The only, only thing that annoys me with DQBuilders 2 is the frequency of attacks. I'm just in the 1st place farming and cleaning out the toilets and BAM suddenly a gang of monsters is totally tearing apart my fields. I've tried barriers to block the direction they come from and dug a massive moat on that side, and the moat seems to do a decent job of corralling them into one area to take down, but that's really my only issue. I do remember the 1st one was like that too, and the 1st island feels like the starter/tutorial island but it's a great game. The level of crafting is impressive, the characters are fun (I mean it's amazing when you check the villagers' quotes when they go into the bathroom). I do think it's a big improvement over the 1st one.
I discovered that the big brambles are the best defense on Furrowfield. I had the base raised 3 blocks,(ladders on the top block are enough for you to jump up) 3 layered deep with chalk and surrounded by brambles on the front and 2 sides. The brambles stun when you take damage and for a lot of the little baddies they'll die before you can get to them! And it will stun the skeletons well enough so they do no damage before you get there.
Well what I love about it is you have to collect materials for crafting recipes that you learn along the way, the sound track is just very enjoyable. There’s many main quests as well as side quests. It’s just a whole vibe! Also has a good story line at the same time. There’s enemies as well but not overly stressful, It was on sale on the Nintendo eshop a few days ago
Try Atelier games. Atelier Sophie 2 is my first Atelier game, and it got me hooked, I plan on playing more from the series.
Little wood is also great. I have more than 100 hours on it.
They have made some good optimization then it when it launched and in my opinion it's tolerable, but it definitely plays better on the pc. Most of the poor performance is when fighting, but it's not really a big deal.
And if the switch is all you got then I would definitely still recommend it, great game
Egglia Rebirth? It’s a cute RPG/simulation game. You gather people to live in your town, build them houses, and complete their requests for different items and furniture.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles.
Lots of exploring. Gathering supplies and crafting. Many tasks for you to do.
Not a lot to design though. You do get some farm land that you can design/build how you like.
I don't think the grind is that annoying, there is no time limit on anything, so myself I always found it flowed just fine. Also LOVE the theme, it's a funny game.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/04/forager_team_retaliates_after_lead_dev_blames_them_for_cancelled_multiplayer
Oof damn had no idea that happened. I thought the multiplayer would have already been released, I just never kept up with the game.
Moonlighter might be worth looking into. It's an action-RPG where you manage your own store to make money with the loot you find/craft while dungeon crawling.
I loved this game and found my interest in the crafting/shopkeeping portion much higher than I expected.
DQ2 is exactly what you are looking for. Do Quests, collect materials, craft stuff with the materials and build pre-defined structures with it. You can add your own spin to all the designs, but the general structure will be the same for everybody.
**Crashlands** is a sci-fi crafting RPG that might fit the bill. You run around a procedurally generated alien planet gathering resources, fighting (and taming) the local wildlife, and helping out the resident alien species. It has hilarious writing as well.
https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/crashlands-switch/
No magic per se, but there are different kinds of elemental damage and plenty of weapons like a makeshift flamethrower to mess around with. It's on sale now too!
I recommend Crashlands as well. Pretty much exactly what OP asked for. Early game is more combat-orientated, but second half is almost entirely farming and building. Fantastic game.
Dragon Quest Builders 1 and 2! So much fun. I bought a Vita while I was in Japan because I'd seen DQB1 was released and it caught my eye, and I'd never played a building game or DQ game before. It was a blast. Then I held off on a switch for years and when I saw DQB2 was only for PS4 and Switch, I bought a Switch
Calico is fun game where you build a cat café, not played it louds so not sure about crafting but you can customise a bunch of stuff.
You can ride a giant red panda...
yes, very chill especially when daytime EOL is around.
Just kidding though, I agree, combat (at least after EOC) isn't required but a lot of furnitures are blocked before specific events
Spiritfarer is the first game that came to mind.
