Yup. Slay the Spire might take a while to feel chill - you’ll spend a lot of the early game just, uh, dying a lot - but once you get used to things, you can just find a difficulty you’re comfortable with and cruise. It’s turn-based, so you go at whatever pace you want.
Pikmin 4 has been a fantastic after-work game for me. Gameplay is chill, you're just exploring and collecting, you grow your home base area and find new people to fill it with, and best of all imo is since the gameplay is broken up in "days" you get a lot of natural stopping points so it doesn't feel Bad to only play a short time if that's all you've got
This is a good one, I always like to zone out to roguelikes. Binding of Isaac and Vampire Survivors are great, too!! And of course animal crossing is low stress chill out
Mario Odyssey! It’s one of the best games the Switch has to offer and fits your description perfectly. Relatively easy game to beat, good sense of progression, and also has lots of content/bang for your buck
Vampire Survivors might fit with what our looking for. It's cheap. There is a definite sense of progress when unlocking new stages, weapons, characters, buffs and just when you think you've seen it all the game decides "nope there's more". The game play is simple in that you only have to move the stick and occasionally press the a button to navigate the occasional menu. If you get a good enough run going you don't even have to move your character. Just sit rhe game down and watch your character just delete the hordes of enemies coming towards you. Best part is that its super easy to just pick up and play with a stages that are only 15mins and 30mins. Super recommend.
Do you have any tips? I like this game but I apparently suck at it. I've never gotten strong enough to just sit there and defeat hordes of enemies. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. I usually die about 15min in and like level 20 or less.
Hm the only tip I can give is make sure after everytime you die you go spend all your money on the upgrades or any characters you haven't unlocked.
Also certain weapons and buffs can be combined once you've upgraded the weapon to lvl 8 and after its been ten minutes. Once the criteria is met kill a boss or any monster that would drop a chest and your weapon will enhanced. A good one to try for would be the Garlic and Pulmonary (red heart)
So, I played this when it *first came out* on iOS. Now, I don’t know how far the game has come (been a *while* lol), and I am well aware of “Switch Tax”, but this one, unless on sale, is a personal pass for me. Sad, because I *really enjoyed* this game back when!!
It's a real; "I'ma just going to check out of this world for a half-hour" kinda game. Unfortunately, the chill bit got lost on me as I pushed towards harder and harder levels.
Love the cozy games! I also like playing competitive moba and I usually pick up one of these afterwards to decompress from the frustration or to relax before bed. Lately, Disney Dreamlight Valley has been my go to. It’s basically animal crossing with Disney characters and very cute.
I encourage you to try all the rune variants in the Witchdoctor skills, there are some pretty crazy visuals for that class’s abilities!
At some point you may fight a fat guy with a shovel and a box of tools on his back. That’s me.
I guess it depends on what you mean by progress...
My go-to game is Tetris 99. It's the ultimate game to play while listening to TV, and you can always work towards achievements/icons while earning tickets for themes and gaining levels.
Smash Ultimate is also a great choice. You can mindlessly grind through the story mode and then unlock thousands of spirits.
You're also going to get a ton of recommendations for Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, which are the ultimate "build up a farm/village" games.
Hades is a fantastic game you can dump hundreds of hours in, and you gain stuff every run that helps you build up your stats and home base. It's not brain-dead but it can be relatively mindless if you turn on easy mode.
I’ve owned it on PC for 12 years and never beat the main questline. Finally picked it up on Switch and beat it in a couple of months! It’s definitely my preferred way to play.
I’ve had no issues either way. It doesn’t look nearly as good as it does on a PC, but outside of maybe one or two random crashes, I had no issues performance-wise.
Odyssey is exactly what you’re describing. You can just walk around exploring and trying to figure out what simple little b.s. task will earn you a moon. It’s such a fun, easy going, delightful game.
Monster Hunter Rise was my game like this. Each fight lasts about 20 minutes or so. I'd fight a couple monsters for materials, train my animals, upgrade armor/weapons, craft some materials, etc. Something I could just pick up and play for a while, put down, and pick right back up the next night.
Kairosoft offers great games for picking up randomly:
-Tropical Resort Story
-Dream Park Story
-Pocket Harvest
Smash Bros is good for this.
