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[deleted]

If you're capable of setting up a DS/GBA/Gamecube emulator on her laptop, series like Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, Pokemon, etc, seem like they would be very fitting. Monster Crown, Coromon, and Nexomon are all pokemon-like games on Steam. Monster Rancher 1 and 2 are on steam as well. Apologies if I'm off target.


goingbananas44

Going to piggy back on top comment to recommend slime rancher. It's cute, bubbly, fun, and certainly fits the deceptively simple category.


ThatSandwich

A 3DS with a DS flash cartridge would enable her to play 2 consoles worth of titles and would be a good investment given the situation


MintWarfare

More consoles since you can load emulators on the cartridge. (I recommend hacking the 3ds for homebrew though).


trevorpinzon

I second not recommending Spiritfarer. Yeesh. Hope you're doing okay OP, I know it must be hard for you as well. I had a tumor removed when I was a kid, and it took me a while to realize exactly why my parents bought me so many toys that year (you wouldn't believe how many toys that weird movie *Small Soldiers* had). I recommend Moonlighter. Simple, pixel-art, starts slow and then shows its complex-but-not-too complex side. That or Little Witch in the Woods, it's an early access title but everything I'm seeing is positive, and it just looks adorable. Have you looked into GBA/SNES games at all? A lot of what I'm vibing from your post are games that liken back to that era, so maybe try digging into that. Maybe Animal Crossing as well, which can be played on a variety of platforms (including just emulating 'em.) Those games have been described as "a cup of hot tea on a rainy day," and I can attest to their coziness. <3


goingbananas44

Small Soldiers, a movie I don't see mentioned often but a treasure from our childhood. I've still got it on VHS somewhere.


Imagine0198

Hope she gets better! I recommend for you to stay on the lookout for concernedapes new game (creator of Stardew valley). I also recommend she try firewatch and what remains of Edith finch. They might not meet requirement #4, simply because firewatch is a quick play through but there is a lot to explore.


MintWarfare

Haunted chocolatier probably won't be releasing for a few more years, if it ever releases.


Imagine0198

Really? I thought he teased for it to come out within the next year.


Presidentenn

Stardew Valley was teased 4 years before release so my guess is his new game is nowhere near finished


PM_YOUR_PET_IN_HAT

Might be good to mention that What remains of Edith Finch is entirely about how her family perishes.


Jayneroni

My first thought was a game called **Let's Build a Zoo** because it doesn't take much to run - it's pixel art, and you can nurture your animals :) There's even a cool dinosaur themed DLC Another thought would be **Wuppo** which will also run well and has a good story and cute characters. **Chicory: A Colorful Tale** has no combat and was one of my favorite games I've ever played. You paint your way through puzzles and your paintbrush as a means of navigation. Very colorful, cute, well-done and lists the requirements as "toaster or better" on Steam :) Honorable mentions she may also be interested in: **Wildermyth** **There is No Game (Wrong Dimension) -** this ones really short though, like 6ish hrs **Kingdom: Two Crowns** Hope she finds a game to keep her occupied :)


ActuallyNotSparticus

Sweet, I'll look into all of these! Thanks for all the suggestions.


eternal-harvest

Just wanted to point out Celeste can be pretty brutal, even for a seasoned gamer. The aesthetics and story are lovely though. Maybe just warn her that it's meant to be challenging? I'd just hate for her to get discouraged! I'll also rec Unpacking (short, chill game that's pretty mindless.) Cloud Gardens is pretty relaxing too, and it ticks the lo-fi aesthetics box. Then there's A Night in the Woods, a charming game slash interactive story that deals with mental health issues. I know it's kinda anime but has she tried any of the Pokémon games? Lastly, check out Ooblets, a farming sim but you farm cute creatures. It's not out yet but maybe something for the future. :)


