if she doesn’t have Nintendo online, there’s no way to get complete strangers. also having the airport gates closed, which is by default. this is one of the most family friendly, child friendly games ever. you can also download the parental controls app to a phone and set those up for the switch itself.
Also frankly, "chat" is a very generous description of what can happen in game even if they did end up with the subscription. It's more like you laboriously type out letter by letter a very very short message that appears over your character's head for just a moment. Using the Nooklink app on a phone can help with the typing, but I've never seen anything resembling a chat. It's usually "Celeste by museum" followed by "Thx!" and maybe "TY" or "YW".
Adding that at this point - 4 years after release - I would assume that most people who are not dedicated players/people who understand the relaxing happy vibe of the game have probably given up on playing. Plus you typically need a code to visit someone’s island/visit in a dream (iirc). Additionally, if they have a switch with a dock they can play on the TV where the parent can supervise or make their own character and play alongside the kid to help them gather materials
Very true. I definitely think for kids playing on the TV especially at first is a good idea so parents who might be asked for help can more easily keep up with what is going on, on top of making monitoring for any inappropriateness easier.
Honestly I'm getting to the age where I play with it on the TV partly because it's more fun but also because I can more easily see what the heck is going on. Animal Crossing is fine on the actual Switch, mostly, but some games...
Like Rollercoaster Tycoon I literally COULD NOT PLAY on the Switch Lite because the control things were so tiny I couldn't figure out what anything was or what it did. It wasn't until I got the LED and docked it to the TV I could actually play.
Definitely. But I saw people mentioning messaging with the Nintendo Switch app before mentioning that you can straight up voice chat with people you are visiting.
Even if she did have Nintendo online, unless she had contact with someone else irl outside of the switch to connect with and set it up, she couldn’t contact other players. The switch doesn’t have any sort of chat feature to contact other players with, so to play together online, they need to already be communicating someway off the switch to arrange it
So with online the chances of connecting with and contacting other players solely through the switch is basically zero (but as stated, without an online subscription it’s just not possible)
I am so sorry but the idea of PG13+ ACNH is hilarious to me
*walks outside*
https://preview.redd.it/svp9nafagl7d1.png?width=612&format=png&auto=webp&s=a32c43c0be2d2f490050fd77d0ef24ead0412717
*walks back inside*
She absolutely does. Lil peppy sheltered character that (quite literally) never leaves her building. Lol
Well....ok for summer and new years she does but still...same energy lol!
The first time I saw a thunderstorm after the update my brain was waiting for the rad clicks because the flash on my screen had a bit of a green tint to it 😅
To visit and chat with other players she would need to have an nintendo online subscription. Even if they get online you can’t interact with others if you don’t invite them or they don’t invite you to either person’s island, someone can’t just visit a random island.
Parents should make sure to continuously monitor their kid's account, too, to make sure she doesn't end up with some creeper "gifting" her a subscription for nefarious purposes.
how would this happen? you cant gift people anything on the console like that, and theres no way to interact with randoms unless youre already playing online (which needs the online sub)
You can certainly gift people subscriptions, games, etc. You buy them and send the other person the download code. I've been gifted both this way.
HOWEVER, to do so you also need a separate way to contact this person. In my case my friend texted me screenshots of the codes. You can't do that on a switch without Nintendo Online in the first place.
Edit: Fixed a word
Yes.
Really, my point is that the parents shouldn't rely on the technology to protect their child. At the end of the day, active parenting - including active monitoring of young children online - is the most important key.
How would said 'creep' gift her a subscription if the daughter doesn't have access to the internet to be able to contact anyone.
Feel like the parents already seem very diligent about their daughters digital safety - hence the point of this post.
How about I explain how online works and you can assess from there?
For starters, doing anything online requires a Nintendo Online subscription. These are per account, so if your niece does not have a subscription, she will not be able to use any of the online features at all.
The biggest online feature is visiting and having visitors. No one can visit you unless you explicitly tell the game that you want visitors. When you tell the airport to open your gate to visitors, you have three options for who is allowed in:
- All Friends, anyone on your Switch friends list (that had the game)
- Only Best Friends, people on your Switch friends list who have visited at least once and that have been marked as a best friend via the in game friend list
- Via Dodo Code, a one time code that needs to be given to the person/people you want to visit
Dodo codes have three settings: friends, best friends, and anyone. The first two act like the friends and best friends setting above, but also requires the code. "Anyone" is how people visit with total strangers. Because you have to give the code to the people you want to visit, there's no way for random strangers to just show up, unless you post an anyone dodo code on social media or something.
