Other games like Alba for Kids?

December 31, 2020 7:20 AM

Are there other kids computer games that have similar dynamics / chill-ness like the recent release of Alba Wildlife game?. It’s beautiful and really scratched an itch for my kids on the spectrum.

Alba has been an incredible experience for my kids - and it’s the sort of game that I don’t feel bad about my kids playing for extended periods (as much as you can - it’s fairly short - though they are still exploring the island and collecting photos of all the birds ). Both my kids are on the spectrum, and I think what works well for them in games is:

- Very chill (no violence or pressure)
- Story or adventure based
- Open world (or at least the ability to explore - I think that’s a big part of the attraction)
- Nature based if possible (they are both junior eco-warriors - saving the Eco-preserve in Alba was about as wonderfully perfect a scenario as I could have imagined for a game)
- Limited points or scoring mechanisms (more goal based then points based)
- Age appropriate (6+)

Sneaky Sasquatch is somewhat similar and my kids have played the heck out of that too. It’s slightly less chill but still gets them going and they have spent a lot of time catching each of the fish species in that game. They have also played and enjoyed some of the Wild Kratts / Molly of Denali type PBS games - though those are more like platform games mostly

Alba pretty much is as perfect a game for them as I’ve ever seen - but I don’t play a lot of games so maybe there are others?

We have a Switch, Apple and Android mobile devices, and I could probably do a PC or Mac game as well

posted by inflatablekiwi to Computers & Internet (10 answers total)

Stardew Valley....maybe? Its a farming game but also has a lot of story as you develop relationships with the towns people. Thing is there is a 'ideal' way to play (farm, upgrade, get animals, fish, mine, fight slimes in the caves) to get achievements and unlock later stuff/events but there is also nothing stopping you from just growing crops and improving your farm and decorating your farm house and ignoring everything else.
posted by Captain_Science at 7:37 AM on December 31, 2020

Response by poster: Cool will take a look. Should have mentioned we’ve tried Animal Crossings as well - which would seem to fit the bill but for some reason my kids didn’t click with it. Never quite worked out why - maybe there is just too much going on in that game....
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:56 AM on December 31, 2020

Best answer: A Short Hike has a very similar chill nature vibe as Alba.

Wholesome Games is a group curating titles along these lines - check out their Steam page for more ideas.
posted by Fourmyle at 7:58 AM on December 31, 2020 [1 favorite]

A warning about
Firewatch , it ticks all the boxes except for it's wildly not age appropriate. The main narrative has mature themes and is very depressing. I didn't realize this when I bought it, but I enjoyed it. (Also only 4 hours).

Maybe Subnautica? It's a very pretty underwater survival game, although I believe it has a mode that is just exploring and building and not worrying about resources. There is a mystery and some aggressive creatures to avoid in the depths, but the exploring is fun without following the story.

No man's sky has a similar creative mode, but that still has light fighting I believe.
posted by TheAdamist at 8:03 AM on December 31, 2020

Response by poster: Fourmyle - thanks for those links. A Short Hike sounds perfect, and the Wholesome Games link has a few that also look pretty interesting. Will fire up the Switch and load A Short Hike once we are back from...errr....a short hike to go see some Bison....
posted by inflatablekiwi at 8:33 AM on December 31, 2020 [1 favorite]

They might enjoy Mutazione. The main storyline is about restoring gardens, and there's a non-story mode in which planting gardens is totally what you do. It's a very chill game with a lot of kindness in it.
posted by humbug at 9:08 AM on December 31, 2020 [1 favorite]

Very much endorse A Short Hike! perfect vibe and surprisingly strong puttering-around replay value. Warning on Subnautica: bugginess/glitches can make it stressful even in creative mode.
posted by redfoxtail at 1:13 PM on December 31, 2020 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Fourmyle - My eight year old has really taken to A Short Hike and just fell asleep playing it after a late NYE celebration. Thanks for the great recommendation.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 12:39 PM on January 1, 2021

Not quite the same genre, but House Flipper, where you buy a fixer-upper and redecorate the interior and sell it, is somewhat creative. And there's a garden flipper DLC that lets you design the backyard garden as well. Maybe?
posted by kschang at 10:08 AM on January 2, 2021

Paperbark fits about half of your criteria, but might be worth checking just in case. It's like a guided storybook, with collecting (things the wombat wants to eat, if I remember correctly). It's probably not as open-world as you might like. It's definitely age-appropriate and eco-themed though. The pressure comes about 3/4 the way through as there is a bushfire and the wombat has to find a path to safety. But afterwards you get to see the bushland regenerate. There's a promo video so you can check if it would be suitable for your kids.
posted by harriet vane at 2:40 AM on January 4, 2021 [1 favorite]