In a strange turn of events, I haven’t had a mountain of homework to do this week. Call it the calm before the storm that is midterms. Because of this extra free time, I’ve gotten back into my Nintendo Switch that I so graciously bought for cheap on Ebay last summer. As someone who grew up with the DS, I’ve only recently gotten back into playing video games, so here are some of the games that I’ve come across recently (these are all games I bought for relatively low prices through the online game store, I’m a gamer on a budget after all):
Stardew Valley
Starting off with a classic cozy game. I’ll be honest, this game was probably one of the main reasons I even bought the Switch, and I can’t say I was disappointed. In this game your character escapes monotonous corporate life in order to rebuild your grandfather’s farm in the small town of Stardew Valley. You can grow crops, build up your farm, foster friendships (and romance), mine for resources, fight monsters, and more. There’s so much to do in this game that it’s easy to lose time to, and I rarely ever get bored with it.
Sea of Stars
I only learned about this turn-based RPG platformer recently, but its charming and beautiful artstyle drew me in rather quickly. You travel as Children of the Solstice, using sun and moon magic in order to stop monsters created by an evil alchemist. The combat system isn’t too complicated, which was something that I definitely found a plus. The main draw for me was the story; it’s an intricate narrative with a slew of lovable characters. Many consider this game as a tribute to classic ‘90s games of the same genre.
Potion Permit
Potion Permit is a cozy, open-ended alchemy sim RPG. You play as a chemist from the big city trying to win over the hearts of the small-town residents of Moonbury. Create potions, build friendships, and help town residents in order to improve your town standing. This game was a nice break from the massive amount of farming games in this genre, and it has a rather charming pixelated art design. Though the mechanics can seem repetitive after a while, I still enjoyed this relaxed and cheerful game.
Strange Horticulture
This indie game is a story-based puzzle game. You play as a new owner of a plant shop, or horticulturist, helping the people of the gothic town of Undermere, as well as face an underlying cultist threat which you can either join or fight against. I’ve played through this game a couple of times, and even though the puzzles get easier I still enjoy going through the stories and making different choices to see the different endings. A relaxing game with an almost eerie undertone makes it one of the more unique games I’ve played.
No Man’s Sky
Ever wanted to explore space? This game lets you do just that. No Man’s Sky is an open-world survival game with an infinitely procedural generated universe. While there is a main story to complete, the game offers so many different ways to spend your time. Whether it’s simply exploring planets, becoming a merchant, taking on missions, fighting pirates, or building a home. The possibilities truly feel as endless as the galaxy. I’ve gotten nowhere close to finishing the story, but it’s mainly because I keep getting sidetracked by other things to do.