Nintendo’s ‘Hits for the Holidays’ eShop sale is on! There are a wide range of games included, so grab yourself a bargain.
17 Favourites for Under $5 in ‘Hits for the Holidays’ eShop Sale
With hundreds of games on sale, it can be a difficult to know where to start looking! Here are some of our favourite games for less than $5. Check the sale end date, as some of the offers in Europe end soon!
A Juggler’s Tale
Lead Abby, the string puppet, through a grim fairy tale world while you solve riddles, evade traps, and shake off pursuers.
Paula didn’t get tangled when she played A Juggler’s Tale:
A Juggler’s Tale certainly ticks all my boxes as a gamer. A good story, wonderful artwork, sound effects and music. The story of a young girl taking her destiny into her own hands in a bid for freedom, it is full of empowerment and hope. It’s also about persevering and continually trying to move forward with her dreams when all else fails.
I wholeheartedly recommend you play A Juggler’s Tale, and let it give your heartstrings a pull.
88-90% discount: US $2.15 (reg $17.99) | UK £1.29 (reg £12.99) | EU € 1,49 (reg € 14,99)
End date: US Jan 8th, 2025 | UK/EU Dec 31st, 2024
Cattails: Wildwood Story
Lead your colony into the mysterious Wildwood. Hunt prey, harvest herbs, collect magical treasures, & defend your new home from intruders. Build a thriving town to recruit new cats. Get to know the residents, fall in love, & raise a litter of kittens!
Valerie purr-raised Cattails: Wildwood Story:
Cattails: Wildwood Story is one of the greatest community sims I’ve ever seen. If you come at it hoping for farming, you won’t find much there but a small plot of land for reproducing plants you find in the wild. Other than that expectation, I can’t think of a reason to be disappointed with this experience. There’s so much to do, various difficulty settings, huge collections to complete, and several strategies for advancing. Cattails: Wildwood Story has been crafted with lots of care. Fight and forage your way to a purr-fect village!
90% discount: US $1.99 (reg $19.99) | UK £1.69 (reg £16.99) | EU € 1,89 (reg € 18,99)
End date: US Jan 5th, 2025 | UK/EU Jan 1st, 2025
Crime O’Clock
Travel through time and investigate relentlessly!Crime O’Clock is an explorative puzzle point-and-click game with evolving maps. Solve 40+ black and white cases!
Paula donned her deerstalker and magnifying glass, concluding:
Crime O’Clock is a well-put-together game that held my attention right until the last clue was found and the case solved. I liked having Eve’s help, and I loved the humour. Additionally, being a detective is incredibly satisfying when you solve a case, and all clues and the ticks fall into place to reveal the culprit. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being a detective, and for players who like using their deduction skills, Crime O’Clock has crimes aplenty to solve.
80% discount: US $3.99 (reg $19.99) | UK £3.59 (reg £17.99) | EU € 3,99 (reg € 19,99)
End date: US Jan 5th, 2025 | UK/EU Dec 29th, 2024
Crown Trick
Enter a labyrinth that moves as you move, where mastering the elements is key to defeating enemies and uncovering mysteries.
Paula described Crown Trick as a “wonderful game, with its turn-based combat, where each move is full of possibilities and each battle is a challenge.”
75% discount: US $4.99 (reg $19.99) | UK £3.99 (reg £15.99) | EU € 4,99 (reg € 19,99)
End date: US Jan 7th, 2025 | UK/EU Jan 4th, 2025
LEGO: Builder’s Journey
LEGO Builder’s Journey is an atmospheric, geometric puzzle game that asks us to sometimes follow the instructions… and sometimes to break the rules.
LEGO Builder’s Journey built its way into Paula’s Best Games of 2021:
LEGO Builder’s Journey is a well thought out puzzle game, with a wonderful art style. It is an absolute delight to play. It is aimed at all fans of LEGO but it has a really grown up puzzle feel to it too. I hope we see more of this style of game from the LEGO brand in future. Also with the LEGO in the game and not all over the floor (no, I didn’t do that as a child) you can’t step on those Lego pieces and leave a brick imprint on your foot.
75% discount: US $4.99 (reg $19.99) | UK £4.49 (reg £17.99) | EU € 4,99 (reg € 19,99)
End date: US Jan 5th, 2025 | UK/EU Jan 12th, 2025
Lost Words: Beyond the Page
Lost Words is an atmospheric narrative adventure that takes place in the personal diary entries belonging to a young girl named Izzy that will unfold as you explore a fantasy land where words hold immense power.
Lost Words: Beyond the Page booked itself into Paula’s Best Games of 2021:
Lost Words: Beyond the Page wouldn’t be a game for all gamers as it doesn’t pose any challenges in terms of gameplay. This is a game you would play to enjoy its story and absorb it. It would also be suitable for a parent to play with their children who are around the same age or slightly younger than Izzy herself.
Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a sweet and heartwarming story. As you journey with Izzy and Grace, it is full of rich emotions which will leave you thinking about the game long after you have finished it.
86-90% discount: US $1.99 (reg $14.99) | UK £1.19 (reg £11.99) | EU € 1,49 (reg € 14,99)
End date: US Jan 5th, 2025 | UK/EU Dec 29th, 2024
Minami Lane
Minami Lane is a small, wholesome management game set on a Japanese-inspired street. Create and manage your own street, make sure everyone is happy, and watch the villagers live their lives! Enjoy 2 to 4 hours of playtime, cute tanukis and lots of cats!
Kalina reviewed Minami Lane on Steam:
Minami Lane is easily one of the cutest and most “coziest” games I’ve ever played. From the moment I started it, I was immediately reminded of another cozy favourite of mine – Capybara Spa, but to be honest, Minami Lane is easily the better game. It perfectly balances challenge and cuteness with enough quirkiness and cats to satisfy any cozy games fan. My only gripe is that someone should’ve warned me to get a bubble tea to have on hand while playing Minami Lane.
15% discount: US $4.24 (reg $4.99) | UK £3.81 (reg £4.49) | EU € 4,24 (reg € 4,99)
End date: US/UK/EU Jan 5th, 2025
My Time at Portia
Restore your Pa’s neglected workshop to its former glory by fulfilling commissions, growing crops, raising animals, and befriending the quirky inhabitants of this charming post-apocalyptic land!
My Time at Portia has a special place in Yvonne’s gaming life – this was the first ever game she backed on Kickstarter and she wrote in her review that if she was ever stuck on a deserted island, she’d want My Time at Portia with her!
If you decide to get My Time at Portia, check out our beginner’s guide.
85% discount: US $4.49 (reg $29.99) | UK £3.74 (reg £24.99) | EU € 4,49 (reg € 29,99)
End date: US Jan 5th, 2025 | UK/EU Dec 29th, 2024
Nuclear Blaze
Nuclear Blaze is a dynamic 2D Action game in which the player plays as a firefighter air-dropped in the middle of a mysterious burning facility.
James jumped into action for LadiesGamers:
I really liked Nuclear Blaze. On its surface, it seems like a pretty standard platformer. But this is a game that doesn’t waste the player’s time. There was never a moment where I felt bored or felt the mechanics had outstayed their welcome. The game’s pace feels spot-on, keeping levels tight to the point and adding new abilities at the right spot. Even the difficulty is just the right challenge to keep you hooked without becoming overly frustrating. This was a game I didn’t want to put down. It set my heart ablaze, and I could not recommend it enough for all audiences
50% discount: US $4.99 (reg $9.99) | UK £4.49 (reg £8.99) | EU € 4,99 (reg € 9,99)
End date: US Jan 10th, 2025 | UK/EU Jan 11th, 2025
Paper Trail
Paper Trail is a top-down puzzle adventure about leaving home, set in a foldable, paper world. You play as Paige, a budding academic, leaving home for the first time to pursue her studies. On the journey, you learn to fold the world, merging two sides to solve puzzles, explore new areas and uncover long-lost secrets.
No tears for Anni when she reviewed Paper Trail:
Paper Trail is an absolutely enchanting game that is bursting at the seams with charm and whimsy. While the concept may not be entirely new, the gameplay and delightful characters truly steal the show in Paper Trail. The innovative use of origami to manipulate the environment and unlock hidden pathways is simply genius.
75% discount: US $4.99 (reg $19.99) | UK £4.18 (reg £16.75) | EU € 4,87 (reg € 19,50)
End date: US Jan 5th, 2025 | UK/EU Dec 29th, 2024
Railways – Train Simulator
Mind the gap and start managing your railways through this strategic journey! All aboard! This train is ready to depart!
Paula described Railways – Train Simulator as a “brilliant pick-up and play puzzle game.”
60% discount: US $1.99 (reg $4.99) | UK £1.99 (reg £4.99) | EU € 1,99 (reg € 4,99)
End date: US/UK/EU Jan 9th, 2025
Road 96
Hitchhike your way to freedom in this crazy procedurally generated road trip made by renowned indie creators. No one’s road is the same!
Road 96 drove its way into James’ runner-up place for Best Roguelite in 2021:
Road ’96 is a glorious achievement in game creation. Once I got to know the characters and played two runs of this game I was hooked until the end. It’s a game that I thought about when I wasn’t playing it and it didn’t take me long at all to pick up the soundtrack on Steam, which was playing in the background of the creation of this review.
