Recommendations for laid-back games
I'm trying to find some recommendations for more laid-back, relaxed games. Something than can be worked on over time. I'm thinking stuff like Stardew Valley, games where there's no time limits hanging over your head, super fast-paced keyboard mashing, that kind of stuff. I'm burned out on action games at the moment, so I've been looking into colony sims and the like where you mostly build stuff, farm, explore, etc. Some minor combat like Stardew Valley is fine. Bonus if it has online co-op.
My only caveat is I only use PC (Steam), I don't own any consoles except for a PS4 I haven't used in at least two years. Thanks!
EDIT: One game I came across that I've kind of enjoyed which is fairly laid-back is Arcade Paradise. You play someone whose father gives ownership of a run-down laundromat which you gradually convert into an arcade. You have to take care of the place and make money by doing laundry (initially), cleaning up trash and making sure the toilet works. However, you can also play with all the arcade machines and each one has a unique game, plus you can withdraw money from the machines as part of your income. It's a fun time-waster.
I would highly recommend Dorfromantik . It's really easy to get into, saves all the time so you can easily stop and go, and is very peaceful. I've sunk a lot of hours into it and it's really helpful to take mind off of stuff.
Slime Rancher might be what you're looking for. It's a game about discovering and raising animals called "slimes" so you can harvest their poop. Very simple, very laid back.
A sequel recently came out, but it's still early access so I haven't given it a try.
I already own the first one and more or less "completed" it, but thanks for the suggestion!
I found that Spiritfarer really hit that wonderful laid back feeling for me. While it is still a platformer where you need to time jumps there is no real punishment for failure other than maybe taking a bit longer to get the items you need. The art is wonderful and the characters a lot of fun to interact with. I really enjoyed it!
I was just scrolling to see if someone else recommended this lol! Though I don't remember whether the multiplayer is local-only or works online.
I never tried it co-op but I'm pretty sure it's local-only.
I played it with a friend online. Not sure if I used some third party app or steam remote play together.
Ah I totally forgot about steam remote play together!
I've been playing a lot of Moonstone Island lately (still). It is definitely inspired by Stardew Valley. But it also has a creature collecting aspect with (turn based) battles based on decks of cards associated with each creature (like Slay the Spire). I like the villagers as well, they're cute and feel age appropriate for romance as an adult player. It is single player only though. It's $20 on Steam. The DLC are cosmetic only.
Palia is a good option for a cozy online multiplayer game. You join up a town and decorate your home, meet a town full of cute NPCs, and there's plenty to explore. You can farm, fish, mine, forage, build furniture, and catch bugs. Also has age appropriate romances for adult players. It's a bit buggy at times since it is open beta, but it's free (cosmetic only cash shop).
Satisfactory is a pretty neat factory building game. It's like Factorio, but fully 3D. Huge map to explore, find resources and establish factories to take advantage of them. There's some minor combat, but it definitely isn't the focus and you're given more than enough tools to deal with enemies.
A Short Hike is also nice and cozy, but quite brief, could be done in 1-2 sessions. You're an anthropomorphic bird, taking a hike on an island of other anthropomorphic animals.
Donut County is a cute puzzle game where you play as a hole in the ground trying to make everything fall into you. Reminiscent of Katamari, but more chill, no time limits on completing levels. Also a short, 1-2 session game.
Satisfactory was my choice in this thread.
It's as relaxed as you want it to be and watching your new factory chugging along with perfect efficiency is incredibly satisfying and soothing.
Just be careful when setting out a new project to optimize a production chain and oops I just built a new railway hub.
I've played Satisfactory in co-op and a bit of it solo, but kind of got tired of it for a while because every time I try to make things neat and organized, they just seem to devolve into a giant Escher/Rube Goldberg mess of conveyors snaking over each other that go...somewhere. I'll come back to it again someday. Is it still in Early Access or did they release a 1.0 version yet?
Palia I've considered, I think it was also on my Steam wishlist (unless I'm thinking of the wrong game). If it's free then the bar to trying it is pretty low which is nice if I end up not enjoying it.
They actually just released Update 8 today, still in EA. But this update included a lot of game settings like passive mode, infinite power, invincibility, unlimited flight, etc, so the game can now be literally as chill as you want.
