What game do you play to just chill?

Honestly, I fire up the Xbox and play the original Halo on easy difficulty. It's like hanging out with an old friend.

Same, either Halo and the Silent Cartographer or Halo 2 and Metropolis. Those two levels are my video game comfort food.
It's like hanging out with an old friend.

Interesting analogy, as this can be taken as an anxiety trigger as well.
Halo on easy is so fun. I love fucking around in Halo 3

You should check out Stardew Valley. Super chill game that evolves at your own pace.

Don't like to fish on the game? Don't fish.

Don't like to go in the mines and fight stuff? Don't go in the caves.

Play on a PC and want to spend hours just modding the hell out of the game? Go for it.

I couldn't get into it. Felt very stressful to me. Like I had to do something productive every day before night. It's probably more my fault than the game's fault though.
- I love these types of games, and I've tried to get into it multiple times... But everything feels like it's on such a strict timer. I just want to chill and farm/explore/talk to people without worrying if I spent too much time enjoying myself doing any one particular thing. If it had some kind of sandbox mode or if you could slow down the time, I'd give it another go.
- I get like this in any sort of "real time passes" games, with some exceptions. If you have a limited amount of time to do a limited amount of things in game, my mind starts min/maxing what I should be doing every moment in game. In Outer Wilds the passage of time matters less cause you always start back at zero, what you gain each run is just knowledge, you don't lose out and fall behind on any resources, points or whatever cause you didn't do certain things that day.
- The game is like that for the first game month. When you get to summer you tend to relax a bit more so after your tool upgrades.
- I 100% agree. There's just so much to do and too much of your day is spent as a time tax maintaining what you already have. There are several unlocks to reduce this, but they come far too late in a playthrough in my opinion.
  
  I find a time control/clock-stopping on demand mod almost mandatory for me to be able to play without stressing, especially when playing with expansion mods that more than double the amount of content in the game.
Stardew valley is way too stressful to me, I have to make the most of each day and if I'm not I'm wasting it
You mentioned things you might not like to do, I wonder what you like to do in Stardew Valley (my knowledge on that game is very little).

Don't overthink it. Minecraft. Vanilla survival world. Don't try to optimize and automate everything (unless you find that relaxing). Make your farm look like a farm. Mine until until your inventory is full. Build towards an Ender Dragon or Wither fight if you have time. Go mining or fishing or do base chores or a beautification project if you don't.

I tried Minecraft way back, so maybe it's changed, but I don't do to well in setting my own goals in a game. I liked Subnautica because there was an interesting story element and mystery that kept you engaged as you moved towards your goal of getting off planet. In the process of reaching the goal, yeah, I wanna make my base look nice, wanna build some cool things, but my overall actions were still being compelled by the storytelling and world-building of the game. I don't see those elements in Minecraft but again, it's been a long time since I played.
- Modpacks with a good quest line might be something you're into
- You sound like me. I don’t do well with sandbox games, I like a story related objective to work towards. Subnautica and Outre Wilds are also both favorites of mine. I also think a great chill game is Forza Horizon 4 or 5. Driving around the open world with changing time of day and popping into different events is so relaxing to me, especially if I mute the in-game radio and play some Spotify instead. My only regret is I bought it through the Microsoft Xbox app (to keep my progress I made during a Game Pass free trial) and now I can’t play it on my Steam Deck.
- The two big boss fights are the closest thing to a "goal," but yeah, even in survival mode I guess it's as much lego as it is video game. In your case, maybe a Bethesda game but focusing on side and companion quests until you're so overpowered that wrapping up the main plot will feel like one more.
I used to love doing a weird automated laboratory under my classic farm, but yeah it did suck out the fun once I could reliably do it again and again.

I used to specifically farm the ingredients for pumpkin pie, this was just after hoppers and repeaters were added which meant you could use those and pistons to make an automatic egg collector, sugare cane breaker and pumpkin breaker. I'd build the most picturesque farm with a secret trapdoor somewhere that would lead to my food automation zone. I haven't really played properly since 2017 though, with a brief comeback in 2020.
Automation is really fun with mods. They are kind of like puzzles and I chill out thinking about them.
- In the right mood, I like setting things up and tweaking them, but I don't find it "chill". If I fire up Minecraft to chill, I usually think of it almost like a model railroad or something, occasionally it literally is a virtual model railroad if I want to build nether transit or something. I also find it satisfying to fill in that last patch of a map and put a copy of it on a wall next to its mates. It is very satisfying to get that auto smelter or adjustable enchanting room just right, though, and I can easily see that stuff being a goal in its own right.
  
  What I find brilliant about the concept of Minecraft is the way it hits a sweet spot of being just complex enough to be immersive, but abstract and simplified enough that the open world is actually open and rewards a hundred different play styles.

Solitaire oddly enough. Just sit there, throw up a YouTube playlist on my second monitor, open up the game on my main, and just unwind.

Absolutely. I have a ton of games and solitaire is one of the ones I play to chill.
To be fair though, you can get same relaxation by doing any mindless task with music.