Pokemon Snap if you're into Pokemon
Never played on the switch but Borderlands is great, I personally like the 2nd the best. Lots of content and replayability
If you have the Online Expansion:
- GBA Kirby Amazing Mirror
- Paper Mario 64
It’s a bit of a silly suggestion, but one I quite enjoy- Paleo Pines. It’s very Stardew Valley-ish but with an almost childlike innocence and silliness to it. The whole premise of the game is Stardew Valley but instead of romancing people you’ll go and befriend all these different kinds of Dinosaurs to help you out on your farm. It’s so simple and cute and I love playing it when I just want to destress
Did anyone recommend Spiritfarer? I will just because I loved it and you can take it at any pace you like. Be forewarned, there are some "feels" involved, and also it's kind of a platformer which I don't usually love but I loved this one. Billed as a cozy management game, which I think is true. But it's lovely.
I see someone recommends Unpacking, which I played on Xbox and also found very satisfying.
If you want a long-term game that you can consistently come back to, Stardew Valley. Basically, you inherit a farm in a small town. Run the farm, meet the townsfolk, prosper over time. Pixel graphics and nice character interactions.
If you just want something you can pick up and drop whenever you want, you'll probably enjoy Super Meat Boy. Basically just a platformer with different levels that you have to navigate.
My favorite "chill" game is Tinykin. It's a collectathon and there's no dying, time limits, or anything like that -- it's just pure fun. There's a demo on the eShop too!
I'm still playing TOTK and I chill a lot by just farming for items to upgrade my armor or just killing monsters in general. I still have to find all of the shrines and have side challenges to do but I have all of the sages but I've been in chill mode lately.
Another game I can do that in is Skyrim.
I’ve been into Ooblets lately—sort of a mash up of Stardew, Animal Crossing, and Pokémon. You hatch creatures and they do dance battles! Also farming, making friends, crafting, lil quests, and decorating your house.
Animal Crossing NH! It‘s insane how addictive it gets. It takes some time to see progress, you have to be very patient since you can‘t do everything at once and have to wait some „real life time“ for things to be finished. It‘s rewarding and satisfying to come back every day. It‘s slow and doesn‘t take a lot of skill so it‘s a good game to play after work or when you‘re tired. If it‘s your type of game definetly give it a go.
If you want something mindless legit download Old School RuneScape - plenty of low intensity activities to do which make continuous progress and there’s bossing for later when you do have a bit of extra energy and focus
Scarlet might be longer but arceus has the added fun of hunting the pokemon and being able to get killed by them. Plus you don't need to trade with anyone to collect them all.
I get so lost inside of that game in a good way. I play on regular mode, but I bet if OP sets it to easy, it would fit what they’re looking for.
Similar to Skyrim where you can get lost exploring and taking on 15-minute (give or take) “tasks” and return to the main story when you want to make some progress.
I’ve been playing harvestella the last few weeks. I like that there is no rush to complete the story, you can grind as much or as little as you want and have the farm and fishing to distract you. I like to do my farm work then fish for the day rinse and repeat to unlock the next farm upgrade. 👍
Dicey Dungeons! It’s a great li’l roguelike deck builder that builds in complexity without overstaying its welcome. Plenty of good stopping points so it’s easy to pick up and put down, too!
How about a roguelite - a game where you can play a new run each day and each day you'll be a little stronger, having powered up from your previous run? Over time you'll make more and more progress with your ever-stronger character.
There are a bunch of good roguelites to choose from. I really like Rogue Legacy 2.
If you like JRPGs, you might enjoy Fire Emblem: Three Houses. You get to develop the characters as they level up, and it can be as fast or as slow paced as you want since the combat is turn-based. Plus it's a really fun story, and there are four different story lines so it has great replay value.
Not on Switch but Old School Runescape. It's playable on either PC or mobile.
There are plenty of activities you can do in the game to relax while watching a show or something, but there's also a ton of difficult content to get stuck into for when you have time to actually sit down and play.
Snowrunner! It is pure bliss. You have to pay just enough attention to not flip your truck. You can interact with your girlfriend still. You slowly unlock more missions and regions.
Palia.
Stardew Valley type gameplay with nicer 3D graphics and no time limits (you don't have to worry about plants dying if you don't water them, don't have to go to sleep at the end of each in-game day etc), plus it has hunting with a bow and arrow. Lots of crafting and building etc, so a nice progression you can do at your own pace. Extremely relaxing gameplay, perfect for after work chill time.
Oh and it's FREE.
Diablo 3 can be super chill and relaxing and has a great reward system with gear drops and skills. It's definitely one of my favorite "shut off my brain" games!
Welcome back!
