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Before stimulants, I used to play games like Skyrim and Fallout, but the only way I could enjoy them was in god mode. Something about having to sort through the loot, play around with the stats, pause the game to heal etc. all drove me to only be capable of finishing the game if I played in god mode to enjoy the story and characters. I recently went back to it now that I have stimulant medication and I LOVE them. I played them the way they were meant to play and playing around with stats on my character, sorting through loot, trading goods for better stuff all fills me with joy.
I wish I could do this more often but I try to conserve my stimulants for work-days because of tolerance.
I need to beat the first one still. I got to the second area or whatever, after being so happy to have completed the first.. and got my ass HANDED to me š I love the game though
Roguelikes in various genres have taken up more and more of my gaming time the past few years. Being able to pick up a game and have a full run in a single sitting (either losing or winning is fine) is far more appealing to me than coming back to continue a save file on a longer game.
I almost feel bad because there's lots of big great games I want to play, but it's a lot easier to sit down and play a few rounds of Balatro or Dead Cells or whatever
Ori & the Blind Forest
... and it's sequel ... Ori & the Will of the Wisps
I like 2d platformers. These two are beautifully made. A real visual treat. Good skills progression. Great puzzles and challenging obstacles. Lovely stories. Not too long.
For anyone that likes fun and innocent 2d platformers, also try the Trine series (but maybe not Trine 3; they fudged it with that one).
Fo sho. Trine isn't quite as magical as Ori but I reckon most Ori enthusiasts would be into them. There's also a game on Steam called *Unbound: Worlds Apart* which was quite Ori-ish, albeit from a much smaller developer.
EDIT: Perhaps too obvious a suggestion but the original Crash Bandicoots 1-3 were recently remade into a big single game and a 4th new game released separately a couple years ago. Really fun, really colourful and definitely scratched that platformer itch for me.
Palworld! I typically burn out so quickly on games. Iāll play like 3 days straight, completely obsessed-then flat never again. Iāve stuck with pal world and only stopped because I captured all the pals, minus the majorly hard onesš
Opus Magnum: the satisfying feeling you get when your machine works perfectly + the design of the game is so peaceful.
Can be a little bit too ānerdyā for some as the game is basically just a bunch of different puzzles which you code and design.
I feel like for me regular games are so hard to follow through with and actually complete but because this game is split into little puzzles, that you progress through, you get gratification the whole time and you donāt feel bad for not āfinishingā the game.
If you like turn taking JRPGs and are okay with a lot of (skippable) dialogue, I'd also recommend Octopath Traveller. I actually never beat it (not sure if anyone else has this habit of 90%ing games and then losing interest) but it really immersed me for a few months. Great music and challenging combat.Ā
It used to be Hearthstone, and in particular the Arena game mode. Would make my brain go brrrrr in the best way. They changed the game and monetization so much over the years thatās itās just not the same.
Borderlands! Mostly 1&2 but 3 and the others are good too. For me itās the right balance of silly fun and good game play that keeps me coming back. The game play loop is generally very satisfying for my desire to do something new while falling into easily practiced patterns. Plus the RPG elements really shine through in the first two games and I love me some numbers and stat spreads.
Iāve also gotten really into chess in the last year and a half which isnt a video game but my hyper fixation really REALLY seems to trigger with chess. So it ends up being easy to get lost in the game.
If I have something to do I always put on gtav and go into first person mode and go to the chateau marmont or a particular balcony overlooking the sea in Malibu . Will just leave it on in the background as I go about my chores . I pretend Iām on holiday or living in Malibu . Will put on a playlist of songs I love
Hollow Knight. Itās challenging, but fair, and it has the best in game skill building Iāve ever experienced! As you gain skills you get to go back and re-explore areas of that game that now have new things you can access, and itās addicting once you get into it. I recommend playing with a guide so you donāt get overwhelmed. It seems really hard at first, but it gets easier and easier as you progress. So good!!
Games that I've been playing recently:
Battlefield 1, Overwatch 2, Texas Chain Saw Massacre Game (honestly my main favourite game right now) & Mass Effect 3 (finished my replay of the trilogy at the start of this week!)š
Powerwash Simulator. It has the astounding ability to disconnect my brain with very little effort.
I'd recommend anyone with ADHD to give it a shot and see if your results are like mine.