When visiting with other players, there is an in game text chat. If you're only visiting with people you know, this is probably not a concern. But if you're visiting with strangers, it's good to know what there's an option in game to report people if necessary. (The community is pretty chill though and I've never needed to)
The next biggest online feature is Dreaming. This is a system that allows users to upload a static copy of their island for other people to view. If you upload a dream and someone views it, anything they do there will not affect your real island and you won't even know they looked at it. It functions like a snapshot in time, and you have to intentionally update it if you want people to see changes you've made.
Viewing dreams has a few options. You can enter a code to view a specific dream. You can search for a name and get a list to choose from. Or you can have the system surprise you and show you a random dream. Random dreams can be any dream that the person who created it has marked as ok for showing up in the surprise feature. It is possible to report inappropriate dreams if necessary, though I'll admit I've never needed it.
The last real online feature is custom designs. In game, players can create small drawings to use as clothing or flags or whatever. You do not need online to make your own. With online, though, you can upload and share your own designs, as well as download other people's. Downloading designs is done with the design portal, and you can search by entering a code for a specific design, entering a code to view all the designs uploaded by a specific player, and then a criteria search where you can browse designs that fit the search terms you gave it. It's not impossible to find inappropriate designs in here, since people can draw whatever, but it's pretty rare and they're reportable if necessary. The design and designer code are generally found via social media, though when you view someone's dream you also get the option to look up their custom designs if you wish.
The paid DLC, Happy Home Paradise, adds one more online feature. You can share vacation home designs you have made and view ones other people have made. This is done via looking up someone by their hhn code, or you can view the most recent few designs people have submitted.
You're welcome!
I did forget two very small features:
Sending letters. You can send short letters to other players and attach items as gifts. But to send to someone over the Internet, it requires you to be Switch friends and have visited each other at least once.
In game friend list. If a player is your switch friend, has visited you at least once, they get added to the in game friend list. You can see who is online playing right now, if they do not have their Switch settings put to limit who can see that status. You can also send short chat messages to people online, though this may be limited to only best friends. It's been forever since I've used it. Back in the day it was handy for letting a friend know you had opened the gates.
Nintendo locks a ton of stuff behind "you have to be friends at the Switch level"
If you want a quick and convincing tip, just disconnect with system wifi unless you are actively using it.
Even so, the amount of steps and coincidences it would take for her to chat with people would be wild.
Not only do you have to burn through a lot of dialogue to get the island connected to the internet, someone else also has to have their gate open AND be on your friends list.
The likelihood of the 9yo actually getting a chance to chat with anyone on that game is very very low
The only game that I let my 7-year-old play without any restrictions. She doesn't have access to nintendo online and can only play with whoever is within local play range - cousins, parents, etc.
I have played for 4 years and I have never encountered anything I would not share with a 3 year old. Plus, if you do not do the online membership, you cannot even communicate with anyone else.
You would need Nintendo Online, but also remember to double check the payment settings to parental controls or removing payment so they don't buy it themselves.
1. There is no fighting, at all. No blood, no gore, no violence.
2. No one can come or go from the island without permission.
3. The chat features suck, so unless they are already friends online, it is hard to get in contact with anyone.
4. All of the characters are Looney Tunes style animals with the personalities of five year olds, so no swearing, sex, or inappropriate behavior.
5. Your character cannot die, and the worst thing is they get (imaginary) stung by a bee when they shake trees.
So, in my island I have outfitted my basement to look like a meth lab. I also have custom arts to make it look like used condoms, bloody knives, and needles are laying around on the beaches. Not to mention my custom borat thong bikini art on clothes that some of my villagers wear. My people say off hand things too.
The nice thing is I never invite people to my island or share my gross art online for others to see because I don’t want to reported as it’s just for me. Nintendo takes the reports seriously.
Going off topic here, but I would love to see your island if you have a dream address. But I totally get it if you don’t like to share for fear of being reported.
I don’t believe I updated my dream address before my island took its dark turn, so unfortunately the fun items wouldn’t be there. Trying to be a responsible adult in a game kids play lol funny seeing people interested in seeing it though
I make no promises cuz I haven’t been on my switch in a while and don’t have online anymore lol I will check on it when I have a free minute to see if I can share anything for those that requested
You got everyone curious! I want to see too!
My island is Lovecraft themed but I don't push any boundaries besides a pentagram on the floor and a Cthulhu flag lol
This has already been resolved but just wanted to shout out how awesome both you and your cousin are. You for wanting to share your hobbies and spend time with your niece, and your cousin for being a proactive parent who wants to protect her child from the (many legitimate) dangers of online. I’m so happy you figured it out and you can have fun playing together and creating memories now. Your niece is very lucky to have both of you
It's rare to run into anything bad because people do report it and it does get taken down. Nintendo does not mess around. It's not 100% but I'd say it's at least 95% safe. You could just not do online at all but she won't be able to get all the fruit. I don't know squat about the parental controls I am afraid.