Hell, one of the highlights of my week is putting on a history podcast and then just cleaning the hell out of the bathroom, bedroom, mopping the floors, etc.

Its a relaxing personal moment where you're lost in your own world, you learn something new, and your apartment looks great at the end.
Solitaire is a 10/10 game tbh. I got a little too good at the iPod Video version of the game because it was addicting.
Freecell for me :B
Similarly, nonogram/picross puzzles. I have one on my phone that's called Hungry Cat Nonogram that I really like. It mixes up the formula by introducing different colored pixels into each row and columns. It's hard to explain, but very fun. It's the only game I keep on my phone
Sounds like somebody else grew up with windows 3.1.

RimWorld. It's so fun watching your colonists at work, peacefully farming, and suddenly one of them gets hit by a chunk of steel followed by a hundred bear raid.

Very relaxing.

War crime simulator is apparently quite relaxing.
- What's not relaxing about war crimes and organ harvesting
You can also play in builder mode where there are no raids (or very little challenge to them i cant remember exactly)

Especially in the winter,I like to fire up The Long Dark. I put on the exploration setting where the wildlife doesn't attack. You still have to deal with the need for food and warmth, so there are still stakes. Just not the anxiety inducing animal attacks. There's a sort of bleak beauty to the game.

I just realized, if there was ever a wildlife photography mode in that game, I would play the shit out of it. RP-ing as an 'extreme' wildlife photographer trying to shoot around blizzards and keeping your gear in working order would be a really cool way to shake up the gameplay. Would easily get another 200 hours of play out of me.
Top shelf game
I've forgotten about this! I played it way back when there wasn't even a real story, but I believed that's changed.

Constantly finding resources to survive was quite anxiety inducing, lol.

No Man's Sky has a very chill vibe. I don't play it super often, but it's probably the chillest game I play semi-regularly.

And by its very nature, it's forgiving of long absences. It's so easy to just pick it back up, probably take some time to admire the 10 new updates Hello Games has released since you last played, and then settle in for some chill gameplay.

I'll never finish No Man's Sky, and I wouldn't even say I play it, exactly. But it's one of my very favorite places to visit, and I will probably continue to visit for years and years to come.
- This type of forgiving design is the main difference between modern games and older ones. Nowadays, there’s no shortage of games that are trying to manipulate you into grinding every day.
For me it’s Red Dead 2. All that horseback riding and camping and herb picking and Pinkerton killing? It’s like I’m the one camping and horseback riding and killing pinkertons.

Personally, i just need a game that lets me do something pretty. Satisfactory was mentioned, or City Skylines. Or something that is highly nostalgic and familiar, like Skyrim, Halo or Minecraft. I don't intrinsically need to think in these cases, which is my goal. I'm a programmer, so anything that lets me shut my brain off and just exist is great. Sometimes BloonsTD is also a great game for this, but it's situational.

Counter intuitively, most "casual" games like Stardew don't really fit this vibe for me because of the daily time limit. I need to pick and choose what tasks to do in a day, and I always fall into a min-max schedule, which requires effort. Much as I love them, I also avoid story driven games like Baldur's Gate when I need to unwind, because I really need to pay attention to progress, and there kinda isn't any mindless grinding. Multiplayer games with randos is also strictly out. No League, COD, Battlefield, Fortnite etc... Just in general. Don't like 'em, never did, hate that they are so prolific. They're just stressful.

Man, sounds like we're in very much the same vibe, think I'll give City Skylines and/or Satisfactory a go
- Hell yea my dude. Don't forget, always be productive! And don't damage Ficsit property.
In the something pretty department I recommend dwarffortress.

I’m going to go with Satisfactory.

Factorio for me, the interesting part is that I usually want tonlay the game after a day of mindless tasks at work.

On the other hand if I've been busy at work and had to solve a lot of issues I'm prefer other games.

It's my brain gym
I hear a lot about this one and it does interest me, but whenever I look at the Steam page I just don't end up feeling it. What is it about the game that keeps you personally coming back to it?
- On this kind of games, I have a preference to Factorio (and the game is released, not in beta). They propose a free demo. So you can rest and see if you have the good feeling. It is definitely not a game for everyone, but it is one of my favourite.
- It's all about how you play in my experience. If you want to get a basic factory up and go slug hunting, super chill. If you want to sink your spreadsheet teeth into optimizing every resource available and build a non-spaghettified factory, plenty of room to go hard core.
  
  Also the graphics are fantastic for all the massive machinery

Skyrim. Meme mods aside, the vibe and soundtrack are just...chef's kiss

Oblivion for me

Burnout Paradise

There are few games where winning and losing are equally fun, but Burnout Paradise pulls it off flawlessly.

You hit that turn with the perfect drift? Hell yeah. Oh shit, there was a car waiting for you at that intersection and now you have to watch your car and their car get smashed, crumpled, and tossed like a bag of moldy tangerines in slow motion? Hell yeah.

