Essential Escapism through Progress Simulation: Animal Crossing New Horizons' Temporal Design

This project examines the temporal design (pacing of content) of the video game Animal Crossing New Horizons (ACNH) to better understand how it functioned as an incidental mental health tool during COVID-19 lockdown. Taking into consideration both the game's mechanics and an archive of player commentary drawn from Reddit and a virtual museum exhibit, this project employs both computational methods and targeted rhetorical analysis. Preliminary findings indicate players develop affective connections to the game in part due to the repeated, daily play sessions that the game promotes with its temporal design.