The blueprints introduced last update also received some QoL improvements.
Yeah that happened with my first map in Satisfactory for sure. I came back and started a new one, being more intentional with space and where things would end up. For me, half the fun was making a mess though lol. Still EA. The mod scene is popping too if those are your thing.
Palia is on its own launcher, not on Steam, so probably a different game you're thinking of?
Yeah, I was probably thinking of something with a similar name. I can't think of it off the top of my head.
Id actually recommend factorio instead, unlike satisfactory it has really good tools for scaling a factory in an organized way. Late game satisfactory becomes a click fest, and even the recent blueprints dont help that much. Late game factorio you can design a module once and then treat it as a single factory, letting your robots handle the individual pieces.
Love this game, but man the progress for the last set of elevator parts has killed two separate 150 hour+ saves for me. It's probably just how I build it, but seeing as I'd basically have to duplicate my current factory to supply the parts, it feels like such a massive wall to climb over that I just cant bring myself to keep playing. :(
I think I may try again in a while, approaching these things from a different angle, but right now I have zero interest. Especially since my main form of transit (centrifugal hypertube accelerators) have stopped working with update 8.
No online Coop. But Rimworld on the peaceful setting can be really pleasant to play.
Get yourself some mods to open up the maps a bit more (not too much otherwise the AI throws a complete tantie), and just build a nice farming community that you can promptly pivot into a religious cult around cocaine... or what have you.
My brother has recommended Rimworld, but he said the learning curve can be kind of steep.
Nah. It's a bit complex, especially with all the DLC enabled, but the learning curve is nowhere near Dwarf Fortress levels of steep. It's still pretty easy to pick up and play as a total noob, IMO, since you can custom tailor the difficulty to your tastes. But even if you keep the default difficulty, and go with a more difficult AI storyteller (like Cassandra Classic or Randy Random), so long as you embrace the "losing is fun" mantra, it can still be thoroughly enjoyable even if all your first colonies end in total disaster.
I friggin love that DF meme. I laughed every time I see it. DF is pretty relaxing too actually if you don't settle somewhere dangerous.
He did also say it's a lot of learning from mistakes as well, so maybe I will give it a try sometime and see where it goes. I appreciate the suggestion!
It's not terribly steep. I think within 2-3hrs you'd have all the basics down. And the game does provide a tutorial to help you get you started.
It can get really deep, especially once you start getting into mods (and there are some mods you'll eventually want to have for QOL reasons), but that's your choice. Same goes for the DLCs; the base game is perfectly fine. The DLCs are only for if you want to go deeper.
I think unmodded it's fine. It's when you break into some of the mods that it can get complicated with supply chains.
Give it a try though. Ignore the many memes about war crimes simulator, it can get quite insane... But it can also be about some dudes making a peaceful life on the coast and fishing.
Second for Rimworld, there are mod packs, whose experience can be either relaxing or really stressful and difficult. But try the religious cult around drugs, the coked out pawns are really funny to play with, if you want them to have drugs. Or you can have some literal super soldiers that have the best gear and bionics that you can terrorize the planet with.
I do have plans of having a play through of a colony that made up of nomadic elderly people that have health issues that slowly gets transformed into super soldiers that is constantly raiding.
Rimworld coop mod works really well actually
I used it a few years back, it absolutely wrecked my game for some bizarre reason.
I've played a few of the Viscera Cleanup Simulator games, I can't imagine it's more mindless than those. 😂 They're kind of amusing in their own way.
I know you're looking for a game right now, but just a reminder that the Steam Fall Sale starts next week, on the 21st! Since plenty of these recommendations aren't fresh releases, you'll likely be able to purchase multiple games for the price of one if you can hold out!
I'll probably wait for the sale, but it would be nice to have some stuff on my wishlist that I actually want to buy for once. ^^; Right now it's kind of just a repository for stuff I'm minorly interested in, and roughly half of it is stuff that isn't even released yet. Thanks for the tip!
Are you looking for something that can go on for an extended period of time, or shorter games?
Unpacking is a short, but very sweet and very mellow game. It's been on sale several times in the past year and will likely be on sale again during the holidays, if it isn't already.
