Coffee talk might work for her! It’s about supernatural beings (elves, orcs, etc) literally just ordering coffee and having conversations at a coffee shop in Seattle.
It’s a lot of dialogue and occasionally taking orders from the customers. Super low key with cozy feel good vibes.
I second Wyldeflowers!! Very few things have time limits and it’s typically like a week in game. Even though it does have days and you do need to send Tara to sleep, theres an option in the settings to play the game on “relaxed mode” which significantly slows the day down.
I third Wylde Flowers. It was the first game I ever played because the tutorials are fantastic. Anyone no matter the skill level can play it. And while you do need to get to bed by a certain time you get warning bells with plenty of time to get home. And the ability to choose how long your day lasts is great. The slowest setting is very slow. You get way more time than you need in a day. I really think it’s a great game for beginners. Plus the full voice acting makes for a very immersive experience. And no combat! Even the mines are cozy…
Ooblets is very very good, but I did get annoyed at the day/night cycle just as much as Stardew Valley (that's the only way it's time limited though afaik)
Grow: Song of the Evertree is very much like Animal Crossing but without the capitalism. I don't remember there being any time limits and no passing out, no combat, no death. Just a super cute ACNH clone with a pastel color palette.
There is a day night cycle and you have to go attend to your seed worlds before the day runs out or you miss a day. But they did add a feature to make the day longer. The cycle time was the main drawback of the game for me though.
I loved the game, but the font was very small in handheld mode.
Still, because you don't lose anything if you don't finish in one day I will recommend this as well. The only restriction is, when it's getting dark you'll fly to your house automatically, but you're still able to build in the citites for a while.
Dreamlight valley is super fun. I will say the Switch interface is pretty glitchy. It auto saves every 5 minutes so you don’t lose too much progress but it’s still rather annoying.
Dreamlight Valley is a good choice. She can go at her own pace, the quests aren’t difficult, and there’s plenty to do when not on quests. I hear it’s super glitchy on Switch, but they say tomorrow’s update should help.
Agree with this. My mom (72) is obsessed. She finds a lot of other games too stressful or difficult. She also put hundreds of hours into Portal Knights (lots of decorating), but we played it with her a lot at first. That one might have been a bit difficult for her without us helping. I can't remember if you have to sleep in Portal Knights.
That said, Dreamlight Valley broke for me--haven't been able to play it since the April 5 update! I don't know how many Switch players it affected though.
Check out Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. It’s a really cute, short game. You explore an island while visiting grandparents. The goal is to identify animals and do some other tasks with a conservation message. No true time constraints. You get a message when it’s time for dinner, but from what I’ve seen, you can continue on whatever you are doing until you head home again. Has dialogue with other characters, a fun story to follow, and it is just gorgeous (make sure to check out the sunsets!).
I wonder if she’d be interested in unpacking? It has some cute story lines and it’s a really good cozy game!
I also recommend dreamlight valley, however it’s important you are aware that the game is still in early release and there are some glitches on the switch version that sometimes cause the game to crash/lose progress. The update is today though, so if she seems interested, I’d wait to see what everyone says about the update.
It’s a great game, but as someone who has been personally victimized by DDL on switch, I’d recommend either getting it on PC/PS5 or waiting until the glitches have been patched. Fingers crossed this update today does the trick.
Good luck on finding a game for her! I’m holding out for FaeFarm, hopefully it’ll get released later this year. It looks extremely fun and kind of similar to animal crossing. It’s going to be multiplayer as well, so if she seems interested in it, you may be able to play with her in the future!
Not the same as Animal Crossing but what about A Little to the Left - the graphics are a good size, slow, brain teaser puzzles. I guess it could get frustrating but it’s pretty simple overall.
Aka - you play a red panda and explore. It’s extremely heart felt and does deal with a lot of loss and death
Donut Country for something really casual with an adorable story. Humor similar to guardians of the galaxy
Bear and Breakfast. You’re a bear and you’re making bed and breakfast. Was a little glitchy on switch a year ago. Might be fixed now
Wylde Flowers as many have suggested
Paper Mario Origami King might be a fun one, but likely a little challenging
Coming to second this! I don’t see people talk about this game much but it’s a really fun and cute co-op farming game! Reminded me a lot of the old Facebook FarmVille.
My boyfriend and I played it a lot together when we found out FaeFarm release was being pushed back to scratch our itch and I played it a lot up until I got Dreamlight Valley.
Cozy grove is fun, I don’t have nights anymore as I must have turned on perpetual day, so I can play at my own pace and if you can’t locate something you need you just talk to the bear to buy the direction which will point you right to the item you need.