+1 Burnout Paradise is such a great game for just mindlessly driving around. I think I have that entire map memorized in my brain now.
Your description alone is getting this put on my Steam wishlist
- I got this game a week or 2 after it came out in 2008. There’s literally a whole open city to explore but I remember the first 30-45 minutes I played were spent literally driving up and down the same quarter mile road because I found a split ramp built for barrel rolls but I just wanted to see all the ways I could squish the top of my car with a failed barrel roll and still drive away lol.
  
  15.5 years later it’s still just as satisfying

Breath of the Wild. I mean, yes, there are quests, bosses, temples, shrines, minigames and whatnot, but it is also completely fine to just fetch your favorite horse from the stable and ride across Hyrule, hunting wildlife, watching the sunset, cooking food for your character, maybe have Wolf Link accompany you on a hunt, just taking in the scenery, foarge for mushrooms, looking for shooting stars at night ... a little bit of reality escape helps to unwind after a long, hectic day. And this game is unreasonably beautiful as well, despite the simplyfied graphics.

Stardew Valley. It's chill if you let it be. There aren't really hard time limits and you can always farm things and complete challenges on your own time

Permanently Deleted

The latest Zelda games for me, I just wander around aimlessly and it helps me relax.

I'm reminded that I used to do exactly this in Ocarina of Time back when I was a kid. Maybe it's time to relive those days.
- I'm way overdue for an Ocarina of Time replay, thanks for the reminder!
That game has a lot of peaceful moments when not in combat. One time I was playing while tired from work and I was gliding from a high place towards the direction of one of those symbols that’s etched on the land. I wound up microsleeping mid-glide because of how peaceful it was up there with the rain and the sound of the air gently moving. Had woke up when the air got louder and noticed that I didn’t have any more stamina.
- Check out Jacob Gellar's YouTube review about it
Same. One of my fav ways to spend an evening.

No Man's Sky.

After the mildly stressful intro (which isn't bad, just uses more sticks than carrots in the tutorial section), you basically just pick a direction and go.

If you wanna quest, there are quests available in (almost) every system.

If you wanna farm, pick a nice planet and get to building.

If you wanna fight, go find a planet with hostile Sentinel presence.

There's always something interesting to do, but you can also just find a nice view on some planet, build a couch and just watch the iridescent grass blow in the wind for a bit.

The more I hear about No Man's Sky now the more I'm thinking that perhaps this will be one of the games I can chill out to. I generally love space games, and the idea of just kinda flying around doing random stuff is already appealing.
- Its a vastly game than it was at launch. It's on my list to play.
- As someone with almost 500h in NMS, get in fully aware that things get repetitive fast. Once you get off planet and can visit other stars the first time, it'll likely take 2 hours to see all different kinds of planets.
  
  Unlocking ("learning") the 3 aliens' languages is the absolute worst slog in the whole game.
  
  Another ultra tedious chore is doing the daily missions for Quicksilver (special currency) to unlock some nifty cosmetics.
  
  Also, combat sucks. It just plain sucks. The most annoying thing to me is: if you don't fire your weapon for 1 or 2 seconds, your dude will put it down, which will create a small time window where you'll have a significant delay between pressing the fire button and actually firing, because of the animation.

FTL, Stardew valley, No mans sky, Minecraft, Old rpgs like Chrono Trigger

I don't exactly experience a tonne of chill while playing FTL
FTL is a great chill out game for me. The only problem is I've put in so many hours that I've practically seen everything! I looked into some interesting mods but just haven't tried them out yet. When I think about it, FTL shouldn't be that chill, but there's a certain simplicity in the gameplay, and the ability to pause all the time, even during combat, gives me the ability to take my time thinking through what I'm gonna do.

Underrated chill out game, agreed, maybe I'll finally get around to trying some mods.
- Yeah I haven't tried the mods either and I kinda suck at the game but I've always felt like it has a low cost to entry, which is why it feels chill to me. A lot of death anxiety in games is due to time investment and, frankly, like BOTW, fear of long loading screens more than any in game punishment.
  
  Ftl has such a satisfying and similar gameplay loop and allows so much pausing that it doesn't really feel stressful for me. I still hate dying and do it a lot in the game, but I can play ftl with a sort of soft mental focus that many other games don't allow me to do

Dorfromantik

This is my favorite chill game.
I can't suggest this game enough.

I have a few.

Zelda on the switch. (BotW and TotK)

Terraria and Stardew Valley are pretty fun to play for relaxing.

Valheim with console options enabled so I have unlimited resources and can kill any enemies if I'm feeling lazy. I mostly like to just build and I'm slowly building an entire island with buildings, and other features.

