FROM THE LIBRARY: The rise of "cozy gaming"

As the world became enveloped in a universal uncertainty as COVID-19 cases increased by the minute globally, there was one thing that I and many others could count on: the release of "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" for the Nintendo Switch. The long-awaited addition to the "Animal Crossing" franchise resulted in previously closed Gamestop stores being opened back up for midnight releases, and everyone counted down the hours until they could log onto their Switches and get ready for their island getaway. For those who are unfamiliar with "Animal Crossing," it is a series of games released by Nintendo in which you play as the one human character in a world entirely inhabited by animals. What makes "Animal Crossing" different from many existing games is that there's no end goal to the game. You have different tasks that you can complete, like collecting bugs for villagers or donating fish and fossils to the museum, but the game doesn't ever really end.