Deere is enchanted.
Deere is enchanted.

Look everyone, RELAX, okay? JUST RELAX. What, are you finding it hard to RELAX right now??? Well then allow me to suggest some Animal Crossing streams.

Animal Crossing, if you're unaware because you've chosen to performatively opt out of the zeitgeist, is a delightful video game in which you hang out on an island and grow flowers and say hello to cute animal friends. Nothing wants to kill you, there's nothing to shoot, and the most stressful element is the annual appearance of an overly-enthusiastic bunny mascot around Easter.

In other words, it's exactly what everyone needs right now.

And you don't even need to have a copy of the game to enjoy it, because lots of weirdos are streaming the game online at this very moment. You can just head over to one of their channels, leave it on, lie back and feel soothed by the gentle sounds of a stranger strolling through the grass catching butterflies. Ahhh.

Among my favorite of the AC streamers is the delightful Deere, a drag queen who not only plays the game with the skill of a master but also creates full drag looks inspired by the animals of the game. But beware! On some days Deere streams horror games, so if you're looking for A Nice Relax you might get zombies instead.

Alternately, you might enjoy Austen Marie, an artist who's gotten swept up in some advanced AC techniques. She's taken a painterly approach to her island, turning the entire place into a beautifully-customized experience. Because the game lets you sculpt with waterfalls and terrain, Austen has managed to make a lovely natural environment that may come to you in your dreams to keep the terrors of life at bay.

Also fun is Mischacrossing, who specializes in story-driven games and has been devoting a lot of her schedule to Animal Crossing, particularly interactions with the lovely characters and finessing her island with super-cute touches. I personally appreciate that she uses words like "comfy" and "cozy" in her stream titles so you know you're in for something soothing. 

It would be a crime to leave Jaremi off the list—you might know him as Drag Race sweetheart Phi Phi O'Hara, and on Twitch he goes by ThePocketGay. His streams tend to be laid back, social, and infused with super gay pinks. He'll visit other players' islands from time to time to explore, and it's a delight to watch his face as he discovers, for example, the sex dungeon someone created in their basement.

Visit Mikecheb for some sliiiiiightly more fast-paced gameplay. It's by no means stressful or strenuous, but Mike's quite focused and manages to pack an awful lot of gameplay into his sessions. I audible gasped when he visited the ATM and I saw how many bells he'd managed to save up. There are those who go a bit wild with min-maxing in AC, which I find too stressful to enjoy, but Mike tiptoes up to the line without going over—efficient, not intense.

You may also appreciate the fun AC streams of Butt3r, a noble Canadian who has a cat that looks like Judi Dench. Not only does he keep the streams very chill and very gay, but sometimes he opens up his shirt because he says it's hot in his room, and we all appreciate that.

One of my favorite AC viewing experiences was on the channel of Renae, who opened her gates to allow online play and then arranged for visitors to play a game of musical chairs. It is super not what the game is designed for, which makes the game even more fun—it's the sort of goofy creative hack that makes Animal Crossing magic.

I'm told the game is also played by heterosexual men, though I have yet to confirm that and TBQH see no reason to do so.