Many of this year's birthday parties have been rescheduled or cancelled following the COVID-19 outbreak, leaving a handful of people to turn to Animal Crossing: New Horizons to host those events instead. Even though it might not be the real thing, you'd be surprised at how entertaining you can make a birthday party on your island if you know what to do, and it just might be the perfect surprise for a friend who had their plans cancelled.
Obviously you can plan the event via text message or some other form of digital communication, but if you really want the authentic Animal Crossing experience, you should send out invites using the stationary rack located at Dodo Airlines. Make sure you've played New Horizons with your friend first though, as you can't send mail unless one of you has visited the other's island.
Setting Up Your Island
The next step is to get your island ready for visitors. Pick up any loose resources or items that you don't want others claiming, and be sure to get rid of any weeds or trees that are preventing your town from reaching its full potential. It's then a good idea to open up the island a bit before the event, as it might take friends a while to head over.
The first thing you should obviously do once everyone arrives is give your friends a tour of the island. Every Animal Crossing: New Horizons player has their own unique creation, and it's always interesting to see what others have done with theirs. Show off your museum, neighbors, and the various structures you've built.
Party Games
There's then a surprising amount of games that you can host. One great idea is to wrap up some decently rare gifts, and bury them around the island for your friends to find in a scavenger hunt. You can also hold a fishing or bug catching contest.
One of the best and most creative games to play within Animal Crossing, however, has to be musical chairs. Set up a tree stump for each player, and have one person play an instrument like an ocarina or guitar. Then, have everyone sit down when the music stops, and remove a stump after each turn.
Finally, you'll want to take a group photo with your friends to look back on and commemorate the event. It might not be the 2020 birthday party you imagined, but an Animal Crossing celebration can be plenty of fun!
Source: The Verge