Ask Lemmy

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

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

Islanders

Race the Sun

Skye

Superflight

I play high intensity first person shooters, mostly Battlefield, to unwind.

The faster paced the better because it allows me to escape.

It used to be I’d get so worked up over competitive games. I had to be doing PvE to relax. Not so any more.

Weirdly, this happened after I had a completely horrible medical experience that left me with permanent (figurative) scars on my nervous system. Like, I still have stress problems four years after the event.

But at that moment, suddenly competitive games became refreshing to me.

Caves of Qud is something I love to relax with. It's full of stuff to explore and you can take your time since its turn based. I don't even mind so much when I die, because you get to create a completely new weird mutant and try again.

Slay the spire

The Hunter: Call of the Wild. I have nothing to do with hunting. I'd never thought a hunting simulation could be my type of game, but putting headphones on and running through the woods is so relaxing.

Elder Scrolls Online for me.

Recently got back into my childhood favorite, Simcity 2000.

It's just a classic for me. Amazing city builder with a chill soundtrack. Super rewarding planning out your city and watching it develop across the map. And it's super stress free if you just play with disasters off

I find most games can be relaxing if Ive already played them a lot, even comp shooters. Quake Champions is relaxing for me at this point

Forza and Rocket League

I’ve gotten really into Grand Theft Auto San Andreas for unwinding after a long day. Something about the low poly graphics while I can just be a menace in the game feels right.

Minecraft. Sky Factory 3 - a void world modpack. Nothing exists without my having created it. I can allow mobs to spawn on my platform or not, depending on how I feel.

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

Cities Skylines 2 has been great for this. Just log in and tinker with your city! Very relaxing creative problem solving..

Splatoon. Don't ask why, I don't know. My gf calls it "yelling at 12 year olds"

But seriously it's like watching your own team score against you in soccer ;___;

Brotato

I think I understand what you mean lol.

Lately for me it's been: Mass Effect legendary edition, Mount & Blade 2, Crusader Kings 3, Dishonored 1 and 2, and Hitman 3.

Age of Empires 2 custom games. Can't beat a classic, and you can save whenever you're done

Any of the building/management games like Factorio or Dyson Sphere Program or RimWorld. You can definitely make those games extremely challenging (speed runs, achievements, ultra hard modes/challenges). But for me they're cozy games where I can chip away at a small project or part of a larger project, like, I don't know, slowly building a scale model or something.

World of Warcraft Retail.

Mars First Logistics & Animal Crossing

Dead Cells. I can just... Zone out and go. It's really cathartic, and if I do particularly bad during a run, I just... Die and start over. You don't lose anything you've gained, (unless you pick something up in a biome and don't make it to the exit), and each run is practically a new game that requires nothing to learn it. It's my Zen game.

Honestly, some visual novels like Ace attorney, Katawa shoujo, Steins Gate, Clannad are very chill.

Apart from trackmania which was already named it's certainly slay the spire. I often do both TTD and the daily in sts. If I didn't always end up trying to go for sub 35min points it'd actually be relaxing probably.

C&C Generals World Builder. I just make maps while I'm in discord.

It's stimulating enough that it keeps my mind from wandering from a conversation, but brainless enough to be engaged in the conversation.

I'm also partial to Minecraft. Just decorate a little section then log off until tomorrow

Harvest Moon /Story of Season games.

Stardew Valley.

Diner Dash series of games.