It Seems As If Nook's Cranny Is Closed For Everybody In Animal Crossing Today

Animal Crossing: New Horizons might primarily be a game you play solo or with a small group of people, but one of the fun things about it is the sense of community that surrounds it. Some of that stems from the use of a real-time clock; for better or worse, we all played through Bunny Day together, experienced the first fishing tournament at the same time, and will get to check out the Nature Day stuff soon. While those were events pre-scheduled for certain days, it seems like a lot of people are now going through the same experience despite it not being tied to a specific date: Nook's Cranny is temporarily closed for upgrades.

Like so many other elements of New Horizons, the precise upgrade requirements aren't made clear in the game. Similar to the founding of the Able Sisters store, it's something that seemingly just happens, unless you're paying close attention to your actions and cross-referencing with guides or the experiences of other players. Upgrading Nook's Cranny has proven a much longer-term project than in previous games, and with the game recently passing the one-month mark since its release, many players are checking off one of the apparent requirements for the upgrade. That seems to involve having 30 days pass after you first opened Nook's Cranny.

This has thrown a wrench into the turnip market for some; as part of the upgrade, Nook's Cranny becomes unavailable for a day. That means depriving you of two precious chances to check turnip prices for a spike. Unless you're truly min/maxing, that's ultimately not the end of the world, particularly since you still can travel to someone else's island if they have a good price and their store is open. Anecdotally at least, it does seem like a lot of people are in the process of upgrading Nook's Cranny recently, which means those who share their prices with friends are missing out on a bunch of potential opportunities for a spike. As a result, this might drive awareness to some of the websites that have emerged, such as one that lets you find strangers' islands where you can sell turnips at high prices.

In the meantime, players are left twiddling their thumbs and wondering what would have been for sale. It's short-term pain for a long-term gain, as the upgraded Nook's Cranny will have a broader selection of items, but what if today was the day with that fireplace I want? The impending closure of the store also sent me scrambling earlier when I went through this, as I had to ensure that none of the villagers on my island or my wife's were having a birthday. I like to wrap up their gifts and am fresh out of wrapping paper, but more importantly, I needed to secure a potential present because I'm a bad neighbor and friend who buys gifts at the last possible moment. Sorry, Stu, but looks like you're getting a pair of shoes you can't seem to wear.

The time I spent playing with the store closed is reminiscent of playing late at night: There's little urgency to grab things like shells, and there's lots of chucking items into massive piles in front of Nook's Cranny to sell the next day. The overnight drop box is unavailable during Nook's Cranny's upgrade, but like hell I'm taking 80 cents on the dollar for anything, anyway. (Here's hoping Nintendo plans to reintroduce the ability to shift the store's hours to stay open later.) So much of the game revolves around the store--fish and bugs are piling up with no immediate use, and I'm forced to put my loan repayment (and thus my next home upgrade) on hold for a day. I'm trying not to fret, because I'm continuing to fight my urge to rush everything along as quickly as possible, but today is serving as a reminder that the Nook family rules all.

Have you upgraded Nook's Cranny yet, and if so, how is the store's closure impacting the way you play? Let us know in the comments below.