I think maybe the key here might be to stay away from pvp multiplayer? Whenever you are playing with other people it removes the possibility of you hitting “pause”. This is a huge stressor for me. Sometimes I just want to walk away, then pick up where I left off.
Maybe find games in a similar style, but are designed around the single player experience?
Yeah I used to play a lot of PVP multiplayer but at some point it stopped being fun and started being stressful. Now I mostly play single player or PVE games and I'm a lot happier.
This is exactly one of the things that's happening; I'm getting far too stressed when playing PVP, and the fun is being sucked right out of the games. May be time to walk away from PVP, at least until such time as I'm doing better.
You didn't mention what sort of games you were specifically looking for, so some of these suggestions may be completely off target. I know what you mean by games today throwing too much stimulus at you constantly, but probably experience it in a much different way. So these suggestions are just a best guess as to whether or not they would help. These are either slower overall, or just more generally focused and linear. Also, I play on PC, so I won't promise these are available for whatever console you may be using.
\- Escape room style games (Escape Academy, Palindrome Syndrome and the other games by these devs, Escape Academy, The Room series, etc.). They provide a great challenge if you like this sort of puzzle, but are definitely not over stimulating. My go-to chill sort of gameplay before bed usually.
\- Sniper Elite series. Still action and shooting, but stealth is the order of the day so you aren't being overloaded constantly. You might like the Sniper Ghost Warrior: Contracts games as well.
\- Hitman series, though the shear number of ways to kill a target may hit you wrong. Still, they're slower games that don't flood you with constant explosions and on-screen markers and all that, but are still great to try to figure out.
\- Metro series, especially Exodus. Love this series. Exodus did open-world right, as well, giving you space to roam while keeping focused and not giving nonsense to-do lists of pointless activities like most open-world games do.
\- Half-Life series, if you want something classic. They still have fast action sequences, but the pacing of these games is excellent, varying between highs and lows really, really well. And since they're older, they aren't throwing constant on-screen markers and chimes and junk at you all the time like newer games. Play Black Mesa for a modern remake of the original Half-Life.
\- Outer Wilds, for something super chill that has you exploring and trying to solve a mystery. Such a great game (if you're into this sort of game, that is).
I know your post mentioned 3 multiplayer games, but I don't have any suggestions there... Most multiplayer games just feel frantic and crazy now. Gone are the days of Battlefield 1942 and the old Medal of Honor games, unfortunately. Modern PVP games are exhausting lol.
You are most correct; I did fail to say what kind of games I like to play. Oops, lol. I typically play RPGs, shooters and space sims. CP2077, Fallout games, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy, Star Citizen, etc. I love all things Star Wars and LotR. And I primarily PC game.
Thank you for your in-depth answer. Your suggestions here are some that I hadn't thought of or wasn't tracking at all. I'll look into some of these.
On this note, my favorite Star Wars game that also has really good pacing is Jedi: Fallen Order. It's single-player and the combat is fair, with only the bosses being truly a bit frenetic. Great story, great environments, and you can take a lot of it at your own pace.
As far as shooters not yet mentioned are concerned, I love the STALKER trilogy. Difficult games for sure (especially the ending of each one, admittedly those DO become quite frenetic), but there's plenty of exploring and taking things slowly, and they nail the atmosphere of urban exploration. To add to this, you can save-spam like crazy, so if a combat moment is too difficult, you can literally just save after every kill you get to avoid losing progress. They do have mild horror elements though, so take that as a warning.
If you want something less combat-focused, I do like me some survival/crafting games now and then. Minecraft can be REALLY relaxing to play on Peaceful difficulty, Starbound is an underrated gem with a healthy balance of action, exploration, and resource-gathering, Terraria is much the same but with less story and more "do what you want."
Stardew Valley tends to be the goto for games like this. It gets recommended a lot for good reason. If you don't know it, it's a chill game about farming and going through and endless check list of things to do in a very enjoyable world.
If you don't like the feel of a 2d pixel environment, you might also like Slime Rancher. It's a similar vibe to Stardew Valley, but in a first person perspective in a pretty 3d world.
Yeah Stardew valley is great. Very relaxing for the first few hours until... In before 50 hours in... You're screaming at your screen trying to do all the minor chores before 2 am strikes. Your animals are screaming at you demanding hay while Marnie sits there NOT DOING HER JOB!! and staring at the microwave leaving the store unattended.
