Animal Crossing: New Horizons, one of the year’s most hotly anticipated video games, will hit the shelves later this month (March 20). It comes eight years after the popular franchise’s New Leaf installment, so suffice it to say, fans are beyond hyped. (And freaking out over the fact you can toast bread, among other new features.)
If you’ve pre-ordered the Nintendo Switch title, or plan to buy it, mark your calendars: Mason’s Kitty Brew Cat Cafe is hosting a release party from 7-9 p.m. on April 3. What better way to celebrate Animal Crossing — a game in which players interact with anthropomorphic critters — than to be surrounded by adoptable cats IRL?
For those not in the know, New Horizons is set on a deserted island, but that doesn’t mean you’ll escape Tom Nook, a Hawaiian-shirt-wearing raccoon from whom you’ll buy a home (a tent that you can upgrade) and be indebted to for most of game. Isabelle, a sweet and blonde shih tzu, will also help you get acquainted to your new digs.
Between fishing, collecting resources, hunting insects and completing goals, you’ll be able to build your own paradise from the ground-up. As the game progresses, new residents (who, by the way, are all adorable) will move in.
Bring your Switch and copy of New Horizons to Kitty Brew to hang out on other players’ islands. The release’s multiplayer elements are a big draw; up to four players can now live in the same town (using the same Switch) and collaborate on various activities. You can also visit other islands or invite friends to your own, both online and locally to different Switch systems.
The party is $25 and includes pizza, popcorn, beverages (soda, juice or drip coffee), as well as entry to the Cat Lounge. Espresso and blended drinks will be available for an additional cost. Space is limited; you can RSVP your spot at kittybrew.com/reservations.
This article appears in Mar 4-17, 2020.
