Likewise, individual villagers get new details – both in their character models and behaviours – but rather than feeling like simple refinements, it adds to the feeling that these characters have grown and changed a little between each entry. Wolfgang, for instance, the cranky and grumpy wolf who wore a colorful sleeveless top in older games, has donned a leather jacket by Animal Crossing: New Horizons and taken up intellectual pursuits like reading – his personality has matured and mellowed a bit. Punchy still likes to laze around, but has now gotten into canned tea and frog-decorated accessories (same).

Even non-villager Mr. Resetti has gone through it ever since auto-saving when he – according to the developer – lost his job. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, his rescue service can yank you back to safety. In the game's 2.0 update, he can be encountered wiling away his new spare time at The Roost coffee shop. And now, in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons update 3.0, has embraced the power he once so reviled – his Reset Service business clearing either your entire island or specific sections of decorations and flowers. There's a risk this adds to features that sand down some of the rougher edges that has given Animal Crossing its charm historically, but for now I'm equally charmed to observe Mr. Resetti's journey and to help my mole bestie out.

It's big additions like the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0 (the first in four years) that keeps the spirit of this progression alive for me in the series. Significant updates like this – which also add new multiplayer modes, and a whole hotel – make it feel like Animal Crossing continues to evolve.

Even so, on some level I'm still a bit unsure how to feel about getting Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition rather than a full new game in the series. On one hand, I appreciate extending the life of such a special game, but on the other I do worry about the series going in live service direction, rather than the cumulative, radical shifts each new entry has brought in the past. Is each villager now trapped in their final form forever as new ones join the mix? Will we shun the old to simply befriend new faces? Just when is KK Slider's mid-life crisis going to hit?

I'm not sure how it will go in the future, but I have to acknowledge the power that comes from Animal Crossing: New Horizons, released in 2020, having been a part of my life for such a huge span of time, and across so many difficult moments. Whether I'm running around, bug catching net at the ready, or my Nintendo Switch 2 remains docked, Animal Crossing, so far, keeps moving on. The world outside of the game keeps moving on too. Finding our place in it is what makes it special.

Take a look at our games like Animal Crossing list for more to chill out with! Or, just want to touch grass (and cultivate it)? Check out our best farming games ranking!