From video gaming to card games and stuff in between, if it's gaming you can probably discuss it here!
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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.
Audiosurf for me. Just listening to my favorite mp3s and not really caring if I set a new world record or not.
In the same vein, doing a job in American Truck Simulator or Euro Truck Simulator 2. Just chilling out, driving across the map to deliver cows or whatever.
Satisfactory ! This game is an addiction for me, I can play for hours, for me it's very relaxing to build factory with no timer and great graphics !
edit : missing word
Symphony of the Night. I've beaten it more times than I can count. Played it for the first time on my dad's old PSX. Probably my favorite single player game ever.
Breath of the wild has some chill situations, just going about in nature, or walking through the villages. It can also go absolute bonkers when you're unprepared.
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!
For me it's Terraria. When I don't feel like fighting bosses, I just go explore and dig or build a new settling for my NPCs. I can also set my own goals and try to collect as much as I can for example.
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
Diablo games. It's nice being able to slay demons and not put much thought into it.
GTA, online friends mode, cruise on my motorcycle checking out scenery, ride the coasters.
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.
!!! 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:
Cozy adventure/puzzle games:
I always prefer to play with people. If I do:
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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
Euro Truck Simulator/American Truck Simulator
It quickly just becomes a virtual road trip simulator, and as someone who generally enjoys driving and road trips its very chill
Either Stardew Valley (for the chill vibe and calming soundtrack) or Old School RuneScape (for the massive nostalgia bomb)
No one has said it yet, but I find Raft to be incredibly relaxing. Especially if you just ignore objectives and just sit there collecting debris. It can be so tranquil and a ton of fun
Trackmania! So many user made maps you never have to see the same map twice, and every map looks unique. You have a simple task: go from start to finish after collecting all checkpoints. Endlessly trying to get random bounces on "LOL" maps just never gets old.
lately: against the storm. making a city builder into a roguelite was genius.
Definitely Minecraft. Old Pokemon games as well. Just something about the grind is therapeutic
Psychonauts. Amazing style, level design, gameplay, and top notch humor.
Morrowind and Mario Maker 2.
My two most frequented games would be Stardew valley or Animal crossing. Specifically the GameCube version (emulation if you don't have one) or New Horizons (been surprisingly refreshing)
Nothing against the other versions I just haven't tried them.
Me and my wife just finished It Takes Two. What an incredible game and story!
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.
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.
Minecraft and Stardew Valley.
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.
Cruising around in BeamNG.drive is fun
My chill and waste time games.
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.
Deep Rock Galactic is my comfort game. The fun nature of the dwarves and the constant funny quotes never fail to get a laugh put of me. Turning the mission difficulty down, and just spending a while mining gold and other minerals can be very relaxing.
Elite Dangerous in VR. I can really disconnect from the real world and just enjoy being a space-pirate bounty hunter.
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.
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.
Journey (PS3, PS4, PS5)
A perfect emotional escape for a couple of hours, I have lost count of how many "journeys" i have done, and its made all the richer if you meet another traveller along the way and complete the journey with them.
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.
I agree with this. Theres something about the early Fromsoft games where they become pretty easy and rhythmic once you figure out how they tick. Parrying was a lot easier, and backstab fishing always works. When coupled with the great sound design and quiet atmosphere while in the open world, its very satisfying.
I also throw Hollowknight in that category of games that are a headache the first time around but relaxing on the second play thru. Maybe Ori as well
Wind Waker for me. I love the game, but it's more that it brings me back to cozy weekends when my sister would ask me to "play the boat game" so she could watch.
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.