Umbrius

I am content to play games on my Nintendo Switch for the rest of my natural life, honestly. Certainly have enough games. Switch 2 can wait.

@Ravenmaster All for it!

Remakes/remasters of original DKC trilogy would be cool.

Fine, okay. But how about a retrospective Professor Layton collection on Switch in the meantime? That would tide us over nicely.

Thought this might be an article about a little game called Hogwarts Legacy, but, alas, no.

As an adult player, I need this.

Now that it’s high spooky season, it’s really time to finish Dredge. And also because new paid DLC comes out soonish.

Glad I waited on this!

Rawrdew Valley

This is a shame, because if any visual aesthetic or iconography was going to persuade me to play a roguelite/run-based game it was 80s cartoons.

Love becoming obsessed with DDV every few months or so. Takes over my life for a while, each and every major update.

Thanks for putting this on my radar! Love a cozy puzzle game.

@Zverik You're asserting the existence of "invisible privilege" that elevates unqualified men and thwarts otherwise qualified women. Where is the evidence? And a disparity alone (whether sexual or racial or whatever) is not per se evidence of prejudice or discrimination.

Quotas send the message that women cannot compete on the merits, and I can't think of a more un-feminist position to take than that.

@nitrolink You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy it if and when you get around to it.

Hands down, the game I am most interested in from the Wholesome Direct is Kibu — from the creator of Omno, an absolute hidden gem of a 3D puzzle-platformer on Switch. Kibu hasn’t been confirmed for consoles yet (it’s early), but the developer has said he’ll do his best to shepherd the game onto as many platforms as possible. Fingers crossed it makes its way to Switch eventually!

Sonic the Hedgehog x Donkey Kong Country, and I’m absolutely here for it.

I generally don’t consider myself all that shockable, but, boy, did I wince all throughout the MK1 trailer. Sheesh.

@Honelith This is me exactly. Two more Divine Beasts to conquer, Tears of the Kingdom sparkling on the shelf over there. Good luck!

Saw this one coming, but it's still disappointing in the short term. Where is Hermione's Time-Turner when you need it? On the plus side, it seems the developers really do care about delivering a maximally decent experience for those who will play the game on Nintendo Switch.

The Zelda hype has motivated me to start my first play-through of Breath of the Wild. (Eternally late to the party, I’m afraid. But better late than never!) As a more casual gamer, I have been intimidated by the game, but I am really enjoying it so far.

Happy to report I recently collected every unique Power Moon in Super Mario Odyssey, and the sail on Mario’s vessel turned gold! That was a pleasant surprise.

Still playing DREDGE and Disney Dreamlight Valley, too, of course.

Happy gaming, all!

@Nanami_Ataraxia Haha. After playing DREDGE, I have to go fishing in Dreamlight Valley just to remind myself that video-game fishing can be serene. Hope you enjoy the game, too! Also, I’m ready for a DREDGE x Strange Horticulture crossover adventure.

As far as decorating the Sunlit Plateau is concerned, I have been pretty pleased with the placement of Buzz’s R.V. in there, surrounded by the makings of a cozy campsite (cook fire, picnic table, tiki torches, and some odds and ends). I’ve also made a sprawling compound/estate around the nucleus of Mirabel’s Mini-Casita, which I’ve placed next to the big pond across the bridge. I’ve enjoyed decorating in Disney Dreamlight Valley more than in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, mostly because I can’t do any terra-forming. The addition of terra-forming, while a great freedom that many enjoy, just overwhelms me. My perfectionism can’t handle the amount of possibility that terra-forming opens up! What’s your favorite biome in the game?

@Logicfire Same re: Super Mario Odyssey! I think I’ve got less than 100 to go? Happy hunting!

This weekend I’ll be wading more deeply into the fantastically eerie DREDGE, which is really giving me the creeps.

