Five Nintendo Switch Games You Might Like As A Reader: Cosy Edition!
If you're like me, or like many others out there, you may have finally decided to buy yourself a Nintendo Switch over lockdown, or you might have already had one.
I bought mine very recently and I have absolutely no regrets! And, of course, I got some of the more popular games, like Breath Of The Wild and Mario Odyssey, but there are also a few cosy games that I got and have played and some that I really want to play.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
If you've heard about the Nintendo Switch, or have thought about getting one at all, you'll know about Animal Crossing.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a life simulation game, in which your character moves to a deserted island and begins to rebuild it and customise it. You collect materials to craft items, make money and buy furniture and other decorations.
This game is made to play a little each day, rather than being able to binge-play it and finish it in a couple of weeks. Animal Crossing can be played for hundreds of hours and still give players more to do, as the player tries to unlock new characters and villagers on their island, visit their friends on their islands and work on decorating the island to make it exactly the way they want it.
Basically, if you want a game that you can play to switch off, something you can play for anything between ten minutes and a couple of hours, a game with cute graphics and relaxing actions and sweet music, this is absolutely one for you.
For me, this game is what I go for when I've had a busy day or I just want to take it easy, same reason why I pick up a small town romance novel or an easy read that I know won't take me long but I'll be able to immerse myself into. Animal Crossing has a sort of story, and you need to make progress, have conversations with characters and kind of move through the game as you would a story.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a game that, although it's a lot more well known now and is available on many different platforms, I would still refer to as niche. It's an indie farming simulator game in which the player moves to their grandfather's farm and has to fix it up. The player must start making money by selling crops,
fishing and mining.
As you progress through the game, you can begin constructing buildings and have more to do in your farm, such as raising animals and making artisan products. You also need to create friendships and relationships with the other people living in the town and, eventually, can even get married and have children.
Stardew Valley has a very similar feel to the old Harvest Moon games, so if you've ever played any of those, there's a good chance you'll love this one. This game also has some new aspects that weren't in the Harvest Moon games. For example, the Community Center is a building that the player works towards restoring (it can take a long time) and as they restore each section, they get rewards. There are also a lot more monsters that need to be fought when mining, as well as more rewards to collect from the caves. Plus, there is the aspect of unlocking new areas and characters as you progress through the game.
Stardew Valley can be a fairly repetitive game, but I can't say that it gets boring. Each time you play, you find yourself unlocking more things and working towards different goals. This is the sort of game I play when I want to unwind but still want to play a game in which I can progress and earn money and keep going for as long as I would like.
This game gives me the feel of a book that you read even though you know the outcome, you know what's coming, but you read it anyway because you enjoy it and you want to see what happens along the way.
Story of Seasons
Speaking of farming simulators and Harvest Moon, STORY OF SEASONS!! So here's what you need to know about Story of Seasons: the original company that used to make Harvest Moon games split into two companies, one that now continues to make Harvest Moon games and the other now makes Story of Seasons games. In my opinion, the Story of Seasons are by far the better option!
Story of Seasons have two games out for now - Friends of Mineral Town (which is a remake of the old Friends of Mineral Town game) and Pioneers of Olive Town.
If you like the idea of farming games, these games are absolutely for you. One thing is for sure though, there is a lot less to do than there is in Stardew Valley. I know some people prefer this, because they can focus more on one thing rather than trying to do too many things at once, whereas others prefer the busy schedule of a Stardew Valley day.
Personally, I play the games for different reasons: Stardew when I'm wanting something a bit more intense and Story of Seasons when I'm looking for something a bit more chilled, but with a different sort of storyline. The graphics are also very different between the games, as with Stardew, we have pixelated graphics but Story of Seasons is much more 3D animation and I have to say, it looks gorgeous.
In Story of Seasons, you definitely have more time to talk to the villagers and romance the person you want to marry, which I like at times. It's nice to hear the dialogue and witness all of the heart events, whereas the events in Stardew are usually something I just stumble upon and speed read.
So, yes, story of seasons is a bit more relaxed as a farming simulator but has absolutely gorgeous graphics, so I recommend you check it out!
Coral Island
Last farming simulator-esque game, I swear!
So Coral Island is an up and coming farming simulator game (I know, you can tell I have a thing for farming simulators), and at first glance it seems very much like Stardew Valley. However, when we look into the game a little bit more, the differences are very obvious.
For starters, Coral Island is a 3D game rather than a pixelated one (and seriously, the graphics look GORGEOUS). Aside from the difference in setting (which I LOVE), Coral Island also gives the player opportunities to dive in the reefs searching for coral, as well as meet and unlock the Mermaid and Giant kingdoms. Does this sound brilliant or does this sound brilliant?
As a fantasy lover, this is the sort of thing I want to be playing! You can even marry one of two mermaid suitors and have kids (although I have no clue about the logistics, this aspect once again calls to the fantasy lover inside of me).
Sadly, we don't yet have a release date for this intriguing game, and there are SO many more features I could talk about, but I suggest you look into it if only to see the graphics because they seriously are gorgeous. This is absolutely one I'm excited for.
Pokemon: Let's Go
If you ever played Pokemon as a child, or watched the cartoon, you will know exactly why Pokemon is on this list.
I swear, I lived on the Pokemon games and could (and still can, actually) play the games for hours and hours and hours on end without getting bored. With the little stories within the big overall story, this game definitely appeals.
Pokemon: Let's Go is actually a remake of the old Pokemon Yellow game (in my opinion, by far the best one) and whilst the gameplay is interesting and keeps you going, it's also a relaxing game, as it's 3D and just running/flying/swimming around is lovely to see.
Of course, with Pokemon, there is the fighting element between the Pokemon, but it's nothing like the stress levels you have when playing Assassin's Creed or COD. No, this is more of a relaxed, turn-based sort of thing.
If you like long book series, or manga, this could definitely be a good option for you!
So anyway, whether you have a Nintendo Switch, are looking to get one, or just want to watch some gameplay, I definitely recommend these games!