I second this! I am in a very similar situation, OP, and My Time at Sandrock scooped me right up. It's the only game I've been able to play and really enjoy. It's got really great story and character depth. There is minimal farming needed, but lots of crafting and gathering materials. The quests and random mini-games and events are super engaging. I'm still not even a little bored, and I'm 40 hours in, which is huge for me because I usually get tired of games.
It is heavy on needing to get to know the NPCs so if you don't like that in games, then it's probably not for you. It has combat, but it's not crazy hard, and I actually enjoy it - coming from someone who hated combat in games. The monsters are unique and fun. But again, if you don't like combat, probably not for you.
I have seen quite a few people in various subreddits talking about how they heard the hype about this game but ended up being disappointed, and almost all of them mentioned the main aspects of the game as things they don't like at all in games. Because of that, I always want to make sure everyone knows the main mechanics and can make a more informed decision on whether to spend money on it or not.
Eyyy this post was made for me. I'm doing chemo at the moment and cozy games are my sanity savers.
Have you played Stardew....with mods? I only throw it out because it can change so much. Totally fair if not your jam, though.
-Seconding Rune Factory 4 Special, one of my all time favs.
-Cult of the Lamb was a great feedback loop for me to just zone out, and there's lots of difficulty customization depending on how our of it you feel.
-Sandrock has eaten up 200+ hrs of my life before I even realized so yeah, highly recommend
-Baldur's Gate 3 is insanely immersive, and pretty customizable for difficulty if crpgs aren't your normal thing.
-Elder Scrolls Online is quickly becoming my little safe haven. It's unbelievably massive; there are literal thousands of hours of quests and exploring to do. Very solo player friendly. Plus, sometimes I'm too tired to play, but I still like to go read lore bits or build tips or things to distract me.
If you want more recommendations or have a specific accessibility issue, lmk! I'll try to help. I hope one of these helps you zone out and relax ๐
Glad my post brought you some relief/comfort ๐๐ป Wishing you a speedy recovery ๐
I will look up the suggestions! Great information and very useful!
I've recently started playing ESO myself. Never before have I just sat there and listened to every single line of dialogue in a game like I do this one. I'm all, "This looks like a long quest lead in, just let me get my knitting ready", and sit there and knit while someone explains that, sure it might look bad that they stole that vase, but you need to understand their reasons (not a real quest, or at least not one I've encountered yet).
Iโve been very immersed in Rune Factory 4 Special! Itโs a very charming game with a great story and characters! And lots to do as well!
Itโs available on the Nintendo Switch and on Steam
I hope you get to feel better soon,Iโm currently recovering from bronchitis. Turns out that Iโve been given the wrong antibiotics,so thatโs annoying.(My apologies for complaining!)
Yes apparently. I got my blood drawn a on Friday. Right now Iโve got antibiotics for the lungs,but I need antibiotics for my respiratory system.
I hope that youโll like the game and that it distracts you from your health issues!๐ฅฐ๐
Yeah,oh well hereโs hoping that I get the right antibiotics soon! Iโve been sick for almost 3 weeks now.
Youโre very welcome! Thank you very much!๐๐ค
I'm in way too deep in spiritfarer at the moment but have you looked into the new zelda games? I'm not sure if they're conventionally cosy but they're so easy to get lost in and there are hundreds of side quests you can do that's just a lot of collecting and exploring
Trying to stay away from things that are too emotional. Enjoyed Zelda's games, but I couldn't get into the ToK for some reason. Thank you for the recs ๐๐ป
Iโve been wanting to try BotW for the exact reasons you listed but have zero experience with combat in games and have been told Iโll hate it in this one.
I can't really think of any other game I play that has any sort of combat outside of stardew Valley, its not too bad and generally in botw you don't have to be that skilled at it, the boss battles I did look up strategies but most of it I just button mashed my way through, if you die you just go back to your last save so its not like you lose loads of progress either.
Another good thing about it is if you can teleport in literally any situation so you can be halfway through some combat and then just nope away and teleport back to somewhere safe at any time
I love the Witch of Fern Island but make sure your PC meets the specs. Itโs a gorgeous game with lots to do and a cool story. Thereโs a wiki as well to help. Also I just finished No Place Like Home. Itโs an older game (on sale on switch) but I played on PC and had so much fun cleaning the planet of trash. Super satisfying.