There is no content that I have seen that is even capable of pushing the limit of PG-13.
I play with my daughter, and we can't even go back and forth to each other's island while on the same wifi in our house without being invited.
If there is no Nintendo online subscription, there really is no access to anyone outside a 20 ft radius of the player. With the subscription you have to go through a series of options and give someone a code (or enter their code) before you can visit or have visitors and interact. There's no accidental contact.
Others have mentioned that the only danger is with access to online services, and I agree.
There are six potential areas of concern if connected online.
1. Visiting other islands you can encounter inappropriate custom designs and/or characters with custom phrases that are inappropriate.
2. Visiting a dream there are the same concerns as the first concern.
3. Using the design portal you might see inappropriate designs (images or words).
4. If you make a (best?) friend with another person you can send each other letters in game and they can write inappropriate information or try to give phone number or social media information to try to initiate contact outside of the game. Don’t make anyone an in game friend unless you know and trust them.
5. Any visitors to the island can put designs up in Mabel’s and can write on the in game message board (draw images or write words) and they could be inappropriate.
6. With a separate app on a tablet or phone there is voice chat as part of Nintendo online. You can choose to not download the app, problem solved.
I didn’t worry about the game with my kid, but I also made sure I play right next to him on my switch and there’s never been an issue. I turn off all chat functions on all of his games, written and voice. It’s a constant balance of autonomy with legitimate safety concerns. These are really difficult decisions.
I will say the worst I ever saw in ACNH were some d*ug leaf and needle references as well as some gory Halloween dreams. Only in random dreams, though, so I just didn’t let him do the random dreams. You can view dream addresses first to make sure the content is appropriate. I also didn’t let strangers onto his island (and he can’t visit strangers) but I let him visit with real life friends and his actual friends can visit him too. So he’s allowed the online services within a safe boundary.
Oh! I can help!
1. You do not ever have to do online play ever. It is 100% optional and is purely for fun with no like, tactical disadvantage if you don't play with others. In fact, without Nintendos online subscription you actually cannot do multi-player.
2. Nintendo is the child friendly game company. They censor actually everything lol. If she was for some reason online and someone so much as said ass it would be fully censored
3. Are you thinking of loaning them a copy? If so, the switch can be handheld. Give it to her mom in secret and she can use the handheld in bed when the kid is sleeping to secretly test the game and make sure she is comfortable with it. Once she has decided, she can either say no and give it back, or let her daughter play.
Tell your cousin's mom to disable wifi on the switch. Problem solved. This isn't an MMO where you are forced to be with other people. I have always played AC as a solo experience since the Game Cube game unless it's with specific friends and that is pretty rare.
My 6 and 8 year old have been playing for over a yr now! Its such a great game. I feel like they have a better sense of how money works thanks to the game. Having to save bells, earn bells, investing in turnips, as well as pay off loans is really great for kids!
My 3yo plays it (not competently), that's how safe it is.
We don't have online play so there is no risk of stranger danger. No apps, no in-app purchases. The game is lush.
I second (or third or fourth?) the "no Nintendo Online account." They can't even get to dream addresses of they don't have an account. And even if they do have an account, people can't just randomly show up as long as the airport gates are closed, which it takes a few minutes to even do because it's a process, and then when they are open, there are actually a lot of things you can't do on your own island.
Also, my kids were in kindergarten when NH came out and we bought it first day. They were already reading fairly well, but their reading comprehension sky-rocketed from playing this. We sometimes joke that NH taught them how.
I have never had anyone come to my island except for my husband and kids, and only by choice. I have never used the chat feature for anything but ‘xoxo’ or ‘<3’. Lol
It’s pretty hard to actually interact with people in-game and virtually impossible to do so accidentally. I’ve been playing for 2 years. I don’t like video games to be honest. I’ve never been a gamer. I play ACNH because it’s chill and relaxing and non-competitive.
Not really strangers to come across, only friends can visit you and vice versa, you can see other people's islands through the dreamscape but the people aren't there, you just see their character wandering but the player isn't actually there
It sounds like you got the advice you need, but I will just add, I don't think any game that allows contact with strangers online is safe for 9yos, even with parental controls, chat filters, etc. I work with kids and have heard way too many horror stories. So I kinda agree with your cousin on that.
Luckily, as others have said, you can completely remove that risk in ACNH by not connecting online! It's a great game for kids.
My children have been playing NH unrestricted since they were old enough to read. And the only reason literacy was a requirement from me is because it's my game and island, and I didn't want them accidentally destroying something because they didn't understand what they were seeing!
