The Psychology Behind Why Animal Crossing is Stressful

[@Turb0y]

This is huge. I couldn't express it properly before, but I don't think I enjoyed New Horizons because the wonderful creations of other players, even my friends, made me feel like I was playing the game wrong. I didn't want to interact with the terraforming mechanic and my island would always feel lacking because of comparison

[@David.Marquez]

This video is so well structured, It's a great day whenever there's a new Screen Therapy video.

[@Afterthoughts]

The agency/mastery/connectedness trichotomy is super interesting! I never understood why the games I enjoyed changed so much as I grew up, but now it seems like my need for agency changed as I became older and had a bit more control over my life. The less I had to ask permission to explore/leave the house/wander around the city, the less I wanted to play open world RPGs, and I think those were connected - for me, at least.

[@ScreenTherapy]

Awesome analysis!! I definitely agree, as kids we love more agency in games because we tend not to get agency in real life. Thanks for watching and adding this great insight!

[@TheAssassin642]

I think I like the way Scott Rigby defined agency in his GDC talk. He talks about agency in tandem with volition. Agency is not about having more options, but is instead about having options that you want to pursue. For example, Ubisoft open world games have tons of "options" but most i'm not particularly interested in. But even moreso, that agency is subjective. So take a game like Devil May Cry, gives you tons of options in how you fight enemies, but most of it i'm not super interested in. I don't really get much out of styling on enemies, i'm more about problem solving. I ask how do i beat the enemy? Not, how do I *want* to beat this enemy? So agency for everyone is different cos we're all interested in different options, different things we can do in games. It's a very interesting talk, I highly recommend watching it. Would love to see videos from you guys on the topic, I love looking at Self Determination Theory cos I always wondered why we play games and like certain games and dislike others. There's a lot more i could say about the topic but i'll stop here.

[@mcain2911]

In my own experience with burnout as far as New Horizons goes, I have learned that you must have variety. Just like how you wouldn’t repeatedly watch the same movie or episode of a show because you’d get bored and grow to dislike them, you can’t only play New Horizons. I can do everything I need to in about a half hour. Then I play Breath of the Wild or Mario Kart. I do have projects on my island that require more time, so I do them when I have the time. Until then, I just learn to accept that I have overgrown flowers everywhere.

[@ItMeLily]

Yesssssssss. I was hoping you would do another video on ACNH and I'm so glad it's a video on why it can be stressful because that is how I feel when I play the game alot off the time.

[@Skyehoppers]

Animal Crossing has always made me feel a little anxious, moreso than a difficult platformer even, which has made me feel like I'm doing something wrong or not getting it in a way that comes easily to everyone else. So I'm glad I'm not alone! With your tips in mind I feel inspired to give New Horizons another shot after bouncing off it the first time :)

[@FZD_RICKY]

This could apply to any game. As with multiplayer competitions, you tend to feel FOMO with the Upward Social Comparisons when you see those higher-skilled more experienced players while you are of a lower rank. Those players worked out so much blood and sweat real hard and you were just chillin' till you started comparing yourself to others. Like they said "Comparison is the thief of joy", in that case to much social media scrolling have that thief stole your joy.

[@TrixTasha]

This explained the feeling New Horizons gave a lot of players so well! When I first got the game I was so excited to get to the stage where I got to customize my island and even made all these plans for it, but once I got to that level it ended up being so much harder than I thought it would be. It was expansive and confusing and I ended up not playing for months until I gave up on the idea of having an “aesthetically pleasing” island. This video was great! (Also this channel in general is great. Definitely needed since we are becoming more and more engaged with media/technology in our society)

[@lenne9442]

Hello, thank you for uploading this, more importanly thank you for puting some of my my "negative" thoughts about this game into words and this video. I have been playing this game for over 100 hours in a bit less than half a year, which is a whole lot for me these days, my island still looks quite bad, I don't know how to terraform my island in a way that looks nice and I don't even have enough money to build the amount of bridges I want and with the 2.0 Update and the little marketplace or whatever it is called, I only have the art stand. It really stresses me out sometimes, even without comparing my island to some of the very good players' islands, when I do that, it get's even worse, I haven't played since the end of november, not only because of those reasons, but also because of the seasonal content and diy recipes. Maybe I just don't know how to play efficiently, but all these things accumulate into this somewhat insane love/hate relationship with this game, because at the same time, it is designed as relaxing, cute and a good contrast to the current real world, at least for me. One thing I will say, I was insanely happy about the dlc part, cause there I at least don't have to worry, about money, but at the same time playing that new part of the game, makes me feel like I am neglecting my own island. It is a really bizar downward spiral, so I end up playing it for 2 or maybe 3 hours a day for two weeks and put it away. I love and hate this game. What I do thoroughly enjoy though are your videos, as I wrote you a couple of times in your comment section, seems fitting that you end your Animal Crossing "series" with one like this, cause it is the truth, not everyone is capable or has the resources to create the island they want to have, so they either try too hard or avoid it. It is a shame, cause this game is supposed to be a positive one and it probably still is, maybe just not for me. I should probably read one of the books you recommended about self compation. As a little side note, one game at least while playing solo, that has me feeling in a similar way, is Minecraft. You can probably guess why, but at least there is a good multiplayer component which is why I can play with a friend, who always looks out, when I get too stressed out about a build not looking as good, as I want it to be. Thanks again for this video, which was bittersweet. Looking forward to your reupload of the parasite essay and one question I have: Would you consider making a video or two about music? Have a good day.

