With the fast-paced, high-stress world we live in, it’s essential to find healthy ways to unwind and de-stress. For many people, video games provide an escape from the daily grind and offer a chance to relax and recharge. However, not all games are created equal in terms of promoting relaxation and calmness. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 10 video games that are perfect for de-stressing after a long day. Whether you’re looking for a soothing adventure or a creative outlet, these games are sure to help you unwind and find some much-needed tranquility. So sit back, grab your controller, and let’s explore the world of video games that can help you de-stress.
Number 1. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is more than just a favorite couch co-op game, it’s a relaxing life simulation that allows players to set their own pace. Whether you prefer spending your days puttering around your farm, socializing with the locals, or indulging in a bit of fishing or brewing, this game caters to your individual preferences. On the other hand, if you’re looking to turn your plot of land into a model of ruthless efficiency, be prepared for a more challenging experience with a darker undercurrent to the story. Regardless of your goals, Stardew Valley offers a slow and steady trajectory of progress without any external pressures or timelines. This game offers a tranquil escape, allowing you to live an alternate life on your own terms.
Number 2. Dorfromantik
Dorfromantik is a tranquil puzzle game that invites players to create an idyllic countryside by laying down different types of tiles, including forests, fields, rivers, railroads, and houses. The goal is to connect matching pieces together to fulfill specific quests and increase your overall stack of tiles. As you can only see a few tiles at a time, the final landscape varies from game to game, providing a unique experience each time.
Although there is a contingent pressure to keep gaining tiles, the game encourages players to take their time with no time limit or clear path to victory. Instead, you’re encouraged to thoughtfully consider each piece, survey the land, and see how it all fits together. The end result is often a beautiful and serene scene, and if you prefer to build a landscape without any restrictions, there’s even a separate mode for that.
Number 3. A Short Hike
A Short Hike is a charming adventure game that’s perfectly in sync with its own vibe. You step into the shoes of Claire, a young bird who finds herself in a world of anthropomorphic animals, spending time in a small but bustling provincial park. Claire has a weight on her shoulders and needs to make a phone call, but the only place with a decent cellular reception is at the park’s summit, located in the center of the mountain. The two-hour game’s only real objective is to get Claire to the top.
While there is a conventional core to A Short Hike that involves completing light fetch quests and collecting golden feathers to climb higher and double-jump, most of these tasks are simple, and you can (quite literally) soar around most of the park as you please, enjoying the scenery and interacting with other park-goers as they go about their day. This freedom not only feels pleasant but also beautifully aligns with the game’s themes. That mountain is calling, but you don’t have to rush to climb it immediately. The world will still be waiting for you to explore when you’re ready.
Number 4. Desert Golfing
Desert Golfing may seem like a straightforward mobile game with minimal features, but it’s much more than that. The game only consists of a ball, a hole, and a procedurally generated desert landscape in between. No par, no club selection, no music, no items, no pause menu, no restarts, and not even a physical avatar.
However, playing Desert Golfing is a meditative experience that borders on the spiritual. You can focus entirely on the simple pleasure of arcing a ball through the air and watching it kick up sand until it falls into the hole. With a shot counter that doesn’t serve any real purpose, the game is about the act of play more than the rules of a game. And when you come across a new feature, like a cactus or a setting sun, it feels like a significant moment.
Number 5. The Ramp
Similar to Desert Golfing, The Ramp also follows a minimalist approach that proves to be successful. However, this is a skateboarding game that is completely different from the Tony Hawk series. The Ramp does not bog you down with high scores, skill points, objectives, camera adjustments or even a HUD. Instead, it respects your intelligence and unlocks all its courses and characters after a brief tutorial.
It may take some time to get used to its controls, but The Ramp does an excellent job of portraying the exhilaration of motion and momentum in vert skating. From building speed to that fleeting moment of weightlessness in the air to the excitement of gravity pulling you back down, The Ramp captures it all. With a few tricks to master and a relaxing soundtrack to set the mood, there are no real consequences for failing a trick.
