When the spread of the coronavirus forced a couple to cancel their wedding ceremony, the groom-to-be decided that the show must go on. On March 22, he threw his fiancée a surprise “wedding” inside the popular Nintendo game, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.”

Nazmul Ahmed invited Sharmin Asha over to his island to “gather resources” as part of the game. When she arrived, digital versions of their friends were already there to greet her.

He gave her avatar a dress to wear and roses to hold, everything a bride-to-be could want in the digital world. The surprise worked.

They’re not the only ones using “Animal Crossing” to defeat their coronavirus woes. Gamers all over social media have spent weekends posting screenshots and stories of their virtual get-togethers, often with hilarious results.

While visiting a friend’s island, you can catch bugs together, plant flowers, decorate the town, or even just sit down and chat. There are no enemies to defeat or levels to beat — just an idyllic nature setting for players to enjoy.

“I think we really enjoy having a socializing aspect, because we haven’t been able to see our friends and go over and hang out in person,” Asha said. “Even just having them over and hosting them on my island virtually, it really feels like we’re hanging out. It feels so nice just to have physical contact virtually, in a sense.”

The Nintendo Switch has been in high demand during the pandemic, selling out on multiple websites.

The Switch has even attracted a new wave of fans who were once disinterested in gaming. In March, it sold 5 million digital copies, the most digital copies of a console title in a single month, according to Nielsen’s SuperData, which analyzes the gaming industry.

The game rewards creativity, and with the crafting and drawing tools available in-game, players can make nearly any scenario into a virtual reality.

Other players have simply used “Animal Crossing” to re-create the friend groups they’re missing in real life. (SD-Agencies)