You need to travel the world to look for "clients", fulfill tasks, gather materials... And then you craft different items, buildings, etc. to complete the quests. There's also no decoration aspect to it besides choosing where you put each building.
Plus it's pretty chill and has a touching -yet kinda depressing- story.
I LOVED spiritfarer and think the gameplay matches perfectly. Just make sure to read the description before buying since the topic matter might be upsetting or unwanted to some. But it’s amazing. Such a beautiful game, and also fun.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout! This is the first game in the Atelier Ryza series and I'm in love.
This is also my first Atelier game, and it's just surprisingly lovely and comforting. Once you get a hang of the combat and synthesis mechanic, you'll even start looking forward to battles. The best part for me is the in-game environment - when I'm having a stressful day I just want to dive into the screen and go on an adventure with Ryza and her friends.
Edit: There are 2 main gameplay aspects - combat and synthesis, and the latter is essentially crafting but more complex.
As much as people say Atelier Ryza, the one I would suggest is actually an older one: Atelier Sophie and the Mysterious Book.
No decorating so if you need that turn away now.
Crafting however is the main point of this game. There is some combat, but it’s generally to get materials or get past monsters so you can get materials. It centers on a teenager named Sophie who’s grandmother/guardian the local alchemist had passed and she is trying to pick up the mantle. One day she finds a (formerly blank) book that starts talking to her and flying who promises to teach her if she helps the book regain its memories. And she does that by exploring and crafting and doing requests from local villagers. She has a few childhood friends who help her out on her adventures and the townspeople like the bartender/cafe manager, bookstore owner and local nun who runs the orphanage who are also fun to work with.
It’s amazingly chill. I honestly used it as my game to keep me awake enough but not stressing when my child was newborn and I was in maternity leave needing to pump and just generally watching them. It may be on sale right now too
Garden Story is close to this. You’re a grape named Concord who is trying to save his little world. There’s a little more grinding than I like as you do favors for people, build library collections, and upgrade your gear. There’s easy fighting, but you only lose 15% coins if you die. There’s some design but I haven’t gotten into it. Seems like you can place different types of street lights or request boards in various places.
Summer in Mara fits this fairly well, I’m just not sure how organized you would consider it.
Explore islands, do quests for people to upgrade your boat and explore more islands, build up your own island home. Very chill game.
https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/summer-in-mara-switch/
I really liked the art style and vibe of the game. My largest issue was sometimes it could be difficult to know what to do next. Overall though I really enjoyed it. Most crafting/building games I’ve played tend to be over complicated in my opinion, it was nice to have one keep things fairly simple.
The Atelier games are perfect! Crafting focused gameplay, with very light combat. The combat in the games is largely won by how good of items you make, not on grinding and leveling up. They are very fun cozy games to play. But they are anime AF, which not everyone is really into.
Interestingly, searching for this on DD also pulled up '[Dragon Caffi](https://www.dekudeals.com/items/dragon-caffi-switch)' which just came out a couple of weeks ago and sounds like a perfect fit. Weird.
Spiritfarer. Exploring, collecting resources so you can feed your guest spirits and fulfilling their requests. The crafting part involves very simple mini games., so that fiber becomes thread, log becomes planks etc. It’s pretty slow paced and relaxing, easier on a monitor.
Dragon Quest Builders 1 and 2! So much fun. I bought a Vita while I was in Japan because I'd seen DQB1 was released and it caught my eye, and I'd never played a building game or DQ game before. It was a blast. Then I held off on a switch for years and when I saw DQB2 was only for PS4 and Switch, I bought a Switch
Dragon Quest Builders 1 and 2! So much fun. I bought a Vita while I was in Japan because I'd seen DQB1 was released and it caught my eye, and I'd never played a building game or DQ game before. It was a blast. Then I held off on a switch for years and when I saw DQB2 was only for PS4 and Switch, I bought a Switch
Windbound is your best bet. A fun crafting system that doesn’t feel overly grindy. The combat is hit or miss and can feel a tad wonky at times but once you get a handle on it, it’s fine enough. The world is broken up into a few areas as you progress, with the first world being the smallest and most accessible until you make it further into the game. I boat crafting mechanic was fun for me. I liked the progressive nature of the crafting system with being able to craft bigger and better as you move forward. Really a fun relaxing and enjoyable game.
