Comfort games?
Comfort games?
With gaming often bringing me into a really depressive headspace sometimes with how the markets are developing, whats a game you can always go to and just be lost in, or just be happy with?
Personally i would go for advance wars 1 and 2 on the gba (there is no remake and never will be)
the artstyle, the music, the game-play is just simple, yet effective, a sublime experience of very fun times.
Whats yours?
Minecraft. It's just a nice game to get lost in.
Star Wars: Racer - I know every track by heart at this point, have it on my Switch and still play quite a bit. Amazing flow state game.
Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 - absolute classic and the nostalgia I get from playing is unmatched
Age of Empires 2 - the music is just muah
KotoR - Best Star Wars game ever made next to Dark Forces 2 and Jedi Outcast
Try not to have an overly rosy retrospection about this. There were plenty of crappy, cash-grabby games in decades past. We just don't remember them because they were crappy, cash-grabby, and not worth remembering. They hadn't invented microtransactions yet, but that's just one more flavor of crappiness.
Portal. I've played through it enough times that I can complete it in a little under 20 minutes. I'm not very good at games but there are a lot of fun and easy tricks to run through it quickly. Playing it a bunch of times is relaxing and fun for me.
Power wash simulator. Feels good to clean.
Old school point and click adventures. They tend to be lighthearted, you can't really "lose" in the sense that would generate anger/stress, and the stories tend to be quite good. LucasArts adventures in particular are good for this
I'm surprised Katamari Damacy hasn't been mentioned yet. Both that game and its sequel, "We Love Katamari," have been remastered in recent years (in fact, the sequel just came out last week) and they're a joy to play.
The game has all that OP mentions... Quirky art style, awesome music, simple tactile gameplay, and just overall a relaxing and fun time.
For me that'll be Stardew Valley. I can just zone out to the really nice music. Also a few years ago I used to have Planetside 2 in that rotation. I was kinda bad but with the MMO aspect, I could always run somewhere for the objectives and have fun. Finally, I like Trackmania to discover new tracks and just chill.
Over the past years I've played a lot of relaxing indie- and open source games. The ones that really stuck with me were Eqilinox (Steam), Endless Sky (homepage, open source) and Veloren (homepage, open source).
Bonus game which just came to my mind: Slime Rancher (Steam) was a really fun, too!
Stardew Valley comes to mind right away, but I think it applies to all titles after you get the hang of it, with the exception of heavily RNG-based games like Risk of Rain 2, Hades, Dead Cells where you have to be alert almost all the time. Currently I'm enjoying playing Red Dead Redemption 2. Definitely a comfort game just riding your horse around.
Stardew Valley or Borderlands.
super Mario galaxy for sure
When I was very young I had something wrong with my nose and I couldn’t breathe so I had to get surgery
When I left the hospital my parents said I could get a game to play while I couldn’t go to school for a week and I chose super Mario galaxy
I played the shit out of that game and it just has such a calming positive vibe, like everything is gonna be ok
That game is a part of me, I love it so much
… that or left 4 dead 2
I have a few, Skyrim is my biggest one. I basically maladaptive daydream Skyrim. If I'm feeling bad I play through it in my head. Some others are No Mans Sky, Vampire Survivors, and generally pixel games are always really comforting to me. I also like to go back and play dragon fable sometimes when I need some nostalgia.
-
Factorio
-
Deep Rock Galactic (lower difficulties)
-
Risk of Rain 2
-
OSRS (stay tf away from the general community, skill n' chill)
Games I used to play more for that comfy feel
-
Minecraft (discovering cool new things in overhaul mods is just neat, probably need to figure out how to get my account back after the Microsoft stuff)
-
TF2 Community Servers of the hyper casual variety, running in circles all day shootin' dudes is just fun.
-
Stardew Valley. Pretty much the community I wish I could live in.
Stardew valley, Minecraft, and the Sims 3 are historically my go-to games when I'm looking to lose myself. But my most played game by the hours is prison architect, followed closely by dworfromantic.
At the moment I'd probably say: Minecraft, Celeste, Vampire Survivors, Hollow Knight, and the Valve single-player games like Half-Life 1/2 and Portal 2.
Factorio, mostly. I can play it slowly and methodically with an audiobook when I want to, or throw my brain into it and build a beautiful large processing plant when I need to. Sometimes it's an exercise in fighting personal demons of paralyizing choice and breaking down overwhelming tasks.
Second is Rimworld. Getting lost in the drama of my colony is an effective escape from the world.
I have no game to contribute here, but wanted to say thanks for the thread and those who replied.
