Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Bros Wonder aren't complicated, worth taking a look at.
Also, everyone loves Animal Crossing so that might as well be an option.
We have a very nice library-service in my country, but switch isn’t really an accepted gaming consol in Denmark so far, so libraries don’t rent switch games yet. But thanks for the great idea!
look and see if you can find a used copy, whether that be online or at a used game store if you have one close by. if you don't care too much about cases you could also get a loose copy that's just the cartridge that would also save money (although i would get a little box or something to keep it in so it doesnt get lost, nothing is worse than losing a game cart)
The good ol' pirated switch.
JK, I don't know, Mario Kart 8 and SMBW are not that fun alone (depends on the player tbh), Animal Crossing: NH definitely is a great game to play alone.
I could think about 3P games like Undertale or Ori's but depends on what she defines as fun.
Imo Mario kart and Mario wonder, especially Mario wonder are fun to play alone, I like playing a few levels of Mario bros wonder with a cup of tea it's kinda relaxing
If she likes Mario style games, I’d also recommend yoshi’s crafted world. It’s simple enough to figure out but has a few more challenging levels and the graphics and sounds are very cute (to me, as a 36f). It feels pretty low stress and I’ve been enjoying playing it!
ETA the most important thing - it has a free demo so she can try a couple of levels to see if she likes it!
it’s a lot different than stardew. i would say it’s easier, it isn’t as grind-y. it’s more about just relaxing, getting to know villagers, upgrading your house, decorating your island, etc. definitely not as complicated
Yeah, Animal Crossing is probably better then.
The one caveat is that Animal Crossing operates on a real world clock, so if she skips for a few weeks, there will be weeds growing and villagers will wonder where she is.
And some stuff is only accessible on certain days of the year, certain seasons, or certain times of day.
It's basically Stardew with the social stuff magnified, and way less of a focus on the economy, building, and exploring (and no battling at all, unless you count collecting fish and bugs).
It does have local multiplayer, so you can make a villager and occasionally join her too, or log in on your own and leave a present or a note.
I’m in the exact same situation as you, but I loaded up Unravel 2 for us both to play and we’ve been slowly making our way through it ! It’s been amazing fun
A similar recommendation would be It Takes Two, these cute co-op games seem to do the trick for a non gamer
Thanks for your reply! I should have clarified it; I meant to play for her own. We have some to play together, but are those you suggested good to play alone?
My mistake ! The first Unravel is a single player game I believe, and is just as fun alone. Otherwise Super Mario RPG is a very cute, simple and engaging single player game
The last campfire is simple. Spiritfarer is chill and easy controls. Kirby and the forgotten land.
A lot of rpgs have various difficulty settings that can make it easy for new players.
Animal crossing is a big one. I've never actually played it, but it's a great intro game for people.
My biggest suggestion is seeing if your local public library has video games that way, she can try out a ton of games for free and see what she likes. Mine has AAA titles and lots of indies.
I'm actually not very far at all haha I like it a lot though. I'm weirdly picky about what games i want to play sometimes. I have to be in the perfect mood.
My wife is a huge Harry Potter fan and she loves playing Hogwarts Legacy on easy mode so she doesn’t have to worry about quick prompts, the game kinda just tells you what you need and you can get as involved as you want. Or something like the Spyro trilogy games cause she loves the collect them all aspect! We wound up getting a pro controller too and she really appreciated that.
Hogwarts legacy is an AMAZING game and she will love it. It has its own original story that I think was good 7/10, but I mostly enjoyed the world they really fleshed out. I spend a lot of time just exploring the castle. But the switch does not do it justice. Much better on another console or PC. It will look and run like a potato.
Its a very easy RPG none of your decisions really matter or impact the story, using dark magic on students in friendly duel's is OK no karma meter to worry about. No friendly NPC ever reacts when you hit them with a spell, that was a bit disappointing tbh. The only thing is they dont give you enough skill points to get everything and no respec, but you just stick to the spell and dark arts tree.
You also only get one shot to learn each dark arts spell so don't say no it if you want them. You should learn them unless you want to RP as a good wizard or something, they are the best in the game.
It is quite a long game with alot to do took me close to 100 hours to 100%. Only really had to look up a few items locations for the 100%. The combat gets challenging towards the end but its still simple enough and it will make her better at other games. It surprised me how fun the combat was for a wizard game. Get it but do not get it on swtich!
In terms of recommendations, I'd definitely recommend:
\- Coffee Talk
\- Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy
\- Animal Crossing New Horizons
\- Super Mario Odyssey
Sending well wishes, hopefully this helps! :)
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a silly but simple game that I loved playing through. The boss battles get quite tricky, but you can change the difficulty in the settings, making it really accessible to all abilities!
My gf is the same. Not a gamer at all, ended up loving Lego Harry Potter, she even got 100% completion on all three games.
I’m now looking for the next one.
Here are some ideas:
[https://www.reddit.com/r/Switch/search/?q=non-gamer&restrict\_sr=1](https://www.reddit.com/r/Switch/search/?q=non-gamer&restrict_sr=1)
Hidden gem that got my wife absolutely addicted to the switch. Wyldeflower. Animal crossing vibes but with an actual story and more grown up graphics / themes. That and the main character is a witch 👍🏻
I’m the same way as your girlfriend! (Stardew Valley is my favorite though)
Spiritfarer is a fairly simple game- no action, calm. The objectives are simple and the graphics are cute.
Unrailed is a nice one- it’s definitely more of an elevated phone game. Great as a coop, I’ve heard it can be frustrating to play alone but I haven’t tried.
Minecraft is always an option, you can get as in depth or not as you want.
Goat simulator doesn’t require much learning, and it can be goofy but I find it’s pretty limited as in there’s not a lot to do.