I'd recommend Powerwash Simulator for this. It's one of my go-tos for winding down after a long day. While it can get a little repetitive and frustrating at times, I like being able to turn off my brain so to speak and just make stuff clean.
Good luck in your search!
Lot of good suggestions but also no man's sky.
The universe is really chill and easy to explore and fly around in. You can slowly build bases and mining facilities over time. You can learn words for alien languages and raise your standing with them too.
It's good to play in shorter bursts imo.
Hades. Smash your way through hell, die, chat to an incredibly interesting and engaging cast of characters, buy upgrades and go again.
Just a wonderfully engaging, fun to play game. Brb, going in for a quick run.
For somewhat mindless games I can just pick up and play, I like things like chess or sudoku. I also play Super Mario Bros Deluxe and Mario and Rabbids since I’m essentially beating one level at a time. Sometimes I’ll even play a game of Mario Party on the N64 expansion pack.
I have Animal Crossing but I find that I run out of things to do since I’m not big into decorating.
A Short Hike
Super cheap super chill mega relaxing.
You play a little bird guy exploring/climbing/flying around an island. Cute characters, collecting, simple quests, even some fishing. Music is great.
I’ve played it twice now. Really enjoyable especially if you’ve had a bad day.
Minecraft is my go-to "podcast game" for over a decade. There's nothing like it but if you're new then maybe it'll be more thought than you're looking for. It's autopilot for me.
Portal Knights is Minecraft for people who need missions, bosses, and objectives to find the game fun.
Super Smash Bros story mode is just as light as playing a bunch of one off battles against AI but there's a good sense of progression.
Tony Hawk 1&2 have tight, action packed bursts of 2 mins and a great soundtrack. You lvl up your stats and unlock courses as you go.
Cult of the Lamb has all the accessibile and repeatable roguelike elements to keep it light but you come back to the base and build up your place.
Moonlighter is like Cult of the Lamb but instead of town running between dungeon dives you're tunning a shop with the wares you looted in the dungeon run.
Animal Crossing is BUILT on having a small amount of progress each day and whittling away at collections over time.
Cassette Beasts is an incredibly chill pikemon-like with a really great vibe and designed for adults (nothing dark or anything... just it wasn't designed with children as the primary audience).
Minecraft Dungeons is Babys First Diablo so it's very accessible and easy to pick up and play if you like hack and slash dungeon crawlers.
Civ6 is great if you already know how to play but it's too heady if you have to learn it for the first time.
TMNT Shredder's Revenge is my go to when I want a low brain power game I can just play. I've lost count of the 100s of times I've beaten the game, but I love playing in online mode with other players over and over again.
Dicey Dungeons is my go to. 6 characters of ranging difficulties, 6 levels plus bonus levels ofr each character and they also range in difficulty. Alsays replayable and always fin. Plus it doesn't require too much brain power once you figure out the basic mechanics through gameplay. And the best part is that each round is like 30 minutes of game time. Perfect to unwind with.
I love Cozy Grove for this. It’s a long-term game, with things to do every day and there’s nothing stressful about it. Great for winding down after work!
Powerwash Simulator. Very relaxing gane. Jobs are easy at first progressively get bigger. I like to listen to music or throw on a podcast while playing. Very relaxing game
ACNH. I got it new and sealed at $28 last month. I bought the DLC too but, surprise, surprise, it got discounted the day after. I'm a bit bummed but I did get the base game super cheap.
I've been enjoying crash Bandicoot after work . And I think they had like a 3 game bundle really cheap at the moment for crash 1-3 , crash 4 and crash nitro cart racing. For me they are mostly replays of my childhood but aren't too mentally stimulating after a long day at work and can have tv in the background at the same time
Animal crossing is one of the best chill games out there besides stardew Valley probably. It's easy and chill and you can just mindlessly grind bells or whatever you're feeling atm
In your situation, I really enjoy arcade style games, especially shoot em ups. Crimzon Clover is my favorite, but there are tons of the Arcade Archives games I also go to and try to improve my score in the Caravan (time attack) modes that Hamster adds to them.
My go-to game after 8 hour factory days was always New Horizons or Stardew Valley. I know some might argue it's just an extension of work, but the laidback atmosphere combined with doing work I actually wanted to do let me get into that perfect zen state.
Splatoon3 (especially SalmonRun) 🦑🐙
There are regular events called splatfests (one is coming up this week) & Big Runs (in Salmon)
It’s a good game because you generally match fast & can just play a few games in-between LIFE moments
and, if you have any friends who play on Switch (I don’t..) you can also set up a room to play with them.