I got deeply into this (genre?) when I burned out on a combination of playing big/tough games and the stresses of life. I also enjoyed the pace of Outer Wilds and Subnautica. Some other favourites:

Supraland 1/2 (low combat, light hearted metroidvania, I loved it)
Psychonauts 2 (amazing adventure game, big but not hard. I loved collecting everything, it was a great balance)
Tinykin (similar adventure, a bit like Pikmin, which is also great. Lots of chilled collecting)
Spiritfarer (lots of freedom, loose plot, not overwhelming)
Breath of the Wild (do what you want, very nice discovery elements)
TOEM, A Short Hike, GRIS and Cocoon (light adventure / puzzle games, peaceful but could be boring if you want action)
Yokus Island Express (lovely metroidvania, chilled gameplay, not overwhelming)
It Takes two (humour, light combat - played with my young son)
Unravel 1/2 (easy-ish puzzles)
Weirdly, I found Sniper Elite 4/5 fairly chill, lots of scoping out areas
Overcooked 2 (zero stress if you play practice mode a ton before attempting a level. I found it a very zen/flow game)
Peggle 1/2 (can be frustrating, but is very low stakes and arcadey. Lovely for short sessions)
Wilmots Warehouse (can be stressful if you take the timer seriously, but I loved all the organising. Very satisfying)
Vampire Survivors (can get a bit much, but pretty simple and disposable)

There are tons more, I deal with a lot of anxiety!

Some games I was recommended for this purpose that didn't land for me:

Powerwash sim / other simulators (these feel like a second job for me. Constant grind and focus on perfection wasn't helpful)
Tetris Evolution / Lumines (either gets too fast / hard, or gets boring)
Stardew / Terraria (in theory these look great, but I find huge sandboxes too overwhelming. Always feels like I should be doing more stuff / doing it better)
Roguelikes (I like Hades, Dead Cells, etc, but they're very stressful and frustrating when so much hinges on survival)

Finally, I'd suggest trying a solo board game. More tactile and relaxing alternative to screen time.

I saw you mention peggle and rouge lites. If you haven't checked it out yet you should try peglin - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1296610/Peglin/.

Its a great peggle based rouge lite with a good amount of replay ability (plus there is an excellent android app too).
Might I recommend Alba and Lil' Gator Game? Both will fit fairly well into your list.

Factorio, Minecraft, and... Counter Strike. I exclusively play with a full squad of friends and even if we have a bad game, at least I'm spending time with my friends. Keeping contact with your friends is super important and getting harder every year. So it's quality time.

It's my bike, I ride my bike.

Indoors, I've got Zwift, which looks a bit like a game.

Outdoors the resolution is better, but the NPCs can be belligerent.

Lol

Rim world on low difficulty

Low difficulty rimworld is underrated. Animal crossing with cannibalism.
- Hmm you make a great pitch
Can't say I expected to see rimworld up here

Warframe, it's my "no thought, head empty, just shoot things" game

As a veteran of the game I keep coming back to it from time to time it's a really nice way to relax.
- What MR are you?

Skyrim. I played vanilla a bunch and now I'm working through the Living Skyrim 4 mod. I had to tweak a bunch of the settings, but I really enjoy it. I also love the Witcher 3, both actively playing quests and just wandering across the map listening to the howling wind and the soundtrack. I've loaded into that game after a long day with every intention of playing and just sat there with my headphones on and stared into space while the trees crackle together in the wind and the music plays.

Deep Rock Galactic online with randoms. I listen to a podcast in the background.

Witcher 3, I love riding roach around and exploring and listening to the music. I like cruising in cyberpunk 2077 listening to the radio stations. There's also spiritifarer.

Animal Crossing. I still play NH for 15 minutes a day just to go round my island and see what’s happening. My island is pretty much how I want it and I have collected nearly everything I want, but to take 20 minutes out the day just to walk around catch a bug or two and talk to an islander is a great way to relax.

Lately I have been playing Crypt of the Necrodancer. It was quite chill until I reached zone 4. It doesn't get me worked up or anything, but the last level of zone 4 does get me a bit tense with the speed.

In general, Deep Rock Galactic is pretty chill. If I really just want to take it easy I can pick up a mission on Hazard 3 or 4.

I second deep rock
- Third. Just go in play a quick mission or two with a friend on the weekend then have some crazy beers.
Completely agree. The first few zones are so fun because you're just engaging with the game. Then it gets nutso.

Weirdly, Satisfactory, a game about thanklessly building a factory for a faceless corporation to exploit an alien wilderness.

But you get a coffee mug and there are lizard doggos.

Lol, you sold me. That's been on my backburner for a while. Now I just need to download it.
I just tried this game. While i 'get' it now, i really wish there was just a 'creative mode'.
- There is. Just released last week.

Roguelikes.

I played Rogue Legacy 1 and 2 for the longest time. Some dead cells. Enter the gungeon, and currently testing the humble roguelikes bundle, really digging Wall World.

I'm just getting into Enter the Gungeon. I heard it was good but I had no idea
Are roguelikes chill? I haven't played much in that genre but hades made me situp and focus every time.
- Yes, Shattered Pixel Dungeon is chill.
  
  Once you learn to surprise attack from behind doors and kite the mobs, it is pretty much on rails.
  
  Calm and Zen.
  
  https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.shatteredpixel.shatteredpixeldungeon/
- Hades is an action game most roguelikes aren't
Could someone please cure me of my Dredmor addiction? 12 years later and I'm still rolling random builds. Diggles are my only friends.