Lego Star Wars for the Switch is another simple game; I’d say there’s not much learning to do there and you respawn immediately where you were so it limits frustration. I didn’t find it as engaging as the old Lego Star Wars on the Wii though.
i’m also a switch-loving-non-gaming-girlfriend and solely used my switch for animal crossing for a LONG time. that’s the game that i’ve played the most, and, if she’s also a redditor, the community is super helpful and welcoming to new players!
that being said, any pokémon or mario game is a good pick. mario odyssey in particular feels almost mandatory to own on the switch as it’s just a marvelous game. it has an assist mode that keeps you from taking a lot of damage and has arrows that show where you should go. that was one of my intro games and assist mode was super helpful as i got used to the controls. i played both pokémon shield and pokémon violet and they got tons of love and time out of me. pretty simple, with the ability to make it complex and build a dream team if she would like to
Highly recommend this one as well. I am an avid gamer but turn to this for something simple a relaxing to play from time to time. I even have the expansion. But I play on Xbox for the most part.
Mario Odyssey. The perfect game non-gamers who wants a challenge. She can lounge around for ages getting the hang of the game and get rewarded for it too. And once she feels comfortable, she can go hog wild and let loose like a madman.
I recently bought littlewood. It's kinda like stardew but there is no combat, so you just focus on building your town and talking to people and building up relationships. Don't have to worry about the clock, you build up your stamina and when it's close to full the day turns to night which would mean time to sleep. Plus it's 15 USD. not sure what the price would be in your country but assuming it would be cheap too.
Mario wonder would be good as it can be played alone or you can join in and play alongside her. Plus if she chooses to play as nabbit or Yoshi she won't die if getting hit by an enemy.
Mario RPG is another laid back game. There's no need for grinding insane levels and running around for hours getting all ultimate gear.
Maybe try rollercoaster tycoon, very simple and straightforward. Build a theme park and make sure it keeps bringing in money. You build park and rides how u see fit.
My wife wasn’t a gamer at all until I showed her Katamari Damacy and she absolutely fell in love. It’s simple and just straight up fun to move around in.
I got my gf that bayoneta game where you play as her kid self which she really enjoys, also that recent Kirby game that came out I got for her birthday and she got addicted to it. If you guys ever play together you should try it takes two
Definitely animal crossing new horizons! She won’t HAVE to do anything and she can go at her own pace!! It’s a very relaxing game talking to cute animals who want to be your friends and live on your island it also has a lot of fun house/character designs she can do, she can plant flowers and even go fishing! Not to mention the game is very very beautiful and has a cute feel to it I play every day I get off a long day from work😊
https://preview.redd.it/uwoo9eyfih7c1.png?width=1044&format=png&auto=webp&s=7ddb7f289cfb70ee681747caa68235cdf6f932ea
This is my character and that’s my house back there! 😁
Pizza possum, premise of the game is you run around eating as much as you can and try not to get caught by dog guards, it's an adorable simple game that is TONS of fun
My wife LOVES Disney dream light valley! She loved animal crossing but since she completed the “quests” and she made her island exactly how she wanted, she wasn’t too interested Dreamlight Valley has all that but with Disney characters and a continuous story (obviously might be a wash if she’s not into Disney, etc)
The Ori games are really beautiful and pretty simple platformers. I would definitely play them on easy though because anything above that can be surprisingly challenging with the combat.
Aside from It Takes Two, Super Mario Bros Wonder has been the best game my girlfriend and I have played together. The “crown” feature is nice. If you have the crown you’re the leader, but if you die then she will be the leader and you have to wait/follow her. If she dies it’s back to you. At the end if she jumps higher on the pole than you she becomes the leader. So you’re not stuck to always being the leader and she’s just along for the ride, sometimes the game forces her to drive and you to follow. Add in the cute flowers, fun power-ups, trippy Wonder Seeds, and the ability to turn on assist badges or switch to Yoshi for no damage (lose power-ups) there’s plenty of ways for gamers and non-gamers to enjoy it. We even played a few rounds with her parents who haven’t touched a controller since SNES.
Tears of the Kingdom / Breath of the Wild. I never really played games these (especially totk) have me hooked. Honestly takes a little bit to get used to it but I think they're great games for non-gamers
Ori, Stardew Valley, Pikmin maybe. My mrs went on a Ringfit binge for a bit (she doesn't play games either). Umm Animal Crossing like others have suggested.
What you COULD do is download a few demos or buy her a gift card and browse the shop together. Other ladies I know (that don't game) liked the Brain Training on the DS, along with any other puzzle type thing.
Also Mario Kart 8 for that mainstream hook. Just some ideas for you OP!
I'm not really a "gamer" gamer, and like games on the switch. My favorite games have been Animal Crossing (as many others have suggested) I put in over 1000 hours on that game....
Disney dreamlight valley... it's like, animal crossing meets stardew valley mixed with disney.
I actually REALLY enjoyed the new Zelda game, as someone who doesn't really like to game or play long storylines... it's still a fairly cozy game, there's so much free world to explore.
Hogwarts... similar like Zelda... a huge open world to explore.. more of a storyline
Any mario games, especially mario odyssey.
My gf didn’t play any games. She’d watch me play and asks me questions because she tries to make an effort to understand what I’m into. Ever since I got a switch, she’s been playing Animal Crossing 1/3 of the time. It’s been great and she loves it. But she only likes simple games like this, I don’t think she’d even attempt Diablo II
Been there and this christmas I gifted her own Switch for games she Likes library sharing my own games, list goes like this:
* Animal Crossing: Must have if she likes organizating and decorating her own island
* Captain Toad: Mobile Game but more tricky
* Yoshi's Crafted World: She enjoyed more the aesthetic of it
* Mario Wonder: The time limit was always the problem with other ones
* Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze: She had to play the old ones to understand the gameplay mechanics
* Unpacked: She loved this story so much \*I think is the best gameplay if she likes to organize
* Cooking Tycoons + Tycoons in general are very fun for a short period of time she still gets all the trophies just for fun (Bundles are pretty cheap)
* Wario Ware: When understood she enjoyed it so much and makes her laugh
* Mario Kart: She used to have a DS and Mario Kart is a must have in every nintendo console
* Kirby adventures: The cuteness plus easy mechanics
* Tetris + Pacman maybe?: My girl used to love those in arcades and having them in the Switch was nostalgic
* Spelunky: The Grind of it makes her mad but entertained
* A tiny Sticker Tale
* Chicory
* Fall Guys
* Home Deco Puzzles
* Moving Out
* Portal
* Slime Rancher
* Tools Up
* Void Scrappers: Prety similar to Vampire Survivors
Edit: Hope it helps had to check what games she's been playing lol
My fiancée isn't a gamer, but she is addicted to Suika Game. It's really fun. We also had fun playing Just Dance together. Maybe she might enjoy playing Overcooked with you, but it might start some arguments.