My go to game has ways been WoW (lately Wotlk classic). However last night I had to put my crying kid to bed who's about 1 week post surgery (he's ok and will be ok), logged on 20 min late to raid time, had no spot (I get it, I do, I was late with no comma), and just off the weight of the week was feeling a bit numb.
I opened Steam to see if I could play something else and just stared at my library of unplayed games for an hour and picked nothing.
Sorry that's all quite sad. I'm ok. My kid is ok. But my overall point is, this thread has given me some ideas of what to play instead of WoW. And for that, thanks!
In order of comfort:
- Rust on a PvE server (I happen to host one, they're rare xD)
- RimWorld
- Vampire Survivors
- Factorio
- Sid Meier's Covert Action
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)
Lately I've also really been enjoying Sheltered 2.
Transport Tycoon, using OpenTTD. If you've never played it you can download OpenTTD and use their graphics, sounds, and music replacement sets to play it for free. However as I own the base game I like to keep the original music as it helps to drive the nostalgia.
I love Doom, and I've been playing it since I first got hold of the shareware episode, but when I really need a comfort game it's almost always Transport Tycoon.
Stardew valley. Its not the type.of game I usually play, but for some reason whenever I feel down, just the sinple game play and music is very soothing.
Rimworld- I can and have lost hours managing my little space colony. You can make it as action oriented as you want, so if I want to focus on building my base and farming then I can switch off the raids for example.
I also love Two Point Hospital - so relaxing as there's no firm end point to levels, you can keep going if you want.
Townscaper or Islands & Trains. Just totally chill and fun, no goals or time limits or anything. Just hang out and build what seems neat to you.
Modded dwarf fortress. I've always been a bit of a baby, so I mod out the invasions and aquifers. It's almost like watching ants work once it all gets going.
Of course the right answer will alway be Roller Coaster Tycoon! Combined with this: https://openrct2.org/ ... calm and peaceful bliss.
!!! Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Easily in my top 3 games holy shit they're so good
!!! Hogwarts Legacy
!!! Control (if you're into 3rd person shooter with powers and a neat story)
!!! 7 days to die is probably my most addicted to game. (it's zombies) but imo way more fun with friends
Age of Empires II HD is a classic if you're into RTS (but I go brainless overpowered farming mode lol)
Any of the Assassins Creed games (I like 2,3,origins,odyssey,and Valhalla the most) if you want some stealth and fun combat
Walking sims:
- the first tree
- !! lost ember
- spirit of the north
Cozy adventure/puzzle games:
- !! rime
- !! the last campfire
- pumpkin jack (super fun gameplay)
I always prefer to play with people. If I do:
- 7 days to die(as mentioned)
- valheim
- portal 2
- it takes two
- ibb & obb
- shift happens
Any of the Yakuza games for me! I love the feeling of walking around Kamurocho or Sotenbori and just trying different arcade games, karaoke, food, baseball etc 😊 the ambience and overall vibe is so nice (even if you do have to beat up random thugs every few minutes). Also, there are so many (very long) games in the series that there's always something new for me to try
rimworld - so many different things to make your pawns do - endless mods as well. recently picked up factorio, still getting used to it but it looks like a fabulous timesink
As others have already touched upon, I think the Zelda series is masterful (pun semi-intended) at this.
I can't count how many times I've replayed through Ocarina of Time just to relax and vibe. These games really excel at creating little moments of catharsis.
I used to spend hours in OOT just hanging around Kakariko or Lon Lon Ranch or soaking in the ambiance of the Forest Temple.
Or hanging outside the Stock Pot Inn in the morning, waiting for it to open in Majora's Mask.
Or floating around on the Great Sea in Wind Waker.
Or taking Marin down to the beach in Link's Awakening.
And so on, up through the BotW/TotK era.
Rimworld, honestly. I've logged 3k hours already. Probably have closer to 4k, if I had had the moolah for the game when I pirated it. It's the game I play when I don't really feel like playing something sweaty, just load up my latest colony and drink coffee or have my breakfast while watching my colonists go about their work. I just ended a 23 year colony based on aztec, kemetic, hellenic and solarpunk themes, due to mod conflicts making advancing a hassle. I've since cleaned up my modlist and I'm running a... Hm, dunno how to describe it. Monastic bounty hunters colony ig. Rootin tootin prayin magic cowboys in the desert.
Recently I picked Tunic as well as a chill game. It's pretty fun!
Morrowind and Mario Maker 2.
Either Stardew Valley (for the chill vibe and calming soundtrack) or Old School RuneScape (for the massive nostalgia bomb)
Subnautica.