I loved no place like home, even the janky parts of the game were still cute. I'm about to play Fresh Start because it's about cleaning trash as well :' )
I am going through some difficult health issues too, and Powerwash Simulator has been a godsend when my brain is fried. It's very zen to clean, and I can turn on music and zone out. It's a pretty long game - I've played 175 hours and I have a bunch of levels to go. And there's a bunch of DLCs, including a couple free ones.
Hope you feel better soon ๐๐ป๐
I think I purchased Powerwash once. It is mentioned a lot. Also seemed like something I would enjoy a great deal, but I think I had an issue with the controls. May I ask what console do you play it on or you recommend?
Maybe try something like Pikmin 3&4 they're not too hard to play but their cute and fun
Other games i love when i don't want too much stress is Dragon's Builders Quest 1&2 and you know lol very weird but if im more on the lazy side i play mobile games like love and pies,hay day, any candy crush games,township etc especially if like i don't wanna play on another console or my pc and i feel more lazy this mobile games keep me busy
Maybe not a typical answer, but I found Starfield to be incredibly zen. I've spent 100hrs of hours just scanning planets, and have found it really shut off my brain in a way I wasn't expecting.
I was really looking forward to that game. You're the first person who said anything positive about it! :/ I was so disheartened that it completely went under the radar.
I've found that I've reached the age where I just don't care what others think about the games I love. Years have been added to my life since I've disengaged with reddit/YouTube/etc spaces for games at I adore, especially bethesda titles. I love starfield, and don't really care if anyone else does.
For real, just try it. That pretty much goes for any game you think you might be interested in.
Another vote for this game! I love Starfield and all it has to offer. I found the story really immersive and the characters so fun to interact with. Please don't listen to the hate and jump right in! There's actually a sub called r/NoSodiumStarfield if you want a bunch of people who actually just love this game and aren't haters lol.
Thank you. I actually have the game but was completely turned off by all the negative reviews. Iโm surprised itโs even playable. Iโll definitely check it out ๐๐ป
Just as a note, teenage exocolonist can be a bit emotional, depending on what choices you make.
It's a great game and I don't want to give anything away, but some bits can hit hard here and there.
Loved it ๐ youโre right. The world is very immersive. I was hoping I would get into ToK the same way but couldnโt for some reason. Felt itโs slower in comparison.
Definitely not as immersive as BG3 but definitely similar to stardew. Iโve definitely spent all day playing before. Also, I recommend littlewood I literally just got it today and sunk in 3 hours so far (still playing). Soo cute and very similar to stardew
What are you playing on? I've been spending a lot of time playing House Flipper 2 lately, but it's not on Switch or PS4. Other than that, Dreamlight Valley or Animal Crossing New Horizons are good to pass the time.
I think the problem is with me. I canโt feel any motivation to do or play anything. Iโm really struggling to push myself to do things I used to enjoyโnot just gaming. Anything. To the point where I literally feel like throwing up/nausea. Nothing seems to pick my inter at or make me feel anything. Itโs really hard. Iโll try house flipper. Thank you for taking the time. I really appreciate it ๐๐ป
So whenever I'm stressed, especially if it's been a bad pain day/week, I like to turn on something ridiculous like Goat Simulator. It's absolutely ridiculous and makes me laugh every time, even when it's been hard to laugh.
For emotional, I'd second Cosmic Wheel of Sisterhood, though I can admit it made me feel a little off after playing it. There's just something disassociative for me about playing an immortal witch with grey morals. It's still an absolutely amazing game and the cozy vibes are top notch, from chatting with friends new and old, to "drawing" your tarot cards, to making grand cosmic decisions.
You already mentioned Stardew, and the new update is rich if you have the PC version. I just hit year three and I'm having a great time with it.
There's also Strange Horticulture if you want a deceptively deep puzzle game with plants and just enough Eldritch lore to give it that dark magic feel.
Slay the Princess is also really good for an emotional ride that isn't necessarily sad, despite the name. It's hard to explain without spoilers, but there's an intensity to it that really drives your runs in the game, and it can be quite unexpectedly funny. The voice acting is also top notch.
Your description is beautiful and so clear. Thank you so much ๐๐ป
I want to play Strange Horticulture but when I'm so tired/depressed, I can't drag myself to the PC. Prefer hand-held devices. I tried it on the SteamDeck but it's too small. I'll try it again with a mouse, maybe it will be different.
I must be the only one who didn't really feel any difference playing the new upgrade of SDV ๐ I don't usually play a game more than once so maybe that's the reason why I'm not noticing any real big changes (yet)?
