10 Best Relaxing Switch Games For The Ultimate Unwind Time

One of the best things about Nintendo as a gaming company and the Nintendo Switch is that it gives gamers access to what seems like an endless amount of games. Obviously, the classic Nintendo franchise games like Mario and Pokémon are offered, but there is a surprising amount of relaxing, indie-style, games available.

When gamers want to unwind, puzzles or simple task-motivated games are a good go-to platform. The games on this list feature beautiful art and graphics, intriguing concepts and exploration, and usually even music that soothes the soul.

10SpiritFarer

Spiritfarer is a management simulation from Thunder Lotus Games. It shares similarities with the farming simulator, Stardew Valley, but also differs in its slightly darker central theme. The gamer plays a character named Stella whose job is to bring spirits to the Everdoor so they may move into the afterlife. Farming, mining, cooking, and collecting help the player and spirits build a relationship while they’re on the ferryboat.

The art of the game is dreamy and creative. The player adds new levels and features to their ferryboat and can even engage in two-player cooperative play as Stella’s cat, Daffodil.

9Gris

Gris’s game concept covers a more serious topic of mental illness but does it in an unimaginably beautiful way. As the player moves throughout the game, they will encounter different puzzles and gain new abilities as they solve them. There is an entity following along on the journey, but it only pops up every now and then to challenge the player.

The art and music will be the first thing gamers notice about Gris. The visuals feel like they are floating through a celestial temple, and, as the player brings color back to the realms through enchanting exploration, this game will not only excite the senses in a meditative way, but provide self-reflection in a calming manner.

8Unravel

Primarily a puzzle game, Unravel focuses on Yarny, a tiny thread character that unravels as players travel farther in the game. Yarny's thread is the tool players use on the adventure through breathtaking landscapes and potentially dangerous puzzles.

The story of the first installation of Unravel is to reconnect the memories of a lost family. A fairly unorthodox game to be published by EA, Unravel was followed up by a sequel, appropriately titled Unravel 2, in 2019.

7Starman

As Starman, gamers will solve puzzles in different rooms along with soft, soothing music. It's a point-and-click game in what looks like a mansion floating through space amongst the other puzzle rooms.

There are more than 30 puzzles in 24 levels, but it'll only take most gamers around three or four hours to power through this one. With a short story mode, Starman will easily grab gamers' attention and later open a "flow" mode to play the puzzles anytime.

6The Last Campfire

As a lost ember, the gamer will encounter other lost creatures on yet another puzzle game meant to unwind the mind. The goal is to journey to light 'The Last Campfire.'

While gamers will face adversaries and there is a dark forest, it is still one of the more aesthetically pleasing and calming games from 2020. Narrated by Steven Burgess, he fills in that backstory and reacts to Ember's actions since Ember doesn't seem to speak at all.

5Koloro

Skoll Studio is the independent video game group behind Koloro. Koloro is more like Gris in regard to aesthetics and the Mario franchise in regard to the action-platforming gameplay.

Kora, a young, pink-haired girl, is looking for her sister through a puzzling, dream-like landscape. There are over 300 levels, and it focuses on friendship and love. It even has co-op mode and hidden bonuses.

4AER Memories Of Old

AER's art style is somewhat cubic, minimalistic, and more abstract than the other games. The player is one of the last shapeshifters in the world and can transform into a bird and explore the floating islands in the sky.

On this journey, the goal is to find the hidden secrets and solve mysteries in temples to save a reality that is crumbling because the old gods have been forgotten.

3My Brother Rabbit

Basically, Alice in Wonderland's alternative reality where the player is already in a surreal imaginative world that is meant to help them problem-solve their troubles in the real world. The goal as an older brother to an ill sister is to use the power of imagination to understand and escape the harsh reality.

There are five different lands to explore, filled with chameleon TVs, eyeball snails, robot-moose, and unique landscapes. The music is slow-moving and rhythmic rather than overwhelming and intense.

2Shape Of The World

Visually, Shape of the World is similar to Gris and AER, but, in this game, the world and environment grow and change as the player moves throughout it. There are no hidden boss fights or adversaries, no timer, just psychedelic wildlife and hours of escape.

A walking simulator of sorts, the player interacts with the flora and fauna, new paths may open, and the world itself only materializes as it is moved through. As the visuals shift, so does the audio, amplifying the immersive elements.

1Cozy Grove

Another life sim game that brings in elements from other camping/farming simulation games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. Players in Cozy Grove are camping on a haunted island and are known as "Spirit Scouts." They'll be able to wander the forest each day, look for secrets, and soothe the local ghosts.

The landscapes are hand-drawn, and, as players find the spirits in need, they will collect spirit animals, craft decorations, farm, and fish. Cozy Grove is a 40+ hour campaign that will keep gamers busy any time they need to unwind.