When I'm not running for my life from creatures trying to kill me then ambiance is actually very chill. Something about being in a giant ocean. Not to mention the soundtrack is pretty chill. And the environments are cool as heck!
Minecraft and Stardew Valley.
GTA San Andreas brings back so many memories for me. There was a specific summer, when I was 12 years old, that I spent hours just driving around listening to music. I really wish rockstar would do an actual remaster of this game instead of whatever they crapped out.
Super Mario kart and the original doom. I can play either of those games at any point and always have fun. There are newer games in both of those series, and I do love them too, but if I want some comfort gaming it's the originals for me.
This might sound weird but Dark Souls 1 does give me a certain level of comfort, not sure what that says about me lol. I haven't played it in a while but back then, creating new builds and trying out new weapons was really fun, and I got very accustomed to the game's mechanics and it's general progression and pathing. I could run through the whole game without even thinking about it. I'll still go back to it every now and again and it still gives me that comfortable nostalgic feeling.
Probably strange to call them comfort games but I've played them so many times they've become comfort games: Mass Effect trilogy, Dragon Age games, KOTOR and KOTOR II, and even SWTOR.
Yes, I recognise I have a BioWare bias but honestly no games feel like theirs. I hope they stick around for a long time and manage to claw their way back to being a trusted RPG maker.
I think the familiar world building, the fantastic characters, the cinematic conversations, dialogue options all make it comforting to me. And they're my happiest gaming memories.
Death standing has been that game for me, I'm happy to just collect material to build or maintain roads.
Hmmm probably civilisation is the one that I always go back to… but for pure comfort warm fuzzies - animal crossing.
As well as just being a nice, no pressure game it’s also associated in my mind with when my little boy was born. Spent many sleepless nights & mornings with our newborn snoozing in my lap while I played to keep myself awake. It was perfect as it’s such a nice gentle game.
In addition to RimWorld, I would say Deep Rock Galactic has never even once left me in a worse mood after playing it. Every time I boot it up, I cannot stop admiring the love and care GSG has put into their game and almost all of it for free. The only monetisation in this game is purely cosmetic, but they make sure that the stuff you can get through gameplay alone doesn't look worse than the stuff you pay real money for. Add on top of that the awesome gameplay, atmosphere and community and you got a game that pretty much never fails to lift you up.
If shooting native lifeforms as an exploited space miner isn't quite your mood right now, you could also try Tchia. Super pretty and lovely game, although I suspect it doesn't offer too much replayability, once you completed it. But the same could be said for Okami and that is the game I first say when asked what my favorite game is.
My first go to games for this would be Pokémon Red/Blue/Yellow. I played those so much as a kid, and the nostalgia is wonderful.
Others that are high on my list would be Stardew Valley, Valheim, and one I don’t think I’ve seen mentioned yet - Satisfactory.
Definitely Minecraft. Old Pokemon games as well. Just something about the grind is therapeutic
Me and my wife just finished It Takes Two. What an incredible game and story!
This is going to sound silly, but Clicker Heroes. There's nothing necessarily "comforting" about it in the classic sense, but I have ADD, depression, and anxiety. Putting that on and just mindlessly clicking and resource-managing allows me to focus just enough on that, without it needing my full attention, to be able to also sort through my otherwise incoherent strands of thoughts.
But going by art, music, experience, gameplay, etc, I guess I'd have to say Bastion from Supergiant Games. It's definitely up there as one of my favorite games of all time.
Slay the Spire is a big one. Casually smacking out wacky runs during a lunch break is the bee knees.
Brotato is good for this too, even if the game can be a bit repetitive. I wish it would grow even bigger with more items, more deep mechanics, more everything. Thank goodness there's modding.
As a kid, Alien versus Predator co-op survival maps were a big one. Mindless mayhem clears the mind like nothing else.
OG Star Wars Battlefront I & II.
Easy to just put on, play a few rounds and clear my head.
Simple & fun to play.Elite Dangerous in VR. I can really disconnect from the real world and just enjoy being a space-pirate bounty hunter.
Trombone Champ,
The game is a bit of a challenge at first. But even if you screw up, it's so fucking hilarious. I just love it. My wife hates it when I play it. But I adore the game.
PowerWash Simulator is another one that is actually pretty relaxing for me. Some of the DLC coming looks fun too.
Fallout: NV
Civilization 2 on PC. Play on easy, small map, raging barbarians, and just stomp on the PC.
Anything based on Kirby! The music, aesthetic, everything just makes me happy
Easily Path of Exile. There's something so relaxing about blowing up the entire screen with one flick of my wrist, and it really gets my endorphins flowing to minmax my stats using third party tools like Path of Building and testing out items on the trade site / changes to my skill tree to see how they'd affect my build.