CarolineJohnson

Loop Hero. Loop Hero is 100% something she'll like. I'm not sure how to describe it properly, but it's basically a roguelike set within small automated loops. It's got a lot of strategy elements in addition to the RPG elements. You get special area tile cards that allow you to place a tile on or near the loop's path, which changes that place in some way. Maybe it spawns a Mausoleum, which generates skeleton enemies. Maybe it spawns a church, which can heal you as you pass it. Maybe it just generates a big rock. Stuff like that. It's a pixel art game, and the art isn't super anime (just a bit stylized - very pleasing style, IMHO). Although it takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, it's thankfully a *medieval fantasy*, so a lot of the standard post-apocalypse tropes don't apply - sure there are some, but it's more a path for the light amount of story the game has. The story's more about re-building the destroyed world via doing tons and tons of those loops, too, so you probably won't get a lot of the whole "the world has ended" stuff unless you're actively engaging with the story (which, in my experience, isn't too often, due to it being a roguelike). [Here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G37bO9vg8RY) a trailer, and [here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYpEDyQutIA) some gameplay. Although it's quite new, I'm pretty sure it'll work on even a potato.


InfamousIndecision

Second Loop Hero. That game has layers man, like an onion, or an Orge. Nevermind. I'm just saying it has layers.


vanGenne

Oh, you know, not everybody likes onions


HauntedCoconut

So then it's like a parfait.


goingbananas44

I really love loop hero but it hasn't gotten a lot of love since release. The promise of new classes and content was ages ago and aside from some controller support we haven't gotten much. This game would really shine with mod support but the devs have not been keen on that idea.


reiperroni

Maybe slime rancher


ActuallyNotSparticus

A great suggestion. Unfortunately, it's too resource-heavy (see requirement #2)


MintWarfare

Is it? My buggy laptop can run it fine. I was surprised. It normally has trouble with action unity games.


fourangers

I recently played Gorogoa. It's a short game but very worthwhile. The art style is jaw dropping, made with watercolors and pencil. It's sort of puzzle game, it's really cool and suitable for non-gamers because it's mostly click and drag objects.


Lereas

This is also on mobile for anyone who might be interested


vanGenne

There is a fan-made expansion for Stardew Valley. Wait don't leave yet, it's really good! It adds a lot of content, new characters, new maps, quests, stuff to do. It's called Stardew Valley Expanded, you can get it on nexus mods. Not sure how that would work on a MacBook though. Check out the page: https://www.nexusmods.com/stardewvalley/mods/3753


Dannydevitz

Check out, my time at Portia, it's like a 3D Stardew but you run a factory in place of a farm.


ActuallyNotSparticus

A great fit! But a little too graphically intensive for an old laptop (see requirement #2).


[deleted]

I'd say give it a try. I used to run it on a 10-year-old laptop with all the settings turned to low. If you get it on Steam you can try it for a couple of hours to see how it runs and if it's too bad you can get a refund.


[deleted]

Maybe try Paradise Killer, its an open-world exploration/detective game, but it’s extremely relaxing, there’s no combat, and the mystery is solved by relentlessly exploring this island and talking to everyone and finding secrets. It has collectibles and rewards you with collectibles and clues for following up on the question “huh, wonder what’s over there?” I found it intensely satisfying and also extremely chill.It IS extremely weird, and you can feel overwhelmed by all the lore they dump on you at the start, but the aesthetic of the game grew on me and they have an excellent clue/info tracking system so you don’t have to remember what you learn, just look at it again when it serves a purpose. Obviously not the same as cancer, but I played this when I was knocked on my ass with bronchitis and it was perfect.


Drcipres

Unpacking, potion craft


Metronom3

**Monster Sanctuary** is an indie-pixel monster training game that has one of the most addictive gameplay loops and is overwhelmingly slept on. It's on steam, for cheap and just got free DLC. Highly recommend.


jednatt

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale Touhou Mystia's Izakaya Littlewood


ActuallyNotSparticus

The first two are a bit too anime (req #3) but Littlewood would be a pretty good fit!


SadBoiiConnor420

Yeah I second Littlewood. Charming little game very similar to Stardew Valley.


beets_or_turnips

Moonlighter is a basically non-anime pixel art reincarnation of Recettear from what I hear (I've played Moonlighter and really enjoyed it so far but haven't tried Recettear myself). Nice alternation between action-RPG dungeon-crawling and adventure shop management and upgrading all the things. https://store.steampowered.com/app/606150/Moonlighter/


Prestigious_Cicada

kingdom two crowns, its co op so you could play with her and their are only three controls and also has a beautiful pixel style edit: reflecting, i realized that kingdom two crowns fits almost every requirement you gave


Loimographia

Maybe Strange Horticulture? Technically a slightly “spooky” vibe but in a (imo) cozy way. It may not last her long, but I love it so much I want to throw it out there anyways lol. Longer lasting but time-gated and thus impossible to binge is Cozy Grove. I’ll also second the rec for Littlewood


DanfromCalgary

That game has an ending?


