Nowadays I find a lot of games feel like too much work and/or anxiety when I just want to relax for like, 30 minutes to an hour after a long day. On the other hand, the games specifically designed to help you unwind just feel boring imo.
In the past I’ve felt like Outer Wilds scratched this itch, cause the whole experience was engaging but generally relaxed. There was a mystery that kept me hooked and the exploration and movement was fun in and of itself. I also felt like Subnautica filled this role since it was very much at my own pace, with anxiety producing portions which could for the most part be avoided or minimized, and also there was a clear objective to fulfill, get off the planet.
So what games do you play when you just wanna relax?
No Man’s Sky has a very chill vibe. I don’t play it super often, but it’s probably the chillest game I play semi-regularly.
And by its very nature, it’s forgiving of long absences. It’s so easy to just pick it back up, probably take some time to admire the 10 new updates Hello Games has released since you last played, and then settle in for some chill gameplay.
I’ll never finish No Man’s Sky, and I wouldn’t even say I play it, exactly. But it’s one of my very favorite places to visit, and I will probably continue to visit for years and years to come.
This type of forgiving design is the main difference between modern games and older ones. Nowadays, there’s no shortage of games that are trying to manipulate you into grinding every day.
For me it’s Red Dead 2. All that horseback riding and camping and herb picking and Pinkerton killing? It’s like I’m the one camping and horseback riding and killing pinkertons.