[@rickyp3996]

This type of content is such a breath of fresh air. I feel like positive media literacy is something that should be taught in schools, it's such a good framework for young people to understand social media and can really give them the tools to survive/thrive in online spaces. I'm really glad you found a way to tackle upwards social comparison again, looking forward to rewatching your Parasite video!

[@bubblyduck]

I was watching this while terraforming my island, i noticed how i always thought that i HAD to have one of those "aesthetic" or fairy core type of islands, i realised i shouldnt care about what other people would think of it, the reason why im so stressed about everything with my island because i mainly play at night and night is more of stressful for me, and this video really helped me! thank you so muchh 💓 🙂

[@jacdemorgan1351]

I've had fruitful chats with my wife about Animal Crossing and how it has become an incredible outlet for creativity (and a pitfall for self-efficacy). The conclusion she came to (after 1,000+ hours of play) was that the game is simply a medium. Creators like Evil Imp possess knowledge and a specific skillset that allows them to produce the majestic works they do, and would find a different outlet if AC didn't exist. It is in no way shameful to be wowed by what they achieve, and we should not feel like our own (maybe a little less impressive) experience is any less valid. We all have different strengths. And much like you mentioned with perfectionism, Ms. Courtney, it's irrational to believe that I, a single person, should outperform everyone at every single task. It's just setting yourself up for disappointment. All in all I really enjoyed the video, and the thumbnail really did come out very nice!

[@sharkonstage]

Your voice is very soothing to listen to, haven't played animal crossing yet, but I'll watch it

[@prani4685]

I impulsively bought Animal Crossing late last year, even though I think I knew that I wasn't really in the mood for it. I've played Stardew Valley to the point of oblivion, and I found that I really liked the ability to lightly min-max during playing. In contrast, Animal Crossing's mechanics make it near impossible to do that, but I still *felt* like I was supposed to. A lot of the aspects you mentioned (terraforming, building placement) not only made me worried I wasn't making good choices but made me feel frustrated since they were tedious and difficult to do. "How am I supposed to make everything perfect when it's so hard??!" Haha though I understand *I* was the one making what could've been a relaxing low-stakes game into one that wasn't. I stopped playing a few weeks in and also felt guilty about spending 80CAD on it since I could've spent that elsewhere (including on another game). I actually ended up feeling so bad about it that I guessed what this video would be about when it came out and avoided watching it until now haha. I appreciate you mentioning self-compassion and not dwelling on feelings of shame. I just so happened to spend some money on a game I didn't like, oh well. Maybe another time I'll give ACNH another try (going in with the mindset you described), but for now, I'm content to just leave it be. Thanks for another great video - it really led me to do some introspection!

[@lilcat69]

this is such a good video. lots of information on the topic, but you present it in a very clear and simple manner which is easy to understand, plus the narration is relaxed so it's easier to focus and not feel overwhelmed. i also have this exact problem with new horizons, but didn't think to attribute it to what you're describing before watching. now i feel like i can apply what i learned from this to enjoy certain games more, or at least know when i should/shouldn't try to play them. glad this channel was recommended :)

[@fanglyn]

i do have some notable titles that worth looking into. journey of a broken circle teaches us about relationships. wandersong teaches you to never lose hope and be the best you can be, so what if he can't use a sword even things get bad, just sing! Minute of islands teach us no matter the weight of our responsibilities we can't do everything alone. A space for the unbound, have not played it yet it might be a good lead. subnautica teaches us to face the known dephs of our innate insecurities.

[@ItMeLily]

After watching this video and the other animal crossing video for the 10th time. A thought came to me that i would love to see a video from you on the sims 3 and then another one on the sims 4. The gameplay is very different in both

[@Suggo]

Great analysis

[@Afterthoughts]

Thanks for sharing those self-compassion resources. Great video :3 so chill and pleasant

[@celestine_l]

I like the take on the topic, just a thing, talking about why a game is stressful and why it can feel like a chore is indeed talking about its design. There's no way to say how a game can be stressful without talking about its design, because without this logic, every game could be critiqued without any sense. In the video you did talk about its design or rather what it entails(for example saying why having to do so many things in the game can be stressful, is talking about the design of the game, talking about the fact that those things cause stress and addiction), but at the start of it you said you wouldn't. It's nothing bad really i just wanted to point it out lol 😭.

[@tom13stone59]

I was really missing your videos, thank you!