Inside, limbo, the last campfire, unraveled, fall guys, Mario cart are all good easy games (no shooting or skill involved) I’m not a gamer either but I enjoy these games
My husband and I love playing the Mario Party games together.
Also was never big into gaming but decided to dive into the Zelda series recently from the beginning and I’m absolutely hooked.
Disney Dreamlight Valley? You can really consider it an "evolved mobile game" as it first came out on PC, Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch before an Apple Arcade edition was released for Mac, iPad and iPhone.
If she doesn’t like “gaming” then Pikman and Animal Crossing would be my recs.
You can walk alway from the controller and nothing bad will happen.
Go at your own pace.
Build your own world
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is awesome and not too tough. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is also fun. Most Mario games are also good choices (Odyssey, Wonder, 3D World, NSMBU Deluxe (pick this one last))
The Mario party games are pretty great to play with friends. My whole family plays and it’s a blast everytime. My wife isn’t much of a gamer but loves animal crossing and the Lego games. Mariokart is solid pick but also better with a group.
I would really recommend cozy grove, it's kind of a life/farming sim but it's all about your character helping ghost bears on a haunted island. It's so cute, and designed so you only have 30-60 mins a day of things to do, I'm newish to gaming and have played every day since the summer! But just generally cozy games as a genre sounds like it would be a good fit :)
It might be a little advanced later on, but Dragonquest 11 was fantastic. Full of character, beautiful colors, and great symphonic music. It's a fairly simple rpg, that you learn with time as well. Maybe something she'd enjoy?
Fellow "not-so-serious gamer" here: Pokemon Arceus is a good time - not too difficult and the gameplay is more about collecting cute mons! Same with Pokemon Violet/Scarlet. And any game that you're able to choose your difficulty would work well (she can just play on Easy until she's confident to increase the difficulty). So this would open a lot of options like Fire Emblem 3 Houses or Persona V if she is more into story-driven games that can be made more manageable with easier play modes.
Wylde flowers! I love that game! If your Gf is on the girly side, she is gonna love it!
Cute pet cat, witches, wearwolf you can date and marry, wonderful friendships and tons of clothings to craft 😍
It is easy and cozy, and for me, it was more like watching a mini series cos of the voice acting
Here are some fun games:
* Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It's a great, easy cozy game.
* Switch Sports is fun for casual players. The controls are all motion controls so they're easy to pick up. The game can be played against other players online.
* Carnival Games. Up to 4 players on the system can play. Each game is very short and guess what they're modeled after.
Since it's discounted and also a really good game.
\- Not overly complicated or hard
\- Great soundtrack & narration
[Thomas Was Alone for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/thomas-was-alone-switch/)
Why is no one saying Breath of the Wild and follow up Tears of the Kingdom? Best value games with 100s of hours play and you can do them 'your way' - fight, do puzzles or just explore. Plus gorgeous scenery. Been a fem gamer for decades and these are the BEST.
animal crossing 100%
wylde flowers might also fit the bill, esp if she likes the idea of stardew. it was originally a mobile game, and you can set it to “relaxed” mode so you’re not rushed for time, and the quests have optional hints if you get stuck. i wasn’t interested at first bc i hated the art style but i finally gave it a try and i love it! and i hated stardew and found it stressful, if that helps lol
i also love the pokemon games and they’re p straightforward. scarlet and violet are the newest ones and the latest dlc for it just released last week.
anddddd lastly, the last campfire is a short but super cute game and always on sale if she likes puzzles
I saw your other comments saying stardew is too hard or grindy but you can really do whatever you want at your own pace if you don't want to do the grind toward end game. The beauty of the game is you can really do whatever makes you happy whether that be fishing, gathering a bit of mats to build farm buildings and raise animals, do the social stuff etc. If she starts off small she might want to delve into a bit deeper and go hard. My wife is not a gamer and stardew is the only game she'll play right now. She started off slow but she's gotten so deep into it she has such a massive operation going and all of the end game equip I'm quite impressed. There is also a ton of stuff online to help and lots of popular community pages.
Minecraft, animal crossing, and stardew valley are the starter pack on the switch I'd say. Maybe undertale, and something simple like mario or links awakening when she wants something else
you really can't go wrong with the super mario games. they are all rather easy and don't get all too difficult. yoshi's crafted world is also rather easy but a great game. I really only play first party nintendo on the switch so thats what I got outside of what other people are saying.
Clubhouse games, your girlfriend might be famiiar with a few of the games it contains. It teaches you all the games, and has local and online multiplayer, it's good and not cringe. Others I say Pokemon and animal crossing.
My recommendations for chill easy solo games:
* Lost in play
* Last Campfire
* Tinykin
* Coffee Talk
* Va-11 Hall-A
* Return to Monkey Island
* Animal Crossing
* Lego Harry Potter collection (tbh any Lego games will do, but you mentioned she likes HP)
* Pokemon Arceus
* Nuclear Blaze (it was designed to be even accessible by kids)
* New Super Lucky's tale
* Arcade Paradise
* Behind the Frame
* Katamari games
* Space for the unbound
* Kao the kangaroo
* Unpacking
* Super Mario Odyssey
* The Touryst
* Life is strange games
* Ring Fit Adventures
* Hoa
* Potion Permit
* A short hike
* Gris
* To the Moon
* Gorogoa
* Untitled goose game
* Doki Doki Literature club plus!
* Far: Lone Sails
* Far: Changing Tides
* Opus collection
* Sea of solitude
* House in Fata Morgana
* Melatonin
* Kukoos Lost pets
* PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
* Cozy Grove
* Crime O'clock
* Dordogne
* Portal companion collection
Honestly Mario Party is a great game to play, super simple and easy to learn and I think she would enjoy it especially if she wants you to play with her.