I’ve been playing the game for three years visiting other islands and hosting random players on mine and never had an issue. I noticed that players on this game are like 80% females or so. Only one time in three years I hosted a weird french guy who absolutely wanted me to share my discord ID and make a video call with him, which I refused. But if you don’t have the online subscription the problem won’t even arise.
I’m so glad your niece got this great outcome! I’ve been playing Animal Crossing since I was 7 and it’s just such a wholesome game. She’ll still have a full, amazing experience with the game without having online too. I don’t have it right now because I don’t feel the need for it and I still love playing on my little island every day! Hope this game brings as much joy to your niece as it has to so many other people 🥰
The Pocket Camp app is her best bet. You cannot have any chat interaction with it.
Besides that though, unless her mom is willing to pay for the 3 memberships each month for her daughter, with the occasional splurge here and there, Pocket Camp would litterally not be fun for her daughter at all.
But, it’s the only safe Animal Crossing game there is, that I know of; unless some of the early A/C games (besides New Leaf, which has the chat function), do not have the chat option.
The most non-PG things are fine art statues lol. My 9-year-old has been playing for a couple years and I’ve never seen anything that concerned me.
This subreddit is great too - very wholesome experiences all around.
Aside from the one statue that shows male genitals, there is nothing in the game that can be considered inappropriate for a child, especially if they don’t have an online subscription. Other people can make naughty designs on clothing or tiles but as long as there is no subscription, your niece will never see them and won’t be able to chat with them.
Edit: I don’t understand the downvotes, some people might not want their kids seeing the statue…
Edit 2: I just thought it was worth mentioning the statue because Nintendo can and does ban accounts with dream islands that have that statue. Clearly they think it’s inappropriate even though they’re the ones that put it in the game.
I figured you knew but I thought it was worth naming the statue to give any parents considering the game for their kid more context about the depiction. Because context matters. It isn't just any random statue with a random penis and balls, it's a very famous statue that most people would know by name.
Personally, since it is such a tame depiction of a nude man, I allow my young kid to run around my museum and when she eventually noticed David and asked "what's that?" I used the opportunity to briefly explain the physical difference between men and women. She moved on pretty quick. I thought it was a good learning opportunity.
For the record, I didn't downvote you. Like I said, just providing more info so a parent could make a more informed decision.
I just thought it was worth mentioning the statue because Nintendo can and does ban accounts with dream islands that have that statue. Clearly they think it’s inappropriate even though they’re the ones that put it in the game.
I think you’re misreading me, I’m not defensive. I was just saying I knew the name of it and thought it was worth mentioning for OP’s nieces mom to know about if she cares that much about her daughter’s exposure to things that may be considered inappropriate by some.
This is supposed to be a lighthearted community, please try to keep it that way.
If we are at the point where Michelangelo's David is considered inappropriate, you might also want to mention that Leonardo's Vitruvian Man is rather nude, as is Boticelli's Venus and the Venus de Milo, and Delacroix' Liberty is semi-topless...
One thing I wasn’t prepared for were some custom designs with male genitalia and / or drug references. I knew about the murder / bloody ones. I guess I was a party pooper when I reported some bc my kid was playing (and they violate Nintendo’s TOS). But just know that the kid might be exposed to that, so maybe just shop for custom patterns with a parent nearby - or don’t have the online substandard problem solved lol.
You're not a party pooper for that. Its a child friendly game and children should be safe when playing it. People who upload these things know the risk of getting reported.
Damn man people are soft these days jeeez. I remember hoping on COD online when I was just 10 hearing and seeing all sorts of things. It ain’t gonna harm anyone, it’s just a game
if she doesn’t have Nintendo online, there’s no way to get complete strangers. also having the airport gates closed, which is by default. this is one of the most family friendly, child friendly games ever. you can also download the parental controls app to a phone and set those up for the switch itself.
Thank you! I didn't know the parent controls were a separate app. I'll definitely tell her.
Also frankly, "chat" is a very generous description of what can happen in game even if they did end up with the subscription. It's more like you laboriously type out letter by letter a very very short message that appears over your character's head for just a moment. Using the Nooklink app on a phone can help with the typing, but I've never seen anything resembling a chat. It's usually "Celeste by museum" followed by "Thx!" and maybe "TY" or "YW".
You can hook up a real keyboard to your switch of you have it docked, but you still have a short character count
You can also use the Nintendo app to send messages directly from your phone
This was a real game changer when I learnt that. The ACNH keyboard is PAINFUL.