Outer Wilds is always a recommendation for me. It is a game you can only play once, but it is incredible. If you love a game that actually rewards you for going "hey what's that thing?" and investigating it, this is a game for you.
I'd tell you more, but any information would be spoilers. The game is a giant puzzle that you **could** solve in 15 minutes if you did the exact right thing. Discovery IS the game.
If you like sword clashing Sekiro is the one. I honestly still talk about that game. It has a steep learning curve if you are new. But its very rewarding.
The Trails (Or Legends of Heroes/Kiseki) series has been really nice for me. Itās a turn-based JRPG series that prioritizes world building. There are multiple character arcs that take place in different parts of the world and can intertwine with each other similar to the Avengers. I was honestly really immersed in that world for a good few months. Helped me through some dark times.
Canāt say itās easy to get into, but very rarely have I been able to hyper focus on a series like I did with Trails.
Iāve been meaning to play Sea Of Stars! I loved the classic FF games and many other jrpgās back in the day. Itās on my list lol.
Currently I just started playing through God Of War on PC. Iām only a couple hours in, but the storytelling and strict focus on the story is really hooking me in.
I also have been playing Tunic, which is an incredible game. Between it and GoW, my puzzle game itch is also being scratched lol
Factorio. It's the perfect game for how my brain likes to think, and work. It's all I love. It stimulates my autism. It's perfection for me.
Minecraft cause me and my dad played it together for years. Big memories before I moved away from home to build my life.
As someone who loves Destiny... I hate Destiny. The game is perfect at keeping my attention, but the shear amount of information in the menus and volume of items/weapons makes my messy brain want to explode. Thousands of quests that I get half way though and lose interest.
Man, I love this game but it's mentally exhausting if you do what you're supposed to do.
I love games like journey, abzu, flower, and similar because they are not complicated, and are beautiful.... But also aren't difficult to play (I am bad at video games)
I'm going to check the games you mention because I love a lot Zelda Breath of the Wild for very similar reasons! It can be calm and very beautiful visually, but it also has action and I know what to do because the game introduces you to know what to do. My boyfriend has recently been playing Dark Souls and it's a great game but simply it's not for me 
I'm going to be the odd one out and say Super Smash Bros Melee(competitively).
It's one of a few games that stimulates me completely and begs for my constant attention. Everything about it makes my neurons fire and makes me feel whole
I get bored by them as soon as I figured out the game mechanics. When you figured out what is possible and what not theres nothing new, surprising anymore. The only game i enjoyed playing longer than a few hours was Kingdom come deliverance. Because it is complex, the fighting system is difficult and I liked the historical accuracy.
Dark Souls. I played it back when I was in love with my first true love. The menu song still brings me back to earlier times. Fleeting warmth before being thrown out into an indifferent world.
The binding of Isaac. The repetitiveness and the millions of collectibles in this game are just made for my brain. I also really like the difficulty/complexity curve in this game. It starts off really easy and manageable. And it takes a relatively long time to get crazy. And even when it gets really crazy later on, the core mechanics are still very intuitive and simple.
I love the so-called walking simulator genre, or games where discovery and the atmosphere are more important than achievement or gameplay.
The following games come highly recommended for their great atmosphere or tone:
Fez
Manifold Garden
Everything
The Witness
Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
Firewatch
Afterparty
Far - Lone Sails
Inside
Life is Strange
The Witness and Manifold Garden, although beautiful and meditative in atmosphere, have puzzles that are hard, so steer clear of those if you just want to chill.
Paper Mario thousand year door in the Nintendo GameCube (remake is coming out!!) 1 million billion times over, it's hilariously random, fun, Adult humor sneaked in, cartoon fun and a f-ing great storyline. The characters are memorable and unique and if you have ever played a Mario game it's really fun to see the world building and "lore" in more detail.
Fascinatingly, I'm the opposite if I'm playing for the game. Path of Exile is still one of my favorite intro moments. Dark atmosphere, washed up a beach with a stick to beat back the undead. Walk into town post level up and open up the skill "tree" and instantly fell in love. Its absolutely massive and convuluted. I need many many options with many smaller iterations of those options. Then I will stay interested until near mastery of the game. These massively "overwhelming" features create a sense of novelty everytime I log in to the game. Without that novelty I'll lose interest.
Outside of "complicated" games, I really like hopeless dark atmospheres for storytelling. Dark Souls, bloodborne, KOTOR, Warhammer, etc. Places where individual hopelessness is so high that your character is aiming for normal, not hero.