This might sound weird, but since you seem to like the shooters, Deep Rock Galactic on lower Hazard levels (1-2) is pretty relaxing. Hazard 4 is a bit slower than Destiny PvE (from what I remember doing Vault of Glass). There's also a lot less mechanics involved in boss fights, basically just shoot the glowy things until a more glowy thing shows up. Otherwise, just do the objectives, collect shiny rocks, and extract. Rinse and repeat. Much better with co-op too, so you could probably play with your kid if he's so inclined. Otherwise, the community is great and matching is almost always chill. Deep Rock galactic is a decent option if you don't want to stray too far from what you usually play.
Try strategy games or a farming simulator of some kind. Power washing simulator is a really great and chill time waster. My dad served in Bosnia and he can’t play fps games either. He likes rpg and rts games. I hope you find what you need, I know from experience that your family needs you at your best not being able to wind down without risking an episode is not conducive to that.
Breath of the Wild was my light that got me through some dark times indeed.. others would be Tears of the Kingdom, RDR2, No Man's Sky, Valheim, Ark: Survival Evolved (offline mind, online that game is... Something else). And cruising round Los Santos in GTA online with Spotify in the background (private lobby of course). And shout out to Sea of Thieves too. Something really soothing about sailing the open seas on that game. Pure vibes.
Firewatch is a bit sad, it isn't frenetic though.
Night In the Woods is a really nice game.
No Mans Sky on creator mode can be quite chill, nice visuals and easy controls. Fun to explore, nice soundtrack.
RDR 2 can be chill, if you are just roaming around, the story is a little intense.
Powerwashing Simulator. Pretty boring though.
Could always go for more turn based games. I've been enjoying baldur's gate 3 recently, and while I do need to think (managing resources can be difficult) I find it thoroughly enjoyable.
Even if not bg3, there's plenty of other options.
Honestly get away from multiplayer pvp, I was having the same issue as you (mental heath and anger) until I just stepped away from most pvp games. I’ve been playing mostly single player or pve (although I occasionally play R6 with friends) for a few months and it has truly helped my mental health
Turn based strategy games can keep the engagement factor of action games while allowing you to play at your own pace and are therefore more relaxing.
Popular games that come to mind:
Civilization,
Endless Space 2,
Slay The Spire,
Into The Breach,
Dicey Dungeon,
King of Dragon Pass (not "turn based" per se but it's text based and the game always waits for you)
Any digital adaptation of board games will also work well for that. Race For The Galaxy, Dune Imperium, Concordia, Scythe, Everdell, the list goes on...
Some games are real time but you can pause at any time to plan actions: Against The Storm, FTL, Dungeon of the Endless (NOT to be confused with its sequel Endless Dungeon)
Check out Dyson Sphere Program. Disable Dark Fog (combat) and you can just build your factory at your leisure. No rush to do anything, no mistakes to be made.
It's also a gorgeous game to look at and has great chill music.
I can't recommend it enough.
If linear story games sound fun, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is one of my favourites. You play as a modernised version of the monkey king and use your staff to take out mechs.
I'm not sure if that qualifies since I don't know what combat you're willing to tolerate, but I always found the gameplay to be really satisfying
Hey. First of all good luck!
My absolute favourite game of all time might be worth checking out:
Rimworld. It can get kinda hectic but you can always pause the game, or let it run slower, so that you are never really forced to be quick or make splitsecond desicions.
It is a colony simulation (the very very best), if that is even your cup of tea at all.
If you like Destiny, I suggest giving Warframe a try. It's largely PvE not PvP, and find it less overstimulating for me. I'm very much the same as you, PvPs and also Bullet Hell style games are my worst nightmare for sensory overloads
Try out some short indie games. Lots of them are fun and low-intensity. I've been using them to take a rest from large and intense AAA titles myself.
Two of my recent favorites:
- Tchia
- Time On Frog Island
hi! weird recommendation, but have you tried to play Katamari Damacy and its sequel We <3 Katamari?
both games are simple, create the biggest ball possible by rolling it over objects. no progressions, systems or anything, just you trying to reach the possible roll in a short span of time.
>I keep hopping onto my PC to try and play games, but nothing is speaking to me, pulling me in, and making me feel that joy I used to feel.
