My Favourite Relaxing Games on the Nintendo Switch

I finally got a switch in May of 2020. Everyone was having fun with Animal Crossing and I wanted to join in. I wanted to get one in March but they were sold out for month. I finally got my hands on one and I was so excited! I could have burst open with joy.

Now 2 years later I have more than just Animal Crossing to play. I wanted to share my favourites with you today. You'll probably notice I really like games with an open world, play your way, crafting kind of thing. I just find the decorating and crafting really nice and relaxing.

Since it's the reason I got a Switch let's start with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This was my first AC game. I'd never really seen it until this latest game where everyone was playing it. It looked super cute and I love open creativity games. I jumped right into it when I got home with my Switch and I think I played all night, literally.

Early game in Animal Crossing there is so much to do. Lots of bugs and fish to collect, collect Nook Miles to pay off your moving fees. I think you can even get Timmy to ask for supplies for a shop in the first day.

I love the terraforming and decorating aspects. Though 800 hours of play later and my island is still a mess I've finished a few spots and it's supper cute! I also love the collecting in the game. There are fish, bugs and sea creatures to collect as well as tons of achievement stamps. I've finished all my critter collecting but I'd say I'm only about 60% done with the achievements.

There are over 397 different villagers spread across 35 different animal types. You only get to have 10 living with you at a time though. I wished they'd add a few more spots but your island could start to get laggy. There are also 8 personality types for villagers. My favourite is Sisterly and Snooty. The snooty ones are actually kind of sweet.

Smug is my least favourite. I have a smug frog that has been on my island since the second or third day I played and I can't get him to move out. The frogs are so tiny and cute but he's really annoying.

You can only have 10 animals living on the island but there are also NPCs that visit your island and offer tasks for you. They are very very cute! Flick is my favourite. There are 10 NPC visitors that go on rotation. You'll have someone every day.

There is also a story arc in Animal Crossing. Tom Nook tasks you with building up the island to attract the attention of K.K. Slider. A famous dog musician who Tom is the biggest fan of. To a bit of a creepy point but it's not that bad.

After you complete the tasks Tom Nook has asked of you KK sings and the credits play. You have offically finished the game. Tom then gives you full control to shape the island how you want.

There is also DLC to New Horizons called Happy Home Paradise. It adds another story to the game when Lotty comes to ask for your help to design villager vacation homes. It adds loads of home decoation options and after you complete the story you can remodel your own villagers homes. Some of them have really ugly houses but are sweet characters so I was super psyched for that part.

I recently joined in on the Stardew Valley fun! I wasn't interested at first because I didn't like the art style at first. Then I ran out GabSmolders videos to watch so I checked out the Stardew videos on her channel. I ended up binging it all day while doing other stuff and got hooked.

So I had to get the game and dude it's so addictive! The day cycle has a way of sucking you in. The days feel too short and you spend almost half of it in the earlier days tending to your crops and petting your animals. There is also crafting, fishing, mining, tons of cute stories from the towns people that you learn as you befriend them, and seasonal events.

The days are 13.5 minutes and you have 28 days per season to grow your seasonal crops. You have to balance taking care of the animals and farm with fishing, mining for resources and getting to know the people in town. You have quests to complete and

Stardew also has a decorating draw. There are loads of cute items that can be placed around the farm and you can even customize your building you have the local carpenter build for you. It really makes it so no farm is like another and I think that is super cute!

Next let's talk about Subnautica. I love this game so much!!! The scenery is so damn pretty! You crash land on an alien plant that is something like 95% water and you have to survive the ocean filled with vivid plants and fish. You have a drop pod that can make anything you have recipe and materials for. So food and water are easier to come by.

The story the game is really cool and learning about the planet and it's flora and fauna is super fun! You crash on this planet and as you try to find a way off you discover the planet is in quarantine. You have to explore and find out why and how to fix it or your escape rocket home will be blown up before you can leave the atmosphere.

I also love that the creatures are a bit wild. Some fish are really small and won't harm you, you can even used lots of them for food and the blatterfish for water. But there there are huge creatures. Absolutely massive beings, some will do you no harm and some are looking for dinner.

It's a big open world exploratory game with a really neat story. I love that your can take the story at your own place. I've played for about 25 hours now and I have probably only made it 25% through because I just enjoy exploring the beautiful seascape and building things. The map is so diverse with lost of different areas that make this game feel like you are exploring an alien world.

Lastly, I have to mention Minecraft. I've played for years and years. I started on the Xbox, got it for my PC and now my Switch. The beginning of a new MC world can be a little stressful trying to get tools and a shelter going but after that I really like the mining and building. I really like carving out into the rock and building a base that is essentially tunnels.

I love that I don't have to sit at my computer to play anymore. I can venture out into my world while on car rides or just laying it bed. It's really great! Minecraft truly is open world and it's so fun to explore.

GAMES MENTIONED:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons + Happy Home Paradise DLC

Stardew Valley

Subnautica

Minecraft

I almost included Super Mario 64 in this post but after thinking about it that game can be hella stressful. I'll do another post about my favourite story base games on Switch one day.

So let me know in the comments, do you have a Switch? Do you play any of the games I mentioned? I'd love to know that games you find relaxing on the Switch.