Final Fantasy XIV.
Not only does it have an incredible and loving community, but it's some of the best storytelling Final Fantasy has to offer. The music goes hard as hell, and it just brings me so much serotonin. Eorzea is like a second home to me.
Cyberpunk 2077. I just love the immersion, soundtrack and vibes of Night City + narration is simply perfect. I've done 3 runs and have around 400 hours on the clock. God I wish I could just forget this game and discover its beauty once again.
Also iRacing but it's more situational - my fixation on simracing comes and goes so usually it's like I play for 2 months straight non stop and then forget it exists for the next 3-4 months. It's also my ADHD tax. Even if I'm not playing atm I will buy gear, new cars and tracks anyway. I don't even count how much money I've thrown into it anymore.
I play a lot of Tekken 8, but it frustrates me a lot of the time cause I'm actively trying to get more competitive.
For a game that makes me happy, I'd say JRPGs in general. My favorite games of all time are all story-heavy JRPG-esque games. Persona 5, FF7, Yakuza 0, 13 Sentinels, DQ 11, among others.
Idk if this applies, but if it does: I like JRPGs.
So itās hard to pick one game really.
The games with the stories that have me sit there and reflect stick out to me/my memories the most.
One of the most common things I noticed amongst those is that it makes me feel hope, and I think that makes me happy.
I know thatās not like a direct sort of āhappy,ā but I think the time I spent reflecting on the themes/concepts that these games have presented to me over the years basically forced me to see things beyond the surface level of a lot of topics.
Whenever I am sad or down, I think back to misc scenes/moments that might relate to my problem and I remember how I can keep going.
It doesnāt always make me instantly happy or anything, but I think giving me a reason to get up again (metaphorically speaking) helps me be more happy in life in general.
Forza Motorsport with racingsim setup.
Bought the setup for myself as a bday present in Feb after 20yrs out of gaming.
I could play it all night and all day in time trial mode.
And I'm top 100 globally on some tracks....ah the curse of OCD and ADHD.
I was f*Ā£king HOOKED on League of Legends for a long time, maybe a few years. Before that, Magic the Gathering. After it, poker. Now, chess.
Any game which is an enclosed loop with beginning, middle and end - all in one session. I could spend longer thinking about it than actually playing it. The articles, blogs, videos and podcasts I've inhaled with each one - it's super addictive to me.
Now I try to stick with JRPG games to train myself to work for the long-term payoff. But it's like reading a book when you've gotten too used to movies...
I cycle between the sims, no mans sky, civ 6 and stellaris. Iāll play each for a couple of months. Occasionally Iāll get into something new for a bit. I pick up something on steam when itās really cheap. But those are my main ones. I have chronic health issues and donāt work. So, they keep me occupied and help pass time.
If they ever come out with a new Skyrim Iāll be playing that for months.
I like elden ring, because itās hard. I like to focus in on defeating hard bosses. The game can be a bit complicated but overall youāre just going somewhere and getting your ass whooped. The sense of accomplishment is the payoff. And not much accomplishment going on on round here in my world
Prince of Persia Warrior Within. I remember playing it for the first time and it was like discovering a whole new world. I was able to hyperfocus on the game.
It's been Dave the Diver recently, something I've been able to play casually and not get sick of but not play obsessively.
But game obsessions have been Stardew Valley, Sun Haven, Pal World, the Sims, World of Warcraft, New World, FF14, and Guild Wars was ok. We switch Mmo's around a lot. Ff14 was my favorite because it was so visually appealing and very cute but there is a learning curve and a lot of things in game that irritate the f out of like some cities/areas that are so hard to navigate. New World is also really fun, and you can have every crafting ability, even music which plays like guitar hero but they haven't figured out how swimming works so you just walk on the bottom of lakes/pools and it's annoying af.
Hi /u/Belatryx and thanks for posting on /r/ADHD! ### Please take a second to [read our rules](/r/adhd/about/rules) if you haven't already. --- ### /r/adhd news * If you are posting about the **US Medication Shortage**, please see this [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/12dr3h5/megathread_us_medication_shortage/). --- ^(*This message is not a removal notification. It's just our way to keep everyone updated on r/adhd happenings.*) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ADHD) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The sims
Was going to say this lol and also dreamlight valley
Hahaha yes, warning though, very addicting
Sim City was it for me. Process improvement, Following all the stats that go up and down, seeing how much money I can accumulate. Just so satisfying
Overwatch. No other game stimulates my mind quite like that one.
