Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is by no means one of the newcomer indies to hit the Nintendo Switch this year, but it still remains one of the most compelling experiences, and a great fit for the portable nature of the system. Players assume control of a character whose father has left them a run-down farm. It’s up to you to return it to its former glory with crops, animals, minerals and other odds and ends you find in the cave systems, and plenty more. How you go about that, however, is up to you.
Are you going to be a lone ranger who doesn’t care about the community feel and is all about making a profit? Then you’ll probably buy all your equipment and seeds from the chain store in the town, not talk to anyone, and make it rain on the daily. Or you can be the good guy, buying your seeds and equipment from the local business, talk with the neighbors and help them out with their problems and errands, and help the community thrive. Heck, you can even get married.
Stardew Valley may not have you battling fearsome creatures that fill your Switch’s screen, but it’s one of the more serene, chilled out indie games on the system that once we start playing, we just can’t put down.