Buzz
Since its February launch, Elden Ring has taken the gaming community by storm. Millions of players have plunged into the Lands Between, dying repeatedly (often in spectacularly frustrating ways), and then sharing memes to cope with their struggles. This latest creation by Hidetaka Miyazaki and FromSoftware—famous for titles like Demon’s Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice—is infamous for its brutal difficulty. Dying is almost a core feature of the experience, as players navigate the dark, sunless world, face challenging bosses, and tackle relentless quests.
The harsh story and demanding gameplay are undeniably part of Elden Ring's appeal, but they can also feel overwhelming. After clocking in 90 hours over the past month, I needed a break. So, I turned to a few of my favorite feel-good games—those that reminded me gaming can also be about fun, joy, color, laughter, and carefree adventure (when it's not all about dying in hilarious and maddening ways).
Chicory: A Tale of Color
Elden Ring's world is a place of sorrow, anguish, and countless difficult choices. In stark contrast, Chicory's world of Picnic is completely devoid of color. That’s where you come in. As an anthropomorphic dog named after your favorite food (default: 'Pizza'), you wield a magical paintbrush and set off on a mission to restore color to the world while unraveling the mystery of its disappearance, making quirky friends along the way.
Part Link’s Awakening, part visual novel, Chicory is a witty, surprisingly profound journey about self-worth, creativity, and inspiration, set in a world just waiting for you to leave your mark.
Price: $19.99
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5
A Brief Adventure: A Short Hike
Looking for a game that stands in complete contrast to Elden Ring? A Short Hike offers charming graphics reminiscent of the N64 or Nintendo 3DS (depending on your graphics settings), takes place in the beautiful Canadian wilderness (far from the desolate Lands Between), and lets you explore a lush, imaginative island as a bird in search of cell service. The game is quick and heartwarming, with a story that wraps up before you know it. It’s the ideal escape from your FromSoftware fatigue.
Price: $7.99
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, macOS, Linux
Life is Strange: True Colors
Set in a quiet Colorado mining town, Life is Strange: True Colors is a narrative-driven adventure shaped by player decisions that affect the story's progression over its five chapters (and an optional prologue DLC). Players step into the shoes of Alex Chen, a young woman with mysterious empathic abilities, who has spent much of her life in foster care. As she reconnects with her estranged brother, Alex discovers friends and foes alike while exploring the town of Haven Springs. The choices you make will influence her relationships with the townspeople and shape how the game’s emotional conclusion unfolds.
It’s sure to bring tears, but in a much more healthy way than Elden Ring.
Price: $59.99
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age
Looking for a game that offers 100 hours of adventure without draining your soul? Yuji Horii’s latest installment in the iconic Japanese RPG series delivers an uplifting, engaging experience with not one, but two major plot twists that completely reshape your understanding of the story.
Unlike its long-time rival, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest XI embraces the classic turn-based combat mechanics, offering polished battle systems and character development that feel like a modern take on the golden age of Super NES RPGs. For fans of nostalgic gaming, the “definitive edition” lets you enjoy the game in all its pixelated, 16-bit glory. Two epic adventures bundled together!
Price: $39.99
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Google Stadia
Animal Crossing: New Horizons—Happy Home Paradise
Even the most battle-worn heroes of Elden Ring need a break from the gloomy Lands Between. Why not escape to a tropical island where you are the one in control?
Happy Home Paradise is a DLC expansion for 2020's Animal Crossing: New Horizons that lets you design and decorate dream vacation homes for animal visitors. Have you ever wanted to build a superhero training area for a squirrel? Or a bus station for a chicken? Maybe even a karaoke lounge for a bear? Here’s your chance to live out these whimsical dreams. This is the perfect relaxation spot for any Tarnished in need of a respite.