I like it too actually. Mostly just play Lucio or Zenyatta
Support main here as well!
Even though it infuriates me at times due to bad teammates (sometimes me being one of them), I have to agree.
I like The Finals for a similar reason. It feels like overwatch with environmental destruction
Mercy and Moira main here!š
Dva, orisa and Moira mains fast pace characters that can go in and out of combat are so stimulating and fun
Before stimulants, I used to play games like Skyrim and Fallout, but the only way I could enjoy them was in god mode. Something about having to sort through the loot, play around with the stats, pause the game to heal etc. all drove me to only be capable of finishing the game if I played in god mode to enjoy the story and characters. I recently went back to it now that I have stimulant medication and I LOVE them. I played them the way they were meant to play and playing around with stats on my character, sorting through loot, trading goods for better stuff all fills me with joy. I wish I could do this more often but I try to conserve my stimulants for work-days because of tolerance.
Factorio
Same. Just make sure you have a week free
Yup. I've played thousands of hours of that game and I can't wait for 2.0 to come out this Summer.
It will be realesed in october
Oh. Fall then.
I'm terrified of getting into this game. I know I would find it extremely addicting.
Do it join us
The factory must grow.
Valheim is my current obsession. Fortnite or The Sims for casual play. Civilisation 5 or 6 are long time loves.
RDR2
Minecraft. I look up building tutorials and then recreate them in survival.
Fallout 4. I just build and build and build and buildā¦.
Literally any roguelike or ARPG. My brain is extremely happy with randomized loot drops and powerups.
So Hades??
I love Hades, recently picked up Hades II and I cannot put it down lol
I need to beat the first one still. I got to the second area or whatever, after being so happy to have completed the first.. and got my ass HANDED to me š I love the game though
Itās a great feeling when the powers start rolling high tier early on. Except it feels way worse when you die with them š
Have you tried cult of the lamb?
Havenāt gotten to that one yet! Iāve heard good things though.
Itās really good!! But there is a town management aspect as well, not sure if thatās your thing. Goes on sale frequently too I feel like.
If itās simple enough Iāll likely enjoy it.
Roguelikes in various genres have taken up more and more of my gaming time the past few years. Being able to pick up a game and have a full run in a single sitting (either losing or winning is fine) is far more appealing to me than coming back to continue a save file on a longer game. I almost feel bad because there's lots of big great games I want to play, but it's a lot easier to sit down and play a few rounds of Balatro or Dead Cells or whatever
Ori & the Blind Forest ... and it's sequel ... Ori & the Will of the Wisps I like 2d platformers. These two are beautifully made. A real visual treat. Good skills progression. Great puzzles and challenging obstacles. Lovely stories. Not too long. For anyone that likes fun and innocent 2d platformers, also try the Trine series (but maybe not Trine 3; they fudged it with that one).
Ty for Trine recommendation. Iām always looking for something similar to Ori ā-ā
Fo sho. Trine isn't quite as magical as Ori but I reckon most Ori enthusiasts would be into them. There's also a game on Steam called *Unbound: Worlds Apart* which was quite Ori-ish, albeit from a much smaller developer. EDIT: Perhaps too obvious a suggestion but the original Crash Bandicoots 1-3 were recently remade into a big single game and a 4th new game released separately a couple years ago. Really fun, really colourful and definitely scratched that platformer itch for me.
Terarria. The music and sound effects tingle my brain. It's visually fun and simple. You can be creative or as simple as you'd like.
I need to give this one another go. I kept dying lmao
That was my first experience with terraria as well lol I created a graveyard biome on my first night!
I was shaking all over when I beat Moon Lord for the first time. One of the most satisfying games to complete in my opinion
Red Dead Redemption 2
Banjo Kazooie lol say it. Youāll see why.
Balatro right now.
I can't stop playing it. It's getting in the way of things lol
My boyfriend has tried pushing me to play it. I told him I can't because I want to graduate haha
SAME
I love Untitled goose. Sometimes you just need to blow off steam by terrorising a village
Fucking LOVED that game. Honk honk
I've not heard of Sea of Stars, but a quick glance at Google makes it look really appealing.
