Lockdown is tough. It’s Shang-Chi release week, and there’s no end in sight. In the grand scheme of things, it’s minor — but entertainment is a great form of escapism, and early reviews for the next big Marvel blockbuster are exciting. If you’re looking for ways to keep yourself distracted this week, there is some good news: there’s plenty of great games you can dive in with to make things a bit easier. Nintendo eShop sales are leading the charge, with plenty of fantastic, cheap games to keep those lockdown blues away.
Here are 15 of the best games currently on sale at the Nintendo eShop for under $15 AUD.
Boomerang Fu – $3.00
In multiplayer party game Boomerang Fu, you play as a tiny little fruit wielding a boomerang, trying to slice your friends up into a delicious meal. It’s terrifying, wholesome and very, very sweet. Plus, it’s Aussie made!
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair – $11.25
If you bounced hard off the original Yooka-Laylee, you should check out its excellent sequel. Rather than an action-adventure, this game is a 2.5D platformer filled with secrets to discover and slick moves to pull off. If you grew up in the PlayStation era, this one is a great little gem.
Golf With Your Friends – $14.97
Golf With Your Friends is another fantastic multiplayer game where you can — you guessed it — golf… with your friends! The game’s got a heap of courses to run through, and you can play them all solo or with mates, making this one golfin’ good time for all. Like Boomerang Fu, it’s also Australian.
Monster Prom XXL – $9.59
Monster Prom XXL is a great dating sim where you get to romance monsters, cause mayhem, and make your way to the end-of-year monster prom. There’s a bunch of criteria you’ll need to fill for each potential partner (or they’ll reject you), but along the way you’ll partake in so many fun shenanigans that the end result won’t sting too much.
Forager – $15.00
Forager is a tiny open world game where you play as a little bean exploring a vast, puzzle-filled world. There’s some elements of Minecraft here, and some of The Legend of Zelda, so if you’re into adventure-exploration-farming games, this one’s for you.
Iconoclasts – $10.19
I hate to use the word “metroidvania” here, but at least it accurately describes what Iconoclasts is about. Explore gorgeous landscapes! Fight enemies! Solve environmental puzzles! The game’s got all this, and more.
Garfield Kart: Furious Racing – $11.25
What else do I say about this game? It’s Garfield, but in a car. It’s cheap on the Nintendo eShop. Get it.
Wandersong – $7.50
Wandersong combines musicals, games and adventures, and you can’t ask for much more than that. Sing the world back to life as the world’s cutest bard, and you’ll be rewarded with a bright, colourful and wholesome tale.
Art Sqool – $4.50
Art Sqool is a literal “art school simulator” where you run around a vaporware-inspired environment creating art and messing around. It’s abstract, but it’s a whole lot of fun.
Hypnospace Outlaw – $10.32
Hypnospace Outlaw is so, so weird. But it’s also a very intriguing, artsy game that explores the aesthetics and memories of the internet in the 1990s. If you’re down for a trip, Hypnospace Outlaw has you covered.
The Flame in the Flood – $6.49
The Flame in the Flood is a gorgeous, underrated rogue-like where you explore a post-apocalyptic America and attempt to survive.
Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S – $10.98
Hatsune Miku Logic Paint S is actually a cutesy picross puzzle game, so if you enjoyed titles like Death by Numbers (or just a good game of picross), this is a great Nintendo eShop buy. You don’t even have to like Hatsune Miku to have fun here.
Glass Masquerade Double Pack – $4.95
If you’re a big fan of puzzles, the Glass Masquerade franchise is a must-have. This Nintendo eShop collection features the two main games in the series, and plenty of gorgeous digital puzzles to complete.
Blacksad – $15.00
Blacksad is an adaptation of a French comic series starring an anthropomorphic cat detective. If you’re in the mood for some noir detective adventures and super-sleuthing, this is one nifty, twist-filled tale you won’t want to miss.
Pack Master – $1.57
Pack Master is the cheapest game on this list, and also one of the chillest. It’s a port of a mobile title where you sit back, fit things into boxes, and relax. It’s not particularly hard, but it’s stacked with good vibes and it’s easy to while away an afternoon with it.
You can check out the full sales lineup on your Nintendo Switch console or search for individual game prices here.
Have you picked up anything in the latest Nintendo eShop sale? Want to recommend it to your fellow Kotaku Australia readers? Pop on down to the comments below.
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