[@MandyleePlays]

I went through a weird phase where logging into animal crossing made me really sad in 2021 but it wasn’t because of the game It was the memories I made with the game and the people used to call friends that I lost due to being used and replaced (long story) so looking at the game literally triggered me So the connection made me sad seeing things that my “friends” made…it was actually my favorite game of 2020 because all of the fun things me and my “friends”made and in 2021 it’s what made me hate the game I recently started playing again because I love the game and not gonna lie it was hard the first few days but as time goes on I found myself enjoying it more Thank you for the tips especially just sitting and playing

[@beetfarmer1831]

Love all the content you release! Hope to see more videos!

[@internetgirl4617]

We have to stop comparing ourselves to others and remember that we aren’t them we are ,are own person will different limits and desires

[@Afterthoughts]

Suuuper excited to settle in for this video that may help me understand why I have avoided Animal Crossing New Horizons B)

[@SoraFan23]

They should've just went back to building a community instead of just building your own island. I've seen so many people becoming too stressed of making their island.

[@JessiTheBestiGaming]

ACNH stresses me out more than any other game in it's genre. From the terrible "terraforming" controls, to the jarring and stressful music, to the APPEARANCE of having choices and freedom.. to finding out how minimal those freedoms actually are. I want to love it.. I loved new leaf.. I just can't stand ACNH. It's so infuriating.

[@JessiTheBestiGaming]

Basically, I have been a simmer since the year 2001. Building and decorating to me, to be meaningful and enjoyable, needs to have very little limitation. In ACNH, there are too many rules for everything.. where I can put my trees, where I can put bushes, where I can and can't put bridges/water/items... It results in me feeling extremely claustrophobic and limited.. and therefore, extremely stressed. Why can't I put a tree on the edge of a cliff? Why can't that item fit with this other item? It's not about the social aspect at all. The Sims has a huge decorative community as well, and it doesn't make me feel like I'm not good enough. I don't care what other people are doing with their island... I want to have FREEDOM. I actually only have a couple friends irl, and that's by choice. I don't want a ton of people meddling in my life.

[@ItMeLily]

ACNH upset's me alot because I want so many things for my island. I want it to be my space. My safe getaway. But with so many options of furniture and seeing what others do with their island, i cant help but be upset. My island in my mind is a mess. It doesn't reflect me or my wishes at all. My house on the other hand, does. Like the video mentioned the limitations of what each room can hold really helps me. One day I could want my living to be a Christmas showroom and the next I could just want a simple living space with a simple dining room, with tv and sofa. I can only put so much in the rooms so that helps stop me from wanting to put everything and anything in there. Not all of it will fix but with the island its just so huge too much space to work with. Like looking a blank canvas and having every paint colour you could want. What do you do?

[@ABrain313]

Hi! I saw this video months ago and I kept thinking about even if I've never played Animal crossing. I think that says something about the quality of your content. I'm a fellow psychologist and I'm searching for something to read about psychology (especially neuropsychology) and videogames. Can you raccomend me some books about this topic?

[@ventoventi]

terraforming is the only part of acnh that stresses me out, the controls are so janky that it makes me want to throw my controller. trying to make everything look perfect, having to painstakingly destroy a terraformed area to remake it and the lack of an ‘undo’ option makes even the concept of decorating my island very stressful and overwhelming for me.

[@jacksleiman8259]

Great Video!

[@hishouha]

It’s so true, and I try to stay away from it. I usually watch something at the same time as playing because it ends up making me frustated sometimes, especially the songs. They’re supposed to be « relaxing » but I don’t really like them anymore and I sometimes play with New Leaf’s soundtracks in the background instead. I never even played New Leaf 🤣

[@czarkowskipawelyt]

Would you consider discussing Eliza, Mind Scanners and Silicon Dreams, three games about psychotherapy?

[@veryexciteddog963]

beautiful video, inspirign

[@KilllerQueeen]

As someone who spent 755+ hours on this game, This is spot on.

[@dee7519]

UR BACK!!

[@ScreenTherapy]

Yep! Thank you for watching! :)

[@badwrongfun5541]

I feel like my problem is different. That I know that if I don't make it a constant routine in my life forever the game is gonna punish me. It'll guilt trip me, take away any villagers I've grown attached to, and force me to do more work cleaning it up. And I don't trust myself if I can make such a constant long term commitment to the game. So the fear of being punished by the game is stronger than any desire to actually play it. And even if I do play it consistently for years, like I have before back in the Wild World and New Leaf days, eventually I'll slip and then I'll be punished anyways. No matter what I'll always lose my villagers and there's nothing I can do to stop that so what's the point?

[@Naftoreiclag]

ok now this is epic

[@nickk3077]

I'd say what really upsets me about this game is that it fails to be a very competent Animal Crossing game. Animal Crossing on the GameCube means a lot to me, and this game goes way of the rails in a direction that I don't agree with. I also think the game is very poorly designed as well.

[@lemonlime79]

This is funny bc, Nintendo went from, a relaxing ACTUAL Animal Crossing game. (New Leaf) to New Horizons, which has the worst music, and what about the color pallete!? Its to bright!