Not exactly a strategy game, but one that requires a good level of ingenuity and forward planning, hence training your brain to manage time better in real life. It’s much like Seinfeld: a game about “nothing” that ends up being a game about everything. Hell, consider it the top-down RPG version of Yellowstone – just replace a ranch with a farm.Īgain, this is a comfort game based on no particular end goal. You restore buildings, develop relationships, and keep monsters away. You play a character that inherits a large plot of land from their grandfather and the gameplay mechanics are largely based on production. Stardew Valley hits the same vein as Animal Cross: New Horizons in that it’s largely based on everyday life around the farm. Release Date: 2017 Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 Developer: ConcernedApe Publisher: ConcernedApe Genre: RPG Metacritic Score: 87 Yes, that’s kind of similar to how gambling addiction works, but at least you aren’t losing actual money with this seemingly innocuous title. Rewards are also set on a random interval schedule, adding novelty to the game and keeping those dopamine levels up which keeps people coming back for more. You literally just lose yourself in the simulator as you control an avatar that builds, fishes, crafts, cooks, explores an island paradise and just generally lives a cosy, off-the-grid lifestyle. In other words, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a comfort game. That’s probably why it has sold some 41 million copies since the beginning of the pandemic, reiterating the title as an exemplar of what some people call “cosy gaming.” The utility of Animal Crossing as more than just a game has been discussed widely in the industry. Nintendo really struck gold when they started stretching this concept in different directions and New Horizons is the best expression to date. Much like Minecraft, Animal Crossing has become one of the most iconic social simulation games of all time. Release Date: 2018 Platform: Wii U, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS Developer: Nintendo Publisher: Nintendo Genre: Puzzle Metacritic Score: 82
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