COVID-19 lockdowns were the perfect time for a cozy game to take off. Although there is still a lot to love about the game, after four years players have started to want a bit more from the next installment in the franchise.
Some of these ideas are things players have already started including in their games through their own creations or by imposing specific rules on themselves. Still, it would be nice to have more official options for players in future games to more easily engage with this content. Other ideas players have had will need to be implemented by Nintendo because they involve quality-of-life adjustments to Animal Crossing that can’t be fan-made.
10 Animal Crossing Players Want A Harder Option For How To Play
Players Have Created Their Own “Hard Mode” Rules
It may seem counter-intuitive for a cozy game to have a hard mode option. After all, many players enjoy Animal Crossing: New Horizons as a way to relax or express their creativity, not as a challenge. However, some players have found themselves growing tired of the game and wanted a way to add an extra level of difficulty to help spice it up.
Player-created hard mode rules include things like limits on trading, and restricting farm sizes to make it more difficult to make money. These restrictions can make milestones in the game feel more earned. Nintendo could add an option to the next Animal Crossing game to make these restrictions official.
While it might be difficult to program a game mode that restricts players from doing certain things, Animal Crossing’s “hard mode” could be something players can opt into at the start of the game. The game could give a notice when a player is about to do something not allowed in hard mode, giving them the option to proceed and go back to playing as normal, or decide not to do it. Formal rewards for reaching milestones while sticking to these restrictions could also be a fun incentive for players.
9 Animal Crossing Should Include More Mini Games
Future Animal Crossings Should Include More To Do With Friends
There comes a time in any Animal Crossing playthrough where there isn’t much more to do. Players already have the biggest house, more bells than they could ever spend, and a perfectly customized island. Upon reaching this point, many players have turned to making up their own mini-games to the time.
Players have come up with multiple mini-games to play with friends, like Hide and Seek or creating a Minesweeper board by burying objects in a grid. Some players have even recreated Squid Game as seen in this tour from YouTuber Mayor Mori. Nintendo should take a cue from these players and include some mini-games of their own.
Some older Animal Crossing games actually had some mini-games. Players could find old NES games to play in the GameCube version of Animal Crossing, and Animal Crossing: New Leaf had a multiplayer escape room game called “Desert Island Escape” as well as the solo “Puzzle League” mini-game. Games like this should make a return in future Animal Crossing titles.
8 The Next Animal Crossing Should Take Cues From These Myths About The Last Game
Players Were Excited About These Rumors, So Why Not Make Them True?
Myths have always run rampant in the gaming community, from Pokémon’s infamous Pikablu - who turned out to be Marill - to rumors about secret characters in the Mortal Kombat arcade cabinets. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is no exception, spawning myths like the campfire method of selecting villagers on a hunt, or making Orville blush to go to a rare island. While these rumors aren’t true in New Horizons, Nintendo could take cues from them while deg a new Animal Crossing game.
Animal Crossing Player Gets The Shock Of A Lifetime When One Of Their Villagers Appears To Be Impaled
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is supposed to be a peaceful and relaxing space for players and villagers alike, but one island had a dark surprise.
Players love hidden mechanics, especially ones that spread through word of mouth on social media. These can generate a lot of excitement around a game, especially if they turn out to be true. Whether it’s as on-the-nose as simply including an existing rumor in the next Animal Crossing game, or using them as inspiration for a unique hidden mechanic, it would be fun to see these types of rumors influencing the next game.
7 Animal Crossing Should Embrace More Lo-Fi Music
Lo-Fi Animal Crossing Playlists Are Popular Online
It only takes a quick YouTube search to see just how popular Animal Crossing music is. There are plenty of long videos meant for studying, relaxing, or falling asleep. While Animal Crossing New Horizons seems to fit in with the rest of the series in this regard, it does seem to be lacking some of the lo-fi charm that older entries in the series had. That isn’t to say the music is bad, but it could cater to this crowd a bit more than it does.
Nintendo’s next Animal Crossing game should embrace its lo-fi musical origins. This would likely be a huge hit with of the community, and would also help boost the game by giving it free publicity on YouTube. Some players have also said they would like an item like an MP3 player in an Animal Crossing game that would allow them to choose what in-game music to listen to.
6 Animal Crossing Should Bring Back Nintendo Collaborations
Previous Games Had Crossovers Like Zelda Villagers
Prior to New Horizons, the Animal Crossing franchise frequently included references to other Nintendo games. While there was a limited time event where players could get Mario-themed gear, this doesn’t come close to what previous AC games included. For example, Animal Crossing: New Leaf had four Legend of Zelda villagers - Wolf Link, Medli, Ganon, and Epona - which could be summoned using Amiibos. Clothing inspired by other Nintendo games wasn’t just promotional items in older Animal Crossing games either, but a mainstay.