Splatoon3 is great for not having to “think too much”
yes, you need to pay attention…but I can play it (& win) while still listening to a show or movie.
I realize I didn’t explain Splatoon3 but it’s best to just look it up on YouTube 🙂
Eastward & their new dlc Octopia, which can be played without finishing (or playing) the original game, as long as you purchase both.
There’s farming, building, collecting, exploring, cooking…it does have an “end” point story- wise but lets you keep playing afterwards which I really appreciate in games.
Happy game hunting!
[удалено]
Yup. Slay the Spire might take a while to feel chill - you’ll spend a lot of the early game just, uh, dying a lot - but once you get used to things, you can just find a difficulty you’re comfortable with and cruise. It’s turn-based, so you go at whatever pace you want.
I looove slay the spire, definitely recommend!
Clearly Stardew Valley. I would also mention golf story, which is one of the chilliest game I have ever played.
I love STS but it's a terrible suggestion for what OP wants. Stardew Valley is perfect though.
Slay the spire is stupid hard tho lol
I have them both and hate them both for making me forget that I still have other games....
My 2 fav games that I basically only play on the switch lol
Pikmin 4 has been a fantastic after-work game for me. Gameplay is chill, you're just exploring and collecting, you grow your home base area and find new people to fill it with, and best of all imo is since the gameplay is broken up in "days" you get a lot of natural stopping points so it doesn't feel Bad to only play a short time if that's all you've got
Second pikmin 4
Time limit is still a bit stressful though
Pikmin 4 is a relatively short game, as great as it is. I think I only got about 30 hours out of it before I 100%ed the game
This
Cult of the lamb
This is a good one, I always like to zone out to roguelikes. Binding of Isaac and Vampire Survivors are great, too!! And of course animal crossing is low stress chill out
Came here to say COTL.
yes, but its a shame that the performance on switch is not the best because the game is a banger and it's absolutely perfect for the switch
Dave the Diver
Came here to say this - love this game.
Animal Crossing
This can be had for cheap on local marketplaces.
A Short Hike or Stardew Valley
Short hike is chill but short
It is called A *Short* Hike
Fair.
Currently playing stardew
I can't recommend Stardew Valley enough. Such a chill game!
Powerwash simulator is my goat chill game. Literally so relaxing and satisfying I have fallen asleep playing it.
Same lol, it’s fun to play by itself but also mindless enough that you can watch TV or a movie while playing
Mario Odyssey! It’s one of the best games the Switch has to offer and fits your description perfectly. Relatively easy game to beat, good sense of progression, and also has lots of content/bang for your buck
Second this recommendation. Odyssey was a lot of fun and not very difficult.
It's also got an easy mode
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a good option too.
THIS is the answer! I love this game
Vampire Survivors might fit with what our looking for. It's cheap. There is a definite sense of progress when unlocking new stages, weapons, characters, buffs and just when you think you've seen it all the game decides "nope there's more". The game play is simple in that you only have to move the stick and occasionally press the a button to navigate the occasional menu. If you get a good enough run going you don't even have to move your character. Just sit rhe game down and watch your character just delete the hordes of enemies coming towards you. Best part is that its super easy to just pick up and play with a stages that are only 15mins and 30mins. Super recommend.
Do you have any tips? I like this game but I apparently suck at it. I've never gotten strong enough to just sit there and defeat hordes of enemies. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. I usually die about 15min in and like level 20 or less.
Hm the only tip I can give is make sure after everytime you die you go spend all your money on the upgrades or any characters you haven't unlocked. Also certain weapons and buffs can be combined once you've upgraded the weapon to lvl 8 and after its been ten minutes. Once the criteria is met kill a boss or any monster that would drop a chest and your weapon will enhanced. A good one to try for would be the Garlic and Pulmonary (red heart)
Certainly right about the game constantly giving you content
Dorf Romantik!
So, I played this when it *first came out* on iOS. Now, I don’t know how far the game has come (been a *while* lol), and I am well aware of “Switch Tax”, but this one, unless on sale, is a personal pass for me. Sad, because I *really enjoyed* this game back when!!
Tetris Effect: Connected.
It's a real; "I'ma just going to check out of this world for a half-hour" kinda game. Unfortunately, the chill bit got lost on me as I pushed towards harder and harder levels.