Price: $24.99 or free with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack (requires base game)
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Pokémon Legends: Arceus
Open world? Check. Colossal enemies ready to crush you? Check. Endless customization options? Check. Crafting system that’s both intricate and satisfying? Check. A story that might not win any literary awards but gets the job done? Check. An amazing soundtrack? Check. No, we're not talking about Elden Ring. Nintendo’s newest take on its beloved RPG series shares several features with FromSoftware’s magnum opus, but instead of terrifying death-fueled battles, Pokémon Legends: Arceus offers adorable Pikachus and large Buizels. While it may not be a technical marvel, Arceus is a blast to play, thanks to its new spins on the Pokémon formula—including an open world, the ability to see and battle Pokémon directly on the map without loading screens, and crafting your own Pokéballs with gathered materials. It’s pure fun and offers a glimpse into the future of the Pokémon franchise, including titles like Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet.
Price: $59.99
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Outer Wilds
Much like Elden Ring, Outer Wilds lets players shape the story with their own actions, but it’s not the typical “choose your own adventure” kind of narrative like in Life is Strange: True Colors. Instead, this game invites you to explore a vast universe (or rather, a collection of worlds), uncovering its mysteries piece by piece through a captivating and tragic tale that unravels in fragments. You’ll need to rely on what you’ve learned over a 15-hour playthrough, as death is woven into the mechanics of the game. Every 22 minutes, the universe resets, and you begin another loop, with only the knowledge you’ve gained to guide you on your next journey.
Stay for the deep space exploration, the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack with a banjo twist, and the mesmerizing alien landscapes.
Price: $24.99
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (coming soon), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The reigning champion of kart racing hasn’t seen a true new entry since 2014's Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U. But that hasn’t stopped the franchise from dominating the racing world, thanks to the re-release of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch, which launched with extra content and recently introduced the “Booster Course Pass.” This will bring an additional 48 tracks to the game over the next 18 months. It’s the perfect time to jump into your kart and race through the Mushroom Kingdom. Whether you’re competing against friends or foes (both online and IRL), this game will get your heart racing and bring smiles to your face as quickly as you can say Radahn and his little horse.
Price: $59.99
Booster Course Pass price: $24.99 or free with Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack (requires base game)
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Katamari Damacy REROLL
If you've ever played Katamari Damacy—a quirky, action-platformer-puzzle-ball-simulator that first launched on PlayStation 2 in 2004—you’re probably still humming the catchy theme song in your head right now. Yes, that one. Nah, na na na na nah na naaah.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing Katamari Damacy, brace yourself for a wild ride. You play as a prince, tasked with cleaning up the mess his father, the King of All Cosmos, made when he destroyed the entire universe—everything except Earth. To fix this, you roll a magical sticky ball called a katamari through different environments, picking up anything from paper clips and thumbtacks to cows, cars, houses, and even airplanes. The goal? Make the ball big enough to satisfy your father, who’ll turn your collection of objects back into a new planet.
It’s a bizarre and fun-filled adventure that will keep you grinning and humming that unforgettable tune the whole time.
Price: $29.99
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Google Stadia
Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer
Brace Yourself Games’ original Crypt of the NecroDancer brilliantly combined elements of dungeon-crawling roguelites with rhythm gameplay, creating an instantly addictive, unique, and challenging experience. This spinoff, which introduces Nintendo’s beloved Zelda series, elevates the formula even further with stunning pixel art inspired by the much-loved 3D Zelda game, The Wind Waker—making it an even more irresistible adventure.
If the tough-as-nails gameplay isn’t enough (you can turn off the rhythm mechanics if needed), the remixes of classic Zelda music are worth the price alone. Crypt of the NecroDancer was already known for its fantastic soundtrack, and Brace Yourself Games tapped Danny B, famous for his work on Super Meat Boy, to deliver some of his finest compositions yet.
Price: $24.99
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Untitled Goose Game
Honk, honk! Honk!
(Apologies, but the goose stole my laptop and I can’t finish this write-up. Posting from my phone.)
Price: $19.99
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS
