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What's your video game comfort food?
What's your video game(s) that is like comfort food to you? The ones you can always play no matter what kind of mood you're in?
What's your video game(s) that is like comfort food to you? The ones you can always play no matter what kind of mood you're in?
Simon Tatham's Puzzles. Maybe can't always play it for a long time but if I'm not in a mental headspace to actually focus on something serious, doing the quasi-minesweeper or draw the rectangles ones don't take much brainpower and help pass the time.
First thing I make sure is installed on every phone and tablet.
Hardspace Shipbreaker is surprisingly chill once you've gotten the hang of things.
Me too! I love booting up hardspace just to slowly and methodically disassemble a few ships. Got all the achievements by my second play through, but I keep going.
I'm in a similar boat (ship?). I did a no revives playthrough a few months back which went surprisingly well all things considered.
Minecraft. Whether vanilla or modded, on a server or single player depends on the mood, but there's something magical about the early hours of Minecraft that always has a great effect on my mood
Endless Sky. It’s a pretty faithful remake of the old Ambrosia Software game series called Escape Velocity. I’ve got probably five thousand hours plunged into the series and remake since about 1996. I’ll go sometimes years between plays and then play constantly for anywhere from a day to every night for weeks on end. There’s just something about it that makes my brain calm. The longest period I went without playing was about ten years, from when I last had a Mac that could play Escape Velocity Nova to when I found Endless Sky.
Other than that, it’s mostly solitaire card games, Simon Tatham’s Puzzles, and Minecraft. (Edit to fix Summon -> Simon)
If you like Endless Sky then Starsector might also scratch that itch. You can download the game for free from their website (it isn't on Steam) and get a CD key from the end of Sseth's Starsector review video.
I was about to say the same. I had this page open for a while and decided to refresh before posting and it just so happens you posted about Starsector.
It'll probably scratch their itch!
Super Mario 64
A time long ago when I had enough time to play MMOs, I would play Super Mario 64 when doing more idle-heavy gameplay stuff. I got to the point that I can do all 120 stars in a bit under three hours.
That is short enough that I can do it once or twice a year as an afternoon lazy event but long enough to be fulfilling when I finish and not really desire to keep playing anything.
I'll co-sign on this one. Mario 64 is one of the games I can return to and know that I'll have a good time with. That said, I'm not on your level, as I can't 120 star it that quickly (under three hours!!! you could get on the speedrun.com leaderboards with that time), and not without save states. Also, despite how many times I've played it, I'm still AWFUL at the Bowser throws. 😭
Not to go all completely-unsolicited-recommendation on you (though that is exactly what I'm doing), but I recently played Super Mario Star Road, a romhack of SM64 that feels like an honest-to-goodness effort at a fan sequel.
It was thoroughly enjoyable to play an SM64 game in which I didn't already know where everything was. Having to hunt around for stars and red coins took me back to my childhood. The game was completely familiar and comfortable in terms of mechanics, but felt fresh to play because I didn't have the levels memorized. If you're looking for a comfort play that isn't just another runthrough of the (still fantastic) original, I highly recommend Star Road.
This comment made me curious about what the time would be for the world record speedrun. Seems to be 1h 35m 28s, so you've got a bit more training to do!
Hard pass from me! I have seen some of those people play and it is bonkers.
I don't know if you'd be into this at all, but the decompilation/PC build for SM64 has come a very long way with mods. There's an online multiplayer version available that has a bunch of other mods you can add in as well. It may be able to get you a community of other people who enjoy the game on the level you do, and maybe bring a new experience for you in the game you love.
That said, there's something truly special about having a comfort game like you do, and revisiting it in the original way once a year. All the ports and mods in the world can't hit that nostalgia without a lot of customization.
Final fantasy 6 - I still beat it once a year. Got the pixel remaster so I finally played it differently for the first time in like 20 years to get all the achievements.
Final Fantasy Tactics - In my opinion, the original PSX is basically a perfect game. I'm eating well as the new remaster just came out so I have dropped about 50 hours into it
Total War: Warhammer 3 - It is just my fall back for years at this point. I just checked and I have 1155 hours in it to date. I don't know why, there are just so many different options, I love turn based games in general, but then you also get RTS style combat. It just always scratches the right itch.