I've been playing Dave The Diver recently - it's a mix of roguelike "dungeon exploring" (where the dungeon is underwater scuba diving) and restaurant management. It's not fast-paced or anxiety-inducing, unless perhaps you experience thalassophobia.
Typically I'd recommend something like Animal Crossing, but there's no clear analog to that on the PC marketplace.
There's also the myriad number of deckbuilder roguelike games - Slay The Spire, Monster Train, and more recently Hexarchy and Cobalt Core.
Ideally it would be something I can work on over time, but games that can be played in quick, short bursts are okay as well. I think Unpacking was on my Steam wishlist, but I'll have to check. Dave the Diver I have not played but the reviews seem to be universally good. I've tried Slay the Spire but it didn't connect with me. Roguelikes used to be something I hated, but I eventually came to enjoy stuff like Teleglitch once I came to enjoy the randomness of the genre instead of loathe it. I'd have to look into your other recommendations when I get a chance. Thanks for the reply!
I'm in the same boat re: roguelikes. Supergiant's game Hades is what really changed my mind on them.
I have to put in a note for Hades, if only because Supergiant's games are universally spectacular. Unfortunately, based on the criteria you've set out you might not go for it - it has an emphasis on fast-paced action. That said, it lends itself perfectly to gradual progression, and the character beats and storyline are fantastic.
You might enjoy a slightly different game from Supergiant, come to think of it - have you looked into Pyre? It's ... well, it's an odd-duck for sure. It mixes elements from a variety of genres, with the main gameplay loop being character relationships and talent/skill management, rooted around what amounts to a 3v3 basketball-like game.
It is very difficult to describe, but I found it to be an enjoyable game. There's no "right" or "wrong" way to play; there is no real "game over". Each playthrough can be fairly unique, in terms of specific story beats and the way the story, and character relationships, play out. It's very laid-back with no rush to complete, nor a push to be perfect.
Again, though - Pyre is a strange game, and it's arguably the least successful of Supergiant's offerings to-date.
Honestly, I don't think I've ever played a game by Supergiant. I might pick up Hades or Pyre if they go on sale.
Supergiant is honestly my favorite video game company for the past ... oh, I dunno, several years now. They've released four games; in chronological order - Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, and Hades.
Bastion is an isometric-view action game, with a really unique take on storytelling and in-game narration. The soundtrack is spectacular too - music by Darren Korb and Ashley Barrett. The two of them do basically all of Supergiant's music, and every soundtrack is great in its own way. Bastion was originally released on XBL Arcade, and it was a pretty big success back in its day. It's still quite good.
Transistor is another isometric-view action game, with a twist - it can be live-action, or it can be played in a pseudo turn-based style. It's more strategic in ways than Bastion was, and the storytelling is a lot more subtle. It has a sort of ... jazz age aesthetic, while the music is jazzy with elements of grunge, electronic, and other sorts of music. It's quite unique.
Pyre, I've already described, so I won't belabor it here.
Hades is Supergiant's first truly huge success, with wide critical and fan acclaim. It's an isometric (huh, sense a theme) action game, but much faster-paced than their previous entries. It also leans heavily on roguelike elements, with progression that can be carried over between runs. The game incorporates the death/failure of the protagonist at every step, so "failed" runs are never truly failures.
The soundtrack for Hades is also a banger - hard rock and heavy metal with elements of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern chords, instruments, and such.
The best part about all of this is, Supergiant's game library is available on damn near every platform, and is regularly on-sale and inexpensive.
Their style is unique for sure. When Bastion released I was completely sucked in by every little aspect. From graphic design, to sound design, and gameplay. The narrator is still one of the greatest I've ever heard.
I have a game called Dinkum on my wishlist, it looks close enough, though there's no real time progression (which can be a good thing)
Card City Night—really cozy deck builder with an unique mechanic. It's pretty laid-back, but feels more personal than most of the offerings in the 'casual' genre.
The Testimony of Trixie Glimmer Smith—One of the most unique visual novels I have encountered. Lotsa queerness, wacky humor, and lovecraftian horror.