To some people it sounds like work, but for me it hits that sweet spot of minmaxing and complexity that no other game really can.
Edit: I should also mention that I've been mostly playing on Steam Deck which has been a revelation for me. Endgame "alch and go" mapping is so perfect for the pick up and play style, only enhanced by having access to it from the couch/toilet.
I found gaming exacerbated my feelings of loneliness after many years of gaming daily. I also found the FOMO nature of a lot of games I was playing really took the enjoyment out of gaming.
Took a break in April (To watch lots of Star Trek) and only recently have had a few urges.
Hunt: Showdown may get picked up again and there are a couple of games coming that could be fun but we shall see.
I can always go for a game of Age of Empires 2. That game takes me back to my childhood.
For me it’s definitely Pokémon. When I was a kid I used to spend so much time just going through a million sapphire playthroughs. Even now if I’m having a bad day I’ll boot it up and play it a little.
Also special shoutout to factorio and stardew valley. It’s so easy to just lose all sense of time with those games lol
I simply cannot get over simcity 2000. forever in my heart
Cities Skylines tends to be the game I return to when I just need to chill for a bit. I'll come up with some silly idea for a city, fire up a map I haven't built on yet, and see what I can make work. There's no endgame, no goals aside from what I feel like doing, just a sandbox and some toys to play with.
Deus Ex, Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines, and Cyberpunk 2077. Like you said, they are games I like to get lost in, just walk/drive around in, soak in the ambience. I like to pretend I'm there; it's a great escape, like you said, comforting.
A Short Hike might be my favorite peacefull one. Or death stranding on a lower difficulty.
Depends, sometimes its a quiet peaceful game like Minecraft, as others have said. Sometimes its Civ, keeps my brain thinking the whole time usually. Sometimes its Postal 2 or a Saints Row or GTA. Depends ont he mood, do i want calm, do i want my brain to be forced to think, or do i just want to do awful things for a little bit to virtual people.
Cozy Grove or Wingspan, both pretty chill games with nice music.
Mine was Diablo 2 for the longest time. I could get my summon necromancer out and play fairly mindlessly. He'd have so many minions that nothing ever really hit me. He wasn't super overpowered, so he didn't kill fast, but it was a nice, lazy walkthrough kind of build. He did better in big open areas rather than corridors, so I'd play him in those even if that meant a lower chance of finding good gear.
Elder Scrolls games, especially Oblivion. But for all of them counts that after thousands of hours I still find new things, walking around the world is just great, the music amazing, the quality issues and bugs feel more silly in a fun way than breaking, and the lore feels like it is never ending.
Otherwise there is also The Sims. Similar weird lore, funky cartoony animation, and otherwise just a do whatever you feel like.
honestly any shoot em up or bullet heaven game. its nice and cathartic to blow up a fleet of spaceships in super galaxy squadron or mow down a thousand monsters in vampire survivors.
Minecraft, oblivion, fable, shadow of the colossus, dkc trilogy on SNES, virtually any Zelda game, final fantasy tactics
It'll be an odd one compared to everyone else, but DiRT 3 with some good music playing in the background is awesome.
The physics are awesome, a bit arcady but reasonably realistic and manageable even on keyboard and the replay mode is amazing, makes even the shittiest driver look pro with its camera work.
And the rallycross modes and the montecarlo track are amazing.
Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect, and the NHL/MLB games are always my go-to when I just want to chill out and be comfortable. There's lots of comfort in being "with" some of your favorite characters time and time again. There's a different comfort (more of a zen feeling) in booting up my favorite sports games, turning off my brain and just letting instinct and reflex take over. Most Friday nights at the end of a tough week, I play MLB with some beers until late in the night after my friends log off.
It's not exactly cozy or anything but mine is probably Mini Metro. It's just a perfectly crafted puzzle game in every single way, I can play it on my laptop or my phone or my Steam Deck depending on the situation, it's always there and takes enough focus that there's no room to be worrying about life at the same time. Absolute masterclass in audio design which makes it very immersive considering you're just looking at lines and basic shapes.
Or or course as someone else already said, sometimes you just need to blast some bugs in Deep Rock Galactic. For rock and stone!
Big pro of both of these games is you can feel happy about supporting the devs as they're both genuinely awesome, which might help with the whole depressive headspace thing.
Slay the Spire and the digital version of Ascension, solo play. I guess I like deckbulders. Ascension especially is so comforting for me, chill gameplay, no time pressure and I can put it down anytime and resume later on. Or not and just start a new one instead.