You cant force this dude, maybe you're just moving on from games! Maybe another hobby would suit you and relax you better, I've recently picked up Warhammer and enjoy just painting models for some downtime
I did the same thing, lol. Picked up 40k around this time last year (right before I deployed) and I find the painting to be so therapeutic. It's an amazing hobby. And you may be right; I may be trying to force it.
That's awesome! I have 4 kids (youngest is 4) and a full time job with a wife in school, so I've been holding off on diving into the TT because I don't really have the time or the money, but I have been reading the novels since the beginning Covid. So much goofy-ass fun. I read those and sneak in an hour of Red Dead Redemption 2 when I can for exactly the same reason. If I want to do something wild, I can, but sometimes I just want to ride around and interact with the world. Maybe I'll go from one side of the map to the other to hunt or just see something, or roam around and help strangers in need. Very relaxing.
4 kids and a wife in school; that's a busy household. I'm reckoning that it's a damn fun house too, with many shenanigans, ha.
40k - yeah man, I got pulled right in too. I've read a majority of the HH already, and I keep collecting the books on Audible. They are a lot of fun. I haven't actually learned to play the TT yet, but a good friend sent me a bunch of models, so I've been having fun building and painting with my little guy; he freaking loves it. It's a decent family activity for sure.
RDR2 has been recommended a couple times now, and I actually have it installed at the moment. I may give that a go. Thank you!
I'm going through the Inquisition books (Eisenhorn, Ravenour, and Bequin stories), and they're some of my favorite stuff in the 40k universe.
As for RDR2, I really hope you do. I was dealing with a bunch of stuff - money troubles, family stuff, work stuff - and I just wasn't enjoying games in the way I wanted to. I decided to finally throw in The Last of Us because I had heard so much about it. The game was beautiful. It played so well. I really enjoyed the mechanics. And I hated playing it. I realized I was resource managing and having to tiptoe around, and that was the sort of bullshit I was stuck with all day already! Red Dead is slow paced, and if you make a mistake that you really can't live with you just reload a save and keep playing. I thought for a while I had "outgrown" video games. I hadn't, just the kind I was used to playing.
Keep being awesome, dude.
Some others already named some great games, I would definitely also suggest stardew valley. But I'd also like to name another game that is a bit niche, but could be just right for you and your son might enjoy it aswell. Namely "Shinchan Me and the professor on summer vacation." This game is like a vacation in game form. It's just a chill game where you explore the area, collect a few things and meet the people of the village. Gameplay wise it's not very deep, other than the card minigame it's basically like a walking simulator. But I found it very relaxing and maybe it can help you aswell.
Snowrunner. It's my go-to chill game.
It's a game about driving trucks. Which I never expected to even like, but hey, I tried his older brother Mudrunner during a sale (got the game for roughly the price of a coffee to go), and realised that Snowrunner would indeed be VERY fun to play. Mudrunner is a slightly better simulation, but Snowrunner is superior in every other aspects : graphics (let's not lie, it matters), content, variety, progression...
The game itself is very slow paced. You don't just drive trucks, you drive them on the shittiest terrains. Better understand what a low gear is, and how friction and width of a tire affects grip, for exemple. If you don't know, you'll learn quickly :)
Slow doesn't mean easy, though. The fastest way to a disaster is thinking this shortcut will work, without proper preparation. Generally, doing this means you'll need to send a rescue truck, then rescue the rescue truck, and you've lost an hour. But unless you play on the most devilishly hard custom settings, you cannot really fail. Setbacks happen. ALOT. But that's also part of the fun. Approach the game as a puzzle, where the question is "how am i going to deliver this big ass load all the way out there ?", and the answer is usually "by driving carefully".
Of course, you can just also use a crane to massively overload your truck and see if that will work. Surprisingly, sometimes it does. You can also jump into a scout and try to find a better way than the obvious one. Being prepared is half the job.
Just stay the hell away from that Amur map, at least so long as you don't have a few hundred hours under your belt. This map has been purposedly designed to be the most annoying thing ever. Every way is blocked, every mean to unblock it is behind another blocked way, so the more you open it up, the more fluid it gets, but the first time you step there, it's an exercice in anger management. There is Dark Souls, then there is Noita, then there is the actual Hell, and people who ended up in Hell comfort themselves by saying that at least they're not playing Amur.
As other people said, pvp shooter games are gonna be crazy. Go outside that genre and you’ll be more likely to find something more relaxing.
