RELATED: Great Casual Open World Games
Luckily though, there are games out there made solely for relaxing. These titles let the player go at their own pace, while their visuals and soundtracks are blissful to the eyes and ears. Some have a story to follow, while others simply let players explore or wander. What really matters is the games’ relaxing tone and mechanics.
Updated on February 2nd, 2022, by Allison Stalberg: There are more relaxing games out there than meets the eye. A lot of famous games may are stressful with stories about zombies, murder, and kidnappings. However, relaxing games are getting more famous too. Minecraft, Animal Crossing, and Stardew Valley have changed the game industry in terms of the kinds of content people want. It is becoming more and more clear that audiences want relaxing video games to play when they return from school or work.
13 Everything
Released on Steam, the Nintendo Switch, and the PS4, Everything is a simulation game where the player can, quite literally, play the role of everything. They can be a plant, animal, rock, bug, planet, star system, landmass, or even a micro-organism. There is no story, but the player can complete the encyclopedia by taking on the role of everything that there is.
Throughout the game, the player also collects recordings of quotes from philosopher Alan Watts. Gamers can thus listen to Watts discuss Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu philosophy while roaming around the world which is also rather relaxing.
12 flOw
Available on the PS3, PSP, PS4, and PS Vita, flOw is a game made by Thatgamecompany, a company famous for creating some of the most relaxing games out there. Their game design philosophy is to invoke feelings more than focus on a message.
RELATED: Role-Playing Games For Casual Gamers
flOw has its player take the role of a worm-like creature that swims and eats organisms smaller than itself. Part of what makes it so relaxing is that the player cannot die, and the difficulty scales to match the players’ skill.
11 A Short Hike
Released in 2019, A Short Hike is just as it sounds, with its gameplay being purely explorative and able to be completed in just a couple of hours at most. While it’s not long or difficult to play, most Steam reviews call the game a mellow masterpiece.
Key game features include finding treasure, swimming, fishing, and talking to other hiker NPCs. It is encouraged to play at a slow pace, as the straightforward route to the summit is not necessarily the path players have to go. It is a title that is best for a relaxing afternoon at home.
10 Journey
Journey is another title from Thatgamecompany, and it’s most famous. The player takes on the role of a human-like creature that seeks to get to the top of a mysterious mountain. Part of the magic is the online multiplayer, which limits players to interacting with simple squeaks and the ability to help charge one another’s scarves.
The game was released in 2012, and still has players wandering around to this day that are happy to see one another. It takes only a couple of hours to beat, perfect for a relaxing afternoon.
9 ABZU
RELATED: Great VR Games That Are Relaxing To Play
In ABZU, the gamer takes the role of a diver as they explore the ocean. The various areas have collectibles the player can seek out and the diver can interact with the sea life using sonar chimes. Sometimes, the diver can even ride on the larger marine mammals as they explore the sea.
8 Minecraft
This Swedish video game is among the most well-known titles out there. It is a best-seller and has been beloved by players of all ages. In this simulation game, the player can explore an infinite world, collect materials, and build with them.
The game can be less relaxing depending on the mode the gamer chooses. Certain modes are more focused on survival, having the player fight mobs and/or compete against other players. It all depends on what the player is in the mood for.
7 Cozy Grove
Released in April 2021, Cozy Grove has been compared to Animal Crossing in terms of being synced to real-world time and being a life simulator. Players take the role of a Spirit Scout and get to explore woods, help local ghosts, and craft decorations.
Steam reviews call the game cute and relaxing. Some find it too repetitive to their liking, but folks that love Animal Crossing tend to be fans of this title as well. Players get between one and two hours of gameplay per day. It can be a daily relaxing ritual to visit the game and spend some time with the animals and spirits.
6 Flower
Another title from Thatgamecompany, Flower is a game available on the PS3, PS4, PS Vita, PC, and iOS. In Flower, the player controls the wind as it moves a flower petal. The game is well known for its soundtrack, which corresponded to the rise and fall of the players’ actions as they moved the petal.
RELATED: Excellent Adventure Games That Can Be Completed In Under 7 Hours
The six main levels of the game can be completed in just one hour. It has no speech or text. Many have called Flower a must-play, as it is one of those titles that is a piece of art as well as a game.
5 Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a farming simulation game that was heavily inspired by Harvest Moon games. It was originally released for the PC in 2016 but was eventually released also for the Xbox One, PS Vita, PS4, iOs, Android, and Linux. It was made by one man, Eric Barone, within four years, and truly comes across as his labor of love.
The game is all about farming and forming friendly relationships with the villagers. Players can take care of animals and crops while also partaking in mining and fishing. Like Minecraft, the game can get more exciting depending on the gamers’ playstyle — but everyone’s able to just kick back and relax. Players even get to marry an NPC of their choice and raise a family on the farm.
4 Astroneer
Released in 2019, Astroneer is a sandbox adventure game about colonizing planets. There is no storyline or set goal, but every planet has unique challenges for the player. The game is available on the PC, Xbox One, PS4, and the Nintendo Switch. The player controls an astronaut and can craft items and reshape terrain.
The game won awards for Best Art Direction, Best Visual Design, Best User Experience, and Best Game Design at the 2019 Webby Awards.
3 No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky had a poor launch, but has improved and expanded over time to the point that it redeemed itself. Players of the game can focus their playstyles on exploration, survival, trading, and/or combat. The player has a lot of freedom to make the game as relaxing as possible for themselves.
The playstyles that are the most relaxing are to be a trader and/or explorer. The game is endless, so some players log thousands upon thousands of hours into its content.
2 Animal Crossing
While Animal Crossing: New Horizons is what most people talk about, any title from this Nintendo series is worth checking out as a relaxing video game. Game time follows real-time, so there is something new every day for the players to check out. Different shopkeepers appear, different products go on sale, and different seasons offer different bugs and fish to catch for the museum.
The DLC Happy Home Paradise for New Horizons is a game in-of-itself that some players find even more relaxing than the base game. The DLC offers just decorating homes with few limits. Players can also turn to older titles like Animal Crossing: New Leaf or Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.
1 Slime Rancher
Released in 2017 for the PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Linux, Slime Rancher is a first-person life simulation adventure game. The player takes the role of Beatrix, a slim rancher who moved to a foreign planet and has to explore the new world while also constructing her ranch and raising slimes.
The game is a sandbox experience, meaning it has no clear end. It’s comparable to Stardew Valley but with different graphics, no other human characters, and set on a different planet. The setting makes it feel unique, worth playing for fans of the genre.
MORE: All Stardew Valley Bachelorettes, Ranked