Or Isaac if I am in the mood for some action. plop plop plop plop.
Minecraft and No Man’s Sky. Explore a little; build a little; shoot a few baddies; chill; repeat 😊
This may sound odd as a comforting game, but I fired up Fallout 3 a year or so ago, and it really made me feel good to be back in the Capitol Wasteland.
Skyrim for sure. I have an embarrassing number of hours thanks to the modding community.
Mass Effect, Dragon Age:Origins, Fallout 4 and Skyrim are a must when I need to play something for a few days without being worried about not having enough time to finish the game, or missing something when playing while watching the kids.
I've played thousands of hours on them.
Slime Rancher 2 is my more recent go-to. Failing that, Super Mario World or Yoshi's Island will always do it for me
Minecraft
For me, it's Dragon Quest XI S. That game has been like a best friend since the day I got it. I never thought I would love a turn-based RPG more than Dragon Quest VIII, but 11 did it.
It's very short, but if you need a small (big) dosage of weirdness - try The Good Time Garden. It's an experience that I like to go back to from time to time, always gets some chuckles out of me!
I used to zone out and blow shit up to music in Just Cause 2. Now I do the same thing in Deep Rock Galactic.
Mirrors edge is a series I always go back to. Really easy to fire up catalyst or the original and just focus on running really fast while I have an audiobook or some music on in the background. There is so many speedrunning techniques for each game that there is an endless depth to explore.
Cozy endless games like Minecraft, Stardew Valley, or Sims 4, where I can just get lost in the gameplay and don't have to stress out over objectives or missions.
Surprised to be the first one to name it: Europa Universalis 4. Nothing better than to paint the map listening to either the EU4 soundtracks or your playlists.
For me it's Final Fantasy VIII, the first game I bought with my own money. Gaming was hard back then, I had no allowance or any sort of income. I bought games with money I got from Christmas and birthday. My friends all loved final fantasy VII and bragged about it but I just could not afford it when it launched. I bought Final Fantasy VIII on launch after reading glowing reviews on a local gaming magazine and I loved the game. I know the junction mechanic is flawed, I know the draw system is bad, I know the story isn't the best. I still loved it and played it to 100% a ton of times. Bought it in pretty much all platforms I own (including twice on Steam, even tho it was a ripoff). The game really makes me realize how far I've come in life and how fortunate I am on how everything turned out.
Skyrim, fire emblem(anything 3DS and up, I haven't played the older games) and Warframe ❤️ these games always make me happy and comfort me if needed
I recently heard that a Skyrim was a comfy game and I'm one to agree. Now I haven't picked up the game in months, but I know I can go back and pick it up again knowing that I'll be able to get lost in the world of the Dragonborn.
Another one for me is Stardew Valley, and I've also started to play Veloren bit which could also go up there as a cozy game.
Kerbal Space Program and Rain World
One that I can think of is Journey. Another one that is pretty nice to play is Rime. There's a mobile game called sky or something as well that's pretty pretty to play as well.
Used to be Test Drive: Unlimited, then the second one. After that, I moved to The Crew 1 and later 2. A big open world and car/motorcycle to ride around is unmatched when it come to just kicking back and relaxing in a game.
I always find myself coming back to Monster Hunter every time I wanna chill and relax.
For me it's Stardew Valley, Hollow Knight and Rollercoaster 1. Just building up my farm and getting to know every NPC in stardew is fun and I haven't played a game that let me feel progress and level ups as much as this game. Hollow knight is just so chill, the music is awesome and even though the setting seems depressing it spark so much hope for me with every new NPC. And Rollercoaster is just the dream of a child building an amusement park.
Castlevania Symphony of the Night is my go to. It has a pretty good pacing, with enough new things being thrown at you. Also since it's Igavania, there's a joy of finding new weapons / equipments, that's kinda lacking in pure metroidvania.
As you grow older, your eyesight worsens, and sore joints are becoming a common occurrence. So, I prefer it to newer waves of souls-like metroidvanias that require too much dexterity or precision platforming.
The Metroid series and Final Fantasy XIV
Half life 2 + Episodes One and Two, Portal, Civ 5. All fantastic games, completely unmonetized (except for the upfront price of course) and each with impeccable storylines (receipt Civ of course).
I just hope Valve make another game like HL2 or Portal sometime in the future. I'll buy it without second thought.
Tony Hawk's Underground 2. Been playing it since I was 2. 21 now
A Plumber of All Seasons Super Mario World romhack is super fun and beautiful game. One guy spent years to make it, it is a work of love.