FTL—stylized space exploration roguelike with real-time-with-pause space combat. Be warned that the danger levels are pretty intense, with you constantly having to escape the approaching fleet while almost out of fuel and your ship barely holding together. So despite feeling really cozy and mellow, some find it a bit too harsh. Check the trailer, it give you a good idea of its gameplay.
Cell Tune—Simple little life sim where you create your own life form and have them multiply and win over other life forms. There are only five different cells you can use to build your life forms, but it gives a surprising amount of variety. Despite the cell-based creature design, the physics are very fluid, and the creatures wiggles like pudding, grow up gradually one cell at a time, and can be partically destroyed.
I'm not big on visual novels, but FTL and Cell Tune sound like they could be interesting. FTL does sound like it could be a bit of a rough ride, though.
FTL is one of those must-play titles that inspired a generation.
Don't get me wrong, it's brutal, unfairly so sometimes. But the soundtrack is killer, and the gameplay loop is refined.
I've played multiple hundreds of hours, but have only fully beaten the game on Normal like 5 times. 0 regrets.
No Man's Sky is a fantastic "laid back" game (if you configure it that way - you can also play hardcore if you want)
I actually do have that game, but honestly don't remember when I last touched it since I didn't play it that much. Been at least a few years, I think. I understand it's changed quite a bit since release.
If you already have No Man's Sky then I recommend revisiting it. Also, it's compatible with some MacOS devices (including the ARM-based CPUs) as well as Steam Deck.
There's a video recap of all the content updates to the game over the past 7 years. Volume warning - honestly just turn off the sound because the fan reaction audio overlays are obnoxious.
That said, I need to revisit it as well ... it's been a while since I've spun it up on my PS4 and I need to give each of the other gameplay modes a try.
Perhaps Firewatch? I found this game both relaxing and captivating, with a great story and atmosphere. I would highly recommend it!
Played and beat that one some time ago, but I appreciate the suggestion!
I favor mouse-based games that may fit what you're looking for, albeit I'm kind of on the lookout for something new myself. I'm curious what suggestions will pop up in this thread. My list is a bit general, but anyway:
Things with a bit of a learning curve:
Other types of games that fit your criteria more loosely:
I adore the Sam and Max games, I think I own most of them. I enjoyed Grim Fandango as well.
The Monkey Island games also fit nicely here. I also recommend Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars for a bit more serious story. I picked that one up on GBA years ago and enjoyed it a lot.
Oh I also just thought of another which is a bit more of a puzzle game but has enough story to (I think) fit in here: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
EDIT: Also Broken Age! I guess I have a type. :)
I'm not sure if it would be to the OP's tastes, but I think you might like these two games if you have not played them yet:
These are all Steam games.
Outpath. Has a demo, minecraft-ish but with enough of it's own identity to keep me interested. Exploring, harvesting, crafting, unlocking new locations, and while I haven't finished it yet, so far no combat either. The music is gorgeous. Not too repetitive, not obtrusive, just a calming and gentle background to the game.
Havendock. Early access, but already a solid game. Colony sim with simple but cute, unique graphics. You get to employ penguins. You get some flexibility in difficulty in the settings so that you can play completely risk free and just enjoy building and expanding, or you can add a challenge or two. My only complaint on this one would be that I wish we could build freely rather than according to a pre-determined layout but that hasn't stopped me from loving it.
Powerwash Simulator. I've recorded around 400 hours in this game because I tend to forget it's running and wander off. But even if I halve that amount, I'm still irrationally annoyed about how much time I've spent pretending to wash things. WHY is it so relaxing? WHY is it so damn hard to put down?? But also the makers have released a few free updates and the game is really well made, so yes I recommend it and yes I expect those hours will only creep up more in the future.
Dinkum. Another minecraft-y/stardew-y type game, again with enough of it's own identity that it doesn't feel like it's just a cheap copycat of them.
The Wonderful End of the World. A katamari type game (only it works). It's a bit frustrating that free play is locked behind getting relatively high scores, but I still enjoy playing it. Relaxing with another good background music selection.
Journey. Deceptively simple looking, gorgeous, atmospheric. Better off you go in not knowing much about it. There are some "enemies" but they were few and far between, mostly it's a game about well, a journey, and the world design is lovely.
