Top 10 Relaxing Video Games
Sit back, grab your controller and chill. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we countdown our picks for the Top 10 Relaxing Video Games.
For this list, we take a look at the games with the most laidback gameplay, soothing music and a generally tranquil atmosphere. Don't expect many rage-inducing moments from these titles: they're the sorts of games you can really unwind with.
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Top 10 Relaxing Video Games
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Sit back, grab your controller and chill. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 Relaxing Video Games. For this list, we take a look at the games with the most laidback gameplay, soothing music and a generally tranquil atmosphere. Don’t expect many rage-inducing moments from these titles: they’re the sorts of games you can really unwind with.
#10: “Minecraft” (On Peaceful Mode) (2011)
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Evading creepers and spiders all night in survival mode can be a pretty stressful experience but there is a solution: peaceful difficulty. This prevents any hostile mobs from spawning, automatically regenerates health and never depletes your hunger. All the emphasis is now on exploration and creation as you are god in your sparsely populated, blocky open-world. Dig a series of underground tunnels, build a house on a river or just let your mind wander as the minimalist soundtrack plays quietly in the background. It’s pure escapism as you create a world you can only dream of in reality.
#9: “Afrika” (2009)
You might hear a lot about the inner peace derived from being at one with nature but it’s not very often you get to experience that in a video game. This photography simulator transports you to the African savanna for a safari where you sneak around the bushes to get the best angle on a wallowing hippo or herd of elephants without scaring them off. This is no half-baked sim either: the majestic score punctuates the enormous, sweeping landscape as you quietly observe the natural world simply existing around you. There’s the occasional cheetah attack to get your teeth into for a smidgen of action but don’t expect too much else.
#8: “Viscera Cleanup Detail” (2015)
Ever wondered who cleans up after the carnage is over in your favorite game? Wonder no more as you become the janitor charged with cleaning up blood, bullet casings, bodies and other miscellaneous mess left by some firefight or other disaster. With no time limit you can take as long as you like to purge every bit of dirt out from every nook and cranny, utterly satisfying your OCD without ever needing to get your hands dirty. Cleaning house has been proved to have therapeutic benefits and this game works in the same way: by strategically cleaning your virtual garbage, you clear out the clutter of your mind.
#7: “Proteus” (2013)
If you’re the sort of gamer that needs constant direction and something to shoot then this isn’t the game for you. Deliberately designed to be a non-violent alternative to the scores of FPSs and RPGs on the market, you explore the procedurally generated pixel-art island with no instructions whatsoever. If you find yourself getting lost, literally and metaphorically, in the game, then that’s Proteus doing it’s job. As an audio-visual experience, it’ll trigger an emotional reaction you may not even know you’re having until you’ve completed your musically meditative journey.
#6: “Endless Ocean” (2008)
It’s good to take a break from the hullabaloo of everyday life sometimes and nowhere is better than the seabed for a quiet getaway. The appropriately minimal soundtrack in this scuba diving sim never disturbs the near silence, only ever complementing the serene underwater existence you’ve become a small part of. The motion tracking of the Wii remote is the perfect way to guide your diver around the stunning coral forests and sunken wreck as you search for treasure, document rare marine life and train a dolphin to swim with you. True to the super-friendly nature of the game, even the sharks won’t try to take a chunk out of you.
#5: “Journey” (2012)
The latest creation from indie developer Thatgamecompany, a studio known for its emotionally evocative games, will move you even more than its predecessors Flow and Flower. Your ethereal adventure will take you through desert, ruins and mountains, all visually astounding and supported by a dynamic soundtrack that responds to player actions. This is all done alongside an online stranger but you have no obligation to help your fellow player: there is no reward for doing so, you do it solely for pure video game companionship. Even if you play on your own, you can relax as your robed character glides and sways elegantly over the ground, making for one of the smoothest experiences you’ll have in a game.
#4: “Stardew Valley” (2016)
The character you play as has turned to farming to escape the stresses of office life and you can do exactly the same in this simulator inspired by the Harvest Moon series. There’s no deadlines, no paperwork to file, only the tending of your 16-bit veggies and livestock that could feasibly go on forever due to the game’s open-ended nature. You are able to explore caves and do a spot of mining if you wish but that’s more or less optional, allowing you to spend season after season looking after your sliver of tranquility with your virtual spouse. You can even pop down the beach for some sea fishing, what more could you want?
#3: “The Sims” series (2000-14)
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Control isn’t something many of us believe we have in our lives but it is a feeling we are granted in The Sims series of life simulation games. Every single in-game Sim possesses a certain degree of sentience and so only requires a guiding hand to see them socialize, love and grow up to have a virtual personality of their own. From your godly position you can live vicariously though your sim family and oversee the fulfilling of their aspirations in a customizable world. Just like real life, there is no end goal, so you can do what you want with no fear of failure, making for a thoroughly liberating way of playing.
#2: “Monument Valley” (2014)
This isn’t the sort of puzzle game that will boggle your mind through sheer difficulty but you may find yourself hypnotized by the shifting perspectives and optical illusions that are central to the game’s design. These architectural impossibilities are the game’s main mechanics and work perfectly as a complement to the oddly vague tale of Princess Ida. Each level is completely different to the next, forcing your brain to, once again, deconstruct the mesmeric buildings in front of you. Just like a great work of art, it challenges how you view the world, and although it lasts only a couple of hours, it’s certainly worth a re-play when life gets a bit much. Before we reveal our top pick, let’s take a look at some honorable mentions. “The Plan” (2013) “Dear Esther” (2012) “Cloud” (2005) “Poker Night 2” (2013) “Unravel” (2016)
#1: “Animal Crossing: New Leaf” (2013)
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If ever a doctor were to prescribe a game to relieve stress, it would be this delightful life simulation. Almost every part of it is an exercise in mental relaxation and distraction, making your job as mayor of the village a becalming treat. Each anthropomorphic villager has their own way of making you giggle while you can also stretch your creative muscles in designing the whole place like you want as you nurture your virtual feng shui. With no end to the game, take everything slow. Be mindful and just enjoy the natural world surrounding you. Every villager has a huge smile on their face, this place will have that effect on you too. Do you agree with our list? Which game do you turn on when needing to find some Zen? For more chilled out top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