The Ramp may not offer the depth that conventional games do, but it excels in what it sets out to do, and it remains unwavering in its simplicity.
Number 6. Euro Truck Simulator 2
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is a driving simulator that allows you to operate various big rigs across a scaled-down version of Europe, transporting freight and eventually expanding your own trucking enterprise. Unlike Grand Theft Auto, it is not a game where you can disregard traffic laws, and you must refuel your truck and finish your assignments on time while causing as little harm as possible.
While the learning curve can be steep, and its managerial features are not as compelling as the actual truck driving, Euro Truck Simulator 2 offers similar delights to those of genuine driving: coasting down a lengthy route, tapping your fingers to the music, admiring the scenery, and discovering new places along the way. You’ll arrive when you arrive. It should be noted that while it is most enjoyable with a wheel, it is not required.
Number 7. Hidden Folks
Hidden Folks is reminiscent of the Where’s Waldo? puzzle books from your childhood, but in digital form. The game offers a series of vibrant scenes, teeming with intricate details and mini-stories. Your objective is to identify a set of items, and once you’ve located enough, you progress to the next level. The artwork is charmingly hand-drawn in monochrome, and all the sound effects are recordings of human voices. The game is endearing, personal, and frequently amusing.
Searching for a needle in a haystack can be frustrating if you’re not in the right mindset, but Hidden Folks demands that you take it slow and be patient. There’s no hurry, as no one in the game is going anywhere.
Number 8. PowerWash Simulator
PowerWash Simulator is reminiscent of the oddly satisfying YouTube videos featuring people deep-cleaning rugs, driveways, and old electronics. This video game version allows you to tackle various power washing jobs around the town of “Muckingham,” gradually eliminating grime from different objects in each task. There are no time constraints or scores to achieve, and each dirty item has a corresponding progress bar to fill.
PowerWash Simulator has more depth than you might anticipate. You can earn money to invest in upgraded power washing equipment, and the narrative mode takes you to various locations both physically and metaphorically. While it may not need to do as much as it does, the game’s pleasures are multi-faceted: the immediate gratification of transforming dirty objects into clean ones, as well as the overall satisfaction of systematically working towards a job well done.
Number 9. Please, Touch the Artwork
Please, Touch the Artwork comprises three sincere puzzle games, each inspired by abstract art. While the games’ specifics differ, they all draw from artistic inspiration. One game requires you to replicate Mondrian-style paintings mechanically, while another transforms Broadway Boogie Woogie into a love story. The third game recasts New York City as a metaphor for adapting to life in a big new city. While the first game can be somewhat challenging, the game informs you upfront that it is intended to be a low-stress experience, with no timers and hints and redo buttons available if necessary.
What fascinates about Please, Touch the Artwork is not what it reveals about De Stijl and abstract art (since such works can never truly be “solved”). Rather, it conveys the experience of engaging with art and how it brings you closer to the game’s lone developer, Thomas Waterzooi. The entire project has a deeply personal vibe, allowing you to peer into someone’s mind and see how this type of art speaks to them. While some may interpret this as excessively pretentious, Please, Touch the Artwork is inviting, daring, and heartfelt even at a mechanical level.
Number 10. Zen Bound 2
The premise of Zen Bound 2 is straightforward, much like many other games on this list. You are provided with a rope and a sequence of 3D sculptures, and your objective is to wrap the rope around each sculpture until it is completely covered in paint, although the sculptures themselves may be more difficult than they first appear, with several hidden gaps and sharp angles.
Playing Zen Bound 2 necessitates a slow, contemplative approach, similar to meditating on the object you’re binding. This may encourage you to think about the physical subtleties of the objects you tie yourself to in real life. However, even if that appears to be pretentious, Zen Bound 2 provides a reflective and immersive method to zone out.
