The Coziest Games For Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is the console that reignited my passion for gaming as an adult. Having never owned a handheld console before, the Switch was truly a game changer. Suddenly, I had access to an expansive library of cozy games to explore, but I wasn’t sure where to begin. After diving into titles like Stardew Valley and Two Point Hospital, I discovered my love for cozy management games. Over time, I’ve broadened my gaming horizons and embraced even more games within the cozy genre, expanding my knowledge and gaming experiences with incredible titles. If you're looking for the best cozy Nintendo Switch games, here are my absolute favorites that you can play today!
Stardew Valley
Developer Image: ConcernedApe
Of course, the most obvious choice if you’ve not already played is Stardew Valley, now considered the peak of cozy farming simulations. And for a good reason, Stardew Valley was created by 1 developer in a solo project, and with many updates over the years it has grown to be an outstanding game in this genre. Grow and sell crops, fight monsters in the mines, fish, craft items, cook recipes, raise animals and gather their produce, and meet a cast of amazing characters to befriend, romance, and maybe marry! If you haven’t already played it… just do.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Developer Image: Nintendo
The 2020 Animal Crossing New Horizons was a smash hit, delighting the globe with an opportunity to create your own personalised island, from what items you buy to decorate, to terraforming the land to your ideal layout, to selecting the residents you want to live on your island. The game is full of charm and character, and you’ll easily spend dozens of hours getting lost in creating your island, getting to know your villagers, and paying off your debts to pesky Tom Nook.
The Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening
Developer Image: Nintendo
I am a HUGE The Legend of Zelda fan. So really, any title in this franchise is a perfect choice. For me, my favourite is Link’s Awakening. Whether you choose the original 1993 version through Nintendo Switch Online, or the beautifully remastered 2019 version, you are guarenteed a fun and imaginative experience in this RPG adventure. Read my full review of the 1993 version here!
GRIS
Developer Image: Nomada Studios
Play as a young girl lost in her own world coming to terms with a painful experience in this atmospheric platform adventure game. Complete puzzles and optional skill based challenges to unfold Gris’s story. Read my full review here!
Pokemon Snap
Developer Image: Nintendo
I’ve been a huge Pokemon fan since a child, I traded the cards, I watched the TV show and I’ve played almost all of the video games. While unfortunately the video game franchise has diminished in quality over time, the remaster of Pokemon Snap was great fun. You can travel around various Pokemon worlds taking photos of all the Pokemon you can see. I love a collectathon so it got really addictive trying to find all the Pokemon hiding around the landscapes.
Fae Farm
Developer Image: Phoenix Labs
Create your own magical home in the enchanting world of Azoria. In Fae Farm, you can customise your own character with unlockable styles as well as unlockable decorations for your home and farm giving you the opportunity to make it your own unique cozy place. Collect and raise baby animals in a variety of different colours and hunt for critters that will drop rare ingredients for your potions. Use your spells and potions to forage in caves and battle jumbles, mischevious spirits endangering the peace of Azoria. You can even play and build your farm with up to 3 online players online or via local wireless.
Cozy Grove
Developer Image: Spry Fox LLC
Play as a spirit scout on a haunted island as you explore the land, finding spirits to get to know, befriend, and help with their side quests. The game is linked to real time and gives 30-60 minutes of new game time every day, but after that you can still fish, collect and craft to make items to decorate the island to bring colour and life back into the world.
Two Point Hospital
Developer Image: Pathea Games
Possibly one of the most popular management simulations is Two Point Hospital, where you need to complete challenges to design hospitals, from different wards to interactive waiting rooms, while healing patients from a bunch of peculiar conditions.
My Time in Portia
Developer Image: Pathea Games
Restore your father’s workshop and start a new life in Portia, a town packed with friendly inhabitants with lots of requests! Chat, befriend, give gifts and complete tasks with your neighbours and you may even spark a romance! Restore the workshop to it’s former glory by growing crops, raising animals and completing commissions. The farm has some alternatives to other farming simulations including planting boxes and semi-automatic irrigation systems to improve your farm efficiency. Gather resources from the ancient ruins and dungeons while battling monsters and bosses. And the best bit? You can ride your own llama around the town.
Sprout Valley
Developer Image: Vadzim Liakhovich
Play as cute cat Nico on your own little island farm, where you can grow crops and harvest trees to sell to buy more resources. Travel across islands to meet new characters and the island levels are all procedurely generated so you’ll get different looking islands each time! The farm has different weathers and events themed around them, and you can craft with the items you find to decorate your island.
Unpacking
Developer Image: Witch Beam
Unpacking is a unique zen puzzle game that transforms the tedious task of unpacking boxes and moving home into a soothing, meditative journey. Unpack, organise and arrange belongings into various homes over a period of 20 years as you learn more about the owner’s story through light puzzle-solving and subtle storytelling. Read my full review here!
A Short Hike
Developer Image: adamgryu
Choose your own path and hike at your own pace in the peaceful mountains of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you climb to the summit in this exploration adventure game with cute hikers to help and items to collect. Read my full review here!
stitch.
Developer Image: Lykkegaard Europe Limited
stitch. is a casual embroidary themed crafting puzzle game where the main objective is to complete a series of cute sewing designs by filling in each area with no gaps to complete Hoops. There are thousands of levels to complete ranging from easy to extremely challenging, each offering a final embroidered masterpiece with a realistic embroidary engine to make you feel as though you are playing with real embroidary thread.