Farming simulator 22 or Euro truck simulator 2, just driving my tractor around plowing some fields, or driving my truck through Europe to drop off something relaxes me well.

Agreed, I quite enjoy playing ATS/ETS2 and just listening to a podcast on the side as well.

slay the spire

Civilization. While it CAN be a stressful game if you crank up the difficulty to Deity, at prince or king, it's just so much fun.

With the advanced setup options, you can set up a game for however you are feeling at the time, explore a large world (however full or empty you want it), expand and watch your empire cover the map, learn and find all the new stuff in the world, conquer everybody, be a neutral power broker, launch into space.

It just feels nice.

RuneScape, really hard to beat how chill it is

Hope you mean OSRS
- Nah, you gotta move with the times a bit man.
- I do lol, but I R3 can be a gateway drug too

Blast some bots in Quake 3.

Forza Horizon 5. I like to just drive around the map for a while, and maybe do a race or two, until I inevitably get bored after an hour or so. Repeat every week.

(until I bought a real life motorcycle to scratch that itch, and no, I'm not racing or being dangerous on my motorcycle)

Ah, but which one do you have? Because you know, there's this other motorcycle that can do X...

Slightly kidding, but "the correct amount of motorcycles is N+1, where N is your current amount" mentality is a real thing.
- I currently have a '06 Suzuki GZ250. I got it 3 months ago and already have put 1600 miles on it.
  
  I'm already getting the itch for a faster motorcycle, though. I first test rode a Harley Davidson Sportster 48, which was fun and tourquey but kind of heavy and not as comfortable as I expected (Harley = cruiser = comfortable so I thought). I then made the decision (mistake?) of test riding a Triumph Trident 660, and holy crap that was so much fun, I need it in my life lol even though I can't afford it.
  
  I also had an unexpected "adventure" getting stuck in the mud recently when trying to go off the beaten path. Dual sports have way too high seat heights for me but maybe I should get an ADV bike?
  
  God help me the day I try a supersport bike. Make sure I don't submit to squid-dom...

Noita is a good chill game. You will lose, and you will die a horrible death in the process, but if you can accept that, the journey to death is a fun one.

I've just become aware of Noita recently. It looks kind of insane in a good way, but looks really hectic and anxiety inducing. But what you've said is pretty convincing, maybe I can make the journey to death fun.
- I got on the hype train when it came out. I’ve played it maybe twice. Too much random chance for me.
- It's one of those games where, if it looks interesting to you, I can't recommend it enough.
- It's not for everyone, but I absolutely adore it. It's incredibly hard, but once you get the idea of what's going on, if it's still too hard I highly recommend checking out the steam workshop. I tend to play with a couple mods to make it a bit easier and then go wild with mods for spells, enemies, world gen, etc. Even without mods every single run is wildly different.
  
  Anyway, again it's not for everyone, but the combination of a simulating every pixel, endless spell combinations, and the hilarity that ensues because I tried something new that I thought was safe, well, it's a recipe for either a really good time or throwing a controller at the wall. For me, good times. And I say that when I loathe games that are too hard for me most of the time.
Glad I found this, my brother in pixel sims. This is 100% my favorite game.

I play Trackmania at least once a day. The community is so nice and friendly and the racing at high speed is so calming for me.

Just. Don't. Play. Kacky.

You will lose your cool and hate existence. Even if you like kacky it will happen at some point.

Rocket League. And then I'm not chilled.

I like to play any type of horde clearing game where I can shut my brain off and just swing/shoot my way through a bunch of enemies. Some examples of this are deep rock galactic and vermintide 2. One scratches the shooty itch and the other scratches the swingy itch

If I ain't shooting or swinging I like to play roguelites. Slay the spire and faster than light are classics I keep returning to. Interested in trying out cobalt core soon which looks like a mix of STS and FTL

Damn, was gonna say subnautica but you already put that

Good ol' vanilla survival Minecraft. Very fun with friends.

I miss old. Old vanilla minecraft on the xbox 360 some Good memories

American Truck Simulator or Euro Truck Simulator 2. Pick a long hual, throw on a podcast or some music, and just cruise.

The Talos Principle (+ DLC) and its just-released sequel really fit this niche for me. I'm fighting severe burnout and was specifically looking for a game without time pressure, reflex-based gameplay, or (because I keep bouncing off of turn-based strategy games even though I believe that I love them) complicated stats-based systems.

TTP is about first-person puzzles in the vein of Portal. While some of the puzzles can be difficult, you can work through them at your own pace. The level structure makes it easy to drop in and out of the game whenever, and the gorgeous environments and soundtrack make the world just a generally soothing and immersive place to walk around in.

Baba is you, is also great in this category

Fun puzzles that are turn based so you can sit and ponder however long you feel like
- Try Noita by the same company who did Baba then. It's one of those games that leaves you with "oh holy shit what the fuck just happened.... Oh, that was my fault. Oops." in an endless loop. I'm up to like 400 hours and have never gotten anywhere near that many hours out of another game. Not even FF7 (the OG, of course)

Tetris Effect. The funny thing is I used to hate Tetris with passion, but somehow Tetris Effect has won me over. The music and sound effects are so ASMRish it's almost trance-inducing...

