Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a 2020 developed and published by for the ; it is the fifth main entry in the . In New Horizons, the player controls a character who moves to a deserted island after purchasing a getaway package from , accomplishes assigned tasks, and develops the island as they choose. They can gather and craft items, customize the island, and develop it into a community of animals.
New Horizons began its development in 2012. The game director, , retained old content from previous games to keep fans happy and also ensured that the game was simple enough to appeal to newcomers. With art and graphics, the developers used the concept of "trigger of play" and the "imagination gap", where the former kept the gameplay simplistic and easy to pick up while the latter kept the art style simple for the player to imagine the rest. The game was announced at via a and after an extended development period, released worldwide March 20, 2020.As in previous Animal Crossing games, New Horizons is a played in . Weather also adjusts to the seasons of the or , depending on the player's real-world location, a first for the Animal Crossing series. The game follows a villager customized by the player, who, after purchasing a getaway package from , moves into a deserted island. After Tom Nook gives the player essentials, such as a tent, the game proceeds in a fashion, allowing for the player to play the game as they choose.