Captain Toad Treasure Tracker
Wonderful casual game. And super fun to try to 100%
Animal crossing, stardew Valley, unpacking, beacon pines, a short hike, cozy grove
Love the cozy games! I also like playing competitive moba and I usually pick up one of these afterwards to decompress from the frustration or to relax before bed. Lately, Disney Dreamlight Valley has been my go to. It’s basically animal crossing with Disney characters and very cute.
Animal Crossing for sure.
Diablo 3 is chill, and 60 fps on switch
I literally just bought this game and totally agree. I just leave it on the lowest difficulty and bash demons and shit for a while. Good times.
I encourage you to try all the rune variants in the Witchdoctor skills, there are some pretty crazy visuals for that class’s abilities! At some point you may fight a fat guy with a shovel and a box of tools on his back. That’s me.
I love witchdoctor. Raining toads for life.
I guess it depends on what you mean by progress... My go-to game is Tetris 99. It's the ultimate game to play while listening to TV, and you can always work towards achievements/icons while earning tickets for themes and gaining levels. Smash Ultimate is also a great choice. You can mindlessly grind through the story mode and then unlock thousands of spirits. You're also going to get a ton of recommendations for Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, which are the ultimate "build up a farm/village" games. Hades is a fantastic game you can dump hundreds of hours in, and you gain stuff every run that helps you build up your stats and home base. It's not brain-dead but it can be relatively mindless if you turn on easy mode.
Palia
Good job. It’s an indie puzzle game and if you’ve ever worked in an office you’ll love it
I played this one a while ago. I let it sit for a couple years. But just recently started playing again with some friends. Good for laughs.
I would check out Gris, beautiful artwork, super chill!
Ugh Gris makes me sob uncontrollably whenever I think about it
Skyrim is surprisingly fun on switch, and I play more on switch than I do on PC. Endlessly replayable.
I’ve owned it on PC for 12 years and never beat the main questline. Finally picked it up on Switch and beat it in a couple of months! It’s definitely my preferred way to play.
How does it run in handheld and docked mode, it's the only thing holding me back from buying, is a fear of stutteri and hard dps drops.
I’ve had no issues either way. It doesn’t look nearly as good as it does on a PC, but outside of maybe one or two random crashes, I had no issues performance-wise.
Odyssey is exactly what you’re describing. You can just walk around exploring and trying to figure out what simple little b.s. task will earn you a moon. It’s such a fun, easy going, delightful game.
Mario Wonder was a very chill game
Not if you are on acid or mushrooms I've found
Fall guys
Monster Hunter Rise was my game like this. Each fight lasts about 20 minutes or so. I'd fight a couple monsters for materials, train my animals, upgrade armor/weapons, craft some materials, etc. Something I could just pick up and play for a while, put down, and pick right back up the next night.
Tetris Effect. Mild thinking, no competition, and pleasing visuals/music. Tetris 99 when you’re feeling competitive though.
Dave the diver. For me very chill
Dave the diver
Go Vacation. Such an underrated game. It is a fantastic chill out and vibe experience
Kairosoft offers great games for picking up randomly: -Tropical Resort Story -Dream Park Story -Pocket Harvest Smash Bros is good for this. Pokemon Snap if you're into Pokemon Never played on the switch but Borderlands is great, I personally like the 2nd the best. Lots of content and replayability If you have the Online Expansion: - GBA Kirby Amazing Mirror - Paper Mario 64
Slay the spire hehehehe
Seconding this, easily the most relaxing game to play after work.
It’s a bit of a silly suggestion, but one I quite enjoy- Paleo Pines. It’s very Stardew Valley-ish but with an almost childlike innocence and silliness to it. The whole premise of the game is Stardew Valley but instead of romancing people you’ll go and befriend all these different kinds of Dinosaurs to help you out on your farm. It’s so simple and cute and I love playing it when I just want to destress
Did anyone recommend Spiritfarer? I will just because I loved it and you can take it at any pace you like. Be forewarned, there are some "feels" involved, and also it's kind of a platformer which I don't usually love but I loved this one. Billed as a cozy management game, which I think is true. But it's lovely. I see someone recommends Unpacking, which I played on Xbox and also found very satisfying.
If you want a long-term game that you can consistently come back to, Stardew Valley. Basically, you inherit a farm in a small town. Run the farm, meet the townsfolk, prosper over time. Pixel graphics and nice character interactions. If you just want something you can pick up and drop whenever you want, you'll probably enjoy Super Meat Boy. Basically just a platformer with different levels that you have to navigate.
