Animal Crossing has several ways for players to pass the time, but the next installment could see even more pastimes added. One of the main appeals of the Animal Crossing games is letting the player live out their avatar's life in town. That includes not only making bells, but taking part in all sorts of activities for fun. Between decorating their house and befriending their neighbors, Animal Crossing players will often find themselves with a busy schedule. Even so, there are still a few activities that the series has yet to experiment with that could be fun for players.
One could say that Animal Crossing could influence Disney Dreamlight Valley when it comes to activities because the long-running series has amassed quite a selection. Players can go fishing or catch bugs, and there are even in-game competitions where players can catch or fish up the biggest specimens they can. There are even some more out-there options like digging for fossils. One common trend with Animal Crossing's activities is that many of them tend to include finding things around the town. One way to add more variety could be to include different kinds of activities, possibly using materials the player already collected.
The Next Animal Crossing Could Expand its Offering of Activities
One already-existing mechanic is the ability for players to buy art in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. However, a good addition could be the ability for players to make art for themselves. They can already design a flag for their island, so players should have the option to make paintings of their own to decorate their houses. Another idea could be for players to be able to collect materials like wood, stone, or junk, and make sculptures out of them, again as decorations, or even potential gifts. Not only would this let players exercise their creativity, but they could also add a more personal flair to their houses.
While cooking has already been introduced to the series, Animal Crossing: New Horizons' cooking could use improvement. A new take on cooking and baking could incorporate some mini-games into the process to spice things up, such as chopping ingredients, measuring properly, and grilling items evenly.
By performing the cooking process well, the resulting item could be of a higher quality than normal, boosting their effects, selling for higher prices, and earning praise from neighbors. This approach would have more impact than choosing something from a list to be made instantly, making cooking feel like a more worthwhile and rewarding endeavor in the game.
Letting players go camping is another mechanic that is worth exploring, especially when one remembers that Animal Crossing already has fishing. While New Horizons has a campsite, it's just a mechanic for new villagers to move in. A proper camping mechanic could see players setting up a temporary camp in various wilderness locations, possibly unlocking more as the island grows bigger. They could take on camping-related tasks like going hiking and setting up a campfire, as well as find items around the campsite. Maybe players could even go on trips with villagers, giving them new ways to hang out with their favorite Animal Crossing characters.
Animal Crossing still has room to grow, and that involves creating more activities for the player to take part in. More things to do would be a must for the next Animal Crossing in order to keep the series moving forward. New Horizons did a lot to bring the series into the next generation, but there is still more ground that can be covered. Giving players more content is rarely a bad thing, especially for a series defined by its pastimes. Hopefully, adding more activities will be a priority when the next Animal Crossing game comes along.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now for the Nintendo Switch.