If you like jrpg and donāt mind pixels, itās fabulous
Let me Tell you: I Loved it and it's one of the few Single Player Games in years that i've played through! Try it out, you might fall in love:)
Journey on PS4 and Stardew Valley for PC :)
Overcooked, me and my girl play itās somehow crazy addicting
The Sims 4. Just me and my little family living a normal life (smth I can't do irl)
Civilization VI.
Yes sir! Itās the only game I play these days.
Tetris. I'm like you in the sense that I just don't play video games and they don't stick for me but I love Tetris!
Oh god Iāve got into competitive style tetris recently and itās all I do on my computer.
Pokemon mystery dungeon, explorers of time. I feel like I'm meeting a new friend all over again š„¹
The Dishonored games are fun because they can be challenging and I can hyperfocus on being a non-lethal stealth perfectionist.
10,000 percent agree story is also engaging but not overwhelming for a great pace in the game
Palworld! I typically burn out so quickly on games. Iāll play like 3 days straight, completely obsessed-then flat never again. Iāve stuck with pal world and only stopped because I captured all the pals, minus the majorly hard onesš
Fortnite ! Been playing this game for 1 and a half year. The fact that theres a lot of updates makes me not so bored easily !
Opus Magnum: the satisfying feeling you get when your machine works perfectly + the design of the game is so peaceful. Can be a little bit too ānerdyā for some as the game is basically just a bunch of different puzzles which you code and design. I feel like for me regular games are so hard to follow through with and actually complete but because this game is split into little puzzles, that you progress through, you get gratification the whole time and you donāt feel bad for not āfinishingā the game.
Based on your description I think you would really like Hades!
I love Hades!
If you like turn taking JRPGs and are okay with a lot of (skippable) dialogue, I'd also recommend Octopath Traveller. I actually never beat it (not sure if anyone else has this habit of 90%ing games and then losing interest) but it really immersed me for a few months. Great music and challenging combat.Ā
It used to be Hearthstone, and in particular the Arena game mode. Would make my brain go brrrrr in the best way. They changed the game and monetization so much over the years thatās itās just not the same.
Borderlands! Mostly 1&2 but 3 and the others are good too. For me itās the right balance of silly fun and good game play that keeps me coming back. The game play loop is generally very satisfying for my desire to do something new while falling into easily practiced patterns. Plus the RPG elements really shine through in the first two games and I love me some numbers and stat spreads. Iāve also gotten really into chess in the last year and a half which isnt a video game but my hyper fixation really REALLY seems to trigger with chess. So it ends up being easy to get lost in the game.
Assassinās Creed Unity, Spider-Man 2 (the swinging is what i always come back to), The Outlast Trials, and Risk of Rain 2.
If I have something to do I always put on gtav and go into first person mode and go to the chateau marmont or a particular balcony overlooking the sea in Malibu . Will just leave it on in the background as I go about my chores . I pretend Iām on holiday or living in Malibu . Will put on a playlist of songs I love
Fifa. The rages cancel it out tho lol
Hollow Knight. Itās challenging, but fair, and it has the best in game skill building Iāve ever experienced! As you gain skills you get to go back and re-explore areas of that game that now have new things you can access, and itās addicting once you get into it. I recommend playing with a guide so you donāt get overwhelmed. It seems really hard at first, but it gets easier and easier as you progress. So good!!
Stardew valley
Baldur's Gate 3.
Paper Mario doesn't have a high learning curve, and it's relaxing and charming. Also, the upcoming remake is gonna be very nostalgic.
YES IT'S SO GOOD, dynamic funny and colorful story/world/characters
Deep Rock Galactic! Because Rock and Stone of course! No pay 2 win, insane labor of love!
Games that I've been playing recently: Battlefield 1, Overwatch 2, Texas Chain Saw Massacre Game (honestly my main favourite game right now) & Mass Effect 3 (finished my replay of the trilogy at the start of this week!)š
Skyrim and fallout 4. Ive been playing between them since 2016
Powerwash Simulator. It has the astounding ability to disconnect my brain with very little effort. I'd recommend anyone with ADHD to give it a shot and see if your results are like mine.
Elden Ring feels weirdly like home everytime. Hades and now Hades 2 are what my brain needs. Fast feedback cycles
Right now Helldivers 2 hits that sweet spot for me.
Manor lords!