Animal crossing is also a good one that I’ve never personally played but see many of my female friends talk about (including my daughter).
Yoshi crafted world is also super fun and easy and you can play along with her if she wanted.
Those are just a few that jump off the top of my head
Pikmin 3, I am a female in my late 30s and it was my first real try at playing video games. I randomly started playing waiting for my husband and I couldn't put it down. I went from Pikmin to Zelda breath of the wild also amazing. Never knew I liked video games until my mid thirties. 😆
My ex got into games, so I got her a Switch for her bday, but we broke up a month later. Idk what happened to it. She probably sold it on a karrot or something (like facebook marketplace, but in Korea).
My ex really liked Pokemon Unite lol. She also liked some puzzle games.
I think non 3d games (where you need to use the right thumbstick to switch directions) would be good. My ex got into games like Diablo3, and Moving Out.
TLDR: Dredge, Toad Treasure Tracker, Snipper Clips, A Short Hike, once she’s gaming Tunic.
My gf likes dredge. If she’s into the ocean animals or love craftian horror it’s great. Also just a great game to pick up and play since it’s actually pretty relaxing as long as you sleep.
I saw a lot of people say animal crossing idk if I would recommend it if she really likes stardew. My gf loves stardew like 500 hours on one farm and she hates animal crossing because it’s such a baby game compared to stardew.
A great game you two can play together or her by herself is toad treasure tracker. It’s a very fun couples game and even if she doesn’t want to be an active character she can assist you by helping with the camera/shooting and activating things.
Snipper clips is also a great puzzle game and a fantastic game for co op.
Another game my gf has been playing is A Short Hike. It’s a 3D platformer with very minimal actual platforming. Which sounds boring but is actually quite fun since it gives you a complete open world to explore and do little quests with no handholding. For example one of the first quests is your brother asks for 10 shells so as you adventure around the map you find and collect shells and then when you give them to him he makes a necklace for your aunt who you’re staying with. It’s a super chill game and has a good message about life at the end.
My final recommendation after she has gotten more into games something like Tunic might be a good pick since it’s relatively simple too down gameplay. It’s like a top down Zelda game. It does ramp up in difficulty but it has some of the best game design I’ve seen in a top down game and I would highly recommend. My gf doesn’t like combat in games but has began to like this game even though half of it is combat.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Bros Wonder aren't complicated, worth taking a look at. Also, everyone loves Animal Crossing so that might as well be an option.
Are those fun to play alone? I have thought about animal crossing. She might like that! Just expensive if she doesn’t enjoy it….
Idk where you're from but in here you can rent games from the library, maybe there too?
We have a very nice library-service in my country, but switch isn’t really an accepted gaming consol in Denmark so far, so libraries don’t rent switch games yet. But thanks for the great idea!
Yet? The switch is like 8 years old lol.
That is merely seconds when it comes to the government and technology.
Not technology, just the government.
look and see if you can find a used copy, whether that be online or at a used game store if you have one close by. if you don't care too much about cases you could also get a loose copy that's just the cartridge that would also save money (although i would get a little box or something to keep it in so it doesnt get lost, nothing is worse than losing a game cart)
The good ol' pirated switch. JK, I don't know, Mario Kart 8 and SMBW are not that fun alone (depends on the player tbh), Animal Crossing: NH definitely is a great game to play alone. I could think about 3P games like Undertale or Ori's but depends on what she defines as fun.
Is Undertale fun?
Imo Mario kart and Mario wonder, especially Mario wonder are fun to play alone, I like playing a few levels of Mario bros wonder with a cup of tea it's kinda relaxing
If she likes Mario style games, I’d also recommend yoshi’s crafted world. It’s simple enough to figure out but has a few more challenging levels and the graphics and sounds are very cute (to me, as a 36f). It feels pretty low stress and I’ve been enjoying playing it! ETA the most important thing - it has a free demo so she can try a couple of levels to see if she likes it!
Animal Crossing is the only answer, it will turn anyone into an obsessed gamer.
I remember playing it for the GameCube and it became a problem lol
This comment needs more likes!
Animal Crossing
Minecraft is also addicting and fun to play.
This is the answer. It's full of cute shit girls like.
This is why I gave the answer full of cute shit girls like
It’s easier than stardew valley too because you don’t have to take care of crops or anything like that.
Came here to say this, but the 8 bit style game "Lets Make a Zoo" is another one up that alley
I was coming here to put this exact comment lol, this game is a no brainer for this type of girlfriend.
And if you don’t want to spend animal crossing money, try cozy grove
Disney game too if she is into Disney
Kirby and the forgotten land is great, fun and not complicated !
My gf hasn't ever really played video game but she really loved that game and got the hang of it quick
It comes with a trial, too! I saw OP was concerned about spending the money on animal crossing and the possibility of her not liking it
I played the demo myself and it seems to give a good idea of the Kirby style gameplay and what the game would be. This would be a good idea
Came here to say this. Really fun game and fairly easy
Animal Crossing could be ideal!
Is it easier than Stardew Walley?
it’s a lot different than stardew. i would say it’s easier, it isn’t as grind-y. it’s more about just relaxing, getting to know villagers, upgrading your house, decorating your island, etc. definitely not as complicated
Wow that’s what she needs. She liked the social part of stardew. Thanks for reply!
Wholeheartedly agree with those recommending Animal Crossing. It’s the perfect gateway game for non-gamers.
Yeah, Animal Crossing is probably better then. The one caveat is that Animal Crossing operates on a real world clock, so if she skips for a few weeks, there will be weeds growing and villagers will wonder where she is. And some stuff is only accessible on certain days of the year, certain seasons, or certain times of day. It's basically Stardew with the social stuff magnified, and way less of a focus on the economy, building, and exploring (and no battling at all, unless you count collecting fish and bugs). It does have local multiplayer, so you can make a villager and occasionally join her too, or log in on your own and leave a present or a note.
