Boring Summer? Play These 9 Cozy Games for Summer on Nintendo Switch

If you're having a boring, uneventful summer with nothing to do...you're in exactly the right place.

I put together nine cozy games for summer that bring all the fun-in-the-sun vibes right to your couch.

And the best part? Not one Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley made the cut. Every game on this list comes straight from my very own collection, and each one will make you feel like you're on a real summer adventure.

So settle in, grab a snack, and let's fix that boring summer.

🎥 Don't want to read? Watch it on my YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1kfsi9Dkmw

1. Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a life sim set on a tropical island where you get to decide exactly how you want to spend your days. You can go diving, make new friends, decorate your space, or head out on mini adventures across the island. It's basically your dream vacation, but from your couch.

I could not make a summer game list without this one...it literally has "island adventure" in the name. There's just something about this game that perfectly captures that last-day-of-school feeling, where you have no plans, total freedom, and nothing but sunshine ahead of you. And that is exactly what playing this feels like.

I have been away from the island for a little while, but two live events have pulled me right back in.

There's the Under the Sea Celebration running through June 29th and the Paper Parade event running through July 1st, both with exclusive rewards you can unlock. If there was ever a perfect time to jump in, it's right now!

2. Here Comes Niko!

Here Comes Niko! is a cozy adventure game where you play as Niko, who lands the most adorable summer job imaginable, professional friend. Your one task is to make new friends, help them with requests, play beach volleyball, and explore a series of beautiful scenic islands.

It describes itself as "a cozy adventure for tired people" and...honestly? How does it know me so well?!

I absolutely loved playing this game.

If you're someone who likes a little structure to your day but still wants that laid-back summer feel, this game is your perfect match. It's quirky, it's adorable, and it's exactly the kind of game you pick up on a slow summer afternoon and don't put down until it's dark outside.

3. A Short Hike

A Short Hike is a small open-world exploration game where you play as a little bird trying to reach the summit of Hawk Peak mountain. Along the way, you explore a beautiful and peaceful world, meet the sweetest cast of characters, and slowly get pulled into each of their little stories.

It's a 4 hour game, but it genuinely does not feel that way. When I finished it, I sat there wondering how something so short could leave such a lasting impression on me.

It reminded me so much of summer camp. The campfire songs, the nature hikes, the scary stories...all packed into one week, yet somehow it felt like you lived an entire summer there.

A short hike captures that exact feeling. I loved it so much I also featured it in my 11 best switch games for girls video on YouTube, which is absolutely worth a watch if you haven't seen it yet.

4. Tiny Bookshop

Tiny Bookshop is a cozy management game where you pack up your things, leave everything behind, to run a little tiny bookshop through a quiet seaside town. You travel from spot to spot, help customers find the right read, and slowly build a peaceful, quiet life by the sea.

Doesn't that just sound so dreamy?...

I played it last month, and I genuinely did not expect it to have such a grip on me. It became one of the most wholesome experiences I've had this year...and weeks later, I'm still thinking about it. There were so many summers growing up where all I wanted was to curl up with a good book and get completely lost in it, and tiny bookshop reminded me of every single one of those warm sunset days.

I loved it so much I wrote a full review. If you want to go deeper before you buy, you can read it right here.

5. Mika and the Witch's Mountain

Mika and the Witch's Mountain is a delivery game where you play as a little witch tasked with delivering packages to villagers scattered across a gorgeous mountainside village. Along the way, you earn enough to buy new brooms and work your way up toward the top of the mountain, all wrapped in this warm, Studio Ghibli-esque atmosphere.

If you've ever watched Kiki's Delivery Service and thought "I wish I could actually live this"...this game is basically that.

Full disclosure, I haven't played it yet. I pre-ordered the limited physical edition months ago and completely forgot about it, so when it showed up in the mail, it felt like the sweetest little surprise. It is sitting right on my stack, ready to go.

But from everything I've seen, I knew it had to be on this list. It just has summer adventure written all over it.

