Can you make me a personalized video game recommendations list?

An answer to an endearingly long-winded reader question

A white hand holds a fountain pen to a bullet journal page, which has several items on a list. three of the items are checked off, four are not.
Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki / Unsplash
Hi mom,

Can you recommend a few things that are relatively cheap, don’t require strategy, hand-eye coordination or using both hands at once? And also can be played properly using the touch screen?

I’m primarily a button masher, even if something is turn-based.

Also, I’d like some actual games that aren’t Candy Crush-level casual or have pay-to-win transactions.

Other than that, mostly any genre? (I don’t actually know video game genres.). Oh, not platformers, I suck at platformers. Even Mario.

I’ve enjoyed Stardew, AC:NH, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, it took me 10 hours to get off the plateau in BOTW because I was exploring every nook and cranny. (I also really sucked at all the previous Zeldas. Puzzles are also not really my strong suit.) Though I actually really enjoyed Baba is You until I reached a level I got stuck at.

Visual novels are cool, I liked Steins;Gate and Hakuoki. Also, liked Persona 4: Golden on the lowest difficulty.

Yesterday, I downloaded a turn-based rpg, Knights of Pen and Paper 3 and ignored all the microtransactions. First it drained my phone’s battery, then it made my phone overheat when I tried to charge it with a portable charger and continue playing the game at the same time.

Also, Knights is more of a meta joke than an actual story, so I think a jrpg would probably be a better fit for me.

I’m resigned to accepting the battery issues with intensive games. It’s what happens when I’m broke and would prefer not to buy a new phone.

I’d ask for recommendations for my switch, but you already gave some in your cozy games round up so I don’t need anymore.

I wish I knew how to be concise. This email is really long. Oh well. I hope you choose to answer it and I hope it isn’t too difficult to find something I won’t suck at.

Sincerely,
I Really Suck at Games but Please Don’t Call Me a Filthy Casual

P.S. I’m not against a bonus switch recommendation, if you’re willing. Just saying.

Hi sweetie,

I hope you never learn how to be concise, because your long-winded, extremely specific request is one of the more endearing letters we've gotten for Dear Mother. You know exactly what you like and how you feel about games you've played. And in part, I wanted to share your letter because it is a decent recommendations list in itself.

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