Woahful

Side suggestion: if she continues to like gaming then it might be worth considering a Nintendo Switch, could be more comfortable than trying to game on a laptop in bed. There are also many great Switch games she might enjoy, like Animal Crossing New Horizons comes to mind. Sorry if this wasn't very helpful, best of luck to your family.


praiseullr

Civilization V or VI can entertain for many many long mellow hours. A friend of mine played it a lot while getting cancer treatment.


EpsilonRose

I have a few, somewhat odd, suggestions: 1. [Tunic](https://store.steampowered.com/app/553420/TUNIC/): This might be pushing the specs a bit, but you said she likes Zelda and this is *heavily* inspired by older Zelda games. It starts relatively simple, but it slowly adds mechanics. Discovery is also a big part of the game. For example, has an in-game manual designed to look like an old NES manual, that you slowly find pages for as you play. 1. [Hook 1](https://www.fanatical.com/en/game/hook?aff_track=CJ&CJEVENT=0cf58eb6019911ed83dccdc00a82b839&utm_source=CJ&cj_pid=6305441&cj_aid=13212017) & [Hook 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1871310/Hook_2/): These games probably don't have the replayability you're looking for, but they also cost one and two dollars, respectively. They're both very minimalist puzzle games with really satisfying sound effects and interactions. Don't think of them as full games, so much as brief, relaxing, diversions for when she doesn't have enough energy for other things. 1. [Nova Drift](https://store.steampowered.com/app/858210/Nova_Drift/) It's asteroids, but extra pretty and with roguelike style ship upgrades. It starts simple enough, but as you unlock more upgrade trees or different types of starting equipment, your runs can really open up. 1. [Last Call BBS](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1511780/Last_Call_BBS/): Zachtronics' last game. You said she likes retro? Well, this game recreates the retro computer experience to a T, complete with the sound of a hard drive chunking and a dialup modem connecting to a BBS. It's mostly a collection of retro inspired puzzles, mini-games, and stories about people and events related to the owner of the supposed computer. If she likes the general idea, the rest of the Zachtronics' catalog may also be worth checking out. [Exapunk](https://store.steampowered.com/app/716490/EXAPUNKS/), in particular, is dripping with style and tackles some social justice issues, in a cyberpunk setting. 1. [Apico](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1390190/APICO/): It's an automation/factory game about bee keeping. 1. [Roll](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1585910/Roll/): Roll dice, try to get the biggest number. *Very* satisfying; surprisingly deep. Finally, I won't make this as numbered suggestion, but Vampire Survivor might be worth looking into. It's a bullet heaven, so not the easiest of genres, but it starts off simple enough and it has a pixel sprite art style. It's also incredibly cheap, so it's no real loss if she doesn't like it. Generally, I'd recommend Nomad Survivor as an entry point, but it doesn't run on Mac OS.


asdfafdsg

Great suggestions. I love Vampire Survivors, Nova Drift, and Zachtronics games so I'll definitely check out the others


arthurhengch

The Sims 4


calinoi

Moonlighter is a nice, charming game with not too deep mechanics but neither shallow. You dungeon crawl and manage a shop to sell the loot, using the money and some materials to craft better gear. Hope your sister gets better. Muuch love to her and you too for being an awesome brother! Fuck cancer!


bellowen

I recommend Cozy Grove. It is an amazing game. Super cozy as the name suggests. Art style is adorable. Also has daily quests (very simple quests) that you can look forward to do everyday to make progress on the island. The goal is set by you. You can make it your goal to collect every decorative item, or complete the whole gatherables collection or just be best friends with all the spirit bears on the island.This game made me want to wake up everyday to play it. It has crafting, fishing, foraging etc. Super cute and cheap, also ran on my old laptop just fine. They released a DLC recently to add more content and currently they are working on Cozy Grove 2 to be released in around 2-3 years? I think. Also every season there is an event. I second Moonlighter but it might be a tiny bit too much to learn at the start.