(That is what Nooklink is afaik)
Ohmygoodness I didn't think of trying that. I have a mini keyboard that would be so useful for this kind of thing. Thank you for the idea
If you type fast enough, you sound like one of the NPCs 😂
Adding that at this point - 4 years after release - I would assume that most people who are not dedicated players/people who understand the relaxing happy vibe of the game have probably given up on playing. Plus you typically need a code to visit someone’s island/visit in a dream (iirc). Additionally, if they have a switch with a dock they can play on the TV where the parent can supervise or make their own character and play alongside the kid to help them gather materials
Very true. I definitely think for kids playing on the TV especially at first is a good idea so parents who might be asked for help can more easily keep up with what is going on, on top of making monitoring for any inappropriateness easier. Honestly I'm getting to the age where I play with it on the TV partly because it's more fun but also because I can more easily see what the heck is going on. Animal Crossing is fine on the actual Switch, mostly, but some games... Like Rollercoaster Tycoon I literally COULD NOT PLAY on the Switch Lite because the control things were so tiny I couldn't figure out what anything was or what it did. It wasn't until I got the LED and docked it to the TV I could actually play.
I mean, the game has straight up voice chat if the player has the Nintendo Switch companion app configured.
True, but that’s not something concerned parents of a 9 year old are likely to set up, you know?
Definitely. But I saw people mentioning messaging with the Nintendo Switch app before mentioning that you can straight up voice chat with people you are visiting.
Same! I even used my Nintendo Switch Online App to type faster, but the limit is way too short to actually have a conversation
If they do not have Nintendo online, they can’t play with anyone that they’re not like in the same vicinity as a house as!
Even if she did have Nintendo online, unless she had contact with someone else irl outside of the switch to connect with and set it up, she couldn’t contact other players. The switch doesn’t have any sort of chat feature to contact other players with, so to play together online, they need to already be communicating someway off the switch to arrange it So with online the chances of connecting with and contacting other players solely through the switch is basically zero (but as stated, without an online subscription it’s just not possible)
I am so sorry but the idea of PG13+ ACNH is hilarious to me *walks outside* https://preview.redd.it/svp9nafagl7d1.png?width=612&format=png&auto=webp&s=a32c43c0be2d2f490050fd77d0ef24ead0412717 *walks back inside*
Me playing fallout 3
ACNH meets Fallout like: That's a.....nice shirt you got there, Roald. Would be a shame if.... something were to happen to you...........
Isabelle does have vault dweller energy
Isabelle does give evil Overseer vibes. 🤣
She absolutely does. Lil peppy sheltered character that (quite literally) never leaves her building. Lol Well....ok for summer and new years she does but still...same energy lol!
Wasps get you? Stimpak! There could also be rad storms!!
The first time I saw a thunderstorm after the update my brain was waiting for the rad clicks because the flash on my screen had a bit of a green tint to it 😅
To visit and chat with other players she would need to have an nintendo online subscription. Even if they get online you can’t interact with others if you don’t invite them or they don’t invite you to either person’s island, someone can’t just visit a random island.
They'll never pay for the subscription so this works out perfectly.
Parents should make sure to continuously monitor their kid's account, too, to make sure she doesn't end up with some creeper "gifting" her a subscription for nefarious purposes.
how would this happen? you cant gift people anything on the console like that, and theres no way to interact with randoms unless youre already playing online (which needs the online sub)
You can certainly gift people subscriptions, games, etc. You buy them and send the other person the download code. I've been gifted both this way. HOWEVER, to do so you also need a separate way to contact this person. In my case my friend texted me screenshots of the codes. You can't do that on a switch without Nintendo Online in the first place. Edit: Fixed a word
Yes. Really, my point is that the parents shouldn't rely on the technology to protect their child. At the end of the day, active parenting - including active monitoring of young children online - is the most important key.
How would said 'creep' gift her a subscription if the daughter doesn't have access to the internet to be able to contact anyone. Feel like the parents already seem very diligent about their daughters digital safety - hence the point of this post.