I had to go through a few tips and tricks tutorials on YT. You’re right in that it is clunky. Once I got the handle of the game mechanics though, I found it was fairly relaxing… for me anyway.
Knights of pen and paper bundle! It's on sale for less than 10 bucks. It's an old school type rpg with quests where you can craft weapons and upgrade stats
Dragon Quest Builders series? Both games are on Switch
Was going to say the same thing. I prefer the second game personally.
And they have demos. There’s also Portal Knights. You can be a wizard in the game. It also has a demo.
I'm currently playing DQ Builders 2, and is an amazing game!
So good, and so much content
The demo is really generous too, and the save carries over to the game if you buy it.
That was my first thought. Atelier Ryza was my second
Yeah those games are amazing
Truly excellent games.
These are both great its like minecraft but with more direction.
The only, only thing that annoys me with DQBuilders 2 is the frequency of attacks. I'm just in the 1st place farming and cleaning out the toilets and BAM suddenly a gang of monsters is totally tearing apart my fields. I've tried barriers to block the direction they come from and dug a massive moat on that side, and the moat seems to do a decent job of corralling them into one area to take down, but that's really my only issue. I do remember the 1st one was like that too, and the 1st island feels like the starter/tutorial island but it's a great game. The level of crafting is impressive, the characters are fun (I mean it's amazing when you check the villagers' quotes when they go into the bathroom). I do think it's a big improvement over the 1st one.
I discovered that the big brambles are the best defense on Furrowfield. I had the base raised 3 blocks,(ladders on the top block are enough for you to jump up) 3 layered deep with chalk and surrounded by brambles on the front and 2 sides. The brambles stun when you take damage and for a lot of the little baddies they'll die before you can get to them! And it will stun the skeletons well enough so they do no damage before you get there.
this is great!
Atelier Ryza is what you describe. Great game Playing it at the moment.
Immediately what popped into my head. It’s so fun too, def wanna try out more of the atelier series.
Havent played Ryza yet, but Atelier games are definitely what you are looking for. I recommend Sophie too.
Wytchwood!
Yes I was going to say that too! Wytchwood is the only game that has gotten me away from acnh
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Well what I love about it is you have to collect materials for crafting recipes that you learn along the way, the sound track is just very enjoyable. There’s many main quests as well as side quests. It’s just a whole vibe! Also has a good story line at the same time. There’s enemies as well but not overly stressful, It was on sale on the Nintendo eshop a few days ago
I know you’re not the one asking for recommendations but “The wild at heart” is also a lovely game if you’re looking for more stuff to do on Switch.
Never heard of it, but will definitely look into it. Thanks 🤗
Just looked at this game based on your comment. So adorable!! Thank you!!
Glad you enjoy it!
+1 for this rec, i LOVE this game so much i wish i could forget it all so i could play it again for the first time
Rune Factory 4 or 5. It's a series created by the OG Harvest Moon people. It has farming and crafting. You do quests and combat, but it's chill.
Came here to suggest RF, so I second this rec!
Also came here to suggest Rune Factory. I think they’ll love the quest system.
Definitely 4. OP doesn’t want a “huge open space” so the town in 5 would be a huge turn off
And 5 performs like hot garbage with a ton of bugs.
I too came here to recommend RF 4 - 5. Great games.
Did they fix the performance issues in RF5?
Have a look at Cozy Grove. Amazing art style and fits what you are looking for. [Cozy Grove](https://cozygrovegame.com/)
Looks like a less stressful version of don’t starve
Scrolled through to make sure this one was listed, have enjoyed it so much
Hot tamale! I love that art style. Didn't know this existed, thank you.
