Animal Crossing: New Horizons has proven to be an incredibly popular title for Nintendo, which may have been helped by the fact it was released around the time the global pandemic began. It appears that some fans have been using the game as a way to escape the stresses of the real world and sink into a digital island paradise. Now, one Animal Crossing: New Horizons fan has shared a piece of gorgeous fan art showcasing the game as their safe place.
The charming world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons has attracted a wide number of fans to the island, including celebrities like Brie Larson. With this in mind, it may make sense that some fans could consider the game world safer than anything in the real world.
Reddit user AzziStardust shared an adorable piece of fan art they described as depicting themself in their safe place--namely, the game they love. This isn't the first time Animal Crossing: New Horizons fans have created gorgeous tributes to the game, but it may be one of the most heartfelt. The image features a sketch of a Nintendo Switch in handheld mode with Animal Crossing: New Horizons clearly visible on the screen. However, unlike the actual game, AzziStardust's rendition takes the world of Animal Crossing into three dimensions.
In the picture, AzziStardust drew themself--or rather, their Animal Crossing: New Horizons player character--sitting on the grass by the river. What appears to be an orange tree is planted nearby, complete with three large oranges ready to be picked and a ladybug perched on the tree trunk. The water from the river is depicted as flowing over the bottom edge of the Switch screen, while the head of AzziStardust's avatar, the top of the tree, and a butterfly are clearly shown poking up over the top edge.
As of writing, it appears that other fans are impressed by AzziStardust's work. Several users posted to share compliments and congratulate them for capturing the essence of the game in their drawing. One user asked what program they drew it with, to which AzziStardust replied that they used Photoshop. A significant number of users stated that they felt Animal Crossing: New Horizons was their safe space as well during this chaotic time. This may not be a surprise to some gamers, especially since the title has been so successful that it's now Japan's best-selling game of all time.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available on Nintendo Switch.