Sometimes I enjoy playing games that are just perfect to relax. And since I was a bit under the weather lately, I needed an amazing casual game to play. So, in today’s article, I’m going to give a quick overview of some casual games I played during my time under the weather. Maybe I’ll do a more in depth review of these games later, but now… I quickly want to touch upon them. If you know any great casual games I should try, give me a comment on this article, and who knows… Maybe in the next article, they will appear. But, you can also leave a comment with your thoughts and/or opinions on the content of this article and/or the games.
Tropix … Your Island Getaway
In Tropix… Your Island Getaway, you have to play several classic mini-games like a bubble popper, mahjong, blowing, a word making game, Sudoku…
You earn sand dollars to decorate your island. If you fill up the fun, comfort and food bars, you can go on the next island and unlock more mini-games.
I used to play this game quite a lot when I was a child, and I enjoyed it quite a lot. My sister and I tried to be the fastest to finish a mini-game set or get the highest score.
I recently rediscovered this game. It’s a great one to quickly play a few rounds of the mini-games and the theming of your island getaway is very nicely done.
While writing this article, I have discovered there is a sequel to this game. I’ll for sure try out that game and maybe mention it in another article. But, if you enjoy solid mini-game collections that are quite relaxing and charmingly made, I’d highly recommend to give Tropix … Your Island Getaway a try. I recently also bought a Nintendo DS copy, and I’m comparing it to the PC version. And that sounds like a fun future article so hold tight.
Sally Salon
Gamehouse wiki – Bigfish games
A big subgenre in the casual game scene are the time management games. One of my favorite time management games is Sally’s Salon. In this game, you run your own beauty salon, and you have to make your clicks matter. Since, the order matters.
It’s both a management sim and a puzzle. The further you get in this game, the more hectic this game becomes.
This screenshot explains quite a lot of the basic mechanics of the game. You have to move your clients to the right stations and preform the action at the set station. The faster you guide them through the salon, the higher their pay at the end will be.
Also, you can earn back hearts by choosing the things they like. You lose them, by choosing the things they dislike or letting wait for too long. Also, you can hire staff with your profit to automate some tasks since otherwise it really get hectic in the later levels.
This game can become a bit repetitive in long play sessions. The PC version can also be very picky with hitboxes. But overall, it’s pretty fun. The sequels are a lot of fun too. I have played Sally’s Spa and Sally’s Studio. The other games in the series I haven’t played.
Fiber Twig
There are a lot of casual games where you need to fill in a certain shape and don’t let the conveyor belt at the bottom get filled. But Fiber Twig does a unique twist on the genre. In this game, you have to connect tree branches, and you can only continue if the light energy doesn’t escape.
This game is a true puzzle game. It’s also a high risk/reward game. Since, you can’t see the rest of the level. So, is it wise to save certain pieces, or should you use them right now?
Also, power ups are quite rare. So, undoing mistakes or filling in dead ends… Use your power ups wisely.
It’s a game that looks boring if you only judge it on the screenshots, but it gets quite intense and enjoyable to play. The charming theming and lore give this game a unique quirk that gets my hooked very time I boot the game up.
Shopmania
Shopmania is also a game like Fiber Twig, where you have to place all the items from the belt to the playing field. But the twist in this game is that you have to keep things like color, shapes and other things in mind.
The idea is, that you work for a super mega store to buy medicine for your sick hamster. And in this store, the employees shop for you. So, you have to fill the customers their carts.
If you fill the cart with the item that the customer is thinking off, you get bonus cash. If you fully fill the cart, bonus cash. All items the same color? Well, bonus cash of course.
The more profit a certain line brings, the more you can upgrade for a bigger cart. This brings in more money but also more risk. Since, it gets tricker to get those combos and bonuses going to reach the higher and higher quota. Oh, and three items going into the shredder, and it’s game over for that level.
The story is quite silly and I love the theming. Even just writing about this, I hear the sound effects of this game in my head.
Final thoughts
Honestly, playing these casual games while I was under the weather felt like reconnecting with a simpler time. Whether it was racing my sister in Tropix, strategizing my way through Sally’s Salon, getting absorbed in the puzzles of Fiber Twig, or smiling at the quirky humor in Shopmania, each game brought back a small but meaningful spark. It reminded me that sometimes, it’s okay to slow down and just enjoy a bit of playful chaos or quiet thinking.
I could go on for quite a while about other relaxing games I’ve discovered over the years—but I’ll save that for another article. Who knows, maybe the sequel to Tropix will make an appearance next time. Thank you for reading and spending this little slice of time with me. If you have your own favorite casual games or thoughts to share, feel free to leave a comment. I always enjoy hearing what others are playing.
Until next time—take care, and may your sand dollars stack high and your cart combos never break.
And with that said, thank you so much for reading this article. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I look forward to welcoming you back in a future article. Until then, have a wonderful rest of your day, and take care.
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I write first impressions, reviews and I also give my opinion on various elements of the gaming industry or game design. I’m also very active behind the scenes to aid other gaming bloggers with various things.
Outside of writing, I’m a hobbyist stage actor, graduate network manager and various other things.
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Fulltime dayjob: IT Admin at an art secondary school in Ghent.
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