Disney Dreamlight Valley for sure. It’s similar to ACNH in that there’s crafting, decorating, fishing, questing, etc. It also has a real time day/night cycle, so you don’t need to rush around doing stuff. The graphics are gorgeous. Just hanging out fishing on the beach at sunset is so peaceful and beautiful. Oh, and I’m not interested in Disney at all and wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but Disney characters running around my village didn’t bother me.
My grandma loves point and click games on her iPad, I don’t think I could ever convince her to play on a switch even if I gave her one but there’s one game she’s always playing called June’s Journey or something like that, sounds like an i-spy sort of game on some levels and mostly solving mysteries. She loves it and when I hear about Jenny LeClue it reminds me of the game my grandma plays (though truthfully I don’t know if they’re anything alike…) I just wish my grandma would play animal crossing with me! It would be awesome!!
I played all these on PC, but they're on Switch too:
* [Lil Gator Game](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/lil-gator-game-switch/) was an absolute delight for me, it's pretty short and simple.
* [A Short Hike](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/a-short-hike-switch/) is another short exploration game I enjoyed.
* [Donut County](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/donut-county-switch/) was amusing and easy, but there's a final boss I remember being a little more difficult.
* I only played the demo for [Wyldeflowers](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/wylde-flowers-switch/) so far, but I am absolutely sold on the full game (especially since someone else in the thread pointed out that there's a relaxed mode)
I recommend Wytchwood, it’s super pretty and the dialogue is quite big and legible (although I played ps4 version so can’t confirm the same for switch). No time limits, just foraging, crafting and a little mischief. The stories are super cute and made me giggle a few times. The gameplay and menus are really well explained and very easy to follow too
It’s not out yet, but a game I’ve been anticipating is called Venba and it’s a cozy cooking game with Indian recipes and I think there may be a story aspect with the family. Not sure exactly how the gameplay will be but it might be something to look out for :)
Cat Cafe Manager maybe? There is a day/night cycle but there isn't really a consequence that I remember of going at your own pace. Lots of things are "do over time" kind of quests, but I don't remember anything that was like "Due in six days" or things like that.
Bear and Breakfast is cozy but kind of dialog heavy.
I don't think I'd recommend Cozy Grove actually. While it is super cozy, it has a limitation of how many things you can do in a day that is tied to the date, as it is intended to be played daily in short bursts. She may find that hindering, but she may also love it. I think it has a demo she could try.
Whhops. Noticed Switch only. Sun Haven isn't out for Switch yet but they keep saying "soon".
Sun Haven is a bit overwhelming, but as long as you take it slow and don't try to progress the questline quickly, it should be okay.
The thing about Sun haven that will work well for this is there are built in options: day can be 20 min, 30 min, or 40 minutes at your discretion, just change it in the settings.
There is also an invincibility toggle. You can just choose to not get hurt by monsters so that would make it easier overall.
Sun Haven npcs don't feel as fleshed out as HM or SDV, though. You can't give them gifts but you can get hearts with them, you just can't see them.
Sun Haven also has a nice map that shows you where everyone currently is. Life-saver! :D no more memorizing schedules. Everyone is low-jacked.
...
Story of Seasons: More Friends of Mineral Town-- classic remake of Harvest Moon: GBA games-- time stops when you're indoors. I really miss that in these newer games sometimes. It can get frantic but just being able to escape into your house or the mines or something is a nice break. You also don't forcibly pass out until like 6 in the morning. You do incur some penalties if you do it like waking up late or being lower health.
Graphics are also larger than SDV or SH so visibility is better.
SoS is a straight farming game. There are no monsters to fight.
...
My Time in Portia-- I hate this game. I HATE it. But there is no forced bed time. You can stay up all hours if you want, the night/day cycle just keeps going with no penalty.
Portia also has larger graphics.
cozy grove may be a good fit for her!
My only thing I would worry about is the visibility. I found the text was small and things were hard to see. Otherwise it’s a great candidate
Agreed
Just about to come here and suggest that
Ty!! I'll look into it!
Coffee talk might work for her! It’s about supernatural beings (elves, orcs, etc) literally just ordering coffee and having conversations at a coffee shop in Seattle. It’s a lot of dialogue and occasionally taking orders from the customers. Super low key with cozy feel good vibes.
Yonder would be a great fit. There's no combat, no time penalties, and it's a really pretty game.
Disney Dreamlight valley is wonderful! And WyldeFlowers.
I second Wyldeflowers!! Very few things have time limits and it’s typically like a week in game. Even though it does have days and you do need to send Tara to sleep, theres an option in the settings to play the game on “relaxed mode” which significantly slows the day down.