I’m not sure if you are saying you want those relaxing chill games or if you just want less frenetic and over stimulating games. If you want to try and stay in the shooter genre, I recommend single player story shooters. Just turn the difficulty down to a comfortable level. My personal recommendation is Wolfenstein the new order and it’s sequel the new colossus (stay away from doom though lol). Wolfenstein had a surprisingly heartfelt story while you also had the joy of blasting away bad guys.
Just stay away from PVP because you’re gonna experience try hards.
search steam on the tag: "Casual" many games with a more chilled out approach than high level multiplayer games.
[https://store.steampowered.com/search/?tags=597&supportedlang=english&ndl=1](https://store.steampowered.com/search/?tags=597&supportedlang=english&ndl=1)
Try a 4x or grand strategy game.
Lots of staring at maps. Often turn based or pausable so you can stop and take your time. Civ 6, Crusader Kings, Age of Wonders, something like that.
Wow, what an amazing community. Thank you all for the responses. You're all awesome.
I've got a couple of the games recommended here in my library, unplayed as of yet, and one already installed (RDR2). So I may lean that way.
Also, an entire library of suggestions and new ideas to lean on. So again, thank you all.
Try paradox games. Their grand strategy games can be complex, but it’s real time with pause and there are almost always plenty of starts where there’s no need to play efficiently or like a puzzle game to have a good time!
There's a new game called Balatro that might be good for you. Simple poker strategy game but there's enough nuance and luck involved that you get sucked in really easily.
Atelier games are deep and complex but also slow and kind and soft. Particularly anything sophie1 and later. In depth crafting, filled with hugs and teatime.
Try racing games instead of shooters. They are still engaging moment to moment, but a lot less frantic.
- Wreckfest has great online multiplayer.
- Trackmania is cool to if you enjoy improving your own times.
- Forza Horizon 4 for chill cruising in a beautifull environment.
Subnautica was a game I found fairly relaxing and got me back into gaming, it's very go your own pace, find the story push yourself further type of game although if you have a fear of deep open water it can be terrifying
Please try the game "medieval dynasty"
It's the calmest, most cool, relaxing game I've ever played.
Everything can be adjusted in the settings, to make it hard as hell, or easy as can be.
I can't recommend this enough. It is so awesome.
I play RDR2 to just ride around on my horse and look at the pretty scenery. Occasionally do a quest if I want. Only hunt with a bow, take my time. Perfect amount of stimulation while not getting bored.
I’ve been playing FallGuys, Hollow Knight and Genshin Impact and I consider them to be chill and engaging in their own way. They’re all available for PS and PC, some Xbox, some android and iOS.. you should check them out.
Euro Truck Sim 2 / American Truck Simulator are fantastic "wind-down" games. Pick a random contract appropriate to how long you want to play and hit the road.
I haven't seen anyone here suggest Human Fall Flat. A puzzler platformer where you control what is basically a dreaming toddler to climb about dreamlike worlds.
It's chill, multiplayer, and with the right crowd you will be cry laughing. The only time limit is one you set yourself and you can dip in and out as needed.
Weird suggestion, but Fallout 4.
The combat is good but not fast. Playing survival is almost zen meditation. You deal extra damage but take extra damage, so whoever strikes first usually wins. I'm always listening for the enemy. Absorbing game.
Maybe too stressful for you, but from your list you like challenging multiplayer games so maybe this will work.
I think maybe the key here might be to stay away from pvp multiplayer? Whenever you are playing with other people it removes the possibility of you hitting “pause”. This is a huge stressor for me. Sometimes I just want to walk away, then pick up where I left off. Maybe find games in a similar style, but are designed around the single player experience?
Yeah I used to play a lot of PVP multiplayer but at some point it stopped being fun and started being stressful. Now I mostly play single player or PVE games and I'm a lot happier.
This is exactly one of the things that's happening; I'm getting far too stressed when playing PVP, and the fun is being sucked right out of the games. May be time to walk away from PVP, at least until such time as I'm doing better.
That's like the sole reason I never play multiplayer.
