Video games might be fun, but they aren’t necessarily the most calming pastime when you’re anxious and stressed out from using appropriate social distance. No lists of stress-relieving activities that I’ve read include rushing through really challenging platforming games or blasting your way through a chaotic online battlefield.
In light of this, we’ve put up a list of some of our favorite games to play to relax and unwind. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on new gaming hardware because we concentrated on low-cost games that are accessible across numerous platforms. Many of these games should be approachable and enjoyable to play even if you haven’t picked up a game in a while or don’t often play video games.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is the quintessential relaxation game. While Stardew Valley’s primary focus is on farming, it also includes adventure, puzzle-solving, dating, fishing, cooking, and a good dose of the paranormal. At first, it could seem a little intimidating, but its simple-to-learn-complex-to-master mechanics will draw you in without putting you under too much stress. The fact that the game can be played on almost anything with buttons and a screen is beneficial.
Firewatch
This first-person adventure game and the walking simulator will virtually bring back memories of your first home departure. As a lone fire lookout exploring the gorgeous Shoshone National Forest, you may uncover more mysteries than you bargained for.
A Short Hike
You take on the role of a bird that is ascending a mountain in this brief, vibrant game. As you search for treasure and converse with the townspeople, take pleasure in the beautiful character design and the seasonal color scheme.
Journey and Abzu
These two games, which were created mostly by the same team, both have silent heroes wandering through stunning settings (in Journey, a lonely desert; in Abzu, an ocean filled with life). While neither is very extensive or in-depth, they both provide a lot to look at and hear. They are the video game equivalent of stopping and taking a few calm, deep breaths.
Effect of Tetris
Tetris 99 for the Nintendo Switch is hectic and cramped, while Tetris Effect is on the other end of the spectrum if you were to plot all the Tetris games on a scale of anxiety. Tetris is still played, only with gorgeous audio and ethereal visuals. Plug in your quality headphones, turn out the lights and take it all in.
Inscription Valley
Monument Valley (and its sequel) are what would happen if an Escher picture were turned into a video game. This is a fantastic option if you only want to work on a few problems at a time and want something that is challenging but never impossible.
Eufloria
You control a swarm of insects that are orbiting a planet in the game Eufloria. You may start exploring the map as your insect swarm expands over time, locating and colonizing new planets, and displacing other insects from those worlds. Just be careful not to completely leave your own worlds undefended. The music, sound effects, and simple yet evocative images clinch the deal.
Untitled Goose Game
You are a goose, and you cause everyone in your picture-perfect village minor inconveniences. When you shock someone with a well-timed honk, you’ll quickly forget about the somewhat awkward controls of the game.
Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
In the vibrant dating sim Dream Daddy, you take on the role of a new dad who has recently moved to the area with his adoring yet fully grown teenage daughter. Talk to the other fathers in the area to cultivate new connections and passionate father-on-father ties.
Reroll for Katamari Damacy
The plot of Katamari Damacy Reroll, an improved remake of a 2004 PlayStation 2 game, involves a cosmic monarch tying one on and killing all the stars in the sky. It’s your responsibility as his mistreated son, the little Prince of All Cosmos, to roll up everything into enormous balls so that you may fling them into the night sky, re-illuminating it for whatever life there is left on Earth. Controls might be difficult to use. Not the soundtrack, though.
County Donut
The opposite of Katamari You play a hole in Donut County that becomes bigger as it draws bigger and bigger items, structures, and living creatures into the abyss, where they all congregate and think back on their errors. It’s funnier than it sounds, and there aren’t many skills or puzzle-solving requirements.
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