Cruising around in BeamNG.drive is fun
Tropico 6, Cities Skylines, or any city builder. Planet Zoo once I get a less potato PC (CS too). I'll load up a sandbox map and build. And if I need to get up for any reason, I can hit pause.
For me, it’s always Ocarina of Time. The music always improves my mood and there is something oddly comforting about the game.
If I'm just relaxing, probably Arma 3. It's editor is like playing with toys for adults. I love making missions or armies that aren't balanced or made for other people. I do this little mini-game with myself where I build up an army starting with only pistols and a few guys. Then as you beat more competent opponents, like maybe it starts put with poorly equipped pirates and looters and goes up to fighting the United States or PLA, you get more and more equipment and fight on progressivly larger maps. It's very fun, and feels like being a child again. Plus, maybe it has a bit of Metal Gear Peacewalker inspiration.
Oddly enough I go through phases where I just level up a character on WoW. It's mindless for me and I can just zone out and watch TV while playing.
Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and puzzle games like Myst, Riven, or The Witness. I love these escape-type games.
I get the headspace thing. It's been really hard for me to devote my mental energy and time to playing games recently. I've picked up the new Zelda game and have barely touched it.
A Short Hike had that effect on me, the re-playability isn't really there though, but for a one-off burst of peace and quite it will do.
Picking some goofy off-role champ in a /muteall draft game of League can also work, but the experience is highly rng based.
Edit: I forgot Trackmania both the latest polished release with its whimsical environments and the historical custom madness that was/is Trackmania: nation. I genuinely hate grinding (be it mmorpgs or soullike) but once I start a track in those I'm hooked for a couple of hours mesmerized by the smooth effect of my growing skills.
Nostalgia helps, but I guess any Mario or even a Street Fighter would work on my end. Easy to pick, nothing to remember really. I bought an arcade cab recently with Batocera, and that’s the perfect solution to have a good moment (especially with my kids).
I don't play this often enough lately but Jigsaw Puzzle Dreams is a super simple & cosy game. It's jigsaw puzzles, yes, but you also get to decorate the apartment where you're doing the puzzles. It is just a very chill, no-pressure time and often I will just mess around doing the decor side of it so I have a few different apartment vibes to choose from for when I finally decide to do a puzzle. When I get super sad & unmotivated I will do a really small easy puzzle on the bedroom desk and it helps me to get the feeling that I have completed a thing, which is sometimes enough to help get me moving on non-game things.
Valheim is very chill and fun. Good playing solo, and good playing with friends casually.
Factorio. The base must grow
For me, for some strange reason, any resource management/city building game really soothes me. There is something about making thing ‘balanced’ and ‘streamlined’ that really puts my mind at ease and can distract me from just about anything.
Destiny. Been my favorite game since launch day in 2014.
Edit: made Destiny for any other Destiny fans to join!
I have several comfort games to put my mind at ease sometimes.
At least once a year it is Skyrim with mods to improve the scenery.
But I love playing the Atelier series too. Crafting and optimizing stuff in these games is great.
And then there are puzzle games like Baba is You where I often just close the game and think about solving the problems for a long time. Helps to keep your mind occupied.
MS Flight Simulator (Xbox Gamepass) - I often fire it up, pick a place in the world I've never been but would like to go and fly around. I never take off or land, just get low to the ground and buzz.
Gravity Rush 2 for me. I have save I've kept for years now to fly around and explore the city. I already have done everything, but it's still so fun and relaxing to find new landmarks or walk through the different districts. Feels like the kind of game world I'd love to live in (assuming a gravity girl didn't pull me into her orbit and launch me into space)
Through the years the one game I keep going back to when I just need a place to lose time
Elder Scrolls Online
Man I wish I had better tastes
Just cruising around some cars listening to the radio in Forza Horizon. Fishing in Shadowprey Village in World of Warcraft. Improving flow of traffic in City Skylines or Transport Fever 2.
For me it's the binding of isaac, I'm not sure that it woukd work for everyone, but the game is just so large that it never gets old. 1500hrs, 100% the game and I still find myself diving into it after a stressful day.
Microsoft Flight Simulator. Flying Cessna around my town.
Farm Simulator. I have no idea why, either. But when friends are raging about cheaters/bots/whatever I can tell them that I've never yelled at Farm Simulator
A great deal of SNES games do this for me. Super Mario RPG, Mega Man X, Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2, Chrono Trigger, even the Mario All-Star games to a point. It's all likely because it's such a great system and developers really hit their stride with what they could do with 16-bit gaming on that console.