I’ll also go Power Moon hunting in Super Mario Odyssey’s Mushroom Kingdom. My first-ever play-through of Mario’s “bespoke Switch outing” (love the writing, Nintendo Life) is nearing its end, and I’m actually pretty sad about it.

I’ll also be gussying up Disney Dreamlight Valley’s Sunlit Plateau biome in preparation for the arrival of King Simba next week! So, lots to do!

Playing more of the stupendous Super Mario Odyssey this weekend. My first play-through, if you can believe that!

As a casual observer, I think Hogwarts Legacy is selling PS5s right now.

Looking forward to this! Looks like a gorgeous and creepy cross between Unravel Two and Little Nightmares.

I’m thinking Kirby news. Franchise has been eerily quiet as of late.

I’m definitely intrigued!

Super Mario RPG in HD-2D!

Not totally surprising to see a surge in sales for New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe if you figure everyone who received a Switch over Christmas moved immediately to add that essential 2D Mario title to the library. First principles!

Plus, the hype for the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie could be creating renewed interest in classic, 2D Mario.

Okay, fine, I’ll be the first to say I’m excited about SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.

For a distinct but sizable subset of gamers, the theme of 2022 was the mainstreaming of the “cozy” or “wholesome” genre. This is most likely a ripple effect of the way in which Nintendo’s own Animal Crossing: New Horizons (a cozy gamer’s gateway drug) so totally captured the zeitgeist in 2020. My own “cozy,” casual Switch library absolutely exploded this year with titles such as Aka, Beacon Pines, Bear & Breakfast, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Dorfromantik, Harvestella, Lemon Cake, Lil Gator Game, Potion Permit, The Spirit and the Mouse, Strange Horticulture, and more. My Switch is basically a dedicated cozy indies machine now!

Absolutely one of my favorite, most played games of the year! Listening to shop cat Hellebore’s rumbling purrs is one of the best bits, too.

Welcome news! With a potential fix for irksome Switch crashes, my addiction to this game will be poised to reach new heights (or lows, as the case may be). ✨

For me… Potion Permit, Beacon Pines, Tunic, The Spirit and the Mouse, and Moncage.

Disney Dreamlight Valley and Kirby and the Forgotten Land post-game!

Sonic and the Forgotten Land

Bear & Breakfast! Potion Permit! Beacon Pines! Lemon Cake! NAIAD! A Winding Path! 🍁

Not too excited about these titles, save for Bear & Breakfast.

Don’t forget Gerda: A Flame in Winter (released Sept. 1), Potion Permit (Sept. 22), Beacon Pines (Sept. 22), and Lemon Cake (Sept. 30). Been waiting some time for these cozy games!

I want to like it, but I just don't think I do.

@Sonos Omg I know. I keep going back to watch the Harvestella presentation for the exalted caliber of cringe that it represents. I simply cannot look away. Weirdly effective.

September was already shaping up to be an epic month for fans of cozy games (what with the likes of Disney Dreamlight Valley, Ooblets, Hokko Life, Potion Permit, Lemon Cake, and Beacon Pines all coming out), but now that the bear is soon to be out of the bag on Switch?! There aren’t enough scented candles in the world to power us through all the gaming we’ve got to do this month.

I hope it releases before the end of the year on Switch. Is that pie in the sky? Been looking forward to this one’s arrival.

Will tune in enthusiastically for the Harvestella content!

I was very much looking forward to spending Christmas at Hogwarts. Alas. Hopefully the game will be that much better for the delay.

I picked this up on its Switch release date (thanks for the heads-up, NintendoLife!), and I was completely ensnared from minute one. The zoom feature is a bit irritating at first, but the mood and mystery are fantastic. Sequel, please!

Cozy gamers rising!

As a pretty casual gamer who is looking to experience more of what the RPG meta-genre has to offer, I am definitely interested in this title. A cozy, storybook-like theme and atmosphere go a long way to make the genre much more approachable for me. Looking forward!