With stress in someone’s life, causing them to look for an escape, or just their genuine search for entertainment, certain video games can be a calming alternative to stress-inducing activities. For people who seldom play video games, it is important that they choose a game that invests them in the story and world.
Stanley Starsiak is a current freshman who enjoys playing Elden Ring and Hollow Knight, two action adventure games, in his free time. He states, “I enjoy playing video games because of the challenge some games provide. Whether it is a difficult boss or just an area that seems impossible to get past, they require struggle. If you can persevere, however, the feeling of triumph far outweighs the pain of the past failures.”
Between borrowing systems or games from a library, using a mobile phone, finding cheap games and systems, and playing free games, video games are widely accessible; there is no need to buy hundreds of dollars worth of games to stay entertained. All of the libraries mentioned below are only the five closest libraries to Hingham, using Hingham Highschool as a baseline, so be aware that many libraries not listed may have these games. This information can be checked using the Old Colony Library Network’s website (ocln.org). The network and the physical libraries are also great places to look through and find games that may have been skipped over because of the cost or accessibility. Sometimes, playing one player games after a long day of work, practice or school is a great way to unwind.
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Name: Stardew Valley
Systems: Steam, Xbox One, Playstation 4, Playstation VITA, Nintendo Switch, and Mobile
Libraries with game: Hingham Public Library, Paul Pratt Memorial Library, Tufts Library, Norwell Public Library, and Hull Public Library (All Nintendo Switch Versions)
Genre: RPG, Indie and Farming
Franchise: N/A
Cost: $14.99 (Steam, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Playstation), and $4.99 (Mobile)
Playtime: About 100 hours (for main story, can play infinitely)
Stardew Valley is a farming simulation game where most aspects are fully customizable. Even at the start of the game, the player can choose how they look, the name of their farm, what pet they want and what climate they would prefer. There are also many choices that will affect the gameplay later, no two run-throughs could be the same. There are 34 NPCs that relationships can be built with and 12 that have the option to be married. Each player can also choose a focus for their save, or potentially dabble in them all, such as fishing, farming, domestication, foraging, relationships, side-quests, mining, and combat. The game applies to a large range of people and every player can have a save catered to them.
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Name: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Systems: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One, Steam, and Playstation 4
Libraries with game: Hingham Public Library, Tufts Library, Thayer Public Library, Ventress Memorial Library, and Avon Public Library (All Nintendo Switch Versions)
Genre:
Franchise: Ace Attorney
Cost: $49.99* (Nintendo Switch, Steam, Xbox, Playstation) and depends on seller (Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS)
Playtime: About 80 hours (main story)
Ace Attorney is a strategic game about solving murder cases as a defense attorney. Every clue is derived from evidence or pieces of conversation that may seem mundane at the time, so this is a game that requires a little attention to detail and focus and may cause a need to take a few trips to an online walkthrough. Despite this, during any case, if an incorrect statement is made, the game may make you go back to the start of the section, but there are unlimited tries and no real consequences. The main focus is on the story and cases, but the characters are also developed with their own sense of personality, set of skills and flaws.
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Name: Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Systems: Wii and Nintendo Switch (HD Version)
Libraries with game: Hingham Public Library (HD), Norwell Public Library (HD), Thayer Public Library (HD), John Curtis Free Library (original), and Scituate Town Library (original & HD)
Genre: Puzzle
Franchise: Legend of Zelda
Cost: $59.99** (Nintendo Switch) and depends on seller (Wii)
Playtime: About 40 hours (main story)
Skyward Sword is the first game in the Legend of Zelda series (in game timeline, not release date) and starts with the protagonist’s close friend (and unconfirmed lover) getting taken into an unknown realm that the main character has to travel around in a princess-is-in-another-castle type search. Each group of characters has defining designs and gorgeous habitats with each boss’s appearance and attacks are crafted towards the location. There are main boss fights and lots of littler enemies, but it is also a game riddled with puzzles. There is no blunt way to play the game that people can just power through; every little crack, hole, and thing out of place may need to be investigated to proceed with the game.