You play as a little Sprite with two fairy companions. You're left to explore 1000 rooms of a sprawling underground labyrinth, discovering all sorts of secrets that humanity left behind.
Believe it or not, Warcraft 2. There are three scenarios I like to play through. They are pretty mindless, have varying degrees of challenge, and are very low stress.
I'm playing The Big Con at the moment and it's loads of fun! I love the quirky graphics and witty humor.
My classic go-to is The Witcher 3 - honestly I beat this game like 4 times at least. The story (apart from the main quest which is a bit lacking to me) is absolutely amazing. The music, setup and dialogues really help you to sink in the world.
Oh! And GTA San Andreas - always a blast!
Lately, mine has been Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour on the GameCube.
Slay the spire and BTD6 are games I play when I don't know what to play.
Not so much any one game, as a genre: action adventure games. Games like Tomb Raider, God of War, stuff like that. I love playing through a really immersive, well-told story.
It's a browser game, not a video game per se, but Flight Rising. I play it when I need to do something with my hands or distract myself.
Portal (and 2). Replayed them so many times.
Probably World of Warcraft for. Feels like pulling on a pair of worn comfortable jeans when you haven't touched it in ages.
Depends sometimes if I just want to play a shooty game, it's usually a Doom .wad I haven't played yet. Destiny 2 is my addiction but sometimes there isn't such a thing as a chill game of destiny. Cyberpunk 2077, despite it's launching flaws can be a fun game to turn your brain off to. If I'm feeling nostalgic, I'll put on Super Mario sunshine, or Crazy Taxi, Chu Chu Rocket, Super Metroid/Fusion/Zero Mission. And those games always give me a big smile across my face.
Black Ops Zombies games.... at least until I found out every game has very well known hacks that allow for remote code execution of your PC. Yikes! Not touching those games anymore sadly
MH Rise (Lance for tank mode) - fighting Melvor - idling Disney Dreamlight Valley - collecting Hardspace Shipbreaker - dismantling
Streets of Rogue.. I don't know what it is about that game, but I always find myself picking back up and getting lost in all the different ways you can play. I can't wait for the sequel, definitely, the game I am anticipating the most.
Fallout 76. Nice community, and I really enjoy the open world game and the dark humor that's Fallout.
Used to be Destiny, lately it's been "No Man's Sky". I just get lost there.
I always find myself firing up a few round of Battlefield 4 or, for longer stretches, doing a new playthrough of Fallout 4 (with mods of course).
As silly as it may be, city builders or transport managers. I find it very relaxing and easy to just lose a day a in. I usually play with sandbox modes because I just like to design. It's kind of like digital model building I guess
Unraveled (Unraveled 2 is great for 2 players, too), and Hue. Then there's always Slayaway Camp. All good on Steam Deck as well.
But those are for the times when I'm not addicted to RL.
Football Manager is weirdly comforting to me, there's just something about losing hours upon hours to what is really just a very good spreadsheet.
Valheim and Stardew Valley. Both make me forget time exists.
I've got my fair share of games, kinda depends on the mood though. What I'm feeling, too. Sad, anger. Ect.
But to name a few, Doom 2 /Duke Nukem 3d, any of the driver games (except driv3r), Wwf No Mercy/WCW no revenge or any of the aki wrestling games or the mods for no mercy, The Long Dark, streets of rage 2.
Sims 4 is my comfort game for sure
Lately, Battle Brothers. It's god damn brutal but I love min maxing my bros and carefully playing essentially battle-chess with them before dying horribly and restarting my save.
Persona 4 or 5. Love them.
Fatale Exploring Salome.
It is such a beautiful meditative experience. I used to play it every couple months but haven't in awhile. Guess I know what I am playing next.
Honestly, everthing Tale of Tales makes is a comfort game for me.
Tiny and Big Grandpa's Leftovers is the most delightful game I have ever played. Soundtrack is awesome.
Warframe is a nice one, at least once you're past the initial learning curve. I'm at the point where I can just zone out and play casually, no need to farm much of anything. There's so much content, so many weapons and frames to unlock, that once you're in the endgame you can really just jump around and passively collect stuff. Plus making your character look cool is something I enjoy doing in games, I can just spend an hour messing with loadouts like that.
Old arcade are always fun too. And Kirby's Pinball Land on my GBC. There's definitely a charm to a lot of them, lots of unique choices being made before things got a little more standardized within each genre.
I have had a rough week, so I bought poly bridge 3. In 2 days I have over 6 hours, which for me is a lot!