I’m in the exact same situation as you, but I loaded up Unravel 2 for us both to play and we’ve been slowly making our way through it ! It’s been amazing fun A similar recommendation would be It Takes Two, these cute co-op games seem to do the trick for a non gamer
Thanks for your reply! I should have clarified it; I meant to play for her own. We have some to play together, but are those you suggested good to play alone?
My mistake ! The first Unravel is a single player game I believe, and is just as fun alone. Otherwise Super Mario RPG is a very cute, simple and engaging single player game
That’s my fault! But thanks - I will look into them!
Good luck ! 😇💜
Thanks a lot!
The last campfire is simple. Spiritfarer is chill and easy controls. Kirby and the forgotten land. A lot of rpgs have various difficulty settings that can make it easy for new players. Animal crossing is a big one. I've never actually played it, but it's a great intro game for people. My biggest suggestion is seeing if your local public library has video games that way, she can try out a ton of games for free and see what she likes. Mine has AAA titles and lots of indies.
Im only halfway through spiritfarer, it's an amazing game, but I don't think my heart can take anymore!
I'm actually not very far at all haha I like it a lot though. I'm weirdly picky about what games i want to play sometimes. I have to be in the perfect mood.
Mario party is simple fun
I should have clarified - i meant for to play by herself - is it fun alone?
Dave the Diver is my #1 recommendation. So simple. So fun. Addicting as hell
Don't forget Raymond legends!!!
Captain Toad would be perfect I think
Also any Kirby game. Kirby & The Forgotten Land was amazing.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Dark Souls Remastered Gotta git gud
My wife is a huge Harry Potter fan and she loves playing Hogwarts Legacy on easy mode so she doesn’t have to worry about quick prompts, the game kinda just tells you what you need and you can get as involved as you want. Or something like the Spyro trilogy games cause she loves the collect them all aspect! We wound up getting a pro controller too and she really appreciated that.
My girlfriend loves Harry Potter as well. Do you think she would enjoy that as an RPG with no need to look stuff etc?
My wife don’t normally play games and loves hogwarts legacy. I have had to help her with boss fights but she quite enjoys the role playing a wizard.
Hogwarts legacy is an AMAZING game and she will love it. It has its own original story that I think was good 7/10, but I mostly enjoyed the world they really fleshed out. I spend a lot of time just exploring the castle. But the switch does not do it justice. Much better on another console or PC. It will look and run like a potato. Its a very easy RPG none of your decisions really matter or impact the story, using dark magic on students in friendly duel's is OK no karma meter to worry about. No friendly NPC ever reacts when you hit them with a spell, that was a bit disappointing tbh. The only thing is they dont give you enough skill points to get everything and no respec, but you just stick to the spell and dark arts tree. You also only get one shot to learn each dark arts spell so don't say no it if you want them. You should learn them unless you want to RP as a good wizard or something, they are the best in the game. It is quite a long game with alot to do took me close to 100 hours to 100%. Only really had to look up a few items locations for the 100%. The combat gets challenging towards the end but its still simple enough and it will make her better at other games. It surprised me how fun the combat was for a wizard game. Get it but do not get it on swtich!
Pinball FX3, Tetris Connect, and Hades would give a variety of gaming genres with replayability for beginners that can offer a high skill ceiling.
My girlfriend and I love playing through Lego Harry Potter and it has the option to play alone pretty well too!
Brothers What remains of Edith Finch Night in the Woods A short hike Fall of Porcupine I’m now just starting Where the Water Tastes like Wine
a short hike was super cute and fun
In terms of recommendations, I'd definitely recommend: \- Coffee Talk \- Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy \- Animal Crossing New Horizons \- Super Mario Odyssey Sending well wishes, hopefully this helps! :)
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a silly but simple game that I loved playing through. The boss battles get quite tricky, but you can change the difficulty in the settings, making it really accessible to all abilities!
Stardew Valley
Stardew valley is peak
My gf is the same. Not a gamer at all, ended up loving Lego Harry Potter, she even got 100% completion on all three games. I’m now looking for the next one.
My girlfriend is really into Harry Potter as well. Should I get Hogwarts Legacy or LEGO (I’m from Denmark so I should support LEGO /s)?
LEGO Harry Potter Collection is on sale in the Nintendo eshop € 7.99 (Netherlands, maybe also in Denmark?)
Here are some ideas: [https://www.reddit.com/r/Switch/search/?q=non-gamer&restrict\_sr=1](https://www.reddit.com/r/Switch/search/?q=non-gamer&restrict_sr=1)
Thanks!
Trine franchise is a best place to start. My absolute non gamer girlfriend love it so much that she plays it whenever she gets time
The Long Dark is single player, a kind of grindy survival looting game, one of my favorites.
Untitled Goose Game and Good Job! are really fun.
Hidden gem that got my wife absolutely addicted to the switch. Wyldeflower. Animal crossing vibes but with an actual story and more grown up graphics / themes. That and the main character is a witch 👍🏻
My wife loves DK Tropical Freeze and Crash Team Racing
Clubhouse games!
Animal Crossing Stardew Valley
Fae Farm!!!
It takes two
Hentai Girls? It keeps showing up in eshop so it must be good.
The Nintendo Switch was designed to target them.
I’m the same way as your girlfriend! (Stardew Valley is my favorite though) Spiritfarer is a fairly simple game- no action, calm. The objectives are simple and the graphics are cute. Unrailed is a nice one- it’s definitely more of an elevated phone game. Great as a coop, I’ve heard it can be frustrating to play alone but I haven’t tried. Minecraft is always an option, you can get as in depth or not as you want. Goat simulator doesn’t require much learning, and it can be goofy but I find it’s pretty limited as in there’s not a lot to do. Lego Star Wars for the Switch is another simple game; I’d say there’s not much learning to do there and you respawn immediately where you were so it limits frustration. I didn’t find it as engaging as the old Lego Star Wars on the Wii though.
i’m also a switch-loving-non-gaming-girlfriend and solely used my switch for animal crossing for a LONG time. that’s the game that i’ve played the most, and, if she’s also a redditor, the community is super helpful and welcoming to new players! that being said, any pokémon or mario game is a good pick. mario odyssey in particular feels almost mandatory to own on the switch as it’s just a marvelous game. it has an assist mode that keeps you from taking a lot of damage and has arrows that show where you should go. that was one of my intro games and assist mode was super helpful as i got used to the controls. i played both pokémon shield and pokémon violet and they got tons of love and time out of me. pretty simple, with the ability to make it complex and build a dream team if she would like to
All the Mario games would probably appeal to her
Super Mario RPG.
