How do y'all keep playing Animal Crossing?

[Disneyfangirl23]

I just always have something to do on my island and I don’t have all the fossils, bugs, fish or art yet

 

[niko@kamogawa]

Just set small goals to keep yourself busy. If you want the game to dictate your daily activities, New Horizons doesn't do that. After you invited K.K. Slider to your island, you're on your own.

There are a couple of thing you can do in the game such as completing the museum, designing your island, and being a collector! I am a collector myself. My complaint is always running out of space for my stuff. But that's a totally separate matter!

More importantly, don't stress yourself on playing the game too much. Have fun! Always don't forget to take breaks every now and then.

 

[LeenaM]

My main motivation to keep playing has been to decorate and "finish" my island. I've reset four times and each times I never managed to fully decorate my island. I also don't have many other hobbies outside of AC. Now my island is almost finished and I'm thinking of resetting again. I'll probably be playing a lot less, or even stop playing. I've already put more hours into ACNH than into any other video games I own, so I'm not too sad/worried about it.

 

[Bilaz]

I... don't, xD I quit for like, several months until I have an idea xDD

 

[azurill]

I set goals and usually play for about two hours a day. I have two islands I am trying to decorate. So I have plenty of things to do. I am also trying to get villager photos.

 

[annex]

I spent so much time redecorating rooms and areas in my town the last few months. I'm getting kind of bored now. I only need a few more KK. Slider visits and my stamps will be complete. Museum is complete too. Got all the villager pics and bug and fish models. ( Most of them ). Now all I do is visit random dream towns.

 

[Mad Aly]

Personally, I visit other player's islands either through their dream address or Dodo Code, because I like to pick up on different styles for inspiration and improvement towards my own island. Plus, it keeps me feeling active and connected to the (necessary albeit limited) social aspect of the game, which I've been really craving more as of late, since so much of the time I spent playing was solo.

Also, like others have said, you don't need to worry about villagers leaving; I stopped playing for a few months after I got burned out, and nothing happened. (Though, I never expected them to leave in the first place, haha...)

Another thing many others have said is to play the game how you want to; it really is such a personal experience, so you gotta find what works for you personally. Again, for me, it was looking for more ways to improve upon my island, since I got tired of the way a lot of my areas looked, especially after I started playing again post-burnout and seemed to have a fresh pair of eyes. I just naturally wanted change and newness.

Overall, the larger 'consensus' here seems to be to just go at your own pace and take as long of a break as you need to until you find your bearings with the game again. Needless to say, there is zero pressure to play a game like Animal Crossing in any way, especially New Horizons.

 

[Rose01]

This actually makes me feel much better to be honest. I have issues actually doing daily rounds on literally anything, if you told me to do something once a day every day I probably wouldn't be able to keep up and do it every single day like I was asked to do.

I enjoy playing the game, don't get me wrong. I just struggle to be active on ACNH every single day. (It's a personal problem though so...yeah.) Anyways, honestly trying for every single day can get tiring if you do the same thing all the time like a daily run. Maybe plan a few new things to add to your schedule such as visiting new islands and exploring them or trying to play some minigames with friends or strangers who are willing to play. By switching the game up and making each day new in some way even if it is small you are actively changing what you are doing just enough to make it less tiresome. Maybe at the start of the day in the game you do the money rocks, trees, fossils, etc. Once that is done you do something new or that you never thought to do in the game. After the new thing maybe you wrap things up by talking to villagers or something.

Regardless, don't focus on the "daily runs" or the everyday chores otherwise the game will exhaust you. Even if you take a break for a few days or so the game isn't exactly punishing. You could probably get away with not playing for longer than a few days and then chatting with the villagers to keep them from moving out.

 

[Croconaw]

I’ve been playing since a few days after release. Every store around me was sold out, so my last resort was to order if online. The game arrived within a week, but it was the longest week of my life. I was so looking forward to playing the game. I’m also someone who time travels. It makes the game easier for me to get everything how I want. I feel like it made the game stale rather quickly, but I think waiting for everything would also get pretty boring. I think taking a break from the game could be a good idea. You won’t regret a break. If you ever feel the need to come back, everything will still be there. The villagers won’t move out without asking you. You may come back to a bunch of weeds and flowers though. You have to be careful with flowers. Those things multiply and multiply. They take ages to dig up. Keep your flowers under control. I’d recommend putting a transparent pattern around any flowers you don’t want to spread. This will keep the flowers confined to one area.

 

[-Blue-]

Sometimes if I don't have much time before bed because of my hectic work schedule, I'll play the game for a little bit to unwind, but I usually don't find anything I want to do or there's nothing happening and I'm just running around the island mindlessly...so I just force quit without saving.

For the most part I am taking a break and come back to it occasionally. But every time, I find myself not saving because I didn't do anything worthwhile of saving the progress. Most of the folks still playing regularly are the ones who are in it for the decorating scene. It's fun to do, but not the main reason I got in AC...so there's not much for me to want to get on for.

Like if my villagers would bother to give me requests (aside from deliver this present which is just ugly clothes anyway lol) or play hide/seek, or do visits, I would hop on so much more. But as things are now, decorating isn't my main cup of tea.

 

[King koopa]

So I've been playing New Horizons since launch and reset once a few months ago and I feel like it's getting a bit boring now... What do y'all do to keep things fresh while playing? I think I may just stop playing for a week or two but I'm afraid that one of my villagers will leave. Right now what I'm doing to make sure I'm still a little active is by purchasing turnips so I'm forced to check every day twice.