Kerbal Space Program

Wouldn’t that be a bit complex to learn/hard to spend just 30 minutes a day playing? I haven’t played, but from what I can tell it’s basically rocket science the game.
- Sure, but once you know how it's very chill.
- That's what's chill, you have no stakes and just build and fail over and over until you succeed and it's pretty hard so when you do succeed it's an awesome payoff

It might be more catharsis than unwinding, but dark souls/sekiro. I've been through them enough times that it's just comfortable.

Outer Wilds

I will always shill for Outer Wilds, simply because it's such a niche that only 2 games have come out in its unnamed genre: Majora's Mask and Outer Wilds.

Yes, Outer Wilds is a spiritual successor to Majora's Mask.

And the worst part is that talking about the game would probably spoil half of it. All I can say that it's an adventure like Majora's Mask.

If you ever were to trust an internet stranger to buy a game blind, now is the time. If you loved MM, you'll at least like OW.

Happy adventuring, stranger ;)

I’m really lucky that I didn’t cave in and watch any videos at first. (I think I watched the game’s version of a tutorial, but that was it.) Its fantastic.
Thanks for the reminder, I'm gonna go straight in with the VR mod. Haven't even seen the trailer.

Rimworld for me.

cyberpunk is actually great for that. Sometimes if I don't wanna do anything in particular I'll just... fight the police, lol. Or just randomly do some open world stuff, like drive around the badlands. Then if I'm feeling like doing something more "meaningful" I'll jump into an actual story quest

The spiderman games are great for this as well. Yeah, I'll go swing around aimlessly for 20 minutes. No problem.

Terraria

Celeste

Dwarf Fortress

Animal Crossing New Leaf, Stardew Valley, Starfiled, Minecraft and Fortza Horazion 3,4 or 5.

BeamNG. Logged hundreds of hours just mindlessly driving around crashing into stuff and fucking around with vehicle customisations.

Minecraft, Doom (first two), Cities Skylines, and more recently, Unpacking.

unpacking is great.
How's Minecraft as a singleplayer chill game? Been debating on getting it, just to explore and survive pretty much.

Seems like it can go a long way.
- It's an almost perfect chill game. If you want to be creative, you can build all kinds of cool stuff. You can work from a homebase that you build up over time, or stay on the move. Or dig a big hole, just because.
  
  It's become one of those games that I go back to every couple of years.

I'm really in the same boat. Lately it's been these:

Dorfromantik

Mini Motorways

Halls of Torment

Vampire Survivors

Brotato

Firewatch was great but it's really a one or two sitting game. Same with Unpacking.

What I'm REALLY looking for but having trouble finding is something like a city builder or house builder that there is no money, nothing like that. Just creativity in building. Way back when I first tried the Sims, I loved the house building part more than anything.

I've been searching for something new though. I tried Satisfactory but really just wish it had a creative mode. I tried Terraria but I can't get the Minecraft allegory out of my head so this game infuriates me.

Not a city builder / house builder, but Planet Zoo might scratch that itch. Takes a bit to really learn the building mechanics, but people can build amazing things in it.
- i'll look into it. thanks for the recommendation.
There was a neat city builder a year back that had no end goal - just the building itself. I can't remember what it was called. You could pick like three themes: medieval, modern. ,or renaissance (?). I wish I remembered the name.
- I'd be interested if you wind up remembering the name.
What I'm REALLY looking for but having trouble finding is something like a city builder or house builder that there is no money, nothing like that. Just creativity in building.

Not sure if it's quite what you're looking for, but building in Valheim is quite fun, and it has a creative mode, so you can just go crazy without having to grind for materials.

OpenTTD

Hey, this is a classic.

Just turn off vehicle breakdowns, as they can cause huge congestions everywhere. And that's very stressful.

I love trains

Chrono Trigger. I have a save that I just load up, do some things on, and then turn off when I'm done. I've beaten the game dozens of times, and I know every aspect in and out, so it's like flipping on the TV and catching an episode of a sitcom, I just roll with it and mellow out.

I've started rewatching old sitcoms for that kind of feeling, I know them inside and out, so it's just there for comfort in the background while I do other things. I don't think my brain can do this with old school RPGs though. I don't think I've ever replayed an old turn-based RPG cause once I beat the story and/or get all the items, my brain is no longer motivated to pick it up.
- Yeah, I get it. For me, it's because it is such a long and enduring part of my life. I've been playing it for literal decades. When I load it up, I look where I'm at, and when I remember who the next boss is, I get a little excited. "Oh, yeah, I'm going to the Tyranno Lair," or I'm at the end of time and I pop in to beat Spekkio's geek ass again. It's all rote memory, and it brings me back to summers at home with my parents at work, playing video games and eating Cheez-It's.

openRCT2.

Persona 5 Royal.

I love the social element, characters and such.

