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When Animal Crossing: New Horizons had its debut on Nintendo Switch back in 2020, players around the world were obsessed with this cozy, island-living paradise that added a sense of calm to many during uncertain times. Now, new installments have joined the cozy game roster, including the latest addition, Disney Dreamlight Valley.
Buy Disney Dreamlight Valley $29.99
Disney Dreamlight Valley: Overview
A cross between a life simulation and adventure game, Disney Dreamlight Valley makes you the hero and has you completing quests, collecting materials, and saving your favorite Disney characters from something called the ‘forgetting.’ Once filled with magical creatures including Minnie Mouse, Elsa and Moana, the valley is now nearly empty and overtaken by grotesque-looking dark thorns (night thorns). Your job is to rid the town of night thorns, turn dark to light, and in turn, bring back all the Disney characters who’ve so mysteriously disappeared.
While you’re running around completing quests, you can also gather ingredients to cook new meals, build furniture to decorate your home, and search for forgotten memories.
The game works in real-time, so make sure to check in with your Disney friends daily to boost your friendship levels — very similar to Animal Crossing: New Horizons where you’d check in with your villagers daily.
Disney Dreamlight Valley: Supported Consoles
Right now, you can play Disney Dreamlight Valley on your Nintendo Switch, Xbox console, PlayStation console and even on your laptop. While most players prefer playing this game on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox players can get it for free if they’ve got Game Pass — the service costs $14.99/month and gives you access to hundreds of games, including numerous new games each month.
You’ll have the base game through Xbox Game Pass, but if you want the Deluxe Edition or Ultimate Edition, you’re better off purchasing the game separately. Our only advice when you play this game? Don’t rush it. Play it at your own pace and treat it as the relaxing game it is — you don’t need to finish multiple quests every day.
Buy Disney Dreamlight Valley Deluxe Edition $49.99
Disney Dreamlight Valley: Gameplay
I prefer playing the game in the evenings after a long day of work and just spending a few hours mining minerals or exploring far-off lands — it’s incredibly relaxing and gives me a sense of calm before I close out my day.
The best part about this multi-platform video game is the ample choice for in-game experience you have. You can spend time developing friendships with Disney characters or completing quests. You can also take a day just to build furniture to decorate the town. Sometimes I’ll log in for just 30 minutes to harvest any crop I’ve planted and quickly check in with any characters I’m trying to build a higher friendship level with — the highest level is 10.
You can also use the tools you collect to dig, fish or mine, and sell these items once you’ve collected enough money to build Goofy’s shop. The money can then be used to purchase new outfits, or expand your home — or even expand businesses in town.
If you’re interested in unlocking new areas as the game progresses, you’ll need to gather ‘dreamlight.’ You can earn dreamlight by completing easy milestones, like harvesting fruit or planting crop. From there, the world really is your oyster — explore and meet all the Disney characters you want.
Of course, each new Disney character comes with its own set of quests which can sometimes be entertaining or incredibly boring. The quests vary, either requiring you to collect ingredients or money, or packing an adventure — like finding a hidden map or distracting a troll (yes, really).
One thing to know though is that since the game functions in real-time, your Disney characters do have a bedtime. This means if you log into the game after 10 p.m. your favorite animated friends may well be asleep — this means no completing friendship quests or getting to interact with them. There will be some characters awake at all times though — Merlin hardly sleeps — just in case you can’t log in till late at night.
Our Verdict: A Cozy, Relaxing Game You’ll Love
All in all, if you like cozy, adventure games that don’t require too much brain power, Disney Dreamlight Valley is it. You’ll spend upwards of 30 hours in a relaxed, beautifully-developed world, where each character interaction is incredibly well thought out, making this game a true treat for any Disney fan out there.
Buy Disney Dreamlight Valley on your chosen console now and experience the game now.
