THE FUSE

Games like Animal Crossing and the newly released Pokémon Pokopia are meant to be relaxing, but the way some people play them, you’d think they were a competitive esport. Pokopia has been out for less than two weeks, and every day I see some incredible engineering feat someone has devised in the game, while my Pokémon are living in makeshift homes that look like solitary confinement cells. It’s enough to make a grown man get discouraged and put the game down entirely. But then, one of these cutie patooties tells me how much they love their big box of a home and you remember what you’re doing this for.