Without getting out of bed, I chop some wood, maybe craft a fishing rod or a swinging bench. If I run out of materials, I fly to a deserted island and strip all its natural resources. No, I’m not a 17th century European colonizer — I’m just playing “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.”

The premise of the game is a classic life simulation, except you live on an island inhabited by really cute animals.

There’s not really a goal to the game, you just slowly collect furniture and clothes, and pay off your debt with a steady income of selling bugs and fish.

"Animal Crossing" has been around since the mid-2000s, but it’s more than a vessel for childhood nostalgia. Almost all the Gen Zers that I know — including myself — are playing the new release: “New Horizons.” Social media is flooded with wholesome videos and memes about how the game is helping us get through one of the most disruptive events in our collective memory.