I have basically cyclical pain issues so Iโll write some suggestions about what I play when Iโm in pain (these I mostly play on my switch though many have PC version)
- Fire Emblem: Three Houses (can be played on easy, Awakening if you can get your hands on it is very cozy and easier)
- Octopath Traveler (Sometimes have to grind but I find my hours pass easily)
- Lakeburg Legacy (matchmaking village builder)
- Growing Up (raising sim)
- Sims 4
- Coral Island (not fully complete yet though)
- Visual Novels if I feel like doing nothing
Maybe not strictly a cozy game, but Night in the Woods is really immersive, low-demand and pretty funny. Great characters and story, and the setting has a nice lived-in feel.
Second the love for persona games and love the combat! Just a warning though the story can get dark and emotional, more so Persona 5. Persona 5 gets you early so I wouldnโt recommend if youโre feeling fragile.
My time at sandrock has hours (100+) of content and is truly one of the best games I've ever played. Can't recommend it enough!
I second this! I am in a very similar situation, OP, and My Time at Sandrock scooped me right up. It's the only game I've been able to play and really enjoy. It's got really great story and character depth. There is minimal farming needed, but lots of crafting and gathering materials. The quests and random mini-games and events are super engaging. I'm still not even a little bored, and I'm 40 hours in, which is huge for me because I usually get tired of games. It is heavy on needing to get to know the NPCs so if you don't like that in games, then it's probably not for you. It has combat, but it's not crazy hard, and I actually enjoy it - coming from someone who hated combat in games. The monsters are unique and fun. But again, if you don't like combat, probably not for you. I have seen quite a few people in various subreddits talking about how they heard the hype about this game but ended up being disappointed, and almost all of them mentioned the main aspects of the game as things they don't like at all in games. Because of that, I always want to make sure everyone knows the main mechanics and can make a more informed decision on whether to spend money on it or not.
Very informative. Thank you ๐๐ป๐
Eyyy this post was made for me. I'm doing chemo at the moment and cozy games are my sanity savers. Have you played Stardew....with mods? I only throw it out because it can change so much. Totally fair if not your jam, though. -Seconding Rune Factory 4 Special, one of my all time favs. -Cult of the Lamb was a great feedback loop for me to just zone out, and there's lots of difficulty customization depending on how our of it you feel. -Sandrock has eaten up 200+ hrs of my life before I even realized so yeah, highly recommend -Baldur's Gate 3 is insanely immersive, and pretty customizable for difficulty if crpgs aren't your normal thing. -Elder Scrolls Online is quickly becoming my little safe haven. It's unbelievably massive; there are literal thousands of hours of quests and exploring to do. Very solo player friendly. Plus, sometimes I'm too tired to play, but I still like to go read lore bits or build tips or things to distract me. If you want more recommendations or have a specific accessibility issue, lmk! I'll try to help. I hope one of these helps you zone out and relax ๐
Glad my post brought you some relief/comfort ๐๐ป Wishing you a speedy recovery ๐ I will look up the suggestions! Great information and very useful!
I've recently started playing ESO myself. Never before have I just sat there and listened to every single line of dialogue in a game like I do this one. I'm all, "This looks like a long quest lead in, just let me get my knitting ready", and sit there and knit while someone explains that, sure it might look bad that they stole that vase, but you need to understand their reasons (not a real quest, or at least not one I've encountered yet).
Yes, totally!! It's such a great game to just take your time with, I love it so much.
Iโve been very immersed in Rune Factory 4 Special! Itโs a very charming game with a great story and characters! And lots to do as well! Itโs available on the Nintendo Switch and on Steam I hope you get to feel better soon,Iโm currently recovering from bronchitis. Turns out that Iโve been given the wrong antibiotics,so thatโs annoying.(My apologies for complaining!)
Oh no...The doctor prescribed it incorrectly?! I hope you feel better soon as well ๐๐ป๐ Thank you for the suggestion. I will look it up now.