Shattered Pixel Dungeon. Which is weird because it's actually quite frustrating, but super rewarding if you win.

I played this a bit on mobile and really enjoyed it, not sure why I stopped in retrospect, I was never able to beat it even once. Another one where dying isn't a big deal cause replaying is part of the fun. Been thinking of checking it out on PC but just never got around to it
- Hit me up if you ever need any tips. I'm not the best out there, but I've won with all 5 classes. Currently working on winning with all 9 challenges on.
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup has a similar feel to it. It's a lot more involved if you want way more variables to play with. There's and Android port from PC that takes some getting used to, but is pretty fun to play over and over.
- I need to check this one out again. A friend of mine highly recommended it.
I find the boss battles in Pixel Dingeon too difficult when I am forced into them before my character is ready.

Pathos Nethack is a better mobile dungeon crawler with no time pressure for the fixed encounters.
- I'm check it out!

I play high intensity first person shooters, mostly Battlefield, to unwind.

The faster paced the better because it allows me to escape.

It used to be I’d get so worked up over competitive games. I had to be doing PvE to relax. Not so any more.

Weirdly, this happened after I had a completely horrible medical experience that left me with permanent (figurative) scars on my nervous system. Like, I still have stress problems four years after the event.

But at that moment, suddenly competitive games became refreshing to me.

Same here. I played COD up until the recent release. Looking for a better FPS to play now.
- Try CS2
- reckon XDefiant will be good?

Genshin impact on PC is a masterpiece. The colors on my 4k monitor are just out of this world. I don't even do hard missions, I just go around the wild collect foods and stuff. So relaxing.

What would you define as a hard mission?
- Man, those "into the frey" fights where you have 45 seconds to defeat 69474783748 creatures are so stressful. Also, those big ass monsters are very hard to beat. That's stressful. That's why I just go around the wild to collect foods and stuff. Lol
- They could be low level. I certainly remember when a Ruin Guard was a big scary monster that could kill my whole party.
  
  And later when I was playing pretty seriously I still stayed out of Abyss Floor 12 because it wasn't worth the effort (literally - I never got enough stars to get a reward from it even when I technically defeated it)
And even more casual than that is their latest game, Honkai: Star Rail. The combat is turn based, so you can just look away and come back later as you wish and don't need gamer reflexes at all*

I love it.

(* There's one minor exception - an Ultimate move can be launched after your turn, but before the enemy's turn or between two enemies' turns, which does require some speed. It's not usually important though.)
- They have another game? Damn, I'll need to check it out. Thanks for bringing it up.

Potion craft is great for this, just running a little potion shop making potions to order.

Tetris.

I know for some people it's super relaxing. I tried playing the free tetris on the official website recently, was into it until it started getting fast. I am not much of a quick reflex gamer
- It helps me focus my mind into one thing. With just some minutes, all the noise on my head goes away, and even when I lose, the frustration does not build up, all there is on my mind is the current game.
  
  The only con is that if I play to much I start seeing blocks falling when I try to fall sleep.
- It might not be for you, but it got me at a young age and you do get used to it. There really is a "flow state" to Tetris, where it can feel like you're just noticing the pieces and they're almost moving on their own.

Since everyone has already said more well known games, here are my Indie/small games

Islanders

Race the Sun

Skye

Superflight

Stardew valley and/or kerala space program.

Is Kerala Space Program similar to Mumbai Flight Simulator?
- I also like Egypt Scrolls V: Seattle; Zimbabwe: Breath of the Wilds; Age of Emirates II; and Maryland Kart.
- Never heard of mumbai flight simulator. In KSP you design, build and then fly rockets, planes, space planes and spacecraft. It's a one of a kind game.l

I only played it to try it out, and it isn't 100% in my range of games I'd care that much for, but I've gathered that Pokémon Mystery Dungeon (especially the first few pairs of games in the series) is the king when it comes to escapism. If someone said a psychologist made the games, I'd believe them.

I really liked playing Talos Principle 2 the past days. makes you think not just about logic but also some aspects of philosophy. which, at least to me, is pretty relaxing.

Terraria. I started a new character/world probably 200 times. Music is also bang on.

Forza and Rocket League

Cities Skylines 2 has been great for this. Just log in and tinker with your city! Very relaxing creative problem solving..

Caves of Qud is something I love to relax with. It's full of stuff to explore and you can take your time since its turn based. I don't even mind so much when I die, because you get to create a completely new weird mutant and try again.

Elder Scrolls Online for me.

Oh interesting. I've eyed it over the years, but I think this is the one and only instance of positive word-of-mouth I've heard for it.

I heard it has Elsweyr, which I've always wanted to see portrayed.
- I like it, it's open world so you can grind or play as casually as you can. I like to explore the maps and kill enemies on my way. Some days I grind somedays I just chill.
  
  Edit: I believe North and south Elsweyr are not in The base game. It's available as a subscription to ESO+

Age of Empires 2 custom games. Can't beat a classic, and you can save whenever you're done

Skyrim was my chill game for years, but now I'd say Elder Scrolls Online. Everyone I know who plays ESO is super non-competitive and chill. It's just got a great vibe.