Smushi Come Home. Not going to lie, the price point on this one was a bit high for me as it's a relatively short game and I don't think it's going to have much replayability, suggest waiting for a sale but having said that, I loved it and it is SO cute. Some exploration, some fairly easy platforming, lots of running around as an adorable mushroom.
Sable. Exploration. Another with great background music but really what I want to refer about on this one is the graphics, the world design is unique and gorgeous.
Raft. Between the game settings and mods this can be as challenging or as relaxing as you want. Crafting, harvesting, exploration. Great music, lovely sound design, very nice simple graphics.
West of Loathing. Features regular combat but it's pretty simple to become ridiculously overpowered. Stick figure graphics and a wonderfully silly plot with lots of puns and memorable characters.
Rime. Not going to lie, this one did stress me out a couple times as there's some tense moments but I still love it and consider it a relaxing game for it's absolutely beautiful scenery, a story told with no words, fantastic score, and puzzles that kept my interest rather than boring and frustrating me.
The Forgotten City. Another that does include tension, but also it's designed in such a way that mistakes can be remedied. I've played it through a few times and each time I love the music, the graphics and atmosphere, the characters and the excellent storytelling.
Equilinox. Simple but beautiful graphics, lovely music. Take a small section of land and develop it into different ecospheres with plants and animals that interact with each other, that you can selectively breed and change, and that has no time limits.
DLC Quest. Takes the piss out of games with DLC. Short but also inexpensive and kept me chuckling at its silliness. I've played it a few times as well.
I've seen Satisfactory and NMS suggested already, so my third contender in addition to those two is Snowrunner, a mostly off road trucking game that involves you completing contracts by bringing supplies to various objectives, earning money, to buy more trucks and upgrades, to run more contracts. There's tons of different kinds of materials, trailers, trucks, and a bunch of different maps.
There are time trials in the game, but they're optional. It's actually so slow paced it's a turn off for some, because you will spend a lot of time stuck in the mud. It's literally the game of slow and steady wins the race, but it's also a game where failure adds to the fun.
You can always instantly recall your trucks to a garage, but if I get stuck, I like to leave my truck where it is and perform a rescue mission with another truck using a crane. It's multiplayer as well, though the multiplayer can be a little hit and miss with actually connecting to your friends. Map progress is only for the host, but other players can still earn money and upgrades. You can also just run an open lobby that people can freely join.
I fired Satisfactory back up, I didn't know until someone here mentioned it that they added stuff like infinite power which would make it easier to start from scratch and concentrate on building.
That was also me, glad I could help!
Snowrunner really scratches an itch for me. I've sunk something like 60 hours into it without ever leaving the first set of Michigan maps.
Pode is a chill little puzzle game that's geared for kids to play with their parents but can also be pleasing to adults, and you can play solo.
Grow Home is also cute and chill, but may be getting on in years.
You can also play Minecraft on peaceful or creative mode and just explore/build stuff as you please.
And of course Animal Crossing, but unless you're willing to emulate you won't find it on Steam. There's Hokko life which is meant to be a knock off but can't vouch for how good it is, I've never played.
I used to play Minecraft but sort of lost interest in it when the mods I had been using weren't regularly updated anymore (it's kind of boring to play stock IMO). Also pretty sure I forgot to change over my account to a Mojang or Microsoft account (whichever one those emails kept pestering me to switch it to) so I probably lost access to my copy anyways. It was an amusing time-waster with friends once upon a time.
I've tried Animal Crossing in the past but it never caught on with me. I'm not averse to that type of game, but I think that franchise in particular is a little bit too cutesy for me. I've heard there's lots of games that are adjacent to it, though.
FYI, @teaearlgraycold actually created a Tildes community Minecraft server, which is still reasonably active, if you ever want to jump back into playing Minecraft and give online coop a try.
And you can join with Bedrock or Java Edition. So if you want to be stingy you could play on your phone for like $7
I used to play it in co-op with my brother and some friends, but I can't live without my mods (IndustrialCraft, RailCraft, etc).
It sounds like you haven't played in quite a while though, since you mentioned only having an old Mojang account and not a new MS one. So you might be surprised what's possible nowadays even without those mods. IIRC they have quite a few automated setups for collecting various things on the server, along with an extensive fast travel network. teaearlgraycold is the one to ask and talk to about that stuff though, since I have only briefly visited the server.
