Games like Stardew Valley, My Time at Portia and Animal Crossing are popular because they provide a chilled time for players just to run around, build a little farm or settlement, do chores and keep their pockets full. These games provide players with a more relaxed time where you play at your own pace or rush to get things done quickly. Disney Dreamlight Valley takes the formula of these games and puts the Disney spin on it. I’ve quite enjoyed the game as I run around helping out characters that I remember from my childhood and obsess about how to build up my village. It’s been a lot of fun farming, mining, cooking and exploiting Goofy as much as I can to make a quick buck by having him help me catch fish which I cook on his stove and then sell to him… ahm, we’re all friends here. The busy work of the game is the core gameplay loop, and you can do it all without back pain! I’ve set up so many farms to grow my crops, I’ve served my little friends in the restaurant and I’ve helped free some characters who were trapped. The storyline comes in bits and pieces and while it is intriguing; it is not the main focus here. Building up the village and taking care of the Disney friends is the main goal while levelling up the Star Path is the second goal. The game looks good too, and it is colourful and vibrant with Pixar-like graphics. You can buy clothing or household items to customise your character and home, and your village is fully customisable as well. With a crafting system and things to buy you will be busy running about earning coins and crafting decorations as you go through the game, you also have to weed out these purple thorns called The Forgetting which prop up and make for an eyesore across your quaint village.
If you are in the mood for a chilled game and want to take a break from carnage and slaughter then give Disney Dreamlight Valley a try.