6. Hokko Life

Hokko Life is a life sim where you move into a charming little forest town and slowly build your life there from scratch. You craft, you fish, you garden, and you become part of a little quirky community of animal neighbors who can be a bit odd sometimes...but honestly, that's part of the charm.

There's a side to summer that doesn't get talked about enough: the community side. The neighborhood barbecues, the community gardens, the people who make long, hot days feel a little less lonely. Hokko Life leans all the way into that feeling, and it's just so peaceful.

One more thing worth knowing: Wholesome Direct just revealed Hokko Spaces, a new game where you build beautiful, lively spaces filled with these same adorable characters. No release date yet, but if you start with Hokko Life now, you'll already feel right at home by the time it arrives.

7. New Pokémon Snap

New Pokémon Snap is a photography exploration game where instead of catching and battling pokémon, you're simply out in the world, photographing them in their natural habitat. You experience what it feels like to be a pokémon researcher in the field, just exploring, observing, and capturing these creatures in their most peaceful moments.

It's been out for a few years now...but I still think about this game constantly, and I just don't want people to forget about it.

If you love the nature side of summer, the hiking, the camping, being completely out in the wild, this is your escape. It is genuinely one of the most peaceful and beautiful games on the Switch, and it gives you that "out in the world, far away from everything" feeling that is really hard to replicate.

8. Moonstone Island

Moonstone Island is a creature-collecting life sim where you explore one hundred different islands, brew potions, grow crops, go on dates, and fall in love. It is genuinely a whole life packed into one game.

If you love the farming sim lifestyle but want so much more layered on top of it...adventure, exploration, creature collecting, romance, all of it...this is the one for you.

I've been wanting to play it for such a long time. I pre-ordered the limited physical edition last year, and it finally arrived earlier this year. I am so ready to finally jump in. If you want a game that can genuinely consume your entire summer, this might just become your newest obsession.

9. The Touryst ⭐

The Touryst is a mystery-adventure game where you play as a tourist exploring a series of exotic islands. You dance at beach parties, you surf, you soak up that summer vacation energy...and then you start noticing mysterious monuments scattered across the islands. The deeper you dig, the more you realize there's something hidden underneath it all.

This one is deeply special to me. It was featured in my very first video on my YouTube channel, so closing out this list with it feels like the most perfect full circle moment.

I was completely consumed by it and finished it in two to three days because I genuinely could not put it down. If you want to feel the absolute essence of summer in a game...the warmth, the exploration, the adventure, you need to play The Touryst before the summer ends.

Bonus: Teddie Picks

Before I wrap up, I want to spread some love to my teddies, because you all have been recommending the most incredible games, and these three fit the summer vibes so perfectly I had to share them.

• Dinkum is a cozy Australian-inspired life sim where you build your own town while hanging out with friends. Grab your flip flops and enjoy the summer days!

• Dave the Diver is a deep-sea exploration game where you fish by day and manage a sushi restaurant by night. The art style is beautiful, and it's currently sitting on my wishlist!

• Slime Rancher is a game where you play as a young rancher who travels thousands of light years from Earth to wrangle slimes. I'll be honest...I own this game and completely forgot it existed until a teddie reminded me. So thank you for that!

Final Thoughts on Cozy Games for Summer

There's something so special about a game that makes you feel like you're living a whole different life, especially in the summer when the days are long and anything feels possible.

Every game on this list does exactly that. Whether you want the beach party energy of The Touryst, the quiet bookshop life of Tiny Bookshop, or the tropical freedom of Hello Kitty Island Adventure, there is a summer escape here for every kind of player.

If you're looking for even more Switch recommendations, I also put together a list of 7 new cozy games for the original Switch and 10 fun Switch games you absolutely need to play if you want to keep adding to your library.

Now go play, have fun, and enjoy every summer day ahead. And let me know in the comments: what are YOU most excited for this summer?

And if you love gaming, reading books, or being part of a nerdy community, come join the hildabear club on YouTube by subscribing and becoming a teddie member. Stay for the stories, the nostalgia, and all the fun!

hildabear 🐻🎀