There is something about this chill guitar music in the background that just keeps me going, trying to build the most efficient bridge.For Me, Minecraft and Diablo
Minecraft - creative mode is like so therapeutic, you just create and create and create, then also the adventure mode is so fun because you can just roam and roam and be surprised at what you find. there is no goal really aside from staying alive, so there is no stress whatsoever (if you disregard the endgame goal).
Diablo, - like Minecraft adventure mode. If you skip the campaign, there is literally no goal, you can just roam and roam and smash enemies, and you can even lower the difficulty so you can smash those enemies HARD!, It's just so satisfying, and then you get surprise loot as a side benefit.
Lately it's been Session: Skate Sim, with "hardcore" difficulty settings. I'm pretty terrible, but finally landing something reasonably dope is so satisfying, and just skating around the city is quite relaxing.
Otherwise my go-to is whatever GTA game I've got installed, and just driving around, listening to music, and watching the goofy stuff NPCs do.
I also do love me a good open-world survival craftathon, with a nice, exceedingly outrageous recipe family tree. Hunting down whatever resources I need to craft whatever thing I need in order to be able to craft whatever cool new thing, so that I can unlock more crafting recipes to start the cycle all over again, it's all so cathartic and easy to get lost in.
Harvest Moon 64. Impossible to have negative feelings while playing it.
Trackmania, The Witness, and recently Age of Wonders 4
I‘m on PlayStation and enjoyed games like Knack, Diablo 3, Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank in those cases, because they keep me busy at all times. All of them are loud and tiring though. Other games like Assassins Creed, Ghost of Tsushima and Red Dead Redemption 2 are calmer, but they give my mind time to wander and think about stuff. Sometimes this suits me better, sometimes that.
Tetris 99... somehow
Jump Ultimate Stars.
Project Zomboid for me. It's kind of strange since the game can be super stressful at times, but once you get past the initial stage of the game and have a good base setup, you can spend a lot of time just surviving. Farming, reading books you've found, cooking things, it can be a very relaxing and meditative experience.
Outside of that, I guess a more typical response would be just about any JRPG, particularly the Final Fantasy series. Some of my most comforting memories are just me getting back from work, sitting back in my chair and slowly playing through Final Fantasy X or XII.
I could (and have) spent hours in Valhiem just noodling around surviving as a Viking
Chrono Trigger. Always feels like being home with old friends. A joy every time I playthrough
I want there to be a good and chilling sports game. Used to love playing FIFA then PES soccer, before all the micro transaction bullshit hit the fan. I’m curious about Super Mega Baseball 4.
Riders republic, it can be as competetive or relaxed as you are feeling in the moment, pair it with your favourite music for maximum effect.
For me it's No Mans Sky. I love flying around and checking different planets, it's kind of calming for me.
For a long, long time it was Darkest Dungeons. Nothing so comforting as that gloomy, pessimistic narrator ...
The last couple of years my comfort games has been Ori and the blind forest and Ori and the will of the wisp.
TES Oblivion and Sonic Adventure 2. SA2 was a childhood favorite I got very good at, and the extra mission, game modes, and pet sim aspects makes it fairly re-playable without having to start a new game file. Oblivion is just whacky and fun, and if you know how to exploit mechanics you can get up to some pretty crazy stuff in a matter a minutes after starting the game. While grinding skills could be seen as... Well a grind, it's a grind I personally enjoy. Both games let me dive straight into what I'm feeling like doing, and reward mastery (even if one of them is cheese mastery).
Waves/Waves 2! Fantastic twin stick shooters, now free as well. Both have great chip tune soundtracks.
It has been a while, but there was a time when, if I was feeling really anxious and almost panicky, a quick playthrough of Enter the Gungeon would chill me right out.
Animal Crossing was surprisingly relaxing for that kind of task oriented approach and the conversations with islanders are chill and entertaining.
The Way of the Hunter and theHunter: Call of the Wild. Starting a podcast and then slowly walk through beautiful nature and taking in the ambience. Or free roam in Firewatch. Next best to actually going outside 🙃.
Then Sailwind (sailing around delivering cargo with navigation as challenge). Also, Call of the Wild: The Angler and Fishing: North Atlantic.
Lake is also a beautiful game — delivering packages and enjoying the story.
I think you get the theme 🙃.
The good old Flight Simulators (MSFS 2020, X-Plane, DCS World) — problem here is to first get use to the many keys again after a longer break.
Every now and then I play Endless Space 2, and I find it pretty comforting. Great music, ambience, etc.
Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage. Sometimes the other two in the trilogy but this is the one I've especially loved since childhood. One of the only games I've 100%ed and I've done so twice.
Ori and the Blind Forest