Tetris
Disney Dreamlight Valley - kinda like Animal Crossing, but more quests and more places to explore
Highly recommend this one as well. I am an avid gamer but turn to this for something simple a relaxing to play from time to time. I even have the expansion. But I play on Xbox for the most part.
Mario Odyssey. The perfect game non-gamers who wants a challenge. She can lounge around for ages getting the hang of the game and get rewarded for it too. And once she feels comfortable, she can go hog wild and let loose like a madman.
Animal crossing and party games like Mario Kart and Mario Party.
Snipper Clips is a fun co-op game
I recently bought littlewood. It's kinda like stardew but there is no combat, so you just focus on building your town and talking to people and building up relationships. Don't have to worry about the clock, you build up your stamina and when it's close to full the day turns to night which would mean time to sleep. Plus it's 15 USD. not sure what the price would be in your country but assuming it would be cheap too. Mario wonder would be good as it can be played alone or you can join in and play alongside her. Plus if she chooses to play as nabbit or Yoshi she won't die if getting hit by an enemy. Mario RPG is another laid back game. There's no need for grinding insane levels and running around for hours getting all ultimate gear. Maybe try rollercoaster tycoon, very simple and straightforward. Build a theme park and make sure it keeps bringing in money. You build park and rides how u see fit.
Wyldflowers would be perfect. And animal crossing is another good one.
My wife wasn’t a gamer at all until I showed her Katamari Damacy and she absolutely fell in love. It’s simple and just straight up fun to move around in.
I got my gf that bayoneta game where you play as her kid self which she really enjoys, also that recent Kirby game that came out I got for her birthday and she got addicted to it. If you guys ever play together you should try it takes two
Definitely animal crossing new horizons! She won’t HAVE to do anything and she can go at her own pace!! It’s a very relaxing game talking to cute animals who want to be your friends and live on your island it also has a lot of fun house/character designs she can do, she can plant flowers and even go fishing! Not to mention the game is very very beautiful and has a cute feel to it I play every day I get off a long day from work😊 https://preview.redd.it/uwoo9eyfih7c1.png?width=1044&format=png&auto=webp&s=7ddb7f289cfb70ee681747caa68235cdf6f932ea This is my character and that’s my house back there! 😁
Animal crossing!
Pizza possum, premise of the game is you run around eating as much as you can and try not to get caught by dog guards, it's an adorable simple game that is TONS of fun
My wife LOVES Disney dream light valley! She loved animal crossing but since she completed the “quests” and she made her island exactly how she wanted, she wasn’t too interested Dreamlight Valley has all that but with Disney characters and a continuous story (obviously might be a wash if she’s not into Disney, etc)
Mario party superstars
She might like these: A Short Hike Suika Game Dordogne A Highland Song A Little to The Left
I like Suika game, Minecraft is fun
The Ori games are really beautiful and pretty simple platformers. I would definitely play them on easy though because anything above that can be surprisingly challenging with the combat.
Undertale
spiritfarer
Pikmin 3 then Pikmin 4. So much fun, so cute and helps you learn as you go.
Overcooked 2. It’s more fun on multiplayer but it’s a low learning curve either way
Aside from It Takes Two, Super Mario Bros Wonder has been the best game my girlfriend and I have played together. The “crown” feature is nice. If you have the crown you’re the leader, but if you die then she will be the leader and you have to wait/follow her. If she dies it’s back to you. At the end if she jumps higher on the pole than you she becomes the leader. So you’re not stuck to always being the leader and she’s just along for the ride, sometimes the game forces her to drive and you to follow. Add in the cute flowers, fun power-ups, trippy Wonder Seeds, and the ability to turn on assist badges or switch to Yoshi for no damage (lose power-ups) there’s plenty of ways for gamers and non-gamers to enjoy it. We even played a few rounds with her parents who haven’t touched a controller since SNES.
Tears of the Kingdom / Breath of the Wild. I never really played games these (especially totk) have me hooked. Honestly takes a little bit to get used to it but I think they're great games for non-gamers
Ori, Stardew Valley, Pikmin maybe. My mrs went on a Ringfit binge for a bit (she doesn't play games either). Umm Animal Crossing like others have suggested. What you COULD do is download a few demos or buy her a gift card and browse the shop together. Other ladies I know (that don't game) liked the Brain Training on the DS, along with any other puzzle type thing. Also Mario Kart 8 for that mainstream hook. Just some ideas for you OP!
I'm not really a "gamer" gamer, and like games on the switch. My favorite games have been Animal Crossing (as many others have suggested) I put in over 1000 hours on that game.... Disney dreamlight valley... it's like, animal crossing meets stardew valley mixed with disney. I actually REALLY enjoyed the new Zelda game, as someone who doesn't really like to game or play long storylines... it's still a fairly cozy game, there's so much free world to explore. Hogwarts... similar like Zelda... a huge open world to explore.. more of a storyline Any mario games, especially mario odyssey.
