Discounty is more than a shop simulator. It’s a clever and humorously written story, where you play through the main goals and tasks to fulfil Aunt Tellar’s expansion plans and expose the mysteries in Blomkest. Yes, you can just run the shop, but trying to become a real supermarket and finding out about the dysfunctional town is where the game really shines.
With bright cartoon style graphics, Kimono Cats is a joy to play. The gameplay isn’t complicated, and with the limit on the darts, it’s ideal for short gaming sessions.
Morgan: Metal Detective has an interesting mystery to solve via finding buried objects. It’s a short adventure, but I didn’t dig it as much as I hoped.
Ritual of Raven is a quest fest and a collecting paradise. The story bobs along like the cheeky raven, moving from one place to another, all guided, but with no time pressure. Creating enchantments to control the adorable pot-like Arcana Constructs is definitely a highlight, and although I have a couple of niggles with the game, overall, it’s cast its spell and I’m totally bewitched by it.
I adore the art style of Hungry Meem, it’s vibrant, and whimsical. The concept of the game is great, and there is clearly a lot of passion in how the game has been developed. The bombardment of instructions gets less as you progress through the game, making Hungry Meem flow better and more pleasant to play.
The graphics in Upin & Ipin Universe are beautiful and give a real flavour of a Southeast Asian tropical village. Riding the tandem round the village was a definite highlight. Unfortunately, the uncontrollable camera and timed mini-games made playing Upin & Ipin Universe a frustrating and stressful experience. For a game based on a children’s animated TV series, it didn’t portray the childhood fun I was hoping for.
Secret Paws – Cozy Offices is a delightful addition to the hidden cats genre. Cuboid cats and dioramas that rotate add a different twist!
Donkey Kong Bananza is a truly magnificent game. There are some lovely nods to the classic Donkey Kong games, and obvious vibes from other Nintendo franchises. For someone who no longer enjoys relentless platforming, Donkey Kong Bananza brings together so many of my new gaming passions: the ability to bash and smash through the terrain, collecting everything which is revealed; large areas of land to roam and explore, spotting NPCs with a quest; and puzzling arenas to test my observation skills in finding that final hidden banandium gem. I can even harvest some vegetables! For some Donkey Kong purists, the Bananza transformations might be a change too far, but for me, Donkey Kong Bananza is a ground-breaking winner.
There is no doubt that Cottonville is exceptionally cute and wholesome. Creating clothes and trying to meet customer requirements was a delight, but the tedious nature of the gardening aspect took away some of that shine.
Boxville 2 is a delight from start to finish. The hand-drawn graphics are beautiful, and although a couple of the puzzles are frustrating, most give that satisfactory ‘yes’ when solved. Curious, but not sure? Check out the demo for Boxville 2 in the eShop.
There are lots of positives to Anvil Saga, and with the different fractions and choices within the game, there is plenty of replay value. There has obviously been a lot of thought and dedication put into the game, but with some confusing references and dark graphics, it didn’t quite craft a cast iron impression on me.
There’s a lot of fun to be had in Wobbly Life! Some of the jobs are more challenging and trickier than others, but with no pressure to complete them all, there’s something for everyone, at all ages. It’s silly, it’s funny, and although at times really frustrating, there is something addictive about Wobbly Life.
Survival Kids is bright and colourful, with lovely graphics and great audio narration. The ability to GameShare makes playing with friends and family more accessible, more enjoyable and some of the challenges easier to complete. However, Survival Kids has been carefully designed, so that you can complete the whole game by yourself. I’ve had a blast with the bomb flowers, reached new heights with the cannons and wanted more islands to explore. Survival Kids is definitely a contender for one of my games of the year.
There are some nice touches in Ashwood Valley: unlimited pockets are always welcome, and your little character happily runs around the valley, making exploring quick. However, the controls are unresponsive and slow to trigger, making the farming and animal management a tedious process. The main objective is too easy to complete, and then there is little to keep you truly engaged.
Cattle Country is a rootin’-tootin’ addition to the farming/life sim genre. There are a few issues which need taming, especially around the loading times on the Nintendo Switch. However, there is so much to do in Cattle Country! Engaging festivals and mini-games, intriguing character stories and one of the best mining experiences I’ve encountered. Cattle Country will be riding into my top games for this year!
Sunseed Island is a bright, colourful and delightful mini farming simulation. I thoroughly enjoyed helping Purrpy explore the islands and restore the Tree of Life.
Preserve has it all: chill out in Creative mode; test your designer skills in Classic mode; or be bamboozled in Puzzle mode. Wallow in the lovely graphics as you create beautiful landscapes and populate them with delightful creatures. Whilst Preserve works well in both docked and handheld modes, some of the text and icons are a little small for the Nintendo Switch Lite screen.
Skating Rink Story is one of the more chilled Kairosoft games. With the on-screen help and structured requests, Skating Rink Story is a great introduction to this type of management simulation game.
Spellcaster University is a fantastic deck-building, roguelite simulation. The text is a little small for the handheld Nintendo Switch screen, and the night cycle is a little dark, which means you miss out on the hilarious actions of the students. However, the more I played, the more I enjoyed Spellcaster University. With the additional challenges and the random nature of the cards, there is plenty of replay value, and I’m looking forward to furthering my studies and aiming to graduate as Archmage!
Tales of Autumn is a really well-balanced farming and ranching simulation with the added interest of creating biomes and befriending wildlife. The NPCs have great characters and humorous dialogue. There are lots of interactive festivals, cut scenes and quests, all of which make Autumn a vibrant and exciting place to call home. Overall, Tales of Autumn is a fantastic game, but the controls on the Nintendo Switch just took away some of my enjoyment.