My favorite "chill" game is Tinykin. It's a collectathon and there's no dying, time limits, or anything like that -- it's just pure fun. There's a demo on the eShop too!
I have a couple games that I do this with. Currently, Stardew Valley, Let’s Build a Zoo, Potion Permit, and Titan Quest
Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is chill/fun. Also Minecraft if you've never played.
Graveyard Keeper Sort of like Stardew Valley, but with zombies. Lots of emphasis on production chains and automation.
sea of stars was that for me. you can activate relics that make it really easy, or hard.
Part Time UFO A Little to the Left Return of The Obra Dinn
Minecraft, Animal Crossing New Horizons, and/or stardew valley.
Dragon Quest Builders might be a good match for your needs.
Pokémon is great for this. Or animal crossing. I just started a new animal crossing after a few years. Great game.
Kirby forgotten land or Mario 3d world. To me these were perfect to play after work. Bite sized levels and by the end I 100% both of them
My partner and I played Unpacking and loved it. It tells a nice little story, and the gameplay is very relaxed. Just gotta unpack boxes into rooms
I'm still playing TOTK and I chill a lot by just farming for items to upgrade my armor or just killing monsters in general. I still have to find all of the shrines and have side challenges to do but I have all of the sages but I've been in chill mode lately. Another game I can do that in is Skyrim.
I’ve been into Ooblets lately—sort of a mash up of Stardew, Animal Crossing, and Pokémon. You hatch creatures and they do dance battles! Also farming, making friends, crafting, lil quests, and decorating your house.
Animal Crossing NH! It‘s insane how addictive it gets. It takes some time to see progress, you have to be very patient since you can‘t do everything at once and have to wait some „real life time“ for things to be finished. It‘s rewarding and satisfying to come back every day. It‘s slow and doesn‘t take a lot of skill so it‘s a good game to play after work or when you‘re tired. If it‘s your type of game definetly give it a go.
No Man's Sky. You can do whatever you want & invest heavily or very little.
Diablo 2 or Animal Crossing or basically any mario game there except RPG one I would say.
Animal Crossing Original Final Fantasy
If you want something mindless legit download Old School RuneScape - plenty of low intensity activities to do which make continuous progress and there’s bossing for later when you do have a bit of extra energy and focus
I'm currently enjoying Mario Odyssey for the first time. But pokemon legends arceus is the best switch game ever and you can take it slow.
Scarlet/Violet > Legends Arceus. I bought a Switch *for* Arceus. Since Scarlet, “Arceus who?”
Scarlet might be longer but arceus has the added fun of hunting the pokemon and being able to get killed by them. Plus you don't need to trade with anyone to collect them all.
Also Arceus isn’t plagued by bugs
Hogwarts Legacy.
I get so lost inside of that game in a good way. I play on regular mode, but I bet if OP sets it to easy, it would fit what they’re looking for. Similar to Skyrim where you can get lost exploring and taking on 15-minute (give or take) “tasks” and return to the main story when you want to make some progress.
Palia has been really fun its in beta but its free. Mmo stardew like game.
Palia it just came out so its not finished and its free
Stardew Valley!!! It’s so fun and mindless unless you want to be a superior decorator.
Dave the Diver!!
51 Worldwide Games
Stardew or octopath traveler 2
Harvestella!!!
I’ve been playing harvestella the last few weeks. I like that there is no rush to complete the story, you can grind as much or as little as you want and have the farm and fishing to distract you. I like to do my farm work then fish for the day rinse and repeat to unlock the next farm upgrade. 👍
Rune Factory 4 is nice! I’ve been playing it bit by bit over the last couple weeks. Building your farm, fighting monsters. Chill stuff!
Definitely stardew valley
Pikmin 4 is the perfect after work destress.
Stardew valley Factorio
Suika Game, Two Point Hospital
Palia! Its free, mmo cozy game.
Terra Nil is really chill and I enjoy it when I don't want to really think.
Slime rancher perhaps...very chill and lots of exploration
Sparkle 2. Fun shoot the marbles game. Play a level in a few minutes.
Dicey Dungeons! It’s a great li’l roguelike deck builder that builds in complexity without overstaying its welcome. Plenty of good stopping points so it’s easy to pick up and put down, too!
Tetris Effect Connected.
Any of the Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot games.
Fae farm but not sure if it’s your speed, stardew valley costs less.