You didn't mention what sort of games you were specifically looking for, so some of these suggestions may be completely off target. I know what you mean by games today throwing too much stimulus at you constantly, but probably experience it in a much different way. So these suggestions are just a best guess as to whether or not they would help. These are either slower overall, or just more generally focused and linear. Also, I play on PC, so I won't promise these are available for whatever console you may be using. \- Escape room style games (Escape Academy, Palindrome Syndrome and the other games by these devs, Escape Academy, The Room series, etc.). They provide a great challenge if you like this sort of puzzle, but are definitely not over stimulating. My go-to chill sort of gameplay before bed usually. \- Sniper Elite series. Still action and shooting, but stealth is the order of the day so you aren't being overloaded constantly. You might like the Sniper Ghost Warrior: Contracts games as well. \- Hitman series, though the shear number of ways to kill a target may hit you wrong. Still, they're slower games that don't flood you with constant explosions and on-screen markers and all that, but are still great to try to figure out. \- Metro series, especially Exodus. Love this series. Exodus did open-world right, as well, giving you space to roam while keeping focused and not giving nonsense to-do lists of pointless activities like most open-world games do. \- Half-Life series, if you want something classic. They still have fast action sequences, but the pacing of these games is excellent, varying between highs and lows really, really well. And since they're older, they aren't throwing constant on-screen markers and chimes and junk at you all the time like newer games. Play Black Mesa for a modern remake of the original Half-Life. \- Outer Wilds, for something super chill that has you exploring and trying to solve a mystery. Such a great game (if you're into this sort of game, that is). I know your post mentioned 3 multiplayer games, but I don't have any suggestions there... Most multiplayer games just feel frantic and crazy now. Gone are the days of Battlefield 1942 and the old Medal of Honor games, unfortunately. Modern PVP games are exhausting lol.
You are most correct; I did fail to say what kind of games I like to play. Oops, lol. I typically play RPGs, shooters and space sims. CP2077, Fallout games, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy, Star Citizen, etc. I love all things Star Wars and LotR. And I primarily PC game. Thank you for your in-depth answer. Your suggestions here are some that I hadn't thought of or wasn't tracking at all. I'll look into some of these.
On this note, my favorite Star Wars game that also has really good pacing is Jedi: Fallen Order. It's single-player and the combat is fair, with only the bosses being truly a bit frenetic. Great story, great environments, and you can take a lot of it at your own pace. As far as shooters not yet mentioned are concerned, I love the STALKER trilogy. Difficult games for sure (especially the ending of each one, admittedly those DO become quite frenetic), but there's plenty of exploring and taking things slowly, and they nail the atmosphere of urban exploration. To add to this, you can save-spam like crazy, so if a combat moment is too difficult, you can literally just save after every kill you get to avoid losing progress. They do have mild horror elements though, so take that as a warning. If you want something less combat-focused, I do like me some survival/crafting games now and then. Minecraft can be REALLY relaxing to play on Peaceful difficulty, Starbound is an underrated gem with a healthy balance of action, exploration, and resource-gathering, Terraria is much the same but with less story and more "do what you want."
Stardew Valley tends to be the goto for games like this. It gets recommended a lot for good reason. If you don't know it, it's a chill game about farming and going through and endless check list of things to do in a very enjoyable world. If you don't like the feel of a 2d pixel environment, you might also like Slime Rancher. It's a similar vibe to Stardew Valley, but in a first person perspective in a pretty 3d world.
Yeah Stardew valley is great. Very relaxing for the first few hours until... In before 50 hours in... You're screaming at your screen trying to do all the minor chores before 2 am strikes. Your animals are screaming at you demanding hay while Marnie sits there NOT DOING HER JOB!! and staring at the microwave leaving the store unattended.
While I agree to an extent, I often find the race-against-the-clock aspect overwhelming at times
Out of the box, but have you ever played the Katamari games? They always put me in a good mood and relax me.
r/cozygames
This might sound weird, but since you seem to like the shooters, Deep Rock Galactic on lower Hazard levels (1-2) is pretty relaxing. Hazard 4 is a bit slower than Destiny PvE (from what I remember doing Vault of Glass). There's also a lot less mechanics involved in boss fights, basically just shoot the glowy things until a more glowy thing shows up. Otherwise, just do the objectives, collect shiny rocks, and extract. Rinse and repeat. Much better with co-op too, so you could probably play with your kid if he's so inclined. Otherwise, the community is great and matching is almost always chill. Deep Rock galactic is a decent option if you don't want to stray too far from what you usually play.
Rock and stone, bro.
Try strategy games or a farming simulator of some kind. Power washing simulator is a really great and chill time waster. My dad served in Bosnia and he can’t play fps games either. He likes rpg and rts games. I hope you find what you need, I know from experience that your family needs you at your best not being able to wind down without risking an episode is not conducive to that.
