Just for a little bit, anyhow.
Right at this moment in time I need games that calm me, as I imagine many others do too. If you’re like me and still sticking to the original UK lockdown laws in some fear-induced paranoia, or like most of the population: Returning to work and spending most of the day absorbing another form of tension and anxiety, then you will need some form of interactive entertainment that serves as a release.
On top of this, on a personal level, I need to find as many soothing games as possible before the last of us part II inevitably pushes waves of stress through my body come June 19th.
So here are a few games that I can recommend if you want to just unwind either on your own or with friends – hope you enjoy!
Gris
Gris is a 2D side-scrolling platformer that just looks absolutely stunning. The main pull is in its flowing watercolour art design that the game cleverly uses to tell a wordless story themed around emotional heartbreak – leaving it open to interpretation in parts. The pleasing visuals are paired with sweeping musical scores that add emotion and weight as you glide through aesthetically differing worlds.
The platforming itself is very simple, so don’t expect much in the way of a challenge. Instead Gris pushes you to explore each level as you gain different powers that are each beautifully animated, aiding your character on her journey to find her lost voice.
The game clocks in at around just three hours of playtime, so it’s perfect for anyone that doesn’t have much time to experience a lot of what gaming has to offer at the moment. Just take that small bracket of time and bathe in the soothing scores and emotive art style of this stunner.
Donut County
Who would have thought that moving a hole in the ground would be so satisfying? Donut County is a very cute, charming and tongue-in-cheek game where the controllable character is a sinkhole. This is a very simplistic summarisation that does not do this title any justice, so let me try and explain what makes this game so appealing and calming.
You learn the story of the game through a little cast of animal characters as they discuss their experiences of falling through the aforementioned holes that seem to be plagueing their tiny town. The direct-messaging duo of Mira and her troublesome raccoon companion is endearing and enjoyable to sit through between interactions. The story ends up digging a little deeper (pun DEFINITELY intended) than the initial premise would have you believe – and that’s nice to have in something that’s so relaxing.
The game manages to make you feel rewarded as you play with the fun physics of stuffing bigger and bigger items into a floorhole™. It also manages something special in matching that euphoric, mind-cleansing feeling of when you finally clean and re-organise a room that a depressive mind has been putting off for weeks.
This is exactly what makes the game so soothing and stress relieving. After a long day of sorting through other people’s clutter, switch on Donut County and enjoy also sorting through clutter. It’s not as insane as it sounds – please give it a go.
No man’s sky
“Now, hold on, I know what you’re thinking.. wait, no – It’s GOOD NOW!” Is what I keep chanting to my friends mortal enemies as I try and convince them to play along with my epic space fantasies.
I restarted No Man’s Sky recently, from the beginning, on a lovely chilled Saturday morning. Before I knew it, it was midnight, my partner had gone to bed and I was sat in the dark coveting my precious starship that I had found and painstakingly repaired – it wasn’t even objectively a good starship, but it was my starship.
In my several hours of gameplay, I had built a humble home filled with machines that I was sure I would need at some point in the future. I learned parts of a previously unknown language and tested it out on the local population, poorly. I discovered, and subsequently named, a potato-like race of creatures on an irradiated planet. I fought off space pirates circling around my ‘home’ planet before selling their remains to a nearby spacestation. But mainly… I searched around for a precious spacecraft to call my own.
I never feel like I have to be doing something in No Mans Sky – which is a good thing when I just want to switch off and go blank. The grind is real, but the grind is good. Now that the spacefaring title has also lived up to its original 2016 promises, there are many more things to do in addition to my above adventures. It’s perfect if you have time to pour into, as you drift through the cosmos at your own discretion.
The fact it’s finally fully multiplayer is fantastic too – my current end goal is to group together a hardy bunch of ragtag space pirates and raid unsuspecting freighters in order to fund my our very own space freighter. Interested? Please sign up here.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Ah. Here it is. The game that turned the Nintendo Switch into a solid block of antimatter. Do you get it? Because antimatter is extremely rare and expensive? I had to research this. I Googled ‘rarest materials’. Fine. Here is the game that prevents you from purchasing a Switch anywhere in the UK for less than £500. Does that land better?
This unofficial sponsor of the pandemic lockdown spread like wildfire upon release, dominating gaming news feeds worldwide – and for good reason. At a time where everyone needed an escape, Animal Crossing: New Horizons provided you with your own desert island (unless you share a console, in which case you share an island. I’m not bitter.)
The ability to roam around your own spot of paradise and decorate everything as you see fit without a care in the world is such a welcome premise. There is no pressure on you to complete any tasks once the island is finished – even that 1,000,000 bell debt you owe to Tom Nook isn’t entirely compulsory. He doesn’t have any ability to send round the debt collectors, but instead just passive-aggressively mentions it every time you hold a conversation with the greedy land owner. Just who does he think he is? I made this island. No me? Then no K.K Slider.
Sorry. A bit off topic there.
I would recommend to grab this game and play it as soon as you can, but with the current console shortage – that’s looking unlikely for a while. DO NOT play the mobile version as a substitute, becuase it is pure trash. Instead, why not try the next alternative…
Stardew valley
I will admit, with regret, that I could not ‘complete’ Stardew Valley. I attempted to play it at a time in my life where I was unable to commit the attention that this masterpiece deserves. Therefore, my farm has been abandoned – left to die in the winter, with the owner too ashamed to breathe new life into the soil. Sorry Grandpa.
On the other hand, I know several people that have poured hours upon hours into this faming sim/relationship manager. After having nothing but positive comments about the game blasted at me over the years, and with my limited experience – I am putting full faith in my friends.
Its pixelated charm is really addictive. The steady rejuvenation of your farm is extremely rewarding and the relationships you can build with residents of pelican town are sweet and lasting. Just in writing this, I’m almost uncomfortably tempted to dust off my long-forgotten tools and have another go at a simpler, 16-bit life.
I’m not fishing again though – Not since Animal Crossing taught me how easy it can be. Fishing in this game is a chaotic nightmare.
journey
We need random social interaction more than anything right now, which is why Journey is currently the perfect stress reliever.
The wordless storytelling is spectacular as you skate through the delightful dunes of a gorgeous, sand-filled world. The game allows your mind to invent the intricacies of the narrative as you uncover mysteries of a seemingly buried civilisation, whilst you traverse the unknown vastness with a completely anonymous stranger.
It’s strange how a series of simple prompts and audio cues makes you feel connected to a faceless person as you try to overcome obstacles together. Despite not meeting a single person on my first playthrough of the game however, it still felt special. Traversing through this journey by myself gave me a very unique experience, feeling lost and alone and seeking somewhere to belong.
I don’t want to talk too much about it, because it’s all about the experience. If it’s not something you’ve had the honour of enjoying, now is the time to try it – especially if you’ve just had a real sh*tty day.
That’s it for this listicle. These are just a few suggestions for a nice way to clear your head whilst everything else is in chaos at the moment, but i’d love to hear any further ideas! Can’t have enough calm, relaxing games to play.
NostalgiaCore 