By Quill Nishi-Leonard ’27
Editor-in-Chief
2026 started out with a bang, featuring a comically long winter that rocked the northeastern U.S. With temperatures starting to rise, the age-old question rises with them: “What video games should I play to take my mind off my rapidly approaching finals?”
Well, without further adieu, here are some games for Mount Holyoke students to destress with, featuring summer vibes, perfect for mid-April!
For those in need of a healthy dose of nostalgia:
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Play as Swann Holloway, an awkward-teenage-lesbian-turned-awkward-adult-lesbian, as she reunites with her high school friends to piece together their scattered memories of their last — and tragically, their only — summer together. With gameplay and mechanics styled after Life is Strange, the studio’s previous hit game, DontNod’s Bloom & Rage switches between the past and the present intermittently, with decisions made in one temporality frequently influencing the other.
The story is heartwrenching, joyful, and everything in between; my only major critique is that the second act definitely could have been longer. Pacing issues aside, it’s brilliantly written and wonderfully choreographed.
Come to terms with the past in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage on Playstation, Xbox, and Windows.
For those battling Pokopia-related FOMO:
Ooblets
Ooblets is a fantastical jaunt into a lovely world occupied by humans — as per usual — and Ooblets. What exactly is an Ooblet you ask? According to the game’s website, “a creature that grows out of the ground and has a face.” Players can grow and care for Ooblets, engage in marvelous dance battles, customize their own character and their home, and go on quests around town.
The graphics are cute and the game runs quite smoothly, making for an enjoyable experience on just about every front. Overall, Ooblets is one-part farming sim, one-part card strategy game, one-part virtual pet game, and all-parts adorable.
Befriend Ooblets on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and Windows.
For those looking to live out their middle school pirate obsession:
Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
While Pillars of Eternity II is technically the second entry in the series, no knowledge of the first is required to play or enjoy it. Embark on an epic journey through the Deadfire Archipelago. Ally yourself, or don’t, with several major factions — you don’t actually have to be a pirate if you don’t want to — and make decisions that will influence the entire fantasy world of Eora for years to come.
I especially recommend this one for those who enjoyed any of the Dragon Age or Baldur’s Gate games. The gameplay is relatively similar, but the ideas explored and the setting are markedly different and, often, very refreshing. I never quite knew what would happen next.
Hunt a god in Pillars of Eternity II on Xbox, Playstation, Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Maeve McCorry ’28 contributed fact-checking.