This was my vote, too. There are so many things to do that don't involve combat/mechanics/etc., you're bound to find something that sounds fun. Some days I log in and just work on surveys or treasure maps or antiquities with a cocktail and a podcast on in the background.

The Hunter: Call of the Wild. I have nothing to do with hunting. I'd never thought a hunting simulation could be my type of game, but putting headphones on and running through the woods is so relaxing.

I’ve gotten really into Grand Theft Auto San Andreas for unwinding after a long day. Something about the low poly graphics while I can just be a menace in the game feels right.

Recently got back into my childhood favorite, Simcity 2000.

It's just a classic for me. Amazing city builder with a chill soundtrack. Super rewarding planning out your city and watching it develop across the map. And it's super stress free if you just play with disasters off

Brotato

It is a chill drug

I find most games can be relaxing if Ive already played them a lot, even comp shooters. Quake Champions is relaxing for me at this point

Minecraft. Sky Factory 3 - a void world modpack. Nothing exists without my having created it. I can allow mobs to spawn on my platform or not, depending on how I feel.

I think I understand what you mean lol.

Lately for me it's been: Mass Effect legendary edition, Mount & Blade 2, Crusader Kings 3, Dishonored 1 and 2, and Hitman 3.

Splatoon. Don't ask why, I don't know. My gf calls it "yelling at 12 year olds"

But seriously it's like watching your own team score against you in soccer ;___;

Slay the spire

I don't play Tetris usually but when I get bored or just wanna relax then I play Tetris[Highest Score: 500k in 8 Hours]

Why are there so many suggestions of Zelda BotW over TotK imo this thread? I've only played the latter but my understanding is it's pretty much the same game with more to do. And since Nintendo games rarely go on sale you are probably looking at a very similar price tag.

Maybe everyone's a completionist and would rather play the games in order rather than jump into the story halfway through ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- TotK is literally the only Zelda game I've ever completed and I understood the story perfectly fine.

Dead Cells. I can just... Zone out and go. It's really cathartic, and if I do particularly bad during a run, I just... Die and start over. You don't lose anything you've gained, (unless you pick something up in a biome and don't make it to the exit), and each run is practically a new game that requires nothing to learn it. It's my Zen game.

Oxygen Not Included. - !oxygennotincluded@lemmy.world

Just started a new colony yesterday because an update was released with new tools and content. The colony I was playing up until that point was almost 3000 cycles old.

It's on sale on Steam in my region, I've heard a lot of good things before so gonna check it out!
- Nice.
  
  ONI's one of those games with a lot of layers of game mechanics. Expect your first few colonies to go bad while you get a handle on things.
  
  I'm lurking in the lemmy.world community I linked to above, and I'll be happy to help you out there if you get stuck on something.
  
  Here's your first tip: Geyzers and Vents are one of the main sources of renewable resources in the game. They all have to be "tamed" in some way before you can collect their goodies. They also all have the same Achilles Heel that will keep them from erupting while you're building around them; if there's a natural tile 2 rows from the bottom and 2 rows from left it will always think its over-pressure and eruptions will be suppressed.

Path of exile for a few weeks every league

But I'm enjoying rogue lites / vampire survivors like games. There's a billion of them so you can just chill with one of them. I usually find a new one every other day too, some demo or whatever

Risk of rain 2 is also not something I would call a chill game. But it's definitely something you can just fire up and play for an hour

Apart from trackmania which was already named it's certainly slay the spire. I often do both TTD and the daily in sts. If I didn't always end up trying to go for sub 35min points it'd actually be relaxing probably.

I put a playlist on in the background and play Slay the Spire for a couple runs a day.

Mars First Logistics & Animal Crossing

World of Warcraft Retail.

Any of the building/management games like Factorio or Dyson Sphere Program or RimWorld. You can definitely make those games extremely challenging (speed runs, achievements, ultra hard modes/challenges). But for me they're cozy games where I can chip away at a small project or part of a larger project, like, I don't know, slowly building a scale model or something.

DOTA2 turbo mode, done in 20-30 minutes, and the try bards that take the mode serious are hilarious

burnout paradise. I'll just put on a podcast and drive around. Sometimes I'm seeking out races, or new best times on roads. Sometimes I'm just driving around more or less obeying traffic laws like a reasonable citizen.

Honestly, some visual novels like Ace attorney, Katawa shoujo, Steins Gate, Clannad are very chill.

C&C Generals World Builder. I just make maps while I'm in discord.

It's stimulating enough that it keeps my mind from wandering from a conversation, but brainless enough to be engaged in the conversation.

I'm also partial to Minecraft. Just decorate a little section then log off until tomorrow

Harvest Moon /Story of Season games.

Stardew Valley.

Diner Dash series of games.

Dwarf Fortress.

Theme Hospital.

The Sims.

Games that I can mostly play hands off.

Skyrim or Fallout 4 when I want to chill as an adventurous muderer