Kirby and the Crystal Shards on the N64. I do still have my N64 plugged in, though I don't play it often. I'm aware that my feelings for this game are 1000% nostalgia for a kids game that I played as a kid.
Never played that one but I've played other Kirby games and I think the series as a whole definitely qualifies!
22 years later and I still play the original Majesty whenever I need to wind down at the end of a long day.
I do play some simpler and older games too but I tend to only play those when I'm sick and cant focus on anything more complex.
Man, I might need to do another playthrough of Majesty. It does have something special about it that is just a joy to play.
Do you have a favorite temple?
I try to give all the temples a chance but Agrela is usually the most useful. The healers can stall enemies for a long time if they have to fight but otherwise they keep other heroes alive long enough to get leveled up and it unlocks Paladins which are powerful and loyal units.
They aren't always the best if you get rushed really early though, sometimes going straight for wizards or Krypta will be better at keeping dragons down early.
Doom: Simple, engaging, short (like <10 minutes for a "hard" level usually), know it well so I don't need to think about it. It's like my warm blanket game when I just wanna have some fun for a bit and can't think of anything else.
Balatro is a recent entrant: Simple, kinda need to think, fully expect to lose so I only get a little tilted if I come up like 15 points short. A good session is maybe 30 minutes to get to the highest stake, but I don't need to worry about large-scale investments or anything.
Deckbuilders without a meta-narrative are fun for me: Balatro (already mentioned), Dungeons and Degenerate Gamblers, Slay the Spire: games I fully expect to lose, so I can only go up on. They're hard in the sense that you need to think about what you do strategically, but not stressfully/physically engaging beyond the moment you go "Fuck, I'm not gonna make it past this round" when the math is done, or the win you get by the hair of your butt, until that first win. I got into this genre recently but it's been pretty great, but I'm pretty picky about what I play because there's a certain vibe I want: Don't make me change contexts (Tainted Grail), don't have too much story (Across the Obelisk), just throw me into a run, give me a path of decisions to select, and let me cook and get my dopamine.
An aside for funky arcade-style builders: Dungeon Clawler is one I go back to for fun vibes, basically a claw machine deckbuilder with fun synergies.
Similarly, modern roguelikes/lites: Hades has been great because I won't win. I start from there, and keep going until I lose to Megaera. Binding of Isaac is great for the same reason, even if it's not one I play a lot. Others that come to mind are Spelunky (1/2), Rogue Legacy (1/2), Conversely, traditional roguelikes tend to be higher-stakes, with multi-hour runs that you then lose, so they don't have that same comfort feel, which kinda caused me to drift away, I don't wanna be eight hours in and lose to something through RNG that I simply have no tools to get past.
I also get the itch to go on solitaire binges. Aislriot (on all platforms) is simply the best.
+1 for DOOM. I’ve downloaded a ton of Cacoward-winning WADs from the last 20 years and, if I don’t know what to do or play, I’ll just pop one on and work through a couple levels. Great fun to pick up and play, and the natural momentum break of a level system encourages breaks which I really appreciate.* The map modding community, especially the efforts highlighted by the Cacowards, are phenomenal, and match (if not exceed) the quality of the original game most of the time.
*can’t tell you how many times the “endless” gameplay loop of open world games has caused me to burn 4 hours because it never feels like there’s a good place to stop.
Yeah I love Slay the Spire and thought picking up Across the Obelisk would be a great multiplayer game similar to that but the cliff I hit when starting the game of having to go through all the inventory setup and figure out the story is such a mental drain. I just wanted to have a few choices to make each round and not feel like I've screwed it up from the start every time.
Celeste is my "snow day game."
I'm a teacher in an area that occasionally gets blizzards, so I'll sometimes get an unexpected day off in the middle of the week.
I personally feel that (aside from the shoveling), a snow day is nature's way of saying "go, be cozy." Make some hot chocolate. Bundle up. Snuggle with a pet or loved one. Watch a favorite movie. Curl up with a book.
