10 Ways Video Games Punished You For Not Playing Them

Whilst it looks all cute and fuzzy on the surface, Animal Crossing is a series that demands a lot of time and dedication from its players. Its 'pick up and play' approach to gameplay can be the perfect antidote to a stressful day the office, but the trouble is, you've got to pick it up and play it every single day to ensure that your tranquil little town doesn't fall into ruins.

Making great use of the console's internal clock, events and item cycles are fixed to real-world times and therefore players are expected to play the game at specific times to access certain content. This also extends to how the town functions, with both wildlife and plant-life being time specific. This means that plants, weeds, and various other naturally occurring elements will continue their cycle whilst you're not playing.

If you decide to skip a couple of days in favour of actual socialising, you may come back to your town to find it covered in weeds and some of your neighbours have left due to the appalling conditions that they have had to endure during your leave of absence.

That's what you get for having real friends I guess.