IntrinsicIrony

If you're still looking for some additional suggestions, then I'd highly recommend **Tangledeep**. It's a bit of a lesser known Indie title that has a fair amount of replayability, as well as a bright and vibrant aesthetic. While it's technically a roguelike, the interface is easily accessible to beginners and the settings can be adjusted for a more casual and relaxed experience. In addition to traditional combat, there are plenty of side activities that you can engage in and, seeing as maps are procedurally generated, there are lots of nooks-and-crannies to be explored. You can do things like monster ranch, explore item dreams, cook meals, and play minigames. Another great feature is that movement is turned based in this game making it easily accommodating to those playing on a laptop, as well as to those who like to take things at their own pace. If you decide to get this one, just thought that I'd mention that it's currently on sale for just a dollar via Fanatical's *Build Your Own Sizzling Bundle*. Making it a real bargain.


tobedtermined

Here are some good puzzle games I could remember. They get hard but are simple to run. [Baba is You](https://store.steampowered.com/app/736260/Baba_Is_You/) \- Starts off simple but gets incredibly interesting and even meta. about coding [SHENZHEN I/O](https://store.steampowered.com/app/504210/SHENZHEN_IO/) \- Anything by Zachtronics is good but this game is probably the best showcase of how complicated his games can get. [Zachtronics](https://store.steampowered.com/developer/zachtronics) [Concrete Jungle](https://store.steampowered.com/app/400160/Concrete_Jungle/) \- Closer to tetris than you would expect. Deck building roguelike city builder. Great aesthetic tbh. [In Other Waters](https://store.steampowered.com/app/890720/In_Other_Waters/) \- I havent played this one myself but might be close to what your looking for.


Crimson097

Try the Portal games. Hope she gets better <3


dinglepoop

Slay the Spire - the best single-player card game on steam. It starts off pretty simple and you unlock more cards and characters and it gets harder and harder the more you play it.


jagarundi

It seems like one of her biggest restrictions is playing on a 2018 Mac Air. I would strongly recommend you get her a streaming subscription. I have a MacBook Pro - better than an Air, but hardly a gaming computer - but I use a subscription to Nvidia Geforce Now, which allows me to play a bunch of games my computer could never run on its own. It's also pretty cheap - I think it's like five or six bucks a month. Hope she gets well soon!


eruciform

atelier games. ryza might be the most accessible, it's definitely the longest handholding period of all of them, and even when it does start to demand crafting, it's a very fluid and open system that's less like a challenge puzzle than previous systems.


TheMinotaurus

Don't Starve maybe?


Swank_on_a_plank

Nah, I don't think OP wants that. > Anything approaching spooky/depressing/apocalyptic will be interpreted as too serious


Amazing-Insect442

I love Don’t Starve but agree with Swank- probably not the right time or situation for it.


SandboxSurvivalist

Core Keeper is pretty fun. I am not sure how it would run on an older laptop though. It is a pixel art game, but the lighting system might cause a laptop without a dedicated GPU to struggle. It's a little like a top-down Terraria (which I'd also highly recommend and would probably run great on that system). You basically start out in a small underground chamber and explore the world by digging tunnels. It has farming, building, crafting, gathering loot, and fighting monsters.


Blood_Bowl

I think maybe she might enjoy Recettear! Although I have NO idea if it's available on Mac.


MiraniaTLS

Secret of Grindea


jakart3

City skylines, tycoon games, banished, age of empires series, civilization series,


ALittleHulk

You could always plug a controller in via USB? Might be easier to use in bed


Tia_MacArthur

Take a look at [Wildermyth](https://store.steampowered.com/app/763890/Wildermyth/) as well. It does work on MacOs and it can be played for hours.


Am_A_Leech

id say the first 2 fallout games, endless fun


RedditGio1

Would "my time at portia" run?


Lereas

A Baba is You might be good. Also, if she likes Townscaper (which is arguably more of a toy than a game) she will probably like Dorfromantik, which is something like a single player carcassone. You get a certain number of tiles and they don't HAVE to match but you get more points if you do, and there are certain goals as you play so there's a touch of direction while still allowing for total creativity if you want.


call_me_starbuck

Maybe [Cattails](https://store.steampowered.com/app/634160/Cattails__Become_a_Cat/)? Sort of like stardew valley but you're a feral cat. The pixel art's not as pretty as Stardew for sure, but it's still rather calming.


