Sometimes, I just want to play something relaxing.  And one thing I find especially relaxing is nature.  With its soft, green grass.  The murmur of running water.  The fresh air and the cool breeze.  And all the little critters that accompany it.  And that is why I’ve decided for our Wildcard Week to list a few good games for nature lovers such as myself.

• Hoa: This short little game has you playing as a tiny creature named Hoa, who’s the size of a bug.  You’ll be exploring a beautiful, hand-painted environment, traveling through the trees and even beneath the water in combat-free gameplay.

• A Short Hike: This short game feels like taking a mini vacation.  You play as a bluebird named Claire who’s spending the day at Hawk Peak Provincial Park.  Your goal is to reach the peak, but you can take as much time as you want getting there, fishing, looking for treasure, and just generally goofing off along the way.  And once you collect enough feathers, you can fly pretty much freely around the island!
• Pikmin: These games are all about exploring a planet (probably Earth) as a tiny alien while using your army of plant-like Pikmin to defeat enemies and carry items back to your ship, whether it be food, ship parts, or treasure.  Okay, so these games aren’t as relaxing as some of the others on the list due to the possibility of your dear Pikmin being massacred, but the natural environments are otherwise quite peaceful and watching your Pikmin marching about like ants is pretty cute.
• Abzu: While most relaxing nature games take place above ground, Abzu takes place underwater among the fishies.  Sure, the deeper water can be rather anxiety-inducing at times, but on the most part, this game is pretty peaceful and features no combat and lots of real-life sea creatures!

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons: All Animal Crossing games are relaxing.  But only New Horizons lets you decorate your own island.  There’s just something special about manicuring and perfecting your island and then getting to enjoy it with your animal buddies. 
• Seasons After Fall: Okay, so this isn’t the best game on the list, but the natural settings and the ability to play as a fox is quite pleasant indeed.  And the ability to solve puzzles by changing the seasons is rather inspired.