The Animal Crossing franchise took the world by storm in March of 2020 with the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game was released during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading everyone and their mother to purchase a Nintendo Switch and a copy of the game to fill their days in lockdown.
In Animal Crossing you play a human character who lives in a village inhabited by anthropomorphic villagers. In this village, you can engage in a variety of activities including fishing, bug catching and fossil hunting.
The game was incredibly successful and sold 31.18 million copies by December of 2020 (videogameschronicle.com). The game’s success was partly a result of its timely release at the beginning of lockdown, when everyone needed a distraction, but was also down to its wholesome vibes and addictive traits. It is a comfort game for many, including myself, due to its soothing music, cute characters and routine tasks.
As a reader who also enjoys playing Animal Crossing, I started looking for similar comforting vibes in my books, and I managed to come up with five recommendations.
1.The Heartstopper Series by Alice Oseman
Heartstopper is an LGBTQIA+ graphic novel series that tells the story of Nick and Charlie who meet at a British school and develop feelings for one another. The series explores what it is to be a teenager in contemporary Britain as well as mental health and diversity.
Heartstopper, like the Animal Crossing games, is a very bingeable series. It also gives me similar vibes due to its humour and heartwarming moments, and its loveable and diverse characters.
2.The Carry On Series by Rainbow Rowell
The Carry On series follows Simon Snow and Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch (Baz) who attend the Watford School of Magicks. Simon is ‘the Chosen One’ who must defeat the evil Humdrum before he destroys the country.
The Carry On series is the perfect form of escapism, with plenty of heart, humour and magic throughout. Much like Animal Crossing, I find myself returning to this world and its characters time and time again.
3.Howl’s Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones
Howl’s Moving Castle tells the story of Sophie Hatter who has been cursed with an old body by the Witch of the Waste. The spell can only be broken by Wizard Howl. Sophie sets out to find Howl and his moving castle and ends up on an adventure of a lifetime.
Much like Animal Crossing, Howl’s Moving Castle has an entertaining and compelling cast of characters who you just can’t help but love. The story is full of adventure, heart and magic, which you will find yourself beguiled with from start to finish.
4.Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Before the Coffee Gets Cold is set in a café in a small back alley in Tokyo. This is no ordinary café, however. As well as serving coffee, the café also offers its customers the chance to travel back in time.
Reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold feels like drinking a cup of coffee on a cold winter morning. It is full of heart and warmth, and although deals with tough topics at times, is inspiring and heartwarming.
5.The Tea Dragon Society Series by Kay O’Neill
The Tea Dragon Society is a graphic novel series that follows Greta as she learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking. Although sold as a Middle Grade, this book will capture the heart of all ages, with its wholesome content, diverse set of characters and cosy vibes. And who doesn’t want to read about tea dragons?!
If you can think of any other books with similar vibes to Animal Crossing, feel free to share them with us by commenting down below!
Blog post by Mairead Morgan @maireadreads
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