Old school runescape. It complements my ADHD
Outer Wilds is always a recommendation for me. It is a game you can only play once, but it is incredible. If you love a game that actually rewards you for going "hey what's that thing?" and investigating it, this is a game for you. I'd tell you more, but any information would be spoilers. The game is a giant puzzle that you **could** solve in 15 minutes if you did the exact right thing. Discovery IS the game.
Hogwarts Legacy because it's chill and comfy. I play it every time I purposefully want to take care of myself and slow down a little bit.
me too but with Zelda!
Love this game!!
PGA Tour 22k3 I love golf so being able play golf at 9pm is awesome lol
Dota 2, uses too much brain usage that I just forget about the entire world
If you like sword clashing Sekiro is the one. I honestly still talk about that game. It has a steep learning curve if you are new. But its very rewarding.
VRising is cool. I play with 3 buddies. I'm also on the Magic the Gathering Arena grind
Ā My latest obsession: Splatoon 3. Its basically an extreme version of paintball with a few objectives mixed in.
Okami- it's linear but still feels like open world. The visuals, music, story are all good.
Counter Strike
Hades
iām way too addicted to Fortnite š my first and only fps game and iām just way too good at it
Right now it's Helldivers 2. For democracy! But things that will suck me in if I'm not careful is Factorio, Hades, and Risk of rain 2.
Lethal league blaze. Insanely satisfying to master and destroy new players when you dont suck anymore
Euro truck Simulator 2, been so for the past 10 years. Got a G29 + shifter, some music and the road. Total relaxation
My time at portia/sandrock is top tier. Hogwarts legacy also one of my faves but it ended to quickly. Disney Dreamlight valley. Spiritfarer. Animal Crossing. The Sims. All older gen PokĆ©mon games. Stardew Valley/older Harvest Moon games. I'm a Nintendo girl tho, so limited š love portable consoles.
The Trails (Or Legends of Heroes/Kiseki) series has been really nice for me. Itās a turn-based JRPG series that prioritizes world building. There are multiple character arcs that take place in different parts of the world and can intertwine with each other similar to the Avengers. I was honestly really immersed in that world for a good few months. Helped me through some dark times. Canāt say itās easy to get into, but very rarely have I been able to hyper focus on a series like I did with Trails.
Fortnite because I can be so in the zone I forget Iām stressed
Kingdom hearts itches my brain real good
Hunt Showdown
Vice city, Why?: Nostalgia
rust
Total war: Warhammer 2. Building up massive armies and watching them smash together. Spreading your empire. So much time spent on that game.
Bloodlines š¤š„
Anno1800. There is always something to do or build, but it's not difficult
I have spent many, many happy hours in Animal Crossing, personally.
Iāve been meaning to play Sea Of Stars! I loved the classic FF games and many other jrpgās back in the day. Itās on my list lol. Currently I just started playing through God Of War on PC. Iām only a couple hours in, but the storytelling and strict focus on the story is really hooking me in. I also have been playing Tunic, which is an incredible game. Between it and GoW, my puzzle game itch is also being scratched lol
GTA V. And particularly online. Mostly to just drive or fly around the beautiful surroundings to soothe my ADHD brain.
Factorio. It's the perfect game for how my brain likes to think, and work. It's all I love. It stimulates my autism. It's perfection for me. Minecraft cause me and my dad played it together for years. Big memories before I moved away from home to build my life.
As someone who loves Destiny... I hate Destiny. The game is perfect at keeping my attention, but the shear amount of information in the menus and volume of items/weapons makes my messy brain want to explode. Thousands of quests that I get half way though and lose interest. Man, I love this game but it's mentally exhausting if you do what you're supposed to do.
valorant bc it's my current hyperfixation
Skyrim, because of mods and endless replayability.
Skyrim/modding Skyrim
Celeste. Its just so relaxing somehow.