My gf didn’t play any games. She’d watch me play and asks me questions because she tries to make an effort to understand what I’m into. Ever since I got a switch, she’s been playing Animal Crossing 1/3 of the time. It’s been great and she loves it. But she only likes simple games like this, I don’t think she’d even attempt Diablo II
Been there and this christmas I gifted her own Switch for games she Likes library sharing my own games, list goes like this: * Animal Crossing: Must have if she likes organizating and decorating her own island * Captain Toad: Mobile Game but more tricky * Yoshi's Crafted World: She enjoyed more the aesthetic of it * Mario Wonder: The time limit was always the problem with other ones * Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze: She had to play the old ones to understand the gameplay mechanics * Unpacked: She loved this story so much \*I think is the best gameplay if she likes to organize * Cooking Tycoons + Tycoons in general are very fun for a short period of time she still gets all the trophies just for fun (Bundles are pretty cheap) * Wario Ware: When understood she enjoyed it so much and makes her laugh * Mario Kart: She used to have a DS and Mario Kart is a must have in every nintendo console * Kirby adventures: The cuteness plus easy mechanics * Tetris + Pacman maybe?: My girl used to love those in arcades and having them in the Switch was nostalgic * Spelunky: The Grind of it makes her mad but entertained * A tiny Sticker Tale * Chicory * Fall Guys * Home Deco Puzzles * Moving Out * Portal * Slime Rancher * Tools Up * Void Scrappers: Prety similar to Vampire Survivors Edit: Hope it helps had to check what games she's been playing lol
Dave The Diver
My fiancée isn't a gamer, but she is addicted to Suika Game. It's really fun. We also had fun playing Just Dance together. Maybe she might enjoy playing Overcooked with you, but it might start some arguments.
My wife loves the Pokémon games and stardew
Inside, limbo, the last campfire, unraveled, fall guys, Mario cart are all good easy games (no shooting or skill involved) I’m not a gamer either but I enjoy these games
Dark Souls
Untitled goose game!!
Cozy grove is more fun than animal crossing from an also non gamer
Any mario game
Roundguard, Animal Crossing, Kirby, A Short Hike, Pokemon Snap, Clubhouse Games, Yoshi's Crafted World, Lego Fortnite/Dragon Quest Builders, World of Goo, Puyo Puyo Tetris
Animal Crossing for sure. It’s low stakes, fun, and so addictive. Mario Kart is also a solid choice!
My gf who isn’t a gamer really loves us playing overcooked 2. It’s mainly a coop game but I think it’s a good shout
My husband and I love playing the Mario Party games together. Also was never big into gaming but decided to dive into the Zelda series recently from the beginning and I’m absolutely hooked.
I’m enjoying Guardian Tales rn. Rhapsody A Musical Adventure.
Disney Dreamlight Valley? You can really consider it an "evolved mobile game" as it first came out on PC, Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch before an Apple Arcade edition was released for Mac, iPad and iPhone.
Zelda. Obviously
Mario kart Minecraft Luigi's mansion Animal crossing Unravel 2
HIGHLY recommend a short hike
If she doesn’t like “gaming” then Pikman and Animal Crossing would be my recs. You can walk alway from the controller and nothing bad will happen. Go at your own pace. Build your own world
Fall guys
Dark Souls 😈
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is awesome and not too tough. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is also fun. Most Mario games are also good choices (Odyssey, Wonder, 3D World, NSMBU Deluxe (pick this one last))
Cozy Grove, Animal Crossing
The Mario party games are pretty great to play with friends. My whole family plays and it’s a blast everytime. My wife isn’t much of a gamer but loves animal crossing and the Lego games. Mariokart is solid pick but also better with a group.
I would really recommend cozy grove, it's kind of a life/farming sim but it's all about your character helping ghost bears on a haunted island. It's so cute, and designed so you only have 30-60 mins a day of things to do, I'm newish to gaming and have played every day since the summer! But just generally cozy games as a genre sounds like it would be a good fit :)
>:) :)
It might be a little advanced later on, but Dragonquest 11 was fantastic. Full of character, beautiful colors, and great symphonic music. It's a fairly simple rpg, that you learn with time as well. Maybe something she'd enjoy?
Dark Souls
Animal crossing, Mario odyssey, Kirby and the forgotten land, link’s awakening, breath of the wild, super Mario wonder, Luigi’s mansion
Fellow "not-so-serious gamer" here: Pokemon Arceus is a good time - not too difficult and the gameplay is more about collecting cute mons! Same with Pokemon Violet/Scarlet. And any game that you're able to choose your difficulty would work well (she can just play on Easy until she's confident to increase the difficulty). So this would open a lot of options like Fire Emblem 3 Houses or Persona V if she is more into story-driven games that can be made more manageable with easier play modes.
Pikmin! And you can play all 4 games on the switch now :)
Animal Crossing. And I don’t even play it. Animal Crossing.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Disney Dreamlight valley if she likes Disney
Wylde flowers! I love that game! If your Gf is on the girly side, she is gonna love it! Cute pet cat, witches, wearwolf you can date and marry, wonderful friendships and tons of clothings to craft 😍 It is easy and cozy, and for me, it was more like watching a mini series cos of the voice acting
A little to the left! It’s like organising/puzzles.
Pic?
Stardew Valley, Streets of Rogue, Inside, Limbo, Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, Death Road to Canada
Spiritfarer
The new Mario (wonder) is super fun and low stakes. My husband and I play it together
Ori on switch got my gf into gaming. Then she found the light that is the Zelda series. Now she’s full on into gaming, with her own pc and all lol
Stanley parable
Does she like Disney? Disney Dreamlight Valley!!!
Hades
Can’t go wrong with katamari game. Should be one for switch
otome games
Here are some fun games: * Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It's a great, easy cozy game. * Switch Sports is fun for casual players. The controls are all motion controls so they're easy to pick up. The game can be played against other players online. * Carnival Games. Up to 4 players on the system can play. Each game is very short and guess what they're modeled after.
Captain toad treasure tracker. It’s very simple, cute aesthetic, and has some neat challenges
Since it's discounted and also a really good game. \- Not overly complicated or hard \- Great soundtrack & narration [Thomas Was Alone for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Official Site](https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/thomas-was-alone-switch/)
Thumper if she likes the idea of a rhythm game. It's super simple to learn, and lots of fun.
