Viva Pinata is in These Lists
In addition to the similar games listed above, which have been linked to this game specifically in the database, you may find games with a similar theme to Viva Pinata in the following lists:
Whether it’s a simple puzzle grid, a battlefield or a universe of planets to visit, all games create virtual spaces in which to play. Some of these are simply the background to a campaign - the game’s unfolding drama, missions or challenge. But others invite you to invest in the worlds they create, move in, tend to and inhabit in fantastical ways.
The games in this section invite you to spend time in spaces that have a sense of place, life and character. Worlds that hold history and lore in their landscapes, flora, fauna and inhabitants; environments that respond to your presence and invite you to restore them to their former glory.
Things don’t stay put. You’re the only one keeping the ship afloat. You can’t get people to do what you tell them. The effort you spend doesn’t produce the results it deserves. Well, in these video games you get to wield complete control over people, things, situations or even whole worlds.
If games offer an escape from chaos, these games are particularly good at granting a sense of satisfying agency and power as they do that. Whether it’s ordering the perfect stock room in
Wilmot’s Warehouse, organising your island in
Animal Crossing, perfectly controlling the flow of traffic in
Mini Motorways or even build civilisation just the way you want it in
Civilization the sense of satisfaction and calm from the achievement is second to none.
Many games let you create your own items, object or levels. But some are specifically designed for you to do this in order to attract characters and visitors to your creation in the game.
Whether it's the perfect garden in
Viva Pinata, the ideal visitor island in
Animal Crossing or the most thrilling ride in
Planet Coaster, these games are fun because they combine creativity and management.
Then there are games where your attractions are more understated. The ideal home and live to keep your
Sims happy. Or maybe create something that doesn't impact the environment negatively like in
Eco.
Whatever you create, as well as attract characters in the game, the creations you make are ideal to share with other people (parents and carers maybe) to show them what you've been doing.
Video games are, of course, inside experiences. However, they offer experiences that can connect players to a love of gardening and the outside. The games in this list have garden of an aspect of their story, game play and interactions.
In some of the games, you use gardening and farming as a central elements, while other games offer gardening as something optional. Either way, these interactions introduce players to concepts of the seasons, crop rotation, soil, fertiliser and the impact on the environment.
If you want to have more time to talk about gardening with a child, or want to introduce them to the idea that they could create their own garden (or crop) then these games are a great way to extend those ideas into reality.
Autism affects the way people communicate and experience the world around them. It is a spectrum of developmental conditions, including Asperger’s Syndrome. Many autistic people play games to have fun, relax, connect with others and build skills. This is a list of games we have put together with some of Autistica’s
Autistica Play Ambassadors, to highlight games that have been enjoyed by autistic people.
Autistica is the UK’s national autism research charity. It focuses on giving autistic people the opportunity to live long, happy, healthy lives. It does this by funding research, shaping policy and working with autistic people to understand their needs.
Cognitive Pressure: Some autistic people may take time to process information and could feel pressured by time limits. Games like
A Short Hike or
Roki let you progress at your own speed, without being on the clock. Other games, like
Townscaper or
Stardew Valley, help here by not making game tasks time-limited or requiring quick reactions. Then there are games, including
Rocket League,
Celeste and
Eagle Island, that let you adjust the overall speed of play.
Difficulty Settings: Autistic people may prefer to tailor their experience based on how they are feeling. Some days they may want more of a challenge than others. Adjust how hard the game is. Some games like
Subnautica or
Bad North let you set the overall difficulty. Others, like
Mario Kart or
The Last of Us Part II let you adjust specific aspects of difficulty. Then there are games like
Marvel’s Spider-Man or
Immortals Fenyx Rising, that allow you to adjust the difficulty as you play.
Sense of Control: The real world can be an overwhelming place with constant change and unpredictable situations. Games like
Viva Pinata,
Civilization or
The Sims let you play in a world where you control the variables. Other games, like
Mini Metro,
Traffix or
Mini Motorways offer a chance to work with systems and see how changes impact outcomes. Then there are games that magnify this, like
Factorio or
Planet Coaster, by letting you create interconnect systems and tweak for the desired result.
As Autistica helpfully highlights, every autistic person is different. While many autistic people are able to learn, live and work independently, some have learning differences or co-occurring health conditions that require specialist support. Finding a game that can be a positive experience can therefore take some time and investigation.
It’s easy to assume that video games are all about building big cities or running successful economies. There are, however, many games that offer quite the reverse. These games encourage players to consider the impact of their actions on the environment, as well as their interconnectedness to the world in which they live.
The games in this list take inspiration from Alenda Chang’s
Playing Nature book. They offer a chance to consider play from an ecological perspective. As she quotes, “games of environmental responsibility animate our capacity to respond, to affect and be affected, to engage with others: other species, other people, and the otherness of our own planet.”
This might be how a game like
Terra Nil makes the land itself a character in the experience. Or it can be how a game like
Eco establishes the connection between your actions and the other aspects of the environment. Other games, like
The Wandering Village underline how our location in the world impacts on us and others. One family told us about Final Fantasy 7 Remake's commentary on corporations and ecology. Then there are games of dire warning that let us step into a future where humanity is all but disconnected from the wider environment and hangs on just by a thread.
Other games let us experience our connection to the environment by adventuring in it. From getting lost in Shadow of the Colossus to finding our way in Journey, games underline the importance of the spaces in which we play. Experiences like Cloud Gardens or Viva Pinata extend this by using play to put us in charge of tending to the natural world. Games like Eastshade or The Long Dark invite us to linger in these places and gain an understanding that is crucial to our survival.
There are 2,277 active games companies in the UK employing 20,430 people. The biggest concentration spread through the country in cities and towns like London, Manchester, Brighton, Guildford, Aldershot, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and Liverpool. The UK market for video games reached a record £7bn in 2020.
Many of the biggest video game franchises have been created in the UK.
Grand Theft Auto,
Tomb Raider,
Football Manager,
Elite Beat Agents,
Fable and
Batman: Arkham Asylum. But along with these well-known titles are some amazing games for families and children.
There are some amazing (and huge) series of games made in the UK that are perfect for families.
Forza Horizon,
Lego Games,
Fall Guys,
LittleBigPlanet and
Viva Pinata. Then there are games from smaller and independent UK game studios:
Overcooked,
Wilmot’s Warehouse,
TerraTech,
Phogs,
Snake Pass and
Chime to name a few.