Future Animal Crossing games should go back to referencing Nintendo games more often. It’s a great way for players to show off their other video-game-related interests through how they dress and decorate. The inclusion of themed villagers was also a lot of fun, since they allowed Animal Crossing to redesign the look of famous characters and fit their personalities into a new setting.
5 The Next Animal Crossing Should Have Something Similar To Treasure Islands
Players Want Guaranteed Ways To Get The Items They Want
Treasure islands in Animal Crossing New Horizons are a bit controversial. While they are great for players who just want specific items or don’t want to wait to be able to fully customize their island, having everything one needs handed to them does kind of spoil the game. Then there’s the aspect that these islands are the results of hacks or mods that Nintendo probably doesn’t want to reward by acknowledging in any way.
That said, the popularity of treasure islands is something Nintendo should pay attention to. They likely wouldn’t exist if there was a slightly better way to guarantee finding certain items in the game. While Nintendo shouldn’t adopt treasure islands wholesale, they should try and find a healthy middle ground between giving players everything they want at once and leaving it all up to chance.
One option could be allowing players to manifest items in some way. This could be done by adding a list of items or a text prompt to shooting star wishes that allow players to ask for a specific item or villager. Alternatively, there could be a fee players could pay to Katrina Fortune that would increase the likelihood of a specific item dropping. It would likely discourage players from resorting to hacking when there is an official method to get what they want.
4 Animal Crossing’s Shopping Could Use Some Updates
The Game’s Shopping UI Is A Little Clunky And Dated
Despite its many innovations, there are some ways that the Animal Crossing franchise hasn’t really changed over the years. One way the game has somewhat stagnated is through the way players shop. Players buy items one at a time, which can be somewhat tedious while on a shopping spree. Some quality-of-life improvements in the next Animal Crossing game could go a long way.
Disney Dreamlight Valley Desperately Needs This Animal Crossing Feature
Disney Dreamlight Valley should take a look at the freedom Animal Crossing offers its players when it comes to custom design sharing and implement it.
Aside from being able to buy multiple items at once, some players have also expressed frustration about accidentally buying duplicates of items. This happens because the game doesn’t have a clear indication of what items in the store players already own. Having a way to track this would be another good quality of life improvement. While streamlining shopping may take away some of the nostalgia from the series, players would ultimately appreciate the convenience.
3 A Rotating Camera Could Make Animal Crossing Easier To Navigate And Decorate
Players Can’t See Behind Certain Obstacles In Current Animal Crossing Games
When outside in Animal Crossing games, the camera is locked on a fixed angle. This can sometimes lead to frustration when searching for specific things that may be hidden behind objects, like fossils or bugs. Allowing players to freely rotate the camera wouldn’t just eliminate these frustrations, but it could also add a whole new level of immersion to creating custom islands when they are fully realized from every angle.
Of course, a rotating camera would also mean a bit more work for Nintendo. Modders who have made a rotating camera have shown that the backsides of buildings are pretty much blank, and trees are weirdly flat from the other side. A rotating camera would mean having to recreate all these assets to work from every angle. However, this would also help the next Animal Crossing game feel like a real upgrade from the previous entries.
2 Crafting Could Use Some Quality Of Life Updates
Crafting In Animal Crossing Can Be Tedious
Similar to shopping, crafting items in Animal Crossing is something that could use some quailty of life adustments. One of the clearest way this could be improved is when trying to upgrade items. Even if a player has all the requirements to upgrade an item multiple tiers, they still have to do so one at a time. This makes crafting a somewhat tedious experience.
Similarly, there isn’t a good way for players to craft in bulk in Animal Crossing. This means any time players are setting out to craft a large number of items, they will be stuck navigating menus for a good chunk of time. Future Animal Crossing games should try to streamline this process so players can spend their time on the parts of the game they actually enjoy. It would also encourage players to craft more, since it wouldn’t be such a hassle.
1 Players Want More Interactions With Animal Crossing’s Villagers
Current Villager Interactions Leave Something To Be Desired
Animal Crossing’s villagers have great designs and some have memorable personalities to go along with it. However, it’s no secret that the Animal Crossing series doesn’t come close to the same level of interaction between players and villagers as other cozy games like Stardew Valley. While Animal Crossing doesn’t necessarily need to include everything other games do - romance for instance would feel out of place - it could certainly improve the quailty of interactions with villagers.
A future Animal Crossing game could make its village feel much more like a living place if there was more to do with its villagers. As is, it’s very apparent that players are the only real people in town, which can make the game feel somewhat empty at times, even when villagers are wandering around. Giving future villagers more depth and creating more interactions with them could help them feel more like characters than the collectibles they basically are in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Source: Mori Mori/YouTube