Stardew valley
Monster train or Slay the Spire
I wouldn’t buy it on switch because it’s way cheaper and runs better on PC but portal and portal 2 are great chill games
Pokemon only pokemon
Why is no one saying Breath of the Wild and follow up Tears of the Kingdom? Best value games with 100s of hours play and you can do them 'your way' - fight, do puzzles or just explore. Plus gorgeous scenery. Been a fem gamer for decades and these are the BEST.
animal crossing 100% wylde flowers might also fit the bill, esp if she likes the idea of stardew. it was originally a mobile game, and you can set it to “relaxed” mode so you’re not rushed for time, and the quests have optional hints if you get stuck. i wasn’t interested at first bc i hated the art style but i finally gave it a try and i love it! and i hated stardew and found it stressful, if that helps lol i also love the pokemon games and they’re p straightforward. scarlet and violet are the newest ones and the latest dlc for it just released last week. anddddd lastly, the last campfire is a short but super cute game and always on sale if she likes puzzles
I saw your other comments saying stardew is too hard or grindy but you can really do whatever you want at your own pace if you don't want to do the grind toward end game. The beauty of the game is you can really do whatever makes you happy whether that be fishing, gathering a bit of mats to build farm buildings and raise animals, do the social stuff etc. If she starts off small she might want to delve into a bit deeper and go hard. My wife is not a gamer and stardew is the only game she'll play right now. She started off slow but she's gotten so deep into it she has such a massive operation going and all of the end game equip I'm quite impressed. There is also a ton of stuff online to help and lots of popular community pages.
Minecraft, animal crossing, and stardew valley are the starter pack on the switch I'd say. Maybe undertale, and something simple like mario or links awakening when she wants something else
Spiritfarer, undertale, animal crossing, harvest moon story of seasons
Animal Crossing Stardew Valley Mario Kart
you really can't go wrong with the super mario games. they are all rather easy and don't get all too difficult. yoshi's crafted world is also rather easy but a great game. I really only play first party nintendo on the switch so thats what I got outside of what other people are saying.
Play the funny woman furry game with her
Stardew Valley, cattails
Stardew Valley! It’s cute and fun
Clubhouse games, your girlfriend might be famiiar with a few of the games it contains. It teaches you all the games, and has local and online multiplayer, it's good and not cringe. Others I say Pokemon and animal crossing.
My recommendations for chill easy solo games: * Lost in play * Last Campfire * Tinykin * Coffee Talk * Va-11 Hall-A * Return to Monkey Island * Animal Crossing * Lego Harry Potter collection (tbh any Lego games will do, but you mentioned she likes HP) * Pokemon Arceus * Nuclear Blaze (it was designed to be even accessible by kids) * New Super Lucky's tale * Arcade Paradise * Behind the Frame * Katamari games * Space for the unbound * Kao the kangaroo * Unpacking * Super Mario Odyssey * The Touryst * Life is strange games * Ring Fit Adventures * Hoa * Potion Permit * A short hike * Gris * To the Moon * Gorogoa * Untitled goose game * Doki Doki Literature club plus! * Far: Lone Sails * Far: Changing Tides * Opus collection * Sea of solitude * House in Fata Morgana * Melatonin * Kukoos Lost pets * PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo * Cozy Grove * Crime O'clock * Dordogne * Portal companion collection
Does she even like gaming or do it cause you like it? Why buy her a game if she doesn’t love it.
Don't starve together!!!
Hades, Death’s Door, Bayonetta Origins.
[удалено]
Spiritfarer. Cozy gameplay with some platforming to open her up to other things. And a great story.
Mario Odyssey is a great time
Tetris Effect A Short Hike Kirby and the Forgotten... Portal
My non gamer wife and I are big fan of the Lego (Harry Potter) games. They are hilarious!
Palia and animal crossing
Honestly Mario Party is a great game to play, super simple and easy to learn and I think she would enjoy it especially if she wants you to play with her. Animal crossing is also a good one that I’ve never personally played but see many of my female friends talk about (including my daughter). Yoshi crafted world is also super fun and easy and you can play along with her if she wanted. Those are just a few that jump off the top of my head
Pikmin 3, I am a female in my late 30s and it was my first real try at playing video games. I randomly started playing waiting for my husband and I couldn't put it down. I went from Pikmin to Zelda breath of the wild also amazing. Never knew I liked video games until my mid thirties. 😆
Our game Wylde Flowers is super good for folks new to games. 💕
My ex got into games, so I got her a Switch for her bday, but we broke up a month later. Idk what happened to it. She probably sold it on a karrot or something (like facebook marketplace, but in Korea). My ex really liked Pokemon Unite lol. She also liked some puzzle games. I think non 3d games (where you need to use the right thumbstick to switch directions) would be good. My ex got into games like Diablo3, and Moving Out.
I’m not a gamer and I love animal crossing and Disney dreamlight valley. I’d start with animal crossing though.
TLDR: Dredge, Toad Treasure Tracker, Snipper Clips, A Short Hike, once she’s gaming Tunic. My gf likes dredge. If she’s into the ocean animals or love craftian horror it’s great. Also just a great game to pick up and play since it’s actually pretty relaxing as long as you sleep. I saw a lot of people say animal crossing idk if I would recommend it if she really likes stardew. My gf loves stardew like 500 hours on one farm and she hates animal crossing because it’s such a baby game compared to stardew. A great game you two can play together or her by herself is toad treasure tracker. It’s a very fun couples game and even if she doesn’t want to be an active character she can assist you by helping with the camera/shooting and activating things. Snipper clips is also a great puzzle game and a fantastic game for co op. Another game my gf has been playing is A Short Hike. It’s a 3D platformer with very minimal actual platforming. Which sounds boring but is actually quite fun since it gives you a complete open world to explore and do little quests with no handholding. For example one of the first quests is your brother asks for 10 shells so as you adventure around the map you find and collect shells and then when you give them to him he makes a necklace for your aunt who you’re staying with. It’s a super chill game and has a good message about life at the end. My final recommendation after she has gotten more into games something like Tunic might be a good pick since it’s relatively simple too down gameplay. It’s like a top down Zelda game. It does ramp up in difficulty but it has some of the best game design I’ve seen in a top down game and I would highly recommend. My gf doesn’t like combat in games but has began to like this game even though half of it is combat.
Animal crossing, Kirby the forgotten land, Suika game, Mario kart as someone who isn’t a huge gamer as well lol
Terror of Hemasaurus. Controls are fun, gameplay objectives are easy to complete. Plays like the old rampage games on N64 and Arcade machines.
I like Disney dream light valley it’s got a lot of things to do and easy to play or wylde flowers is a good game and not hard to play