Curious about kid friendly management games on the Nintendo Switch? Here’s a brief overview of some of the best games to introduce kids to this genre.
Management games like Stardew Valley and Bear & Breakfast can be rewarding experiences for kids who want something more challenging to play. Many of these games stress building a sense of community in the game and feature very little to no actual combat. The games can teach kids to plan ahead and use their critical thinking skills–all important for surviving in today’s fast-paced world.
Bear & Breakfast
Bear & Breakfast is a laid-back adventure and management simulator where players run a bed and breakfast. The playable character is a cute bear and the cast of characters you can meet are quirky and fun. The best part of the game is actually building your bed and breakfast from the ground up with plenty of furniture pieces to unlock.
Players who spend a lot of time decorating in Animal Crossing and are looking for something new to do may enjoy what Bear and Breakfast has to offer.
Stardew Valley
Anyone who grew up playing the Harvest Moon series will instantly feel at home with Stardew Valley. Ready to introduce your kids to the magical world of farm management? Stardew Valley is the place to start, with a wide variety of crops to grow, animals to husband, and people (with problems) to meet (and solve). There are some references to alcohol in the game and at least one character in the town is homeless and lives in a tent.
Let’s Build a Zoo
Let’s Build a Zoo offers a lot of nostalgia for gamers who played Microsoft’s Zoo Tycoon growing up, too. It’s a bit more pixelated and focuses more on the splicing aspect of unlocking animals–but it does have a morality system. The game rewards you with unlocks for playing benevolently by turning in exotic animal sellers. However, you can also run Joe Exotic’s Oklahoma Roadside Tiger Petting Zoo if you want to be a terrible zoo keeper.
Following in the hallowed footsteps of Zoo Tycoon 2, Let’s Build a Zoo’s first DLC pack features plenty of dinosaurs to tame and splice. The Dinosaur Island DLC features 50 new animals and a whole new campaign to play through as players unlock new animals.
Littlewood
Littlewood is about rebuilding a town in a world that has already been saved from the ‘big bad’ by the heroes of the realm. Now it’s up to the player to help a small village rebuild and prosper after these world-changing events. It’s a relaxing take on a hero saves the world journey in that it focuses on management of a town after the threat has passed–with absolutely no combat.
Hokko Life
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is going on its third year of availability on the Nintendo Switch. It hit at just the right time when the coronavirus pandemic had most of the world in lock down in 2020.
Now Hokko Life seeks to fill the gap that people feel AC:NH leaves with no updates in over two years. It’s another life management game that is meant to focus on the player’s avatar and a cast of characters that live in a town. It features bug hunting, fishing, and crafting much like Animal Crossing, too.
Potion Permit
Potion Permit is a unique take on the management genre in that you’re gathering ingredients to help townsfolk with their ills. There’s a fair amount of combat involved in collecting ingredients alone in the forest, so this is a recommendation for someone who likes action RPG-style combat.
There are around 30 residents around the town of Moonbury who will occasionally fall ill. It’s your job to take care of them and nurse them back to health with the medicines you’ve created.
Fae Farm
Fae Farm is a game about taking care of your neighbors while growing magical plants and making potions. Perhaps the best thing about it is that it features 1-4 player co-op so you can adventure with friends online or locally. There’s farming, mining, and exploring the faerie wilds for all.
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