Players of Nintendo's normally adorable new hit Animal Crossing: New Horizons are using the in-game designer to turn the town simulator into a horror game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the latest entry in Nintendo's long-running series where players design a character and help build, manage, and live in a town populated by anthropomorphic animals. Set to a real-time clock, the player's island changes with the seasons and sticks to the day-night schedule of the real world. Animal Crossing's relaxing gameplay and adorable art style make it a wholesome hit that's an appropriate game for the whole family, and beloved around the world by people of all ages.
As was featured in the last mainline game, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, players have access to a Custom Designer, a program similar to Microsoft's Paint. A variety of tools allow for small pixel art designs which can adorn shirts, hats, dresses, paintings, or ground tiles. QR Codes can be generated from websites and in-game, which can then be scanned and shared; many players have used this to bring in art and clothing from their favorite video games and movies in New Horizons, or create unique tiles for footpaths across their island.
Others, however, seem to be using these powers for evil instead of good. Via Polygon, many Animal Crossing players are taking to social media to show how their once idyllic islands are now haunted with bloodstains, axe murderers, and cryptic symbols. Some use the Custom Designer to create blood splatters on their character's faces or clothes, or blood trails on the ground to create murder mystery islands. Others fill their homes with skeletons and candles in elaborate Castlevania re-creations, or decorate the walls with knife collections and evil clown paintings. Even Critical Role DM Matthew Mercer showed off an incredible, yet undoubtedly creepy, Satanic runes that wouldn't be out of place in DOOM Eternal... and it's not the first crossover between the two games, as DOOM Eternal and Animal Crossing fan art has gotten quite popular.
Given that Animal Crossing encourages players to make their islands their own, it's no surprise that unique, themed islands are springing up to represent the player's favorite genres, shows, and games. The cute, laid-back nature of the game makes it a challenge to create something horrific, a challenge many fans have obviously accepted. Others have used other ways to turn the island paradise sour by review bombing New Horizons over local multiplayer frustrations or the exclusion of a fan-favorite item.
Still, the creativity of Animal Crossing players is a testament to a community incredibly excited over this charming island escape during a time where so many people need it. As the days go by and more and more players get access to advanced tools and furniture, expect more incredible islands from Animal Crossing: New Horizons to make the rounds on social media... Just make sure to enter some islands knowing the risk.
Source: Polygon