A rogue-lite game with an emphasis on story choices and narrative feels like something that shouldn’t work but it does. Road ’96 is truly something very special and gets my highest recommendation. This is one road trip not to be forgotten.
If you’re curious, why don’t you check out the demo?
85% discount: US $2.99 (reg $19.96) | UK £2.54 (reg £16.96) | EU € 2,99 (reg € 19,96)
End date: US Jan 5th, 2025 | UK/EU Dec 29th, 2024
Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town
Your farming life begins in Mineral Town, a charming village surrounded by nature. You’ve returned after many years to restore your late grandfather’s farm to its former glory. Care for crops, livestock, and more as your very own story of seasons unfolds.
Yvonne grabbed her hoe and spade for this Story of Seasons adventure:
I am enjoying my time in Friends of Mineral Town. The game is charming, the characters feel real and who can resist those round cute chickens and cows? No doubt this game will bring many happy memories to gamers who started their gaming life playing this game on their GBA. If, like me, you have never played it before, you can expect a good farming sim on the Switch.
It doesn’t have the building aspect of earlier Story of Seasons games and if you are a Stardew Valley fan, you may find it too lighthearted.
But Friends of Mineral Town is a good Story of Seasons entry with heaps of nostalgia to boot.
If you need some help with your farm, check out our guides.
88% discount: US not on sale | UK £4.19 (reg £34.99) | EU € 4,79 (reg € 39,99)
End date: UK/EU Jan 15th, 2025
The Past Within
The Past Within is the new co-op experience from Rusty Lake! Play together with someone you deem trustworthy: one in The Past, the other in The Future. The past and future cannot be explored alone! Team up with a friend and piece together the mysteries surrounding Albert Vanderboom. Communicate what you see around you to help one another solve various puzzles and explore the world from different perspectives!
The Past Within won James’ Best Co-op Game of 2023:
The Past Within was a lovely surprise. I’m not the biggest fan of point-and-click games these days, but by adding a co-op spin and playing with two great fellow gamers, I found myself hooked on the experience. This is exactly what I love about indie developers. While they certainly lack the budget, it’s here where we see innovation in gaming. The Past Within is well worth purchasing, even if you must buy an extra copy for a friend to experience. While the experience is short, it will likely stay in your gaming memories for many years to come.
40% discount: US $3.59 (reg $5.99) | UK £3.59 (reg £5.99) | EU € 3,59 (reg € 5,99)
End date: US/UK/EU Jan 7th, 2025
Townscaper
Build quaint island towns with curvy streets. Build small hamlets, soaring cathedrals, canal networks, or sky cities on stilts. Block by block.
Paula built big in Townscaper:
Townscaper is the grown-up equivalent of the latest children’s toy that all the kids are all playing with a Fidget Spinner. It is calming, relaxing, refreshing, and gives you creative control over the world you choose to make or just mess around with. I don’t have any niggles with the game, other than I think the addition of having little people appear on the paths that are created would be wonderful. I realise Townscaper will not be a game all gamers will like, but if you are curious you should at least give it a try.
50% discount: US $2.99 (reg $5.99) | UK £2.69 (reg £5.39) | EU € 2,99 (reg € 5,99)
End date: US/UK/EU Jan 5th, 2025
Wall World
Explore the Wall World on your giant robospider: mine for valuable resources, upgrade your equipment to fight off hordes of monsters and discover exotic biomes.
Wall World scaled the heights when it won James’ Best Roguelite of 2023:
Not only does this feel like something different, but so many aspects of the game’s design and presentation just clicked. I loved the pixel art and mysterious lore surrounding the game. The mix of chilled mining with tense enemy encounters always made each run quite the thrill. To top it all off, you are riding around in a mechanical spider. Possibly the only reason to avoid it is if you are utterly sick of this genre. Otherwise, this is a wall well worth scaling.
50% discount: US $4.99 (reg $9.99) | UK £4.49 (reg £8.99) | EU € 4,99 (reg € 9,99)
End date: US/UK/EU Jan 9th, 2025
Wavetale
Surf the waters of a submerged city! Fight gigantic sea monsters, save your neighbors and uncover the secrets hidden under the surface.
Yair dived into Wavetale:
Wavetale is a relaxing adventure game that will give pleasurable enjoyment to those who want to explore together with an emotional and hooking story. It is not a demanding game, in a good way. It is a short game that takes around 5 hours to complete, yet it can be more depending on how each player wanders across these oceans. This is what you are looking for, especially for players who don’t feel they have much time to invest in playing or learning complex controls. It is relaxing, enjoyable, short, and fun, so check it out!
90% discount: US $2.99 (reg $29.99) | UK £2.49 (reg £24.99) | EU € 2,99 (reg € 29,99)
End date: US Jan 5th, 2025 | UK/EU Dec 29th, 2024
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