Or play a favorite videogame.
Celeste hits the right notes of a snow day game for me. It's a wintery game in which you climb a mountain. The vibes are right. I can also finish it in under two hours now that I've played through it a few times. It's challenging enough to be exciting, but not hard enough to be frustrating (note: I'm only doing the main game -- no B or C sides, no Core or Farewell).
In each of the few snow days I've had in the past few years, I've booted up the game, played it in one or two sittings, and felt just really good about it. So I'll probably keep doing it as a habit. The game is both comforting and invigorating, like a warm cup of coffee on a cold morning.
Red Dead Redemption 2. Even though I've sunk over a thousand hours into it, there's always something new to do across the vast map that lets me take a breather and admire the scenery while doing any number of activities, from filling the journal with sketches while exploring to treasure hunting to whitewater canoeing. If I'm feeling adventurous there are gangs to clear out, people to save, and bank heists to plan, but it caters to people who want to get lost in the wilderness with some modern comforts as well.
I want your enthusiasm because I can't make it past the first 3 hours without wishing I was watching a cowboy movie or playing a game that didn't think it was a movie.
Thank you! I try to stay away from missions and spend my time in the open world, the missions are the lowlight of the game for me and I hope Rockstar is able to evolve the structure of the story in a positive way for GTA 6. The side missions of the game are better than the main story missions, for what it's worth.
It's worth a lot! I didn't spend $35 on the game for nothing ;). I want my money's worth one day.
I played about 15 hours and was having a great time until I hit a bug that broke a side quest. I didn’t get the new objective which would have shown the location of some money stashed in a tree. No problem, I thought. I just looked up the location online and went there without a waypoint. The hole was there but I couldn’t get the money because the game state was broken - even though in universe the money was there.
This would not happen in an Elder Scrolls game. You can cheat your way through and it’ll still try to put you back on the rails once you hit an objective. Rockstar decided early on to have a more restrictive set of constraints. There’s a Jacob Geller video where he goes into this as well. He found a really creative alternative solution to a quest only to be hit by a door that couldn’t be opened.
I stopped playing after my incident.
Not a bug, but the fact that the game can't accommodate my desire to play 30 minutes to an hour at a time is what put me off. We only have so much time to play games and had to repeat the second or third story quest like 5 times because you can't save your progress in the middle. What baloney
Can you link that Jacob Geller video? Haven't seen that one but sounds interesting
My bad it was from NakeyJakey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvJPKOLDSos. The part I mentioned is around 22:00.
I recommend the first Red Dead Redemption, if you want a game that plays like a game.
Borderlands 2, I dont even like FPSs much. But I know the game well, the gunplay and the movements felt very natural and satisfying to me.
Haven't played the game in sometime, but I always come back to it.
How do you feel about the others in the series?
I have never played 3 and 4. I started with 2. The first one feels a little unrefined, but it is still a good amount of fun.
Pre-Sequel is good, it's just more borderlands 2 with low gravity, lasers, and you can play as ClapTrap. The endgame is lacking though.
It's also very rare to find a match on Pre-Sequel, Borderlands 2 still have some people playing it, and sometimes when I'm lucky, I get matched with someone that can communicate pleasantly and doesn't cheat.
I guess the sort of "default" answer is to just list off nostalgic childhood games I know well and replay from time to time like Super Mario RPG or Super Mario World on SNES, or Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon on N64, but I think that's the less interesting angle to answer the question with.
Instead, I also want to say that without the nostalgia factor, games with sort of non-materialistic particle effect-y visuals (I've sometimes described them as "graphical fireworks shows") and any type of gameplay that has a high chance to make me settle into flow state easily can play the role of gaming "comfort food" because of how capable they are of blanking my mind of my problems and worries.