Breath of the Wild is another game later in the Legend of Zelda franchise, which sophomore Kelsey Wightman started playing around seven years ago. Kelsey says, “I like Zelda because I like the graphics, it is easy to do what you want, and I like the animals. [I like to play games] ‘because when I play games, I feel less stressed. I like to play games with my brother because it is one of the only times where we can spend time together”
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Name: Untitled Goose Game
Systems: Nintendo Switch, Steam, Itch, Epic, PlayStation 4, or Xbox One.
Libraries with game: Hingham Public Library, Tufts Library, Norwell Public Library, Holbrook Public Library, and Kingston Public Library
Genre: Indie, Adventure and Puzzle
Franchise: N/A
Cost: $19.99*** (Nintendo Switch, Itch, Epic, and Xbox), $20**** (Steam) and depends on seller (Playstation)
Playtime: About two hours (main story)
The Untitled Goose Game is a play through of chaos and deception (in a fun way). You play as a mischievous goose with a goal of annoying the townspeople and checking each item off of your to-do list. It has a simple art style with no text, other than the to-do list and controls, but each character conveys emotion and has their own personality through movements and sound. This game is full of wit and unexpected turns, making an amazing game when you need to laugh a little.
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Name: Tricky Doors
Systems: Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Mobile
Libraries with game: N/A
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle and Visual Novel
Franchise: N/A
Cost: Free
Playtime: About 10 hours (main story)
Tricky Doors is a puzzle game with 20 chapters currently, each in their own unique location. This game is all about noticing the little things and trial and error. Every part of a location has a specific amount of puzzles needed to be completed or tasks needed to be done with certain objects. Each puzzle leads to each other, bringing the whole level together when something that has been useless the entire level finally has its purpose.
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Name: Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Systems: Nintendo Switch
Libraries with game: Hingham Public Library, Paul Pratt Memorial Library, Tufts Library, Scituate Town Library, and Holbrook Public Library
Genre: Adventure, RPG and Combat
Franchise: Fire Emblem
Cost: $59.99** (Nintendo Switch)
Playtime: About 80 hours (per route in main story)
Fire Emblem is a franchise based on turn-based battles where each character has specific weapons, attacks and classes. One special thing about Three Houses is that there are three routes depending on the house the player chooses, making certain characters into heroes and villains accordingly. It is a strategic game but safety nets can be installed to make the combat a little less precise and lower-stakes. Outside of the battlefield, each player can get closer with the members of their house and other people the main character recruited along the way, with gifts, activities, and meals. There are usually strict bounds of a battlefield or area during a chapter, there are many places to explore and ways to level up characters at the base camp.
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Name: Another Code: Two Memories/Another Code: Recollection
Systems: Nintendo Switch/Nintendo DS
Libraries with game: Hingham Public Library and Ventress Memorial Library
Genre: Puzzle, Adventure and Visual Novel
Franchise: Another Code
Cost: $59.99** (Nintendo Switch) and depends on seller (Nintendo DS)
Playtime: About 5 hours (Two Memories main story) and about 15 hours (Recollection main story)
Another Code: Two Memories (the first half of Recollection) is about a girl looking for her dad on a mysterious island and through a seemingly abandoned mansion. After meeting a friendly ghost, the two search for the main character’s father while uncovering the dark truth around the area and the ghost’s death. Another Code: R-A Journey Into Lost Memories is the second part of the sequel where the girl uncovers memories and information about her late mother, who died when she was three. The first game focuses heavily on the puzzle solving aspect, which is why it is more highly recommended by someone who loves puzzle games. The second game focuses more on diving deeper into the secret of the protagonist’s family and how she is looking for closure about her mother.
*Game is currently on sale for $23.99 on Nintendo E-Shop
**Game is currently on sale for $41.99 on Nintendo E-Shop
***Game is currently on sale for $7.99 on Nintendo E-Shop
****Game is currently on sale for $8.99 on Steam