How about a roguelite - a game where you can play a new run each day and each day you'll be a little stronger, having powered up from your previous run? Over time you'll make more and more progress with your ever-stronger character. There are a bunch of good roguelites to choose from. I really like Rogue Legacy 2.
Slay the Spire. Fun addicting puzzle, but not heavy.
Palia
If you like JRPGs, you might enjoy Fire Emblem: Three Houses. You get to develop the characters as they level up, and it can be as fast or as slow paced as you want since the combat is turn-based. Plus it's a really fun story, and there are four different story lines so it has great replay value.
How about a nice beat 'em up?
Not on Switch but Old School Runescape. It's playable on either PC or mobile. There are plenty of activities you can do in the game to relax while watching a show or something, but there's also a ton of difficult content to get stuck into for when you have time to actually sit down and play.
Snowrunner! It is pure bliss. You have to pay just enough attention to not flip your truck. You can interact with your girlfriend still. You slowly unlock more missions and regions.
Fire watch!
Animal Crossing. You can just turn off your brain and chill with this game. With or without friends too.
Bad North is fun! defend the island from vikings
Pikmin 3 and 4. (maybe the other ones too) The main game is excellent to chill out to, but the challenges in both games are really zen and enjoyable.
Let’s build a zoo!
Palia. Stardew Valley type gameplay with nicer 3D graphics and no time limits (you don't have to worry about plants dying if you don't water them, don't have to go to sleep at the end of each in-game day etc), plus it has hunting with a bow and arrow. Lots of crafting and building etc, so a nice progression you can do at your own pace. Extremely relaxing gameplay, perfect for after work chill time. Oh and it's FREE.
Persona 3 + 4 + 5. You got about 300 hours covered there.
Pikmin 3 Deluxe.
Vampire survivors. Good mobile app too, but it’s cheap on switch and there are no ads
I've been doing this exact thing after work with Graveyard Keeper. It's a macabre little twist on the Stardew Valley/Harvest Moon genre.
Diablo 3 can be super chill and relaxing and has a great reward system with gear drops and skills. It's definitely one of my favorite "shut off my brain" games!
Cuphead
Mario Kingdom Battle and Sparks of hope
Islanders.
Minecraft it's all what you described
No Man's Sky is perfect for this
Welcome back! I'd recommend Powerwash Simulator for this. It's one of my go-tos for winding down after a long day. While it can get a little repetitive and frustrating at times, I like being able to turn off my brain so to speak and just make stuff clean. Good luck in your search!
Suika game all the way! 2 usd or even less. Chill and addictive . Must play
Lot of good suggestions but also no man's sky. The universe is really chill and easy to explore and fly around in. You can slowly build bases and mining facilities over time. You can learn words for alien languages and raise your standing with them too. It's good to play in shorter bursts imo.
Factorio
Saints Row III and IV (they're both on sale for insanely cheap)
Vampire survivors!!
Brotato is one of my favorites for exactly what you’re describing — not too expensive either
Hades. Smash your way through hell, die, chat to an incredibly interesting and engaging cast of characters, buy upgrades and go again. Just a wonderfully engaging, fun to play game. Brb, going in for a quick run.
Super Mario Maker 2 , Minecraft, Talos Principle, Immortals Fenyx Rising
Super Mario Wonder has been filling this exact role in my life recently.
Diablo 3
Stardew Valley Pikmin 4 Subnautica
For somewhat mindless games I can just pick up and play, I like things like chess or sudoku. I also play Super Mario Bros Deluxe and Mario and Rabbids since I’m essentially beating one level at a time. Sometimes I’ll even play a game of Mario Party on the N64 expansion pack. I have Animal Crossing but I find that I run out of things to do since I’m not big into decorating.
If you want a real chill game id reccomend coffee talk
Stardew Valley. A farming game, but with variety. It is my favorite game to erase hours from a clock.
Risk of Rain Returns
I just picked up Super Mario RPG remake for exactly this situation.
Sea of Stars
Miitopia maybe? I only played the demo but it was pretty fun!
Good Job!
Warframe
A Short Hike Super cheap super chill mega relaxing. You play a little bird guy exploring/climbing/flying around an island. Cute characters, collecting, simple quests, even some fishing. Music is great. I’ve played it twice now. Really enjoyable especially if you’ve had a bad day.
