SweetieGames

I’m autistic, and recently I’ve found that I’ve pushed myself beyond my capacity fairly often. I’m working hard towards getting my driving license, demands are high at work and when I get home I try my best to find energy for writing here and creating gaming content which I’m really passionate about. Add in meeting with friends to keep my social life alive and suddenly I find myself exhausted and shutting down.

Gaming has been extremely beneficial for my mental wellbeing. A lot of my special interests and hyperfixations are games, and engaging with them allows me to unmask, unwind and engage with a story or just have fun. However, when my energy is spent and I am trying to relax and stave off a shutdown, I can sometimes find even my favourite genres require too much concentration or are too overstimulating and I end up getting frustrated even though I like the game under normal circumstances!

At times like that, I end up playing Animal Crossing on my Switch. My island, which I worked on extensively during lockdown, is five stars and has pretty much all of my favourite villagers. I can’t bring myself to overhaul it or start again, not after I put so much work into it. I sometimes wish I could have multiple islands so that I could keep my current one and work on a new one! But this can’t be done. So when I’m stressed out, I end up wandering laps of my island, talking to the same villagers who do not have a particularly vast array of dialogue and feeling like I’m wasting my time. I love Animal Crossing, but with no new content in New Horizons, I think I’ve done everything that I can for the time being. So, what should I play instead when I feel like this?

Here’s the thing: I’m not sure.

It feels strange to write an article about a lack of a game rather than an actual game, but this is the situation I’ve landed in! I’m on the hunt for a comfy, cosy game, and because there’s thousands upon thousands out there, I feel paralysed by choice. Especially as the majority of them are farming simulators and I don’t want to play a farm sim. I’ve tried so many times. I’m not good at them. There’s too much to do and I get stressed.

I’m looking for something cute, with customisation options for a character and also where you live, the ability to make friends with villagers or neighbours around you and a couple of tasks but not something super overwhelming. I like that Animal Crossing runs on real time and has the museum and then your character’s home to pay off, but nothing has a time limit and it progresses slowly. Stardew Valley stresses me out because an in-game year will go by in a few hours in real life and there’s animals to feed, crops to harvest and replant, mines to explore, neighbours to chat to and give gifts, events in the square, a community centre to build and I feel like I’ve not achieved anything. Where do I start?

I think maybe I just need to look into a decorating game, because that might be what I really want, but I need to see what’s available on Nintendo Switch as I’m not a big PC gamer. I like to play these kinds of games in the morning in bed with my vanilla oat milk matcha on the bedside table. (Yes I am one of those girls and I’m proud of it!) But I also want it to feel enjoyable and relaxing when I get home from work. Am I being too demanding?

I’d love to hear suggestions for games that would fit the bill for me, and I’d also like to document finding the perfect comfy game for destressing. Let the hunt begin, and wish me luck!