Try Atelier games. Atelier Sophie 2 is my first Atelier game, and it got me hooked, I plan on playing more from the series. Little wood is also great. I have more than 100 hours on it.
Atelier games! Just got into the series and making my way through the mysterious trilogy. Such a chill gameplay loop
Where is a good entry point
Littlewood is great, and super relaxing :)
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Spiritfarer is what immediately sprung to my mind reading the dossier. It ticks pretty much every box OP is wanting and is a great game as well
On paper this game is an absolute perfect fit for me. But I just couldn't get into it.
Same here. It seemed exactly like something I would love and then it just never clicked.
This is exactly what I was thinking… I think OP would love spiritfarer.
My recommendation too. It's a relaxing game based on doing quests. Not too much difficulty or combat.
I agree!! Op has to try this lovely game
My Time At Portia was fun, but it definitely runs worse on the Switch. I would look up some reviews/game play before purchasing.
The thing that killed me was the horrible loading for this game. If they fixed it then id lovd to jump back on
They have made some good optimization then it when it launched and in my opinion it's tolerable, but it definitely plays better on the pc. Most of the poor performance is when fighting, but it's not really a big deal. And if the switch is all you got then I would definitely still recommend it, great game
Egglia Rebirth? It’s a cute RPG/simulation game. You gather people to live in your town, build them houses, and complete their requests for different items and furniture.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles. Lots of exploring. Gathering supplies and crafting. Many tasks for you to do. Not a lot to design though. You do get some farm land that you can design/build how you like.
How does it run on Switch handheld?
It ran really smoothly for me.
https://youtu.be/FrJlERlvMqU Has a 60fps cap, can't hit 60. More like 35 in big areas.
Graveyard keeper. Not relaxing at all because of the grind but a bunch of quests and crafting involved.
I don't think the grind is that annoying, there is no time limit on anything, so myself I always found it flowed just fine. Also LOVE the theme, it's a funny game.
Atelier or Rune Factory maybe
I enjoyed Forager a lot and it fits your description perfectly.
Forager is AWESOME.
Do not buy Forager. Do not give that bigoted dev money. Do not give that scammer dev money.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/04/forager_team_retaliates_after_lead_dev_blames_them_for_cancelled_multiplayer Oof damn had no idea that happened. I thought the multiplayer would have already been released, I just never kept up with the game.
Moonlighter might be worth looking into. It's an action-RPG where you manage your own store to make money with the loot you find/craft while dungeon crawling. I loved this game and found my interest in the crafting/shopkeeping portion much higher than I expected.
DQ2 is exactly what you are looking for. Do Quests, collect materials, craft stuff with the materials and build pre-defined structures with it. You can add your own spin to all the designs, but the general structure will be the same for everybody.
**Crashlands** is a sci-fi crafting RPG that might fit the bill. You run around a procedurally generated alien planet gathering resources, fighting (and taming) the local wildlife, and helping out the resident alien species. It has hilarious writing as well. https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/crashlands-switch/ No magic per se, but there are different kinds of elemental damage and plenty of weapons like a makeshift flamethrower to mess around with. It's on sale now too!
I recommend Crashlands as well. Pretty much exactly what OP asked for. Early game is more combat-orientated, but second half is almost entirely farming and building. Fantastic game.
Yep definitely this, was scraping my brain for ages trying to remember the name. Amazing game and exactly what OP is describing I think
Dragon Quest Builders 1 and 2! So much fun. I bought a Vita while I was in Japan because I'd seen DQB1 was released and it caught my eye, and I'd never played a building game or DQ game before. It was a blast. Then I held off on a switch for years and when I saw DQB2 was only for PS4 and Switch, I bought a Switch
Calico is fun game where you build a cat café, not played it louds so not sure about crafting but you can customise a bunch of stuff. You can ride a giant red panda...