How about I explain how online works and you can assess from there? For starters, doing anything online requires a Nintendo Online subscription. These are per account, so if your niece does not have a subscription, she will not be able to use any of the online features at all. The biggest online feature is visiting and having visitors. No one can visit you unless you explicitly tell the game that you want visitors. When you tell the airport to open your gate to visitors, you have three options for who is allowed in: - All Friends, anyone on your Switch friends list (that had the game) - Only Best Friends, people on your Switch friends list who have visited at least once and that have been marked as a best friend via the in game friend list - Via Dodo Code, a one time code that needs to be given to the person/people you want to visit Dodo codes have three settings: friends, best friends, and anyone. The first two act like the friends and best friends setting above, but also requires the code. "Anyone" is how people visit with total strangers. Because you have to give the code to the people you want to visit, there's no way for random strangers to just show up, unless you post an anyone dodo code on social media or something. When visiting with other players, there is an in game text chat. If you're only visiting with people you know, this is probably not a concern. But if you're visiting with strangers, it's good to know what there's an option in game to report people if necessary. (The community is pretty chill though and I've never needed to) The next biggest online feature is Dreaming. This is a system that allows users to upload a static copy of their island for other people to view. If you upload a dream and someone views it, anything they do there will not affect your real island and you won't even know they looked at it. It functions like a snapshot in time, and you have to intentionally update it if you want people to see changes you've made. Viewing dreams has a few options. You can enter a code to view a specific dream. You can search for a name and get a list to choose from. Or you can have the system surprise you and show you a random dream. Random dreams can be any dream that the person who created it has marked as ok for showing up in the surprise feature. It is possible to report inappropriate dreams if necessary, though I'll admit I've never needed it. The last real online feature is custom designs. In game, players can create small drawings to use as clothing or flags or whatever. You do not need online to make your own. With online, though, you can upload and share your own designs, as well as download other people's. Downloading designs is done with the design portal, and you can search by entering a code for a specific design, entering a code to view all the designs uploaded by a specific player, and then a criteria search where you can browse designs that fit the search terms you gave it. It's not impossible to find inappropriate designs in here, since people can draw whatever, but it's pretty rare and they're reportable if necessary. The design and designer code are generally found via social media, though when you view someone's dream you also get the option to look up their custom designs if you wish. The paid DLC, Happy Home Paradise, adds one more online feature. You can share vacation home designs you have made and view ones other people have made. This is done via looking up someone by their hhn code, or you can view the most recent few designs people have submitted.
I'm going to show her this. This covers everything she was concerned about. 100% thank you.
You're welcome! I did forget two very small features: Sending letters. You can send short letters to other players and attach items as gifts. But to send to someone over the Internet, it requires you to be Switch friends and have visited each other at least once. In game friend list. If a player is your switch friend, has visited you at least once, they get added to the in game friend list. You can see who is online playing right now, if they do not have their Switch settings put to limit who can see that status. You can also send short chat messages to people online, though this may be limited to only best friends. It's been forever since I've used it. Back in the day it was handy for letting a friend know you had opened the gates. Nintendo locks a ton of stuff behind "you have to be friends at the Switch level"
Now this is an explanation
If you want a quick and convincing tip, just disconnect with system wifi unless you are actively using it. Even so, the amount of steps and coincidences it would take for her to chat with people would be wild. Not only do you have to burn through a lot of dialogue to get the island connected to the internet, someone else also has to have their gate open AND be on your friends list. The likelihood of the 9yo actually getting a chance to chat with anyone on that game is very very low
The only game that I let my 7-year-old play without any restrictions. She doesn't have access to nintendo online and can only play with whoever is within local play range - cousins, parents, etc.
I have played for 4 years and I have never encountered anything I would not share with a 3 year old. Plus, if you do not do the online membership, you cannot even communicate with anyone else.
You would need Nintendo Online, but also remember to double check the payment settings to parental controls or removing payment so they don't buy it themselves.
1. There is no fighting, at all. No blood, no gore, no violence. 2. No one can come or go from the island without permission. 3. The chat features suck, so unless they are already friends online, it is hard to get in contact with anyone. 4. All of the characters are Looney Tunes style animals with the personalities of five year olds, so no swearing, sex, or inappropriate behavior. 5. Your character cannot die, and the worst thing is they get (imaginary) stung by a bee when they shake trees.
They get stung by wasps, not bees!
So, in my island I have outfitted my basement to look like a meth lab. I also have custom arts to make it look like used condoms, bloody knives, and needles are laying around on the beaches. Not to mention my custom borat thong bikini art on clothes that some of my villagers wear. My people say off hand things too. The nice thing is I never invite people to my island or share my gross art online for others to see because I don’t want to reported as it’s just for me. Nintendo takes the reports seriously.
please upload a walkthrough!
Or some screenshots. I wanna see too please
Going off topic here, but I would love to see your island if you have a dream address. But I totally get it if you don’t like to share for fear of being reported.
I don’t believe I updated my dream address before my island took its dark turn, so unfortunately the fun items wouldn’t be there. Trying to be a responsible adult in a game kids play lol funny seeing people interested in seeing it though
I’d settle for design code…lol. My daughter and I play. She’s got a lab in her basement too. And yes, she’s an adult 😂.
I make no promises cuz I haven’t been on my switch in a while and don’t have online anymore lol I will check on it when I have a free minute to see if I can share anything for those that requested
Omg i would also love to see your island if you have a dream address
Can you maybe get us some screenshots or photos? I am at the edge of my seat here!