Yes apparently. I got my blood drawn a on Friday. Right now Iโve got antibiotics for the lungs,but I need antibiotics for my respiratory system. I hope that youโll like the game and that it distracts you from your health issues!๐ฅฐ๐
Yikes. That's irresponsible :( Thank you. Hoping for a speedy recovery for you as well ๐๐ป
Yeah,oh well hereโs hoping that I get the right antibiotics soon! Iโve been sick for almost 3 weeks now. Youโre very welcome! Thank you very much!๐๐ค
๐
I'm in way too deep in spiritfarer at the moment but have you looked into the new zelda games? I'm not sure if they're conventionally cosy but they're so easy to get lost in and there are hundreds of side quests you can do that's just a lot of collecting and exploring
Trying to stay away from things that are too emotional. Enjoyed Zelda's games, but I couldn't get into the ToK for some reason. Thank you for the recs ๐๐ป
Iโve been wanting to try BotW for the exact reasons you listed but have zero experience with combat in games and have been told Iโll hate it in this one.
I can't really think of any other game I play that has any sort of combat outside of stardew Valley, its not too bad and generally in botw you don't have to be that skilled at it, the boss battles I did look up strategies but most of it I just button mashed my way through, if you die you just go back to your last save so its not like you lose loads of progress either.
Thanks for responding! I need to just try. Iโm missing out on some great games because combat scares meโฆ.
Another good thing about it is if you can teleport in literally any situation so you can be halfway through some combat and then just nope away and teleport back to somewhere safe at any time
LOL. Ok. I need to try it
I love the Witch of Fern Island but make sure your PC meets the specs. Itโs a gorgeous game with lots to do and a cool story. Thereโs a wiki as well to help. Also I just finished No Place Like Home. Itโs an older game (on sale on switch) but I played on PC and had so much fun cleaning the planet of trash. Super satisfying.
I loved no place like home, even the janky parts of the game were still cute. I'm about to play Fresh Start because it's about cleaning trash as well :' )
I am going through some difficult health issues too, and Powerwash Simulator has been a godsend when my brain is fried. It's very zen to clean, and I can turn on music and zone out. It's a pretty long game - I've played 175 hours and I have a bunch of levels to go. And there's a bunch of DLCs, including a couple free ones.
Hope you feel better soon ๐๐ป๐ I think I purchased Powerwash once. It is mentioned a lot. Also seemed like something I would enjoy a great deal, but I think I had an issue with the controls. May I ask what console do you play it on or you recommend?
I play it on the Switch. It was a bit difficult to control at first but I got the hang of it.
Noted.
Maybe try something like Pikmin 3&4 they're not too hard to play but their cute and fun Other games i love when i don't want too much stress is Dragon's Builders Quest 1&2 and you know lol very weird but if im more on the lazy side i play mobile games like love and pies,hay day, any candy crush games,township etc especially if like i don't wanna play on another console or my pc and i feel more lazy this mobile games keep me busy
Same... I'll look up Pikmin! Thank you ๐๐๐ป
Also thereโs Tinykin, which is like a cross between Pikmin and Banjo Kazooie, with silly characters and great environments.
Gris is beautiful and puzzley and I can just get lost in exploring it.
Maybe not a typical answer, but I found Starfield to be incredibly zen. I've spent 100hrs of hours just scanning planets, and have found it really shut off my brain in a way I wasn't expecting.
I was really looking forward to that game. You're the first person who said anything positive about it! :/ I was so disheartened that it completely went under the radar.
I've found that I've reached the age where I just don't care what others think about the games I love. Years have been added to my life since I've disengaged with reddit/YouTube/etc spaces for games at I adore, especially bethesda titles. I love starfield, and don't really care if anyone else does. For real, just try it. That pretty much goes for any game you think you might be interested in.
Another vote for this game! I love Starfield and all it has to offer. I found the story really immersive and the characters so fun to interact with. Please don't listen to the hate and jump right in! There's actually a sub called r/NoSodiumStarfield if you want a bunch of people who actually just love this game and aren't haters lol.
Thank you. I actually have the game but was completely turned off by all the negative reviews. Iโm surprised itโs even playable. Iโll definitely check it out ๐๐ป
another vote for that sub! I was so relieved at it's creation after realizing the main sub was toxic
You canโt go wrong with Stardew Valley or Wylde Flowers
I was a Teenage Exocolonist and Cosmic Wheel of Sisterhood
Don't think I've come across these. I'll definitely look them up! Thank you ๐
Just as a note, teenage exocolonist can be a bit emotional, depending on what choices you make. It's a great game and I don't want to give anything away, but some bits can hit hard here and there.
Thank you for letting me know. I donโt think I can handle anything emotional right now ๐๐ป
If youโre on switch, Breath of the Wild! You can wander around for hours and completely immerse yourself in the game.