I'll definitely consider it, but I'd likely have to buy another copy of the game.
As long as you have access to the same email address that you used with Mojang, you should still be able to recover and migrate that old account to the new MS one:
https://help.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/articles/19615552270221#h_01HAN3HSNGX3234WCNJ1G35BDK
My go-to laid back game for listening to podcasts or watching something at the same time is OpenTTD. It takes a bit to get used to laying down rail lines and signals, but once you've got the basics down, it's very relaxing to just play with trains and railroad tracks indefinitely.
Factorio seems like it would fit this perfectly.
if you're still on reddit, /r/factorio is a very welcoming and noob-friendly community.
the general consensus of that subreddit, which I agree with, is that until you beat the game the first time (by building and launching a rocket) you should play "blind" as much as possible, and not look up videos or tutorials.
but, there's no wrong way to play Factorio, so if you decide to ignore that advice, I'd recommend KatherineOfSky's "entry level to megabase" YouTube series. her third iteration of the series is the one I watched a few years ago when I started playing; there's a fifth version that is more recent but I haven't watched.
online co-op is available (and co-op is the only type of multiplayer Factorio has). there is some combat, but it's possible to turn it off entirely without missing any of the core gameplay, or tweak the settings (peaceful mode) so that combat only happens when you seek it out, rather than coming and surprising you.
I've never had a Reddit account, to be honest. I might pick up Factorio in the next Steam sale and see if any of my friends have it or want to play. Most of us already have Satisfactory.
Just a heads up, I don't think Factorio ever goes on sale, intentionally on the part of the dev. Totally worth whatever the retail price is now though. Great game to feed a few hundred hours to.
It doesn't, they put their reasoning in a Friday facts years ago and I'm pretty sure there's a note on their steam page.
These are both really peaceful and beautiful games:
Cloud Gardens - turn abandoned urban ruins into overgrown gardens
Terra Nil - turn barren wastelands into thriving ecosystems
For online co-op:
Don't Starve Together - cute and creepy art style (Tim Burton ish), survival, basebuilding, crafting
Terraria - harvest, build, craft, combat; difficulty level is very customizable so you if you want you can turn off combat and just focus on building (that's what I do)
If you just want to focus on basebuilding:
Oxygen Not Included - cute scifi themed art style, deep tech tree, cool physics and life support systems sim
And if you want something kind of like Stardew Valley but maybe a bit more grind-y and with some dark humor:
Graveyard Keeper - process corpses, decorate the cemetery, mine, farm, craft, brew, sell
K, that is hilarious and actually likely very peaceful ;)
It's similar to Stardew in terms of time stress. The day just keeps going, and you can only do certain things on certain days. But there isn't any endgame clock either like in Stardew so it's not quite as bad.
What mean?
At the end of your second year your grandpa's ghost appears and judges your progress. Depending on how much or little you've done you get a score and reward. The top tier reward is amazing.
You are judged based on things like how much money you've made, relationships with townsfolk, how high skills are, if you've finished the community center and museum, etc etc.
If you don't have enough done to get the highest level you miss out on that reward.
https://stardewvalleywiki.com/Grandpa
But with a diamond you can redo the evaluation, so the constraint doesn't matter that much.
I've recently looked for games fulfilling a similar need and settled on various simulator games. I know it's not specifically what you may be looking for but I wanted to throw it in the mix. Farming simulator and trucking simulators are the two I enjoy.
Just my opinion, but I always found those "XY Simulator" games kind of goofy, like they should be a meme or something. Is there more to them than that?
I've played a fair bit of American Truck Simulator (and a bit of Euro Truck Simulator 2 before that). They're definitely a niche genre.
In general, I think the various —— Simulator games appeal to people who want to experience some different sort of environment without the downsides of doing it in real life (life/health risk, time invested, etc.) For some people, the relaxed environment is a benefit. There are plenty of people who play the truck simulators with podcasts or music going while they zone out a little, paying just enough attention to keep their truck going.