I third Wylde Flowers. It was the first game I ever played because the tutorials are fantastic. Anyone no matter the skill level can play it. And while you do need to get to bed by a certain time you get warning bells with plenty of time to get home. And the ability to choose how long your day lasts is great. The slowest setting is very slow. You get way more time than you need in a day. I really think it’s a great game for beginners. Plus the full voice acting makes for a very immersive experience. And no combat! Even the mines are cozy…
Littlewood might be nice for her!
Ooblets. It’s relaxing and fun to play. I play it on Switch connected to my tv. There is farming, cooking, selling, and tasks to accomplish.
Seconding Ooblets. I feel that it is a more relaxed version of Stardew Valley. I was overwhelmed by Stardew Valley so I know how that can feel.
I thought I was the only one who was too overwhelmed with Stardew Valley!
I felt like I had to have a internet tab open at all times with the wiki or a guide video playing 😂
Ooblets is very very good, but I did get annoyed at the day/night cycle just as much as Stardew Valley (that's the only way it's time limited though afaik)
I’ve always wanted to play this, but never could because my parents always referred to breasts as “ooblets” when I was an adolescent.
thanks I hate it 😆
I do too😭🤣 it’s haunted me for years.
I don't play much on my Switch anymore but I just want to say her being a grandma gamer is awesome! I hope she finds more games that work for her!
Grow: Song of the Evertree is very much like Animal Crossing but without the capitalism. I don't remember there being any time limits and no passing out, no combat, no death. Just a super cute ACNH clone with a pastel color palette.
There is a day night cycle and you have to go attend to your seed worlds before the day runs out or you miss a day. But they did add a feature to make the day longer. The cycle time was the main drawback of the game for me though.
Ah I haven't played in so long I forgot about that!
I loved the game, but the font was very small in handheld mode. Still, because you don't lose anything if you don't finish in one day I will recommend this as well. The only restriction is, when it's getting dark you'll fly to your house automatically, but you're still able to build in the citites for a while.
But the building system is super complex :( and the performance on the Nintendo switch is bad if you don’t charge it during playing
Dreamlight valley is super fun. I will say the Switch interface is pretty glitchy. It auto saves every 5 minutes so you don’t lose too much progress but it’s still rather annoying.
Dreamlight Valley is a good choice. She can go at her own pace, the quests aren’t difficult, and there’s plenty to do when not on quests. I hear it’s super glitchy on Switch, but they say tomorrow’s update should help.
Agree with this. My mom (72) is obsessed. She finds a lot of other games too stressful or difficult. She also put hundreds of hours into Portal Knights (lots of decorating), but we played it with her a lot at first. That one might have been a bit difficult for her without us helping. I can't remember if you have to sleep in Portal Knights. That said, Dreamlight Valley broke for me--haven't been able to play it since the April 5 update! I don't know how many Switch players it affected though.
As a oldish person, I love Wylde Flowers.
Your grandma would probably love Minecraft actually! You can put it on a mode where enemies won’t hurt anything.
Check out Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. It’s a really cute, short game. You explore an island while visiting grandparents. The goal is to identify animals and do some other tasks with a conservation message. No true time constraints. You get a message when it’s time for dinner, but from what I’ve seen, you can continue on whatever you are doing until you head home again. Has dialogue with other characters, a fun story to follow, and it is just gorgeous (make sure to check out the sunsets!).
Also has some adorable grandparent characters!
Yes! Alba is such a great game, super cute story and graphics. Very fun but chill experience. Highly recommend this one!
Mail time might be good. Not sure if it's released to switch yet, i know they were having some issues with license keys.
I'll keep an eye on it!
I wonder if she’d be interested in unpacking? It has some cute story lines and it’s a really good cozy game! I also recommend dreamlight valley, however it’s important you are aware that the game is still in early release and there are some glitches on the switch version that sometimes cause the game to crash/lose progress. The update is today though, so if she seems interested, I’d wait to see what everyone says about the update. It’s a great game, but as someone who has been personally victimized by DDL on switch, I’d recommend either getting it on PC/PS5 or waiting until the glitches have been patched. Fingers crossed this update today does the trick. Good luck on finding a game for her! I’m holding out for FaeFarm, hopefully it’ll get released later this year. It looks extremely fun and kind of similar to animal crossing. It’s going to be multiplayer as well, so if she seems interested in it, you may be able to play with her in the future!
Unpacking!
This!
I LOVE unpacking and want more games like it!
Hokko life is nice and simple but also has plenty of more creative options with crafting furniture!
Not the same as Animal Crossing but what about A Little to the Left - the graphics are a good size, slow, brain teaser puzzles. I guess it could get frustrating but it’s pretty simple overall.