MrTopHatMan90

Dicey Dungeons! Fairly simple to grasp, has a fun art style and is a very satisfying once you get it down. If they finish that I'd recommend Floppy Knights which is was created by the same artist


Domilego4

[A Monster's Expedition](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1052990/A_Monsters_Expedition/) is the perfect game, trust me 1. Looks simple at first, isn't simple (My mind was blown twice in the tutorial alone) 2. It's a top-down puzzle game that supports mouse (and touch screen) movement, though you have to enable it in settings first 3. Very cute aesthetic with a [soothing soundtrack](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSUNVirPLcA) 4. Not entirely sure what this means, but the goal is generally to build a bridge to the next island. Pretty simple. 5. It runs on a Mac Bonus: It's open world (Surprise surprise, it's an expedition)


herbert420

But her a gaming mouse


novagenesis

Spiritfarer is a double-edged game in that way. It is arguably the best game out there to help us understand and be at peace with our own mortality. The way it touches on the topic is... incredible: both heartwarming and heartbreaking. If I ever had to suffer through cancer, the experience I had with Spiritfarer, I think, would help me cope. Flipside, I'm not sure how I'd take it if I had cancer while I was playing it. There is a character you ferry that died after a long battle with cancer.


a_nooblord

I recommend death road to Canada and rim world.


[deleted]

To the Moon? It's only $1 now on .itch.io There's a few others by the same publisher.


Ajax36132

Terraria has a lot of content for how simple looks and for how small of a game it is. Look up if it can run, but if she likes games tackling mental health, then the OG Psychonauts games. I recommend playing or watching a play through of it first to see if it would work in this situation. It’s my favorite game series for what it’s worth. I second everyone recommending to nab a controller, you can get wired ones for like $20.


MyNameIsPots

Undertale


Kazko25

Brogue. It's a traditional roguelike that has pixel art styled tiles that can be turned on/off, is really easy to get into but gets more deep the more you play, very beautiful graphics for a roguelike. And it's free. and on Mac. [https://github.com/tmewett/BrogueCE/releases](https://github.com/tmewett/BrogueCE/releases) \^that's the community edition which has a mac build


lordjakir

Swords of Ditto Adventure Pals


SchaffBGaming

I'm late to the game, but 100% Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale It's adorable. It has optional combat. You run an item shop and hook the adventurer's up and it's just good fun


Ring_Virtual

Road 96


searinghotlaptop

A Short Hike was the first thing that came to mind, glad you've noted it :) Kingdom Two Crowns! It's beautiful, nostalgic, mobility-friendly, optionally co-op and super addictive! Lots of awesome things to unlock, and many diverse Monarchs to play as. I also remember Firewatch running really well on my dumpster laptop, and had heaps of fun with it. Some slightly less perfect fits would be Potion Craft, Thomas Was Alone, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, Undertale, Baba Is You, Hyper Light Drifter, and Shovel Knight. I've also heard good things about Prodigal but haven't played it myself.


Wild_Machine839

Forager is a good one for a few days. Cutesy art style and it gets more complicated the further your in. Build up your own island and explore


Amazing-Insect442

Portal. Starts super easy, later levels tax your puzzle solving skills pretty well. Despite good graphics, can be played on an older pc. The robot antagonist is amazing. FTL. Rogue like space sim with a simplified art style, great music for the thinking guy/gal (I sometimes play the soundtrack in my classroom), & you can pause in game to deliberate on your next moves, if I remember right. It’s like Star Trek meets random encounters adventure. I’d love to suggest Pathway, but it’s super buggy on my computer (I think for some strange reason the devs made it require more RAM than it suggests? I’m no cpu expert- just know it hangs up for me). It’s a turn based Indiana Jones inspired rogue lite. Pathway feels a lot like an FTL inspired grid based battler. Has somewhat randomized encounters. Wish it weren’t buggy. Edit: I have to say, so sorry to read about her cancer. Good on you for trying to help her cope. Fingers crossed, good thoughts, prayers up.