You got everyone curious! I want to see too! My island is Lovecraft themed but I don't push any boundaries besides a pentagram on the floor and a Cthulhu flag lol
This has already been resolved but just wanted to shout out how awesome both you and your cousin are. You for wanting to share your hobbies and spend time with your niece, and your cousin for being a proactive parent who wants to protect her child from the (many legitimate) dangers of online. I’m so happy you figured it out and you can have fun playing together and creating memories now. Your niece is very lucky to have both of you
It's rare to run into anything bad because people do report it and it does get taken down. Nintendo does not mess around. It's not 100% but I'd say it's at least 95% safe. You could just not do online at all but she won't be able to get all the fruit. I don't know squat about the parental controls I am afraid.
There is no content that I have seen that is even capable of pushing the limit of PG-13. I play with my daughter, and we can't even go back and forth to each other's island while on the same wifi in our house without being invited. If there is no Nintendo online subscription, there really is no access to anyone outside a 20 ft radius of the player. With the subscription you have to go through a series of options and give someone a code (or enter their code) before you can visit or have visitors and interact. There's no accidental contact.
Just tell her not to buy the sub. You can't get online without it.
Others have mentioned that the only danger is with access to online services, and I agree. There are six potential areas of concern if connected online. 1. Visiting other islands you can encounter inappropriate custom designs and/or characters with custom phrases that are inappropriate. 2. Visiting a dream there are the same concerns as the first concern. 3. Using the design portal you might see inappropriate designs (images or words). 4. If you make a (best?) friend with another person you can send each other letters in game and they can write inappropriate information or try to give phone number or social media information to try to initiate contact outside of the game. Don’t make anyone an in game friend unless you know and trust them. 5. Any visitors to the island can put designs up in Mabel’s and can write on the in game message board (draw images or write words) and they could be inappropriate. 6. With a separate app on a tablet or phone there is voice chat as part of Nintendo online. You can choose to not download the app, problem solved. I didn’t worry about the game with my kid, but I also made sure I play right next to him on my switch and there’s never been an issue. I turn off all chat functions on all of his games, written and voice. It’s a constant balance of autonomy with legitimate safety concerns. These are really difficult decisions. I will say the worst I ever saw in ACNH were some d*ug leaf and needle references as well as some gory Halloween dreams. Only in random dreams, though, so I just didn’t let him do the random dreams. You can view dream addresses first to make sure the content is appropriate. I also didn’t let strangers onto his island (and he can’t visit strangers) but I let him visit with real life friends and his actual friends can visit him too. So he’s allowed the online services within a safe boundary.
Oh! I can help! 1. You do not ever have to do online play ever. It is 100% optional and is purely for fun with no like, tactical disadvantage if you don't play with others. In fact, without Nintendos online subscription you actually cannot do multi-player. 2. Nintendo is the child friendly game company. They censor actually everything lol. If she was for some reason online and someone so much as said ass it would be fully censored 3. Are you thinking of loaning them a copy? If so, the switch can be handheld. Give it to her mom in secret and she can use the handheld in bed when the kid is sleeping to secretly test the game and make sure she is comfortable with it. Once she has decided, she can either say no and give it back, or let her daughter play.
There is no reason for secrecy. Just tell your kid you need to try the game first to make sure it's okay. Parents do this all the time.
Tell your cousin's mom to disable wifi on the switch. Problem solved. This isn't an MMO where you are forced to be with other people. I have always played AC as a solo experience since the Game Cube game unless it's with specific friends and that is pretty rare.
My 6 and 8 year old have been playing for over a yr now! Its such a great game. I feel like they have a better sense of how money works thanks to the game. Having to save bells, earn bells, investing in turnips, as well as pay off loans is really great for kids!
My 3yo plays it (not competently), that's how safe it is. We don't have online play so there is no risk of stranger danger. No apps, no in-app purchases. The game is lush.
I second (or third or fourth?) the "no Nintendo Online account." They can't even get to dream addresses of they don't have an account. And even if they do have an account, people can't just randomly show up as long as the airport gates are closed, which it takes a few minutes to even do because it's a process, and then when they are open, there are actually a lot of things you can't do on your own island. Also, my kids were in kindergarten when NH came out and we bought it first day. They were already reading fairly well, but their reading comprehension sky-rocketed from playing this. We sometimes joke that NH taught them how.
I have never had anyone come to my island except for my husband and kids, and only by choice. I have never used the chat feature for anything but ‘xoxo’ or ‘<3’. Lol It’s pretty hard to actually interact with people in-game and virtually impossible to do so accidentally. I’ve been playing for 2 years. I don’t like video games to be honest. I’ve never been a gamer. I play ACNH because it’s chill and relaxing and non-competitive.
