Some days, a world full of high-octane action or interdimensional quests can be a bit much. It can be nicer to unwind by jumping into a serene game with fewer heroes and fireworks and more quietude and appreciation of the small things. Sometimes, gamers want trade the action for titles that are more focused, meditative, and peaceful.
Getting lost in a game is a great way to leave some troubles behind. Delving into a separate world provides some space from real-world stresses and frazzled thoughts. The best way to do that is with games that slow down the pace, have simple objectives, or simply provide some peace and quiet. Such games not only transport players away from stress but create minimal of their own, enabling those cortisol levels to drop blissfully down.
8 Astroneer
Astroneer is a dreamy, insular game one can easily lose hours in. Or it can be played with others for a more social space-exploration experience. In adventure mode, players find themselves on a strange planet with some initial starting equipment, which they can use build up their base a little and get exploring. Armed with an excavator (basically a vacuum for sucking up anything and everything) and a pack for storing items, and accompanied by some soft, spacey music, players can set off searching the vivid planet far and wide to uncover its secrets.
The controls and game systems can take a little getting used to, but before long, Astoneer will have players bopping merrily from place to place, excavating and researching all kinds of otherworldly materials, and building a planet base that any astronaut’s mother would be proud of. It's a fun game that players can take at their own pace, more concerned with building and exploration than any huge quests.
7 Lonely Mountains: Downhill
In Lonely Mountains: Downhill, the objective is always simple. Players cycle down mountain slopes and through forests until they reach each checkpoint and ultimately the finish line. There are no competitors and no cheering or jeering onlookers, only the player and the sounds of nature.
Lonely Mountains: Downhill can be tense at times, when hurtling down rock faces at breakneck speed, attempting to beat a certain time and avoiding inevitable, run-ending collisions. However, it is always within a serene setting, to the ambient symphony of birds, bees, and the mountain breeze. The controls are relatively basic, and the objective is clear. Though it might have players white-knuckled at points, Lonely Mountains: Downhill provides a peaceful and ultimately meditative experience.
6 Limbo & Inside
Limbo and its spiritual successor Inside, developed by Playdead, are superbly atmospheric games with no dialogue, no music, and no running and gunning. Players take on the role of a nameless boy attempting to make their way through strange, melancholic, and sometimes sinister worlds. The quiet puzzle platformers amplify the sounds of sprung traps or hostile entities, magnifying moments of tension in an otherwise tranquil game.
These wonderfully thematic games tread the line perfectly between quiet, introspective gameplay and completely gripping adventure. A stretch of puzzle-solving in echoey silence may be followed by a sudden nail-biting chase by some bizarre, eerily soundless creature. Limbo and Inside are entrancing experiences that captivate easily, with simple controls but beautiful design and imaginative content.
5 Abzu
For fans of diving or those that imagine they could be fans of diving, Abzu creates a wonderful underwater experience. It is simple in terms of narrative and gameplay, but offersa beautiful, rich design and fantastic original score to enhance the player's scuba adventure. There are few better ways to take a load off than by swimming alongside dolphins into teeming shoals of fish, or somersaulting majestically through crystalline waters.
The aim of the game is to restore damaged underwater environments to their former glory and uncover the mystery of what’s harming them. But Abzu is mostly about exploration and immersion. It could be said that the real aim of the game is to simply ogle marine life and the majesty of their underwater kingdoms.
4 PowerWash Simulator
Many simulation games can fit into the bracket of peaceful, restorative, and quiet, not to mention satisfying. However, sometimes less is more. While games like Farming Simulator have a lot of content to offer, PowerWash Simulator offers the simple therapy of cleaning.
Anyone who’s used a power washer before will know how gratifying it can be to spray away that old grime. PowerWash Simulator simply provides that satisfaction from the comfort of the couch, without having to get messy.
Players begin their career in the power washing service, tackling projects from motorbikes to whole homes, revealing the shining surfaces beneath the dirt. As they increase their reputation and revenue, they can buy improved cleaning equipment to…do more cleaning! It’s ultimately a simple game of point and spray, which nonetheless can keep power washers engrossed for hours and leave them with that sense of accomplishment for each job well done. It's not a bad way to decompress.
3 Townscaper
In Townscaper, players enjoy the simple pleasure of building a town. There is no narrative and no characters, simply an open expanse of serene water on which to build a player’s very own settlement, limited only by their imagination. The controls and building options are extremely simple. A tap of a button plops one building block, upon which another tap produces a small dwelling. Each time players add a block to the side or on top, the housing gets larger and more complex.
After hours of building and deleting and changing, getting to grips with the game’s parameters, it’s possible to create breathtaking cities and castles worthy of a Studio Ghibli movie. At first glance, Townscaper may not seem like enough to while away such stretches of time, but soon players may find themselves addicted to the aesthetically pleasing indie builder, working towards their unique vision and enjoying the tranquil road to accomplishing it.
2 Life Is Strange
Life Is Strange is a slow-paced indie game, developed by Don't Nod Entertainment. Part of the game’s charm is the relaxing pace at which the story develops, and the down-to-earth problems of a teenage girl. Meanwhile, the soundtrack matches the tone and plays well through transitions from one scene to the next. The player feels drawn into the slightly melancholic but soft and sobering story of teenagers in a small town.
As Max walks around high school trying to survive bullies and other social challenges, the choices the player makes affect how the story will develop. Max has a secret power to rewind and change certain things in her own timeline. She tries to unravel the mystery of why this is possible, while determining how she might use this ability for those she cares about. The great success of Life Is Strange is its deft storytelling, letting players know that each little thing they do may change the outcome of the story.
1 Stardew Valley
From the opening start screen and soft synth pipes, it’s clear that Stardew Valley is going to be a pleasant experience. Stardew Valley is a place of bright blue skies and pearly white clouds, in vibrant pixel graphics. The overall objective is relatively simple – to reinvigorate the player character's grandfather’s farm in Stardew Valley. In fact, Grandad’s invitation to the farm is for a day when the character feels ‘crushed by the burden of modern life.’ With overwhelming popularity and so many people clocking hundreds, even thousands of hours in Stardew Valley, it would seem the old man wasn’t lying.
From there, players will quickly get stuck in exploring Stardew Valley’s large map with lots to do, people to meet, and of course, the farm to get up and running. Whacking weeds and sowing seeds has never been so fun or addictive. Each player will soon realize their lifelong dream is to build an incredible farm their grandfather would be proud of, whilst living a wholesome rustic lifestyle and perhaps marrying a townsperson who can help around the farm.