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Nowadays I find a lot of games feel like too much work and/or anxiety when I just want to relax for like, 30 minutes to an hour after a long day. On the other hand, the games specifically designed to help you unwind just feel boring imo.

In the past I've felt like Outer Wilds scratched this itch, cause the whole experience was engaging but generally relaxed. There was a mystery that kept me hooked and the exploration and movement was fun in and of itself. I also felt like Subnautica filled this role since it was very much at my own pace, with anxiety producing portions which could for the most part be avoided or minimized, and also there was a clear objective to fulfill, get off the planet.

So what games do you play when you just wanna relax?

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[-] fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com 8 points 1 year ago

Rocket League. And then I'm not chilled.

[-] 257m@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

Blast some bots in Quake 3.

[-] flambonkscious@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

I've been enjoying unreal tournament, too

[-] tryptaminev@feddit.de 5 points 1 year ago

A man of culture

[-] SuperSpruce@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 year ago

Forza Horizon 5. I like to just drive around the map for a while, and maybe do a race or two, until I inevitably get bored after an hour or so. Repeat every week.

(until I bought a real life motorcycle to scratch that itch, and no, I'm not racing or being dangerous on my motorcycle)

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[-] Buffaloaf@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago
[-] knexcar@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago

Wouldn’t that be a bit complex to learn/hard to spend just 30 minutes a day playing? I haven’t played, but from what I can tell it’s basically rocket science the game.

[-] Kata1yst@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

Sure, but once you know how it's very chill.

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[-] Alivrah@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Tetris Effect. The funny thing is I used to hate Tetris with passion, but somehow Tetris Effect has won me over. The music and sound effects are so ASMRish it's almost trance-inducing...

[-] CalamityBalls@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago

It might be more catharsis than unwinding, but dark souls/sekiro. I've been through them enough times that it's just comfortable.

[-] Rookeh@startrek.website 7 points 1 year ago

BeamNG. Logged hundreds of hours just mindlessly driving around crashing into stuff and fucking around with vehicle customisations.

[-] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

Chrono Trigger. I have a save that I just load up, do some things on, and then turn off when I'm done. I've beaten the game dozens of times, and I know every aspect in and out, so it's like flipping on the TV and catching an episode of a sitcom, I just roll with it and mellow out.

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[-] Aesk@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

American Truck Simulator or Euro Truck Simulator 2. Pick a long hual, throw on a podcast or some music, and just cruise.

[-] oneiros 6 points 1 year ago

The Talos Principle (+ DLC) and its just-released sequel really fit this niche for me. I'm fighting severe burnout and was specifically looking for a game without time pressure, reflex-based gameplay, or (because I keep bouncing off of turn-based strategy games even though I believe that I love them) complicated stats-based systems.

TTP is about first-person puzzles in the vein of Portal. While some of the puzzles can be difficult, you can work through them at your own pace. The level structure makes it easy to drop in and out of the game whenever, and the gorgeous environments and soundtrack make the world just a generally soothing and immersive place to walk around in.

[-] Baizey@feddit.dk 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Baba is you, is also great in this category

Fun puzzles that are turn based so you can sit and ponder however long you feel like

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[-] Shinzid@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

I like to play any type of horde clearing game where I can shut my brain off and just swing/shoot my way through a bunch of enemies. Some examples of this are deep rock galactic and vermintide 2. One scratches the shooty itch and the other scratches the swingy itch

If I ain't shooting or swinging I like to play roguelites. Slay the spire and faster than light are classics I keep returning to. Interested in trying out cobalt core soon which looks like a mix of STS and FTL

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[-] jacktherippah@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Good ol' vanilla survival Minecraft. Very fun with friends.

Minecraft, Doom (first two), Cities Skylines, and more recently, Unpacking.

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[-] dansity@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 year ago
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[-] SgtAStrawberry@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Animal Crossing New Leaf, Stardew Valley, Starfiled, Minecraft and Fortza Horazion 3,4 or 5.

[-] fne8w2ah@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago
[-] penquin@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

Genshin impact on PC is a masterpiece. The colors on my 4k monitor are just out of this world. I don't even do hard missions, I just go around the wild collect foods and stuff. So relaxing.

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[-] weew@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago

cyberpunk is actually great for that. Sometimes if I don't wanna do anything in particular I'll just... fight the police, lol. Or just randomly do some open world stuff, like drive around the badlands. Then if I'm feeling like doing something more "meaningful" I'll jump into an actual story quest

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[-] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Shattered Pixel Dungeon. Which is weird because it's actually quite frustrating, but super rewarding if you win.

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[-] meekah@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I really liked playing Talos Principle 2 the past days. makes you think not just about logic but also some aspects of philosophy. which, at least to me, is pretty relaxing.

[-] Bitswap@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Stardew valley and/or kerala space program.

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[-] Rootiest@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Terraria

Celeste

Dwarf Fortress

[-] randombullet@feddit.de 5 points 1 year ago

Since everyone has already said more well known games, here are my Indie/small games

Islanders

Race the Sun

Skye

Superflight

[-] offspec@lemmy.nicknakin.com 5 points 1 year ago

Potion craft is great for this, just running a little potion shop making potions to order.

[-] Macaroni_ninja@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Terraria. I started a new character/world probably 200 times. Music is also bang on.

[-] Evotech@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Path of exile for a few weeks every league

But I'm enjoying rogue lites / vampire survivors like games. There's a billion of them so you can just chill with one of them. I usually find a new one every other day too, some demo or whatever

Risk of rain 2 is also not something I would call a chill game. But it's definitely something you can just fire up and play for an hour

[-] LinkOpensChest_wav@lemmy.one 4 points 1 year ago

Skyrim was my chill game for years, but now I'd say Elder Scrolls Online. Everyone I know who plays ESO is super non-competitive and chill. It's just got a great vibe.

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this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2023
279 points (100.0% liked)

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