If you were unable to catch this week’s Nintendo IndieWorld showcase, then you missed a surprisingly loaded show. Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got a May release date, WayForward showed off its Yars’ Revenge revival, and Steamworld Heist 2 got an exciting reveal. In the midst of all those headlines, two smaller games were surprise released on the platform: Stitch and Sticky Business. Don’t sleep on either of them, as they’re both worth a purchase.
Both games are ports of previously released games, but both went a bit under the radar upon their original launch. Sticky Business modestly launched last summer on PC, whereas Stitch has actually been around since 2022 as an Apple Arcade exclusive. The latter even has an Apple Vision Pro version now that can be played in mixed reality. I can’t blame anyone for missing either, but their Switch releases offer a good opportunity to catch up with some quiet hidden gems.
First, there’s Sticky Business, which you can currently get on the eShop for $9 (it’ll cost $10 after its introductory sale ends in a few weeks). Developed by Spellgarden Games, Sticky Business is a gentle management game about running a sticker business. Players create their own stickers and pack as many of them as they can onto a sheet to maximize efficiency. Every day, orders come in from customers who want specific stickers. It’s the player’s job to print them all, pack them, and pick out some nice packaging to go make the order look pretty. It’s an incredibly relaxing, low-stakes gameplay loop that can make hours melt away.
While there’s not a lot of depth beyond that loop, there’s a simple joy to be found in making stickers. When I played it on Steam Deck in December, I made some delightful stickers by combing through its wealth of preset images. Highlights included a donut wrapped up with Christmas lights, a rabbit tooting a trumpet, and a black crow with the word “metal” across it. I desperately want to print real versions of some of those.
The highlight among the Switch’s new releases, though, is Stitch (stylized as stitch.). The Apple Arcade puzzler is an ingenious embroidery game that has players solving picross-like puzzles to create hoops. Each hoop presents players with a grid that’s dotted with number clues that indicate where stitches should go. Each colored number denotes how many connected boxes should be filled in with that color of thread. It’s an easy to learn puzzle format that’s remarkably satisfying as a blank canvas turns into a full picture.
What’s great about Stitch is how many puzzles developer Lykke Studios packs in. There are tons of hoops available in different categories, and those range from simple puzzles that can be completed in a few minutes to more complex ones. Stitch even has its own version of Mega Picross where players solve one big image across a series of smaller hoops. Considering that Lykke Studios has already been supporting Stitch with new updates for over a year, the Switch version is a perfect time to jump in. It’s $15 well-spent (though you can play it right now at no extra charge if you’re an Apple Arcade subscriber).
If you’re looking for a good chill out game on Switch, either is a great option — or you can buy both for under $25. After the last few months of long RPGs and live service flops, I think we all deserve a little relaxing treat.
