Harvest Hollow Farm

Harvest Hollow Farm is the comfort food of this list. You plant, tend animals, and slowly fix up a run-down homestead. Crops grow even while the app is closed, so you can check in when it suits you rather than when a timer demands it.

Everything is tap-driven, with a tidy inventory and easy drag-to-plant. The tutorial is short and it lets you get on with things. There's a satisfying rhythm to a morning of watering and selling.

It runs light and cool, and even without touching the settings my phone barely warmed up over a long session. If you want something calming to return to, this fits well.

What we liked

• Offline crop growth, no timers
• Simple, tidy touch controls
• Runs cool over long sessions