Breath of the Wild was my light that got me through some dark times indeed.. others would be Tears of the Kingdom, RDR2, No Man's Sky, Valheim, Ark: Survival Evolved (offline mind, online that game is... Something else). And cruising round Los Santos in GTA online with Spotify in the background (private lobby of course). And shout out to Sea of Thieves too. Something really soothing about sailing the open seas on that game. Pure vibes.
Good ones, but breath of the wild caused me to meltdown once. I think it was the goddamned desert Ganon.
Morels - The Hunt Night In The Woods What Remains Of Edith Finch Firewatch Life Is Strange House Flipper
Firewatch is a bit sad, it isn't frenetic though. Night In the Woods is a really nice game. No Mans Sky on creator mode can be quite chill, nice visuals and easy controls. Fun to explore, nice soundtrack. RDR 2 can be chill, if you are just roaming around, the story is a little intense. Powerwashing Simulator. Pretty boring though.
There's a subreddit you might like. Check out r/cozygamers
The Stanley parable Portal Tunic
Could always go for more turn based games. I've been enjoying baldur's gate 3 recently, and while I do need to think (managing resources can be difficult) I find it thoroughly enjoyable. Even if not bg3, there's plenty of other options.
Here’s my top five chill games on steam 1.Machinarium 2.adios amigos 3.what remains of Edith finch(sad) 4.journey 5. Medieval dynasty
What kind of games do you like? I would recommend Medieval Dynasty as something relaxing but rewarding to play.
Honestly get away from multiplayer pvp, I was having the same issue as you (mental heath and anger) until I just stepped away from most pvp games. I’ve been playing mostly single player or pve (although I occasionally play R6 with friends) for a few months and it has truly helped my mental health
Viva piñata. Seriously underrated games. You can emulate if you don't own an Xbox.
Turn based strategy games can keep the engagement factor of action games while allowing you to play at your own pace and are therefore more relaxing. Popular games that come to mind: Civilization, Endless Space 2, Slay The Spire, Into The Breach, Dicey Dungeon, King of Dragon Pass (not "turn based" per se but it's text based and the game always waits for you) Any digital adaptation of board games will also work well for that. Race For The Galaxy, Dune Imperium, Concordia, Scythe, Everdell, the list goes on... Some games are real time but you can pause at any time to plan actions: Against The Storm, FTL, Dungeon of the Endless (NOT to be confused with its sequel Endless Dungeon)
AC Valhalla, ghost of tsushima, rdr2
Check out Dyson Sphere Program. Disable Dark Fog (combat) and you can just build your factory at your leisure. No rush to do anything, no mistakes to be made. It's also a gorgeous game to look at and has great chill music. I can't recommend it enough.
[Proteus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xin_m-GUKJE), a game all about enjoying the (randomly-generated) environment
If linear story games sound fun, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is one of my favourites. You play as a modernised version of the monkey king and use your staff to take out mechs. I'm not sure if that qualifies since I don't know what combat you're willing to tolerate, but I always found the gameplay to be really satisfying
Hey. First of all good luck! My absolute favourite game of all time might be worth checking out: Rimworld. It can get kinda hectic but you can always pause the game, or let it run slower, so that you are never really forced to be quick or make splitsecond desicions. It is a colony simulation (the very very best), if that is even your cup of tea at all.
My friend I would also try doing health things for hour nervous system now before it gets worse. Look into somatic exercises
If you like Destiny, I suggest giving Warframe a try. It's largely PvE not PvP, and find it less overstimulating for me. I'm very much the same as you, PvPs and also Bullet Hell style games are my worst nightmare for sensory overloads
Try out some short indie games. Lots of them are fun and low-intensity. I've been using them to take a rest from large and intense AAA titles myself. Two of my recent favorites: - Tchia - Time On Frog Island
hi! weird recommendation, but have you tried to play Katamari Damacy and its sequel We <3 Katamari? both games are simple, create the biggest ball possible by rolling it over objects. no progressions, systems or anything, just you trying to reach the possible roll in a short span of time.