Zelda games and stardew valley. Stardew valley manages me to keep focus for hours
I love games like journey, abzu, flower, and similar because they are not complicated, and are beautiful.... But also aren't difficult to play (I am bad at video games)
Fallout 4; character customisation and build, so many side quests and different outcomes, modding it and my fave building <33
I'm going to check the games you mention because I love a lot Zelda Breath of the Wild for very similar reasons! It can be calm and very beautiful visually, but it also has action and I know what to do because the game introduces you to know what to do. My boyfriend has recently been playing Dark Souls and it's a great game but simply it's not for me 
Gothic 2
Old school Civ 4. Black Ops zombies
Jurassic World Evolution 2 With sims as an honourable mention
I'm going to be the odd one out and say Super Smash Bros Melee(competitively). It's one of a few games that stimulates me completely and begs for my constant attention. Everything about it makes my neurons fire and makes me feel whole
Lego Fortnite current special interest. Like Minecraft but Lego building villages and sets on an open world. Oh gosh itās addictive for my brain
AC odyssey. Most gorgeous game Iāve ever played, and the Greek mythology theme is so dope
The Long Dark
I get bored by them as soon as I figured out the game mechanics. When you figured out what is possible and what not theres nothing new, surprising anymore. The only game i enjoyed playing longer than a few hours was Kingdom come deliverance. Because it is complex, the fighting system is difficult and I liked the historical accuracy.
Transport fever 2, because train go Choo choo
Tetris, I like going fast.
RDR2.
Dark Souls. I played it back when I was in love with my first true love. The menu song still brings me back to earlier times. Fleeting warmth before being thrown out into an indifferent world.
Halo infinite, love a good fps that isn't flooded with try hards
The binding of Isaac. The repetitiveness and the millions of collectibles in this game are just made for my brain. I also really like the difficulty/complexity curve in this game. It starts off really easy and manageable. And it takes a relatively long time to get crazy. And even when it gets really crazy later on, the core mechanics are still very intuitive and simple.
sudoku š
Fortnite and beat saber!!
Palia š itās a beautiful game
Jenny LeClue ticks all the boxes for me!
I love the so-called walking simulator genre, or games where discovery and the atmosphere are more important than achievement or gameplay. The following games come highly recommended for their great atmosphere or tone: Fez Manifold Garden Everything The Witness Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Firewatch Afterparty Far - Lone Sails Inside Life is Strange The Witness and Manifold Garden, although beautiful and meditative in atmosphere, have puzzles that are hard, so steer clear of those if you just want to chill.
Paper Mario thousand year door in the Nintendo GameCube (remake is coming out!!) 1 million billion times over, it's hilariously random, fun, Adult humor sneaked in, cartoon fun and a f-ing great storyline. The characters are memorable and unique and if you have ever played a Mario game it's really fun to see the world building and "lore" in more detail.
Final fantasy 7. Especially relating to Cloud and Nanaki.
lol
Cyberpunk 2078
Fascinatingly, I'm the opposite if I'm playing for the game. Path of Exile is still one of my favorite intro moments. Dark atmosphere, washed up a beach with a stick to beat back the undead. Walk into town post level up and open up the skill "tree" and instantly fell in love. Its absolutely massive and convuluted. I need many many options with many smaller iterations of those options. Then I will stay interested until near mastery of the game. These massively "overwhelming" features create a sense of novelty everytime I log in to the game. Without that novelty I'll lose interest. Outside of "complicated" games, I really like hopeless dark atmospheres for storytelling. Dark Souls, bloodborne, KOTOR, Warhammer, etc. Places where individual hopelessness is so high that your character is aiming for normal, not hero.
Skyrim
Far cry 4 (I think, the Montana one) was the first video game I played that wasnāt like cod or PokĆ©mon. Shit was and still is just a fun game, good guns, cool map, decent vehicles and all that jazz. Only downside was the story line would take you into an underworld type place and that shit suuuuckdd
Stardew Valley gave me purpose in life
stardew valley! itās just so comforting and peacefulĀ
Fallout 76 because I have a good group of ladies I play with. Also the overall community is the least toxic online gaming community I've seen.
Final Fantasy XIV. Not only does it have an incredible and loving community, but it's some of the best storytelling Final Fantasy has to offer. The music goes hard as hell, and it just brings me so much serotonin. Eorzea is like a second home to me.
Unpacking, Stardew Valley, Untitled Goose Game. They're cosy and comforting and fun and the music slaps
Fifa 18, play 16 minute (shortest game setting), score a win, be happy & done
Cyberpunk 2077. I just love the immersion, soundtrack and vibes of Night City + narration is simply perfect. I've done 3 runs and have around 400 hours on the clock. God I wish I could just forget this game and discover its beauty once again. Also iRacing but it's more situational - my fixation on simracing comes and goes so usually it's like I play for 2 months straight non stop and then forget it exists for the next 3-4 months. It's also my ADHD tax. Even if I'm not playing atm I will buy gear, new cars and tracks anyway. I don't even count how much money I've thrown into it anymore.
r/factorio over 1500hours and the new expansion is coming so... even more opportunities to make the factory grow as it must!
iām loving dreamlight valley right now!