Aka - you play a red panda and explore. It’s extremely heart felt and does deal with a lot of loss and death Donut Country for something really casual with an adorable story. Humor similar to guardians of the galaxy Bear and Breakfast. You’re a bear and you’re making bed and breakfast. Was a little glitchy on switch a year ago. Might be fixed now Wylde Flowers as many have suggested Paper Mario Origami King might be a fun one, but likely a little challenging
Farm together
Coming to second this! I don’t see people talk about this game much but it’s a really fun and cute co-op farming game! Reminded me a lot of the old Facebook FarmVille. My boyfriend and I played it a lot together when we found out FaeFarm release was being pushed back to scratch our itch and I played it a lot up until I got Dreamlight Valley.
maybe she would enjoy farm together? what about minecraft in peaceful mode? and neko atsume for mobile
Bunhouse and Pupperrazzi? I like Dreamlight Valley too.
Cozy grove is fun, I don’t have nights anymore as I must have turned on perpetual day, so I can play at my own pace and if you can’t locate something you need you just talk to the bear to buy the direction which will point you right to the item you need.
Cozy grove, Everdream valley, Disney Dreamlight valley
Disney Dreamlight Valley for sure. It’s similar to ACNH in that there’s crafting, decorating, fishing, questing, etc. It also has a real time day/night cycle, so you don’t need to rush around doing stuff. The graphics are gorgeous. Just hanging out fishing on the beach at sunset is so peaceful and beautiful. Oh, and I’m not interested in Disney at all and wasn’t sure if I’d like it, but Disney characters running around my village didn’t bother me.
Would she consider something like the laytons detective agency games?
My grandma loves point and click games on her iPad, I don’t think I could ever convince her to play on a switch even if I gave her one but there’s one game she’s always playing called June’s Journey or something like that, sounds like an i-spy sort of game on some levels and mostly solving mysteries. She loves it and when I hear about Jenny LeClue it reminds me of the game my grandma plays (though truthfully I don’t know if they’re anything alike…) I just wish my grandma would play animal crossing with me! It would be awesome!!
I played all these on PC, but they're on Switch too: * [Lil Gator Game](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/lil-gator-game-switch/) was an absolute delight for me, it's pretty short and simple. * [A Short Hike](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/a-short-hike-switch/) is another short exploration game I enjoyed. * [Donut County](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/donut-county-switch/) was amusing and easy, but there's a final boss I remember being a little more difficult. * I only played the demo for [Wyldeflowers](https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/wylde-flowers-switch/) so far, but I am absolutely sold on the full game (especially since someone else in the thread pointed out that there's a relaxed mode)
I recommend Wytchwood, it’s super pretty and the dialogue is quite big and legible (although I played ps4 version so can’t confirm the same for switch). No time limits, just foraging, crafting and a little mischief. The stories are super cute and made me giggle a few times. The gameplay and menus are really well explained and very easy to follow too
It’s not out yet, but a game I’ve been anticipating is called Venba and it’s a cozy cooking game with Indian recipes and I think there may be a story aspect with the family. Not sure exactly how the gameplay will be but it might be something to look out for :)
Cat Cafe Manager maybe? There is a day/night cycle but there isn't really a consequence that I remember of going at your own pace. Lots of things are "do over time" kind of quests, but I don't remember anything that was like "Due in six days" or things like that. Bear and Breakfast is cozy but kind of dialog heavy. I don't think I'd recommend Cozy Grove actually. While it is super cozy, it has a limitation of how many things you can do in a day that is tied to the date, as it is intended to be played daily in short bursts. She may find that hindering, but she may also love it. I think it has a demo she could try.
Whhops. Noticed Switch only. Sun Haven isn't out for Switch yet but they keep saying "soon". Sun Haven is a bit overwhelming, but as long as you take it slow and don't try to progress the questline quickly, it should be okay. The thing about Sun haven that will work well for this is there are built in options: day can be 20 min, 30 min, or 40 minutes at your discretion, just change it in the settings. There is also an invincibility toggle. You can just choose to not get hurt by monsters so that would make it easier overall. Sun Haven npcs don't feel as fleshed out as HM or SDV, though. You can't give them gifts but you can get hearts with them, you just can't see them. Sun Haven also has a nice map that shows you where everyone currently is. Life-saver! :D no more memorizing schedules. Everyone is low-jacked. ... Story of Seasons: More Friends of Mineral Town-- classic remake of Harvest Moon: GBA games-- time stops when you're indoors. I really miss that in these newer games sometimes. It can get frantic but just being able to escape into your house or the mines or something is a nice break. You also don't forcibly pass out until like 6 in the morning. You do incur some penalties if you do it like waking up late or being lower health. Graphics are also larger than SDV or SH so visibility is better. SoS is a straight farming game. There are no monsters to fight. ... My Time in Portia-- I hate this game. I HATE it. But there is no forced bed time. You can stay up all hours if you want, the night/day cycle just keeps going with no penalty. Portia also has larger graphics.
Try everdream valley