I've always enjoyed the Animal Crossing franchise, but I've recently grown to appreciate one feature even more than I used to. Originally, I thought this aspect of the game held it back, and I was frustrated by the limitations put on me by it. However, I have since realized that not only is Animal Crossing better off for including it, but that there are plenty of other games that could benefit from this feature as well.

Animal Crossing on the GameCube was one of my first experiences with a game where there wasn't really an end-goal. I had previously played the original Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life, but to me that game still felt slightly less aimless since farming gave me a tangible task to do each in-game day. I wasn't entirely sure how to handle a game like Animal Crossing yet, where I could just kind of do whatever I wanted with no consequences. My initial confusion over how to relax in a video game is also why I misjudged one of its core mechanics.

Animal Crossing's Real-Time Approach Keeps The Game Relaxing

Animal Crossing Is Tied To The Real Date And Time

Originally, Animal Crossing being tied to the real date and time was something that frustrated me. I didn't like having to wait for a full day before I was able to harvest fruit again, and when all the locations in town closed down it felt like there wasn't much left to do in the game. However, as I've gotten more experience with the cozy game genre, I've grown to appreciate what Animal Crossing's time mechanics do for the game.

Animal Crossing's slower pace helps the game feel more relaxing. While there are a lot of things you could spend your time doing in Animal Crossing, few feel like pressing matters. There are some days when I'll spend a lot of time fishing, or decorating, and others where I'll log on, collect my fruit, maybe check the shop, and then put the game down. Whereas I used to see Animal Crossing's lack of direction or urgency as a downside, I've come to appreciate it as a way to keep myself more mindful when I'm playing.

I often find myself treating things that are supposed to be fun - like video games - as some essential task that I have to finish. In Animal Crossing, I can't just speed through days to help finish my home improvements faster, or get to my favorite holidays. This makes me really stop and appreciate my time in the game each day, something I rarely do in other cozy games that don't limit how much you can do in a real-life day.

Cozy Games That Let You Skip Time Can Turn Into A Grind

Trying To Optimize Time In Cozy Games Makes Them Less Relaxing

It's not that I don't like other cozy games, the around 200 hours I've spent in Stardew Valley is a testament to that. However, I do find that I often end up making them less cozy than they should be by going into them with the wrong mindset. Often, I will abuse the ability to time more quickly in these types of games to optimize my playtime. While this is effective from a gameplay standpoint, the concepts of optimizing and relaxing don't always play nicely together.

In games like Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon where time is constantly ticking away, I feel a lot of pressure to do everything I can each day. While neither game punishes you for wasting time, there is just something about that ticking clock that makes me want to beat it. I quickly find myself planning out my every move each day, rushing around the map to ensure I can get everything I want to do finished in the allotted time, before crawling into my digital bed and doing it all again the next day.

What's worse, is when I get to a point in these games where a lot of my work is automated, I find myself going to bed earlier and earlier. At this point in Stardew Valley, my crops are watered automatically, and my greenhouse is full of Ancient Fruit that only needs to be harvested every seven days. During winters in the game, I find myself going to bed earlier and earlier, which is less cozy and more like a reflection of when my seasonal depression hits in real life.

If I had an entire day in games like Stardew Valley to get things done, and I knew I couldn't do anything to speed things up, I probably wouldn't get to the point where I'm optimizing the relaxation out of what is supposed to be fun. In fact, I think even games outside the cozy game genre could benefit in interesting ways by putting a limit on what you could do each day. While not all genres would benefit from this, I can think of some games that would.

Other Genres Could Benefit From Limiting The Amount You Can Accomplish In One Day

Games Forcing Players To Slow Down Could Help Them Appreciate Every Feature

I think a lot of games with life sim elements, even if they have other aspects to them too, could benefit from having a daily limit on certain activities. One good example would be Atlus RPGs like Persona or Metaphor: ReFantazio. Similar to games like Stardew Valley, I find myself quickly skipping through many of the days in Persona's digital calendar, and not fully appreciating what each day has to offer.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is another game I found myself rushing through and not really feeling like I was making the most out of its life sim mechanics. Typically, I enjoy a good life sim game, and getting to know my companions are my favorite parts of RPGs. However, there's something about a game giving me a calendar and the ability to skip forward in time on it that stops me from slowing down and enjoying the slower parts of these games.

While I'm not sure these games specifically would benefit from Animal Crossing's style of calendar - stretching a Persona game across an entire real-life year would be far too slow - I could see a blend between the two being right up my alley. A game that has an overarching goal, but at the same time limits your progress towards it based on the real day and time could create an interesting mix of relaxing elements and exciting ones. I think it would also benefit players like me who may need to be forced to slow down.