I don't know how to categorically describe games like this cause they can be in any genre, but the two games that make me want to call this a category are Geometry Wars and Tetris Effect and so naturally the upcoming next thing will be Lumines Arise. I've thought about making a thread here to try to take suggestions on other games that fit the bill, but I don't want to go around replying to people saying what I think is or isn't a fit to try to "fine-tune" a vibes based idea because if I say no to things and can't clearly define why, it'll just discourage further replies. You can tell how wrong it will go by googling for games that look or have vibes like those and seeing a million suggestions that are just too far away from the mark. Occasionally someone will recommend something like Mixolumia or Thumper or Rez which fit, but the vast majority of recommendations will be like Waves (I'm mixed on whether this one fits or not, Waves 2 looks a little more "right") if you ask about Geometry Wars, or completely off topic stuff like Ori and Celeste. Of course the bottom line is that there's not that many games that actually fit.
Animal Crossing. Specifically the home design like Happy Home Designer for 3DS or the Happy Home Paradise DLC. I really like decorating houses in-game, and I can match it to my moods pretty well.
MaBoShi (DS/Wii) on my iPhone
Halo: MCC (3 most specifically).
I really feel like Halo 3 was the peak FPS - something about the gameplay is just so crisp. I love the much slower, floaty movement. Maybe my brain isn't quite quick enough for today's shooters, but I feel like Halo's tuning really made you think a bit more tactically about your approach to combat without losing too much of the FPS feel.
Add the amazing soundtrack and epic campaigns, and nothing compares to it IMO.
I always come back to it for a few social games or few campaign missions. Maybe someday, I'll finish LASO too.
I came here to ensure Halo was included on the list. Growing up through all the Halo games also adds to the comfort. My favorite weapon of all time is the Battle Rifle. Turning on the IWHBYD and Grunt Birthday Party skulls on Heroic or Legendary while running through campaign maps is peak comfort for me.
While I enjoy the Bungie Halos the best. Something about the grapple in Halo Infinite also give me comfort although that particular game does feel devoid of the Halo "it" factor.
Minecraft, due to the near endless possibilities of what I can do. Wheter I want to experiment around with Redstone contraptions ina Test world, Try to once again beat the game in Hardcore, just play regular Survival or play modded, If I'm bored I can always find something to do.
And ther eis even a possibility to play with other people or friends on a Server.
Of course, with playing Hardcore, there might always be a scenario where you're close to reaching the end and then you die, because of a creeper you didn't see, which can be frustrating, but nothing I can't get over.
Okay, reading it again, I did make it kinda sound like I want to convice someone to play minecraft.
Once in a blue moon I'll pick up Binding of Isaac: Rebirth again for a few runs. It's often infuriating if you care about what you're doing, but the point is that I barely need to engage my brain in order to play it. Typically I'm playing it while doing something else, like watching a stream or show.
TBoI is also one my "forever" games. I'm not even really good at it, but I've been playing since the og flash release, and there's just so much to unlock... That, and dropping just the right items to become overpowered (and die of overconfidence).
OpenTTD and factorio. Both have the “there’s always something that can be done” feel while not putting huge pressure on when I feel like taking things chill.
In the last few years Noita has become the game I play to relax. I think it transports me into a flow state, feels great to play, and that just has a calming effect on me.
In the early 2000s Quake 3 Arena felt similar to me, but these days it would probably be too stressful, too hectic.
e: oh, and Factorio of course. I'm currently playing a Pyanodons run and it's also a great way to relax.
I started multiplayer Pyanodons with a couple friends, we're up to working on red circuits now and it's already miles of spaghetti madness. It's still a fun puzzle but I don't think I'd call it relaxing anymore!
😁 Yeah, I can imagine. 🍝
Currently I try to view the base not as something that has to be finished, but more as something like a zen garden that can be worked on slowly over time. (That metaphor is from the py discord, and I found it quite helpful in tackling the cascading production chains.)
But I'm also much earlier in the playthrough, transitioning to a trainbase (before logi science) and slowly making progress, so we'll see what I think of that idea in a few hundred hours. 🙂 But currently I really enjoy it.
Harvest Moon 64, ever since I learned about emulation, I've kept an N64 emulator and a copy of a ROM for the game on nearly all my devices. I haven't played a full run through of the admittedly short game in a long while, but when I'm in a not great mood, the game can be a perfect thing to dive in to for a while. Somedays I'll just put on the soundtrack and listen to that and feel better.