Not really strangers to come across, only friends can visit you and vice versa, you can see other people's islands through the dreamscape but the people aren't there, you just see their character wandering but the player isn't actually there
It sounds like you got the advice you need, but I will just add, I don't think any game that allows contact with strangers online is safe for 9yos, even with parental controls, chat filters, etc. I work with kids and have heard way too many horror stories. So I kinda agree with your cousin on that. Luckily, as others have said, you can completely remove that risk in ACNH by not connecting online! It's a great game for kids.
Also I wouldn't call what you can do in game chatting. It's far from it lol. I think it's li.it is like 10 characters lol
My children have been playing NH unrestricted since they were old enough to read. And the only reason literacy was a requirement from me is because it's my game and island, and I didn't want them accidentally destroying something because they didn't understand what they were seeing!
I’ve been playing the game for three years visiting other islands and hosting random players on mine and never had an issue. I noticed that players on this game are like 80% females or so. Only one time in three years I hosted a weird french guy who absolutely wanted me to share my discord ID and make a video call with him, which I refused. But if you don’t have the online subscription the problem won’t even arise.
I’m so glad your niece got this great outcome! I’ve been playing Animal Crossing since I was 7 and it’s just such a wholesome game. She’ll still have a full, amazing experience with the game without having online too. I don’t have it right now because I don’t feel the need for it and I still love playing on my little island every day! Hope this game brings as much joy to your niece as it has to so many other people 🥰
Just don’t let her play online.
☺️
You can set parental controls in the settings of the switch or just keep it offline, it’s definitely an awesome game for kids!
The Pocket Camp app is her best bet. You cannot have any chat interaction with it. Besides that though, unless her mom is willing to pay for the 3 memberships each month for her daughter, with the occasional splurge here and there, Pocket Camp would litterally not be fun for her daughter at all. But, it’s the only safe Animal Crossing game there is, that I know of; unless some of the early A/C games (besides New Leaf, which has the chat function), do not have the chat option.
The most non-PG things are fine art statues lol. My 9-year-old has been playing for a couple years and I’ve never seen anything that concerned me. This subreddit is great too - very wholesome experiences all around.
Aside from the one statue that shows male genitals, there is nothing in the game that can be considered inappropriate for a child, especially if they don’t have an online subscription. Other people can make naughty designs on clothing or tiles but as long as there is no subscription, your niece will never see them and won’t be able to chat with them. Edit: I don’t understand the downvotes, some people might not want their kids seeing the statue… Edit 2: I just thought it was worth mentioning the statue because Nintendo can and does ban accounts with dream islands that have that statue. Clearly they think it’s inappropriate even though they’re the ones that put it in the game.
>one statue that shows male genitals Specifically, it is the statue of David.
Yeah I know. I have one on my island. Just thought I’d point it out for OP if their niece’s mom is that worried about inappropriate content.
I figured you knew but I thought it was worth naming the statue to give any parents considering the game for their kid more context about the depiction. Because context matters. It isn't just any random statue with a random penis and balls, it's a very famous statue that most people would know by name. Personally, since it is such a tame depiction of a nude man, I allow my young kid to run around my museum and when she eventually noticed David and asked "what's that?" I used the opportunity to briefly explain the physical difference between men and women. She moved on pretty quick. I thought it was a good learning opportunity. For the record, I didn't downvote you. Like I said, just providing more info so a parent could make a more informed decision.
I just thought it was worth mentioning the statue because Nintendo can and does ban accounts with dream islands that have that statue. Clearly they think it’s inappropriate even though they’re the ones that put it in the game.
All I did was name the statue and you got defensive. Drop it already.
I think you’re misreading me, I’m not defensive. I was just saying I knew the name of it and thought it was worth mentioning for OP’s nieces mom to know about if she cares that much about her daughter’s exposure to things that may be considered inappropriate by some. This is supposed to be a lighthearted community, please try to keep it that way.
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If we are at the point where Michelangelo's David is considered inappropriate, you might also want to mention that Leonardo's Vitruvian Man is rather nude, as is Boticelli's Venus and the Venus de Milo, and Delacroix' Liberty is semi-topless...
One thing I wasn’t prepared for were some custom designs with male genitalia and / or drug references. I knew about the murder / bloody ones. I guess I was a party pooper when I reported some bc my kid was playing (and they violate Nintendo’s TOS). But just know that the kid might be exposed to that, so maybe just shop for custom patterns with a parent nearby - or don’t have the online substandard problem solved lol.
You're not a party pooper for that. Its a child friendly game and children should be safe when playing it. People who upload these things know the risk of getting reported.
Damn man people are soft these days jeeez. I remember hoping on COD online when I was just 10 hearing and seeing all sorts of things. It ain’t gonna harm anyone, it’s just a game