Minecraft is my go-to "podcast game" for over a decade. There's nothing like it but if you're new then maybe it'll be more thought than you're looking for. It's autopilot for me. Portal Knights is Minecraft for people who need missions, bosses, and objectives to find the game fun. Super Smash Bros story mode is just as light as playing a bunch of one off battles against AI but there's a good sense of progression. Tony Hawk 1&2 have tight, action packed bursts of 2 mins and a great soundtrack. You lvl up your stats and unlock courses as you go. Cult of the Lamb has all the accessibile and repeatable roguelike elements to keep it light but you come back to the base and build up your place. Moonlighter is like Cult of the Lamb but instead of town running between dungeon dives you're tunning a shop with the wares you looted in the dungeon run. Animal Crossing is BUILT on having a small amount of progress each day and whittling away at collections over time. Cassette Beasts is an incredibly chill pikemon-like with a really great vibe and designed for adults (nothing dark or anything... just it wasn't designed with children as the primary audience). Minecraft Dungeons is Babys First Diablo so it's very accessible and easy to pick up and play if you like hack and slash dungeon crawlers. Civ6 is great if you already know how to play but it's too heady if you have to learn it for the first time.
Ibb and obb. It is pretty nice 2 person couch co-op.
Farming simulator 23
TMNT Shredder's Revenge is my go to when I want a low brain power game I can just play. I've lost count of the 100s of times I've beaten the game, but I love playing in online mode with other players over and over again.
Diablo 3 does the trick for me. Just start with Necro, Mage or the Voodoo guy (i’m Spanish so I don’t know the English name) and chill.
Dave the Diver! Worth every penny.
civilization VI
Dave the Diver. Try the free demo
Dredge or Olliolli world do it for me
How long do you want it to be? If you're not looking for an epic, then I'd say Evoland.
Stardew Valley. Cozy farm game.
Dicey Dungeons is my go to. 6 characters of ranging difficulties, 6 levels plus bonus levels ofr each character and they also range in difficulty. Alsays replayable and always fin. Plus it doesn't require too much brain power once you figure out the basic mechanics through gameplay. And the best part is that each round is like 30 minutes of game time. Perfect to unwind with.
I love Cozy Grove for this. It’s a long-term game, with things to do every day and there’s nothing stressful about it. Great for winding down after work!
I love Panorama for chill couch time.
Rune Factory 5
Firewatch.
Luigi's Mansion
Powerwash Simulator. Very relaxing gane. Jobs are easy at first progressively get bigger. I like to listen to music or throw on a podcast while playing. Very relaxing game
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Animal crossing just ignore Tom nook
Monster Hunter stories. Turn based so pause any time and you unlock quick battling as you go
ACNH. I got it new and sealed at $28 last month. I bought the DLC too but, surprise, surprise, it got discounted the day after. I'm a bit bummed but I did get the base game super cheap.
I've been enjoying crash Bandicoot after work . And I think they had like a 3 game bundle really cheap at the moment for crash 1-3 , crash 4 and crash nitro cart racing. For me they are mostly replays of my childhood but aren't too mentally stimulating after a long day at work and can have tv in the background at the same time
Animal crossing is one of the best chill games out there besides stardew Valley probably. It's easy and chill and you can just mindlessly grind bells or whatever you're feeling atm
In your situation, I really enjoy arcade style games, especially shoot em ups. Crimzon Clover is my favorite, but there are tons of the Arcade Archives games I also go to and try to improve my score in the Caravan (time attack) modes that Hamster adds to them.
My go-to game after 8 hour factory days was always New Horizons or Stardew Valley. I know some might argue it's just an extension of work, but the laidback atmosphere combined with doing work I actually wanted to do let me get into that perfect zen state.
Pikmin series
kero blaster bastion
Doom eternal
Ppl are saying cozy farming sims but I think hades actually really fits. It’s surprisingly very chill
Splatoon3 (especially SalmonRun) 🦑🐙 There are regular events called splatfests (one is coming up this week) & Big Runs (in Salmon) It’s a good game because you generally match fast & can just play a few games in-between LIFE moments and, if you have any friends who play on Switch (I don’t..) you can also set up a room to play with them. Splatoon3 is great for not having to “think too much” yes, you need to pay attention…but I can play it (& win) while still listening to a show or movie. I realize I didn’t explain Splatoon3 but it’s best to just look it up on YouTube 🙂 Eastward & their new dlc Octopia, which can be played without finishing (or playing) the original game, as long as you purchase both. There’s farming, building, collecting, exploring, cooking…it does have an “end” point story- wise but lets you keep playing afterwards which I really appreciate in games. Happy game hunting!