That game has been a game I had wanted to see remastered for a long time, but after seeing what they did with Friends of Mineral Town I realized that my dream of seeing some QoL stuff added in, some glitches fixed, and maybe some extra content added in now that we're not constrained by the cartridge size will remain a dream.
Thankfully there is a randomizer being developed that will also included some QoL features that I'm excited for! https://www.harvestmoonrandomizers.com/
Sonic 2, Sonic 3 and Knuckles, X-Men 2, and Lion King on Genesis. I grew up playing and owning these games so it's a nice relaxation session to sit and play any of them now. Only emulated these days as I sold my original Genesis and games but I tend to play them on Wii on a CRT which still provides a mostly proper experience IMO.
I have of course beaten Sonic 2 and S3+Knuckles many times but Lion King and X-Men 2 remain undefeated.
I've gotten close with each. One day they shall be conquered while I'm chilling.
Celeste mostly, it has very tight and rewarding controls. Other than that i tend to play some incremental browser game. I guess it's not a single game really, but they are so similar and low effort that I think it fits as an answer.
Celeste is fantastic. I think it's my #1 platformer of all time
I don't have a game that I can always play, but the games I keep coming back to are Diablo 2, Madden 02/05, MVP Baseball 05, and Fallout New Vegas. If I really need an escape and have nothing else to play, one of those will always be available depending on my mood. It's that nostalgia sweet spot of 'games you played from ages 12-20.'
Insurgency: Sandstorm on Co-Op. People are usually nice, everyone is working at the same goal and the action is low-stress.
Probably an odd pick since it's mostly seen as a chaotic, money-grab, rage-inducing ADHD playground, but Overwatch has to be my pick.
I've played this game since launch, and at this point it's almost instinctive to boot up my PC and queue up. I can slip into auto mode on the days my brain needs to disconnect and still perform well. The little "dings" on hits are absurdly satisfying, the movement and abilities feel so fluid compared to any other game I've tried, and you can do the stupidest thing and still somehow play "well". Also, every time I decide to take it seriously, I still notice myself improving.
On top of all that, the Workshop (and more recently the Stadium mode) adds a ton of variety when I'm bored of the core game. Nothing else hits the same mix of feedback, flow, and “just one more” for me.
Magic: The Gathering Arena is something I play every day while sipping my morning coffee and often playing a YouTube video on a side screen. I've been a Magic nerd for... wow... over 20 years now. My co-worker Matt got me into it when I was working my first job after University doing tech support at a local ISP (remember when those existed?). I had to transition to Arena when COVID started and have stayed with it since.
Less often, but recurring:
S.T.A.L.K.E.R game series, especially including the fan-made game remakes. Great games.
Fallout series - but only Fallout 3, New Vegas, and 4.
Counter Strike 2, but only the Arms Race game mode, which is basically insta-respawn team deathmatch where you get a new gun every time you kill an enemy or two, with whoever gets to the knife and scores a kill with it first being the winner.
There's only 4 maps in the regular rotation for it and games last maybe 5 minutes.
Feels comfortable like an old shoe.
In support of this, anyone who maybe played in the CS Source and 1.6 days and fell off from then might know this mode as "gungame" when it was more of a custom map/mod thing.
Yeah, for real. There's a couple of CS2 community servers running a version of gungame with community maps, mostly ones imported from CS Source but the player population is super low, unfortunately.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
I don't know why. I can replay this game endlessly I suppose.
Minecraft has been mentioned, so I'll throw in my second choice: No Man's Sky. With all of the new game loops/mechanics added over the years, it's super easy for me to jump in and pick one to spend the next few hours immersed in the task. Sometimes I'll traverse the Sudzerbal galaxy (my galaxy of choice) looking for interesting planets, plants, and creatures. Sometimes I'll go on missions to increase my standing with a faction. Sometimes I'll pick a pretty location and build a base. Sometimes I'll work on a cool new corvette. It's like several games in one! :)
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