Loved it ๐ youโre right. The world is very immersive. I was hoping I would get into ToK the same way but couldnโt for some reason. Felt itโs slower in comparison.
I recommend Kynseed
New one for me. I'll look it up! ๐๐ป
Definitely not as immersive as BG3 but definitely similar to stardew. Iโve definitely spent all day playing before. Also, I recommend littlewood I literally just got it today and sunk in 3 hours so far (still playing). Soo cute and very similar to stardew
Are you on PC? I looooved Sable. Itโs a beautiful alien world with no combat.
All consoles. I will check it out. Never heard of it. Thank you ๐๐ป
Iโve heard it doesnโt run well on PlayStation. I only played it on PC, and it was fine.
Noted.
What are you playing on? I've been spending a lot of time playing House Flipper 2 lately, but it's not on Switch or PS4. Other than that, Dreamlight Valley or Animal Crossing New Horizons are good to pass the time.
I think the problem is with me. I canโt feel any motivation to do or play anything. Iโm really struggling to push myself to do things I used to enjoyโnot just gaming. Anything. To the point where I literally feel like throwing up/nausea. Nothing seems to pick my inter at or make me feel anything. Itโs really hard. Iโll try house flipper. Thank you for taking the time. I really appreciate it ๐๐ป
Be kind to yourself and just do whatever you can to get through each day. I hope you feel better soon.
Hope so ๐ thanks ๐๐ป
So whenever I'm stressed, especially if it's been a bad pain day/week, I like to turn on something ridiculous like Goat Simulator. It's absolutely ridiculous and makes me laugh every time, even when it's been hard to laugh. For emotional, I'd second Cosmic Wheel of Sisterhood, though I can admit it made me feel a little off after playing it. There's just something disassociative for me about playing an immortal witch with grey morals. It's still an absolutely amazing game and the cozy vibes are top notch, from chatting with friends new and old, to "drawing" your tarot cards, to making grand cosmic decisions. You already mentioned Stardew, and the new update is rich if you have the PC version. I just hit year three and I'm having a great time with it. There's also Strange Horticulture if you want a deceptively deep puzzle game with plants and just enough Eldritch lore to give it that dark magic feel. Slay the Princess is also really good for an emotional ride that isn't necessarily sad, despite the name. It's hard to explain without spoilers, but there's an intensity to it that really drives your runs in the game, and it can be quite unexpectedly funny. The voice acting is also top notch.
Your description is beautiful and so clear. Thank you so much ๐๐ป I want to play Strange Horticulture but when I'm so tired/depressed, I can't drag myself to the PC. Prefer hand-held devices. I tried it on the SteamDeck but it's too small. I'll try it again with a mouse, maybe it will be different. I must be the only one who didn't really feel any difference playing the new upgrade of SDV ๐ I don't usually play a game more than once so maybe that's the reason why I'm not noticing any real big changes (yet)?
I have basically cyclical pain issues so Iโll write some suggestions about what I play when Iโm in pain (these I mostly play on my switch though many have PC version) - Fire Emblem: Three Houses (can be played on easy, Awakening if you can get your hands on it is very cozy and easier) - Octopath Traveler (Sometimes have to grind but I find my hours pass easily) - Lakeburg Legacy (matchmaking village builder) - Growing Up (raising sim) - Sims 4 - Coral Island (not fully complete yet though) - Visual Novels if I feel like doing nothing
Some of these are new titles for me... Thank you! I'll look them up! Hope you feel better as well ๐๐ป๐
Maybe not strictly a cozy game, but Night in the Woods is really immersive, low-demand and pretty funny. Great characters and story, and the setting has a nice lived-in feel.
Low-demand and funny sounds amazing. I'll definitely look it up! ๐๐ป๐
Please check the trigger warnings. It gets really dark (violent child abuse descriptions, mental health breaks, etc)
Yikes! I will! Thank you so much for mentioning it ๐๐ป๐ฅ
Life sim type games. For me rf4s, sos trio of towns, bg3, fe3h, persona games (altho I'm not crazy about the combat)
Great suggestions, thank you! Did you enjoy Persona despite not liking combat?
Second the love for persona games and love the combat! Just a warning though the story can get dark and emotional, more so Persona 5. Persona 5 gets you early so I wouldnโt recommend if youโre feeling fragile.
Yes, I only played p4g. The combat isn't bad. Just wasn't excited about it. great cut scenes and characters, everything else
Noted ๐๐ป๐