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.
Care Bears: Unlock the Magic did not rekindle any of the Care Bear magic I remember from childhood. Although the bright colours and bouncy music are enjoyable, the repetition of the same 8 mini-games quickly grows tiresome. Ultimately, I’m not sure who the target audience is. I think, those who are inspired by the Care Bears: Unlock the Magic TV show, would find the levels get too difficult, too quickly. Those who would enjoy the challenge, would not be inspired by the theme. I had high hopes for Care Bears: Unlock the Magic, but as it is…
Escape From Mystwood Mansion is an extremely satisfying and well-rounded puzzle adventure. There is a good mix of puzzles and codes to decipher, varying in difficulty, but with the built-in hint system, nothing is frustrating. For anyone who enjoys escape room scenarios, then Escape From Mystwood Mansion will surely be a winner.
There is a lot to like about Sugardew Island. The Forest Folk are so cute as they run into the shop to purchase the items you’ve worked hard to produce. The colourful graphics, delightful animals, and straightforward gameplay are appealing, and although the island locals aren’t the most chatty, it’s fun to learn about their stories. However, with the issues around upgrading tools and the numerous software crashes, I can’t recommend Sugardew Island at this time. Hopefully, the developers will hack away these thorny problems very quickly because there is an adorable farm shop simulation game waiting for us on Sugardew Island.
Boxville is a short but wonderful puzzle adventure about friendship. For me, the lack of Pro Controller use just dipped my overall enjoyment, but if handheld (or mouse via PC) is your preferred gaming style, then Boxville is a great game to play. The graphics are fantastic, and although a couple of the puzzles were a little challenging, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Blue Can and his tin dog in Boxville.
Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip is a treasure of a game. It can be a little bit frustrating at times, but overall, it’s funny, quirky and delightfully silly.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a wonderful combination of building friendships, questing, exploring, and collecting, all set in a bright and colourful world. I wasn’t sure if the Hello Kitty cuteness and the daily nature of progress would work for me, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the game. Even though we are at the start of 2025, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a strong contender for one of my games of the year.