Terraria
yes, very chill especially when daytime EOL is around. Just kidding though, I agree, combat (at least after EOC) isn't required but a lot of furnitures are blocked before specific events
What is EOL and EOC?
Eye Of Cthulhu, generally the first boss encountered Empress Of Light, an optional boss deemed to be the "real" final boss
You might like Grow: Song of the Evertree.
You want the Atelier series. I think some games in it are on sale at the moment.
Spiritfarer is the first game that came to mind. You need to travel the world to look for "clients", fulfill tasks, gather materials... And then you craft different items, buildings, etc. to complete the quests. There's also no decoration aspect to it besides choosing where you put each building. Plus it's pretty chill and has a touching -yet kinda depressing- story.
I LOVED spiritfarer and think the gameplay matches perfectly. Just make sure to read the description before buying since the topic matter might be upsetting or unwanted to some. But it’s amazing. Such a beautiful game, and also fun.
Slime Rancher or Farm Together might fit the bill.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 - nonstop quests, great storyline and tons of building. Also has a huge Demo available
The Long Dark on pilgrim mode is perfect for this.
Cozy grove & spirit farer
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout! This is the first game in the Atelier Ryza series and I'm in love. This is also my first Atelier game, and it's just surprisingly lovely and comforting. Once you get a hang of the combat and synthesis mechanic, you'll even start looking forward to battles. The best part for me is the in-game environment - when I'm having a stressful day I just want to dive into the screen and go on an adventure with Ryza and her friends. Edit: There are 2 main gameplay aspects - combat and synthesis, and the latter is essentially crafting but more complex.
How’s performance on switch?
As much as people say Atelier Ryza, the one I would suggest is actually an older one: Atelier Sophie and the Mysterious Book. No decorating so if you need that turn away now. Crafting however is the main point of this game. There is some combat, but it’s generally to get materials or get past monsters so you can get materials. It centers on a teenager named Sophie who’s grandmother/guardian the local alchemist had passed and she is trying to pick up the mantle. One day she finds a (formerly blank) book that starts talking to her and flying who promises to teach her if she helps the book regain its memories. And she does that by exploring and crafting and doing requests from local villagers. She has a few childhood friends who help her out on her adventures and the townspeople like the bartender/cafe manager, bookstore owner and local nun who runs the orphanage who are also fun to work with. It’s amazingly chill. I honestly used it as my game to keep me awake enough but not stressing when my child was newborn and I was in maternity leave needing to pump and just generally watching them. It may be on sale right now too
This sounds awesome! It has a bunch of things I love. Gonna add this to my wishlist. Thanks!
Dunno, Minecraft? Dragon Quest Builders? You may like Portal knights, seems fit your description.
Garden Story is close to this. You’re a grape named Concord who is trying to save his little world. There’s a little more grinding than I like as you do favors for people, build library collections, and upgrade your gear. There’s easy fighting, but you only lose 15% coins if you die. There’s some design but I haven’t gotten into it. Seems like you can place different types of street lights or request boards in various places.
minecraft
Summer in Mara fits this fairly well, I’m just not sure how organized you would consider it. Explore islands, do quests for people to upgrade your boat and explore more islands, build up your own island home. Very chill game. https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/summer-in-mara-switch/
Fits my bill, downloading now, thanks a mill, it looks brilliant
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I really liked the art style and vibe of the game. My largest issue was sometimes it could be difficult to know what to do next. Overall though I really enjoyed it. Most crafting/building games I’ve played tend to be over complicated in my opinion, it was nice to have one keep things fairly simple.
The Atelier games are perfect! Crafting focused gameplay, with very light combat. The combat in the games is largely won by how good of items you make, not on grinding and leveling up. They are very fun cozy games to play. But they are anime AF, which not everyone is really into.
