Like every good millenial I took up playing Animal Crossing as Bad Times 2020 began.

After a couple weeks of feverish fruit-collecting, fishing, and stalk market bets, I found myself with a fully paid off, three-level house and millions of Bells left over. And honestly… even though I could buy whatever items I wanted, or spend my time creating the perfect island unburdened by virtual mortgages, the game got much less fun for me.

A good reminder for me that the thrill is being the dog chasing the car, not the moment of catching it. Also a reminder that I like playing capitalism simulators, especially when I can take advantage of tiny raccoons that pay too much for turnips. And maybe a reminder that goals that don’t have clear numeric goals are valuable too.