For me, I like the exploration and road trip aspects of the game. I took an IRL road trip across the US a year or so back. It took two weeks and was pretty short on non-driving time to fit into that window. On the other hand, I can open American Truck Simulator at any time, pull up a list of available delivery jobs, decide that I want to drive from Las Vegas to Denver today, and then spend an hour or so doing a drive that would take all day (or more) in real life.
These sorts of games are definitely not things that would appeal to many people, but they have their (genuine, non-ironic) fans. There's the meme that runs around periodically with people for whom their absolute-power superhero fantasy is helping as many other as possible. Similarly, while some people's driving fantasy is GTA's reckless endangerment, others' is carefully delivering cargo from producer to consumer.
That's fair! I wasn't sure how many people really played them.
It really depends. So many games have slapped "Simulator" on the end of their title that you can get all kinds of good and bad games.
I'll throw out Thief Simulator as a good example. You play as a burglar, starting out small robbing small houses of their valuables, and slowly working your way up to the more rich people who have elaborate security systems you have to sneak around, and even giant warehouses with security guards.
You have to case your target house, learn the residents/guards schedules, find the best way in, get the loot out in your van and get out before being discovered.
It's a fairly chill game, not too punishing if you get caught, you either hide somewhere til the cops stop looking or if you get tased it just reloads your last checkpoint, which is usually pretty recent.
I had a lot of fun with it, and they recently announced a sequel.
As far as "Simulator" goes, there's no real need for it to be called that, like yes you are simulating what a burglar does, casing, stealing, selling, etc. But it could easily just be called "Burglar" with no simulator name attached.
Animal Crossing New Horizons —build your house next to the sea/beach!
A Short Hike The first game that came to mind when I read this, curious exploration with any timers or stressing moments, everything about this game is relaxed.
Stacklands Was very relaxing for me. I have only played the base game, some more updates has come out since then that I didn't test.
Journey Probably the original relaxing game
Flower By the same team that did Journey.
hardspace shipbreaker IDK if my experience is universal, but I found the game very relaxing and zen, methodically taking ships apart module by module and putting everything in its place. The game also takes place in 15 minute 'shifts', which really helps make it a game that you can pick up for just 1 shift and still feel satisfied.
I recommend Sable -- exploratory, nonviolent, few if any time based challenges. It's quite buggy as a product, but a really mellow and enjoyable concept and game. A Short Hike is similar -- both these games are warm liquid on a cold morning.
Not sure you are interested in something like this at all cause this genre it's definitely not for everyone.
The game is called Torn City and games like it are called "idlegames". :) Usually the game loop is super relaxed. You can hop into the game a couple times a day, do some things, and hop out again. You play it fully in a web browser as well, so nothing to download.
Here is a quick teaser video.
And here a player made video which at the very least should give you an idea what to expect.
This game is a very long term games, where so in game actions and progression takes literally years to complete.
Let me know what you think and if you even try it.
If you like puzzle games, The Pedestrian was wonderful
Other good puzzle style games with slower pace:
The Swapper
Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery
Agent A
Firewatch
The Witness
Dorfromantik
Or if you want a modern day SkiFree experience
Grand Mountain Adventure Wonderlands
I used to play SkiFree all the time as a kid. I actually found out today that there's a spiritual successor to it built into Edge called Surf, which you can access by typing
edge://surf/into the address bar. Thanks for the suggestions!The Witness is definitely my suggestion, very chill ambience, cool puzzles, tons of easter eggs and secrets, no enemies and a really nice visual style.
There's a narrative on philosophical and spiritual themes if the player cares to uncover it but it's not the goal.
Its great, some of the puzzles can be incredibly difficult, I'll even admit to having to consult a walkthrough for 5 or 6 of them I think but I did eventually finish the game after many months of playing.
Honestly? Minecraft on Peaceful mode, or Creative. Build a house, grow some wheat, get some chickens and pigs and turtles and bees, go spelunking and find some gold and diamonds. It's super chill without monsters around. Hell it's pretty chill even with the monsters.
A different game in the same genre, but Valheim is pretty peaceful, at least in the early biomes. They just came out with settings to change your experience, like disabling raids and making monsters peaceful unless attacked. The music, atmosphere, and base building are pretty chill.
XCOM is really laid back: you can literally walk away from the keyboard at any time and not be penalized in the game in any way whatsoever!