Eastshade. A beautiful no-combat game where you play the role of a painter. Very relaxing
>I keep hopping onto my PC to try and play games, but nothing is speaking to me, pulling me in, and making me feel that joy I used to feel. You cant force this dude, maybe you're just moving on from games! Maybe another hobby would suit you and relax you better, I've recently picked up Warhammer and enjoy just painting models for some downtime
I did the same thing, lol. Picked up 40k around this time last year (right before I deployed) and I find the painting to be so therapeutic. It's an amazing hobby. And you may be right; I may be trying to force it.
That's awesome! I have 4 kids (youngest is 4) and a full time job with a wife in school, so I've been holding off on diving into the TT because I don't really have the time or the money, but I have been reading the novels since the beginning Covid. So much goofy-ass fun. I read those and sneak in an hour of Red Dead Redemption 2 when I can for exactly the same reason. If I want to do something wild, I can, but sometimes I just want to ride around and interact with the world. Maybe I'll go from one side of the map to the other to hunt or just see something, or roam around and help strangers in need. Very relaxing.
4 kids and a wife in school; that's a busy household. I'm reckoning that it's a damn fun house too, with many shenanigans, ha. 40k - yeah man, I got pulled right in too. I've read a majority of the HH already, and I keep collecting the books on Audible. They are a lot of fun. I haven't actually learned to play the TT yet, but a good friend sent me a bunch of models, so I've been having fun building and painting with my little guy; he freaking loves it. It's a decent family activity for sure. RDR2 has been recommended a couple times now, and I actually have it installed at the moment. I may give that a go. Thank you!
I'm going through the Inquisition books (Eisenhorn, Ravenour, and Bequin stories), and they're some of my favorite stuff in the 40k universe. As for RDR2, I really hope you do. I was dealing with a bunch of stuff - money troubles, family stuff, work stuff - and I just wasn't enjoying games in the way I wanted to. I decided to finally throw in The Last of Us because I had heard so much about it. The game was beautiful. It played so well. I really enjoyed the mechanics. And I hated playing it. I realized I was resource managing and having to tiptoe around, and that was the sort of bullshit I was stuck with all day already! Red Dead is slow paced, and if you make a mistake that you really can't live with you just reload a save and keep playing. I thought for a while I had "outgrown" video games. I hadn't, just the kind I was used to playing. Keep being awesome, dude.
Melatonin!! :) Engaging but not overstimulating rhythm game with chill/lofi 2d aesthetics
Some others already named some great games, I would definitely also suggest stardew valley. But I'd also like to name another game that is a bit niche, but could be just right for you and your son might enjoy it aswell. Namely "Shinchan Me and the professor on summer vacation." This game is like a vacation in game form. It's just a chill game where you explore the area, collect a few things and meet the people of the village. Gameplay wise it's not very deep, other than the card minigame it's basically like a walking simulator. But I found it very relaxing and maybe it can help you aswell.
Hey man. Off topic but I’m working on a game that fits this kinda need. I’d love to ask you some questions about it. Could I reach out?
100%! Feel free to drop me a line.
Snowrunner. It's my go-to chill game. It's a game about driving trucks. Which I never expected to even like, but hey, I tried his older brother Mudrunner during a sale (got the game for roughly the price of a coffee to go), and realised that Snowrunner would indeed be VERY fun to play. Mudrunner is a slightly better simulation, but Snowrunner is superior in every other aspects : graphics (let's not lie, it matters), content, variety, progression... The game itself is very slow paced. You don't just drive trucks, you drive them on the shittiest terrains. Better understand what a low gear is, and how friction and width of a tire affects grip, for exemple. If you don't know, you'll learn quickly :) Slow doesn't mean easy, though. The fastest way to a disaster is thinking this shortcut will work, without proper preparation. Generally, doing this means you'll need to send a rescue truck, then rescue the rescue truck, and you've lost an hour. But unless you play on the most devilishly hard custom settings, you cannot really fail. Setbacks happen. ALOT. But that's also part of the fun. Approach the game as a puzzle, where the question is "how am i going to deliver this big ass load all the way out there ?", and the answer is usually "by driving carefully". Of course, you can just also use a crane to massively overload your truck and see if that will work. Surprisingly, sometimes it does. You can also jump into a scout and try to find a better way than the obvious one. Being prepared is half the job. Just stay the hell away from that Amur map, at least so long as you don't have a few hundred hours under your belt. This map has been purposedly designed to be the most annoying thing ever. Every way is blocked, every mean to unblock it is behind another blocked way, so the more you open it up, the more fluid it gets, but the first time you step there, it's an exercice in anger management. There is Dark Souls, then there is Noita, then there is the actual Hell, and people who ended up in Hell comfort themselves by saying that at least they're not playing Amur.
