No-screen-glow evenings: low-brightness play and handheld tips

Playing in a dim room is a small pleasure, but a bright screen in the dark can feel harsh. This playlist pairs games with soft, unhurried visuals with the settings that make your device gentler in the evening. Check each game's store page for the platforms it is available on.

Turning the brightness down

• Nintendo Switch: press and hold the HOME Button for at least a second to open Quick Settings and slide the brightness bar, or go to System Settings > Screen Brightness. Nintendo notes brightness can only be adjusted in handheld or tabletop mode; in the dock, use your TV's settings.
• Nintendo Switch theme: System Settings > Theme lets you choose Basic Black instead of Basic White for the HOME Menu.
• iPhone and iPad: Night Shift, under Settings > Display & Brightness, shifts colours to the warmer end of the spectrum and can run from sunset to sunrise or on a custom schedule.
• Android: Digital Wellbeing's Bedtime mode can switch the screen to greyscale or a dark theme at a time you choose.
• Windows PCs: Night light, under Settings > System > Display, warms the colours and can run on a sunset-to-sunrise or custom schedule.

Why these games suit a dim room

In our editorial view, the games here share soft palettes, small scenes and slow movement, so they stay comfortable at lower brightness. A Short Hike invites you to explore a park at your own pace. Dorfromantik and Townscaper are about placing pieces and watching a landscape or town grow. Unpacking is played one room at a time, with no timed input. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure lists colour alternatives and camera comfort options on Steam, which can help if you find some visuals tiring. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is about tending an island where, Nintendo says, life goes on even when you are away, so there is never a need to rush.

Comfort settings are not a sleep fix

Warmer colours and lower brightness make a screen more comfortable to look at. They don't replace the NHS's advice: NHS Every Mind Matters suggests trying not to use phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed, because screen light can make it harder to fall asleep. Handheld consoles count too.

So the ideal no-screen-glow evening is an early one: play in soft light after dinner, then put the device away and give yourself a screen-free hour before bed. Our guide to games and sleep covers the NHS guidance in more detail, and our wind-down routine guide shows how to make stopping easy.

Brightness for the people around you

Low-brightness play is also kinder to anyone else in the room, whether a partner reading beside you or a child settling down nearby. Using the handheld rather than the TV, with brightness down and sound low or on headphones, keeps the room calm for everyone.

A dim-room checklist

1. Lamp on, main light off, so the screen isn't the only light in the room.
2. Brightness down and warmer colours on.
3. Notifications off.
4. A timer set for when you'll stop.
5. Device charged outside the bedroom afterwards.

Settings are taken from Nintendo, Apple, Google and Microsoft support pages, checked on 3 November 2026; menu names can change with updates.