From an outsider’s perspective, it may have looked like I was engaging in illicit activity. Standing on my cousin Adrienne’s front porch, she cracked the window open just a little and gave me the instructions to drop off the Ziploc bag of Nintendo Switch games I brought for them to borrow. I put down the stash of games and picked up the container of soup she made for me as part of this trade. Backing away about 12 feet, she and her 3-year old son Kai opened the door and yelled, “Thank you!” I got back in the car and left.
These last few weeks have been some of the hardest in modern history. Forced to retreat into our homes for the sake of social distancing, many are turning to games for some mental health relief. Ever since Animal Crossing: New Horizons released, my wife and I have poured hours into our shared island.
Part of that is because it’s the hot new game of the moment. But it’s also a fitting game for where we are from a mental standpoint. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the ultimate comfort game, considering the circumstances at hand.
This got me thinking about the greater concept of “comfort games”. Technically, any game can be comforting to someone. But what is it about a game that makes it more comfortable during times of high stress? I take a stab at defining the broadest parameters of what a “comfort game” is.
One of Nintendo’s big selling points for Animal Crossing: New Horizons was that the game would get updated throughout the year with fresh events and new reasons to keep playing. For the first few weeks, the game was flying high without any major post-launch support beyond patching out exploits. But now that we’ve had a taste of multiple events in rapid succession, they’ve inadvertently made the game worse.
Over the course of six entries, the Jackbox Party Pack series has introduced us to dozens of awesome games to liven up any get-together. Paired with the advent of live streaming, and it’s an amazing way to play with others from around the world. During these times, it’s been a great way of interacting with family and friends. We’ve also been streaming it a bit on Twitch and I’ve made many new friends that way. What are some of your faves? Here are a few of my picks!
Trivia Murder Party 1/2
I want to play a game…of trivia? In Trivia Murder Party, all of the players are trapped in a Saw-like dungeon. The only way out is to best your friends in a challenge of trivia questions and life-or-death mini games. With the way that the game is structured, there’s no shortage of exciting and shocking moments. Also, it’s balanced in such a way that most players are in the thick of it right until the thrilling finale. As the icing on the cake, the game’s blend of horror and humour hits all of the right notes. Glad to see Jackbox Games revisit this one with Trivia Murder Party 2 on Jackbox Party Pack 6.
Tee K.O.
Unleash your inner t-shirt designer in Tee K.O.! Using a random assortment of captions and images created by your peers, it’s up to you to create the shirt that will rule them all. Every game of Tee K.O. I’ve played has been filled with laughs. Best of all, you can even order real-life versions of the shirts created in the game! My brother actually got one Tee K.O. creation as a gift for my cousin because…actually, let’s end this story here.
Fakin’ It
Fakin’ It is a clever social deduction games that forces players to find the faker in their group. While all of the non-fakers will get the same question, the faker will get a slightly different set of questions. It’s up to the faker to try and blend in, while everyone else tries to identify the faker based on their in-game answers and their IRL behaviour. It can be incredibly uncomfortable as the faker, but if everyone is okay with the possibility of being on the bot seat, this one can be a riot. This is a game that works best IRL, so maybe skip this one until the whole VOLDEMORT-27 thing is under control.
Mad Verse City
Quite possibly my all-time favourite in the series, Mad Verse City takes the concept of Mad Libs and flips it into a freestyle rap battle. Given the first and third bars in a verse, players are tasked with filling in lines two and four. As a hip-hop fan who may have taken a stab at writing rhymes in a previous life, I can’t get enough of this one.
Split the Room
Split the Room is quite the clever concept. Players are tasked with creating hypothetical questions that will divide the group. Being able to read the group is key to coming up with divisive questions. Personally, I love pineapple on pizza, but that might be a Canadian thing. Thoughts?
How do you revitalize Animal Crossing? Many may argue that this question is built on a false premise and that’s fine. For me, every gimmick they’ve bolted onto each subsequent release couldn’t mask the fact that I’m still catching fish, talking to villagers, and paying down a mountain of debt in the same ways that I did on the GameCube decades ago.
Much of what’s defined the franchise still persists in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, right down to how annoying it can be to cast your lure at the exact angle. Even so, I find myself completely enamoured with this Switch iteration thanks to a host of quality-of-life improvements.
At long last, a representative from ARMS will finally get the opportunity to throw hands in the world of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. But which character will get to nod? Here are my picks for odds on favourites, as well as few one dark horse options that aren’t out of the realm of possibility!
With my 3-year-old “nephew” tuning in, we decided to play a little bit of Super Mario World for him! I embarrass myself by being completely unable to get a cape, and I struggle to explain where Yoshi disappeared to after I jumped off his back to reach the final platform. Apologies for the conflicting music. Will remember to shut off the lo-fi beats for games where I want to play the music!
Click through for the full stream, highlights, and shoutouts!
For a few months now, I’ve started to notice my Switch getting louder than usual. It started out as an infrequent occurrence. As the situation developed, the sound of the fan whirring at warp speed became the norm. These days, it will inevitably overheat and auto shut off when played in docked mode. Haven’t managed to overheat the console in portable mode just yet, but the console does get very hot to the touch with extended play. My gut says that the Switch will survive a bit longer in open air vs. within the confines of the dock.
Based on my research and the grumbling sound emanating from my Switch these days, it seems like the internal fan has kicked the bucket. The system isn’t completely unplayable right now, but it feels like an inevitability at this point. Not the news I want in the midst of a global pandemic.
Having sold north of 2 million units and still standing as one of the best-selling titles on the Nintendo Switch, ARMS doesn’t necessarily need a new lease on life. Nevertheless, it’s getting one. With a yet-to-be named ARMS character being included as part of the season 2 Fighter Pass for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, an open online tournament, and free trial available now on the eShop, ARMS is relevant again and I’m so happy for it.
Welcome to Steff and I’s island of Pawnee! We just got a shop and I’ve got a boatload of tasks to cross off my to-do list. I have also put in a lot of work making sure the art on my in-game walls is reflective of what you see in the basement. Towards the end of the stream, we take a visit to Randy’s island that is rich in fruits!
Click through for the full video, highlights, and shoutouts!
Over the course of six entries, the Jackbox Party Pack series has introduced us to dozens of awesome games to liven up any get-together. Paired with the advent of live streaming, and it’s an amazing way to play with others from around the world. During these times, it’s been a great way of interacting with family and friends. 
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In Third Person 