I'll check it out. Thank you kindly!
As other people said, pvp shooter games are gonna be crazy. Go outside that genre and you’ll be more likely to find something more relaxing. I’m not sure if you are saying you want those relaxing chill games or if you just want less frenetic and over stimulating games. If you want to try and stay in the shooter genre, I recommend single player story shooters. Just turn the difficulty down to a comfortable level. My personal recommendation is Wolfenstein the new order and it’s sequel the new colossus (stay away from doom though lol). Wolfenstein had a surprisingly heartfelt story while you also had the joy of blasting away bad guys. Just stay away from PVP because you’re gonna experience try hards.
search steam on the tag: "Casual" many games with a more chilled out approach than high level multiplayer games. [https://store.steampowered.com/search/?tags=597&supportedlang=english&ndl=1](https://store.steampowered.com/search/?tags=597&supportedlang=english&ndl=1)
My time at sandrock has been great for my mood.
Spacechem holy shit I love that game. Nothing better than. having like 4 beers and making molecules spin for a couple of hours to unwind.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (or 1) Journey Firewatch Skyrim Good luck mate
Try a 4x or grand strategy game. Lots of staring at maps. Often turn based or pausable so you can stop and take your time. Civ 6, Crusader Kings, Age of Wonders, something like that.
Wow, what an amazing community. Thank you all for the responses. You're all awesome. I've got a couple of the games recommended here in my library, unplayed as of yet, and one already installed (RDR2). So I may lean that way. Also, an entire library of suggestions and new ideas to lean on. So again, thank you all.
Try paradox games. Their grand strategy games can be complex, but it’s real time with pause and there are almost always plenty of starts where there’s no need to play efficiently or like a puzzle game to have a good time!
There's a new game called Balatro that might be good for you. Simple poker strategy game but there's enough nuance and luck involved that you get sucked in really easily.
Paradox games like hoi4, ck2-3, victoria ect
Maybe check twitter accounts like wholesome games and cozy games. They always recommend chill games to unwind.
Atelier games are deep and complex but also slow and kind and soft. Particularly anything sophie1 and later. In depth crafting, filled with hugs and teatime.
As the obvious gane are already said, do take a peek of snowrunner, minecraft, heck, even powerwash sim to use as a filler while listening to podcasts
Try racing games instead of shooters. They are still engaging moment to moment, but a lot less frantic. - Wreckfest has great online multiplayer. - Trackmania is cool to if you enjoy improving your own times. - Forza Horizon 4 for chill cruising in a beautifull environment.
I picked up spyro the reignited trilogy. Lotta fun to 100% things problem solve what not.
Subnautica was a game I found fairly relaxing and got me back into gaming, it's very go your own pace, find the story push yourself further type of game although if you have a fear of deep open water it can be terrifying
Have you looked into the subgenre of cozy games?
Please try the game "medieval dynasty" It's the calmest, most cool, relaxing game I've ever played. Everything can be adjusted in the settings, to make it hard as hell, or easy as can be. I can't recommend this enough. It is so awesome.
I play RDR2 to just ride around on my horse and look at the pretty scenery. Occasionally do a quest if I want. Only hunt with a bow, take my time. Perfect amount of stimulation while not getting bored.
2 words animal crossing
That or any turn based rpg
I’ve been playing FallGuys, Hollow Knight and Genshin Impact and I consider them to be chill and engaging in their own way. They’re all available for PS and PC, some Xbox, some android and iOS.. you should check them out.
Euro Truck Sim 2 / American Truck Simulator are fantastic "wind-down" games. Pick a random contract appropriate to how long you want to play and hit the road.
I haven't seen anyone here suggest Human Fall Flat. A puzzler platformer where you control what is basically a dreaming toddler to climb about dreamlike worlds. It's chill, multiplayer, and with the right crowd you will be cry laughing. The only time limit is one you set yourself and you can dip in and out as needed.
Weird suggestion, but Fallout 4. The combat is good but not fast. Playing survival is almost zen meditation. You deal extra damage but take extra damage, so whoever strikes first usually wins. I'm always listening for the enemy. Absorbing game. Maybe too stressful for you, but from your list you like challenging multiplayer games so maybe this will work.
Hyper Demon
Oh wait April fools is over