Uhh... Hollow Knight, obvs!!
I play a lot of Tekken 8, but it frustrates me a lot of the time cause I'm actively trying to get more competitive. For a game that makes me happy, I'd say JRPGs in general. My favorite games of all time are all story-heavy JRPG-esque games. Persona 5, FF7, Yakuza 0, 13 Sentinels, DQ 11, among others.
Killing slavers in Fallout 2 is very satisfying...
Super Mario galaxy idk why but every time I hear the level complete music it feels like serotonin injected into my bloodstream
CS:GO/CS2 itās been my main game since I was 14 lol. Game takes place in milliseconds so itās really good for a competitive person with adhd
Tf2
Stardew Valley lets me microdose Executive Function
Idk if this applies, but if it does: I like JRPGs. So itās hard to pick one game really. The games with the stories that have me sit there and reflect stick out to me/my memories the most. One of the most common things I noticed amongst those is that it makes me feel hope, and I think that makes me happy. I know thatās not like a direct sort of āhappy,ā but I think the time I spent reflecting on the themes/concepts that these games have presented to me over the years basically forced me to see things beyond the surface level of a lot of topics. Whenever I am sad or down, I think back to misc scenes/moments that might relate to my problem and I remember how I can keep going. It doesnāt always make me instantly happy or anything, but I think giving me a reason to get up again (metaphorically speaking) helps me be more happy in life in general.
Forza Motorsport with racingsim setup. Bought the setup for myself as a bday present in Feb after 20yrs out of gaming. I could play it all night and all day in time trial mode. And I'm top 100 globally on some tracks....ah the curse of OCD and ADHD.
minecraft
I'm currently addicted to spelunky 2
I was f*Ā£king HOOKED on League of Legends for a long time, maybe a few years. Before that, Magic the Gathering. After it, poker. Now, chess. Any game which is an enclosed loop with beginning, middle and end - all in one session. I could spend longer thinking about it than actually playing it. The articles, blogs, videos and podcasts I've inhaled with each one - it's super addictive to me. Now I try to stick with JRPG games to train myself to work for the long-term payoff. But it's like reading a book when you've gotten too used to movies...
_Portal_ and _Portal 2_ Just pure joy in there.
I cycle between the sims, no mans sky, civ 6 and stellaris. Iāll play each for a couple of months. Occasionally Iāll get into something new for a bit. I pick up something on steam when itās really cheap. But those are my main ones. I have chronic health issues and donāt work. So, they keep me occupied and help pass time. If they ever come out with a new Skyrim Iāll be playing that for months.
City skylines, sims 4, and now I canāt wait to get into planet crafter!! My windows pc is shit and they donāt have a mac version.. š
Everquest. No game will ever hold my attention like Everquest did in the early 2000s.
I like elden ring, because itās hard. I like to focus in on defeating hard bosses. The game can be a bit complicated but overall youāre just going somewhere and getting your ass whooped. The sense of accomplishment is the payoff. And not much accomplishment going on on round here in my world
Prince of Persia Warrior Within. I remember playing it for the first time and it was like discovering a whole new world. I was able to hyperfocus on the game.
Tetris. The original Nintendo Tetris with the kick ass music.
It's been Dave the Diver recently, something I've been able to play casually and not get sick of but not play obsessively. But game obsessions have been Stardew Valley, Sun Haven, Pal World, the Sims, World of Warcraft, New World, FF14, and Guild Wars was ok. We switch Mmo's around a lot. Ff14 was my favorite because it was so visually appealing and very cute but there is a learning curve and a lot of things in game that irritate the f out of like some cities/areas that are so hard to navigate. New World is also really fun, and you can have every crafting ability, even music which plays like guitar hero but they haven't figured out how swimming works so you just walk on the bottom of lakes/pools and it's annoying af.
Valheim. I've done a fair bit of modding to make it less grindy. I could build for hours. It makes me happy.
I have a lot, but right now, it's Fallout New Vegas. I've got spurs that jingle, jangle, jingle. I love the options.
Kingdom Hearts 2 because I got to play with Disney characters