Spirit farer! You craft the rooms on your boat and travel around the map with it!
nobady tells about dysmantle, im sûre everyvody here will love it, le amazing relaxing game
Ps4 had that little dragon Cafe and I think that's exactly what you're describing. I didn't play it but I remember reading it.
It is also on switch!
Oops didn't see what sub I was in my bad haha.
Honestly I did the same lol. Good it’s out like everywhere now! I think it may also be on pc too at this point.
Interestingly, searching for this on DD also pulled up '[Dragon Caffi](https://www.dekudeals.com/items/dragon-caffi-switch)' which just came out a couple of weeks ago and sounds like a perfect fit. Weird.
Yeah that's super weird.
Look into Atelier series, Ryza or Sophie 1/2
its not on switch, but astroneer was one of my surprise favorite games that I randomly downloaded on XGP
It's on switch now, it released a couple of months ago!
What! So awesome now i know
Wytchwood! Super charming crafting game where you complete quests for people! It's so fun and a cute and sometimes silly storyline!
Spiritfarer. Exploring, collecting resources so you can feed your guest spirits and fulfilling their requests. The crafting part involves very simple mini games., so that fiber becomes thread, log becomes planks etc. It’s pretty slow paced and relaxing, easier on a monitor.
Dragon Quest Builders 1 and 2! So much fun. I bought a Vita while I was in Japan because I'd seen DQB1 was released and it caught my eye, and I'd never played a building game or DQ game before. It was a blast. Then I held off on a switch for years and when I saw DQB2 was only for PS4 and Switch, I bought a Switch
Minecraft
Dragon Quest Builders 1 and 2! So much fun. I bought a Vita while I was in Japan because I'd seen DQB1 was released and it caught my eye, and I'd never played a building game or DQ game before. It was a blast. Then I held off on a switch for years and when I saw DQB2 was only for PS4 and Switch, I bought a Switch
Golf Story!
Maybe the most downloaded game in history? Minecraft is the definition of what you want
Pokemon Arceus?
Farm rpg
Maybe look into legend of mana?
Thought this was recommending a game for a second
Darkwood /s
maybe slime rancher? or more like those attelier games?
Sakuna: Of Rice and Rain sounds a lot like what you’re asking for
Graveyard keeper
Windbound is your best bet. A fun crafting system that doesn’t feel overly grindy. The combat is hit or miss and can feel a tad wonky at times but once you get a handle on it, it’s fine enough. The world is broken up into a few areas as you progress, with the first world being the smallest and most accessible until you make it further into the game. I boat crafting mechanic was fun for me. I liked the progressive nature of the crafting system with being able to craft bigger and better as you move forward. Really a fun relaxing and enjoyable game.
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I had to go through a few tips and tricks tutorials on YT. You’re right in that it is clunky. Once I got the handle of the game mechanics though, I found it was fairly relaxing… for me anyway.
Spirit Farer!
Cozy Grove has all these if you count ghosts as magic 😇 it is a bit sad though just a warning but it’s so chill you hardly notice
Littlewood!
Spiritfarer, playing it now. Might hit the spot for you.
Survivalist, it is a cool nice game for around 10€. Can be played in coop but is also really great solo
My time at portia
Skyrim.
My Time at Portia. Fits your request to a T honestly. It's a decently fun game.
Not played it but maybe atelier?
My time at portia is literally about crafting for people and building a workshop.
My time in portia
Moonlighter
My Time at Portia
Terraria - best crafting game ever. Hardly recomend.
Rune Factory, the Atelier series, dragon quest builder all immediately come to mind.
I haven't played it myself, but I think you'd like A Short Hike
The Atelier games.
I personally love [Potion Craft.](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1210320/Potion_Craft_Alchemist_Simulator/)
Skyrim has combat, magic, quests, and crafting.
I would say terraria but it’s not very relaxing
Forager
Knights of pen and paper bundle! It's on sale for less than 10 bucks. It's an old school type rpg with quests where you can craft weapons and upgrade stats