The coolest jobs people have created for themselves in 'Animal Crossing'
The world of Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides players with plenty of tasks to earn bells and shed themselves of those high-priced (but generously interest-free) loans from Tom Nook. On top of that, the game has events scheduled throughout the season to keep things fresh on the island. But for some people, that just isn't enough. They need to completely immerse themselves in the game, even finding jobs to help keep the AC:NH economy churning along.
Here are some of the best, most creative jobs people have made for themselves so far. If this quarantine lasts much longer, there will surely be more to add.
Weed Removal Service
Removing weeds can be a tedious and boring task for folks who would rather spend their time decorating or filling their museum with fish. A clever Reddit user called tybat11 noticed this and started an Animal Crossing weed removal service for those who don't like dealing with these pesky plants.
After the business, WeedCo, began advertising its services on Reddit, demand skyrocketed. In fact, requests for WeedCo's services have become so frequent that tybat11 had to hire an employee to help them out with weeding. The new hire had to go through an orientation process and everything.
It's an adorable concept that's part role play and part entrepreneurial thinking. There's probably not much profit to be made since tybat11 doesn't charge for WeedCo's services (although they accept tips), but there's a lot of enjoyment to be had from seeing this little virtual company grow.
Clothing Design Commissions
New Horizons doesn't just give people an opportunity to be the landscaper of their dreams; fashionable players are finding the perfect outlet to create their own streetwear, too. Like previous Animal Crossing games, New Horizons allows players to create their own patterns and designs for signs, flags, and clothes and share them via the in-game shop or a QR code. Some players have used this feature to wrap their characters in streetwear they can't get in real life.
However, creating or replicating designs into the Animal Crossing world can be difficult. Users have to be patient and skilled enough to work with pixel art that will look good on your character. This has opened up an opportunity for the artistically-inclined to take custom design commissions for which people will pay real-world money.
Commissioning a design isn't just for personal enjoyment, either. Companies, such as apparel and e-sports brand 100 Thieves, have gotten in on the action as a way to stay connected with fans. The brand commissioned two artists on Twitter to remake their entire apparel line in New Horizons, reported The Verge, including sold-out limited items.
Fashion and Animal Crossing's customization features are a perfect match for each other, 100 Thieves senior marketing manager, Julia Wu, told The Verge.
"It's a game about self-expression and identity," Wu said. "In your virtual world, everything can be customized to how you want it to be: your island, your house, your clothes, etc. Fashion and lifestyle brands were built from this. There is no right or wrong when it comes to self-expression, only preference. When someone visits your island, it's like giving them a tour into the inner world of you."
Interior Decorating Consultations
Plenty of people have shown off their interior decorating skills through Animal Crossing, proudly displaying a creative blend of custom and craftable items that come together to set the mood in each room. Good interior design is even something that the game promotes through its Happy Home Academy scoring and ranking feature. But sometimes it's difficult to think of what should go in that corner or whether those decorations make the room too cluttered.
Enter: Interior decorating consultations by Queer Eye's Bobby Berk.
The professional interior designer took to Twitter for a bit to give people advice on their homes. He praised the consistent themes of some rooms, recommended some furniture and rug placements, and complimented the color schemes people were using.
It was a charming thread to read. His advice legit improved some rooms and gave folks good ideas on how to make their homes look less cluttered.
And, for the people posting their purposefully messy designs, Berk had some words for them, too.
Swap Shop
In an attempt to circumvent Tom Nook's grip on the Animal Crossing retail industry, one Eurogamer reporter decided to create a swap shop where people could exchange unwanted items for something more desirable. The reporter, Emma Kent, designed and set up an area where people could make their trades and, hopefully, find something they were interested in.
The first test run, involving 10 friends, was a success. With friends, Kent could also wander around the island to finish up tasks while trusting everyone to play nicely.
However, the true test came when Kent opened the Swap Shop to the public. Most people behaved, with a few apparently misunderstanding what 'swaps of equal value' means. In any case, the generosity of strangers helped her make up for the losses through bad swaps.
Her experiment has inspired others to open a swap shop, as Kent noted in an article, though she recommends keeping it friends-only, if only for the host's ease of mind.
Despite how relatively well-behaved most people were, there was still at least one bad apple who could have ruined the shop for everyone for many days. This person attempted to rob the entire shop, prompting the reporter to shut down the game in a panic to prevent the items from leaving her island. It turns out managing a mom and pop shop isn't an easy job, even in a game like Animal Crossing.