I really love this game but it just seems like it's getting less and less... fun? Not the right word but I don't know how else to describe it

Yep, I can feel you 100%. It can get a little boring because the updates don't really add much to the game, and that's why most people say it's lacking compared to what not just new leaf, but city folk, wild world, etc. I just play for my shops and maybe to check on kabuki if he wants to move because I want to sell him on here. If you don't feel like playing, you can always take a break, y'know. Your villagers don't leave on their own, and the only harm is bedhead, or weeds which aren't a big deal.

 

[BellBrokeGirl]

I actually picked up new leaf last night for the first time in so long and it was such a sweet homecoming almost. I think breaks are necessary for game play because it makes up appreciate them more when we play them again and are reminded of all the good instead of the negative you feel now.

 

[Fruitcup]

Im almost done with my island and the last parts are just tedious and kinda boring so i havent been playing as much ac. What keeps me wanting to play is the community and seeing what everyone is up to with all the fun/cool pictures and also this, how people still want to play/still play, its nice to find people who feel the same way about this game.

 

[LuchaSloth]

I've been missing plenty of days now. I think it's good to break from the game for a while.

Hopefully summer brings a substantial update.

 

[peachsaucekitty]

maybe a villager leaving could keep things fun since someone knew will move in, whenever ac starts feeling like a chore for me i just kinda abandon it for a while lmao

 

[Moonlight.]

i take frequent breaks from it every now and again to play something else. a lot of my time now is mostly spent decorating, villager hunting, or visiting people's dream addresses tbh. animal crossing isn't really meant to be played all the time.

 

[Fye]

My museum isn't nearly done yet so that's one main factor that will keep me coming back months or years from now even if I'm tired of the game. But for now I still play a few hours a week or so, though I'm currently on a months long hiatus to focus on school.
But when I do play a bit during the week I fill up my play time with talking to each of my villagers and giving them wrapped fruits to get their pictures, chopping wood (cause I'm always out of regular wood somehow), hitting rocks if I really need stone or clay, gathering fruits to wrap, checking on the visitor, checking out the nooklings store and ables', and just finding little empty spots here and there to add more furniture. I've also started slowly working my way through the DIY list to try and craft one of each item.

 

[KittenNoir]

I haven't really played in a month as I have been playing stardew valley but I am ready to come back now and try to finish my museum. I tell ya the fish section is really taking forever haha

 

[Looigi]

A Lot Of The People Get Bored Because They Have Nothing To Do. If You Are One Of Those People Than Hear me out,

1.Try Something New!
Instead Of Walking Past Your Villagers, Have A Conversation and listen to what they say. Also Start Giving Them Gifts And See What Kind Of Things They Give You!

2.Set Goals!
Have You Ever Seen A Really Nice Island? If You Have You Most Likely Compared It To Your Island. If You Have a Mediocre Looking Island, Then Spice It Up A Little! Look At References And Try To Recreate Them To Make Your Island Look The Best It Can!

3.Stay Active On Tbt And on Other platforms!
Look For Competition,Giveaways,Trading,Or Something To Keep You Busy.Comepete In The Tbt Championship, Jhine7's Really Cheap Pricing Stores,And Many Others.

If You Look Do The Right Things Animal Crossing Will Always Stay Fresh And Fun!

 

[Bekaa]

I understand exactly how you feel. I am one those people who played the game since day one. I too was getting bored of the game because I ran out of stuff to do and I just felt lost with this game. However, when I got my 2nd Switch I was able to create a 2nd island. Of course it felt really weird starting a new island, but the more I played it the more fun I started having. I had an island in the Southern Hemisphere which compared to my old island was in the North Hemisphere. I always thought to myself "What if I picked South instead of North if I first played this game. Sure enough I found an island map that worked for me.

Also because I now have full knowledge of what the game is and what to expect going in the 2nd time I was able to plan out everything that I was going to do. It was a refreshing because when I first played this game I had no idea what I was even doing. When starting a 2nd island though I knew what I had to do. I found out myself why I got burned out on the game. I rushed through it and time traveled (nothing against it for those who do it). It was probably the biggest mistake I first did. So now with a new island in a different hemisphere everything just feels more refreshing and its weird to have 2 islands be in the North and South but its a good feeling.

I know I have a hard time myself understanding how people enjoy this game and I don't get it, but when I started a 2nd island I realized the most important thing. The game was meant to be played at slow pace. I guess because I rushed through it the first time I ruined the game for myself and I knew that was the reason I got so bored with it. Many people experience the game differently and its a common thing with Animal Crossing. Its played so different and have different experiences in a way every island you see is always different.

My advice would be to do new things that you thought you couldn't do before and with terraforming I usually just make whatever stands out to me and I don't try to compare myself to other islands (believe me I done that too many times) and I learned to just be myself and how I design the island. Since I took my time with the game I was having more fun collecting stuff, talking to my villagers, and of course making the island. So yeah its a strange experience for myself, but I don't regret having a 2nd island at all.

Also if you feel too burned out on the game its best to take a break. To get yourself recharged. You don't need to force yourself to play the game just because you have to, but in a way you will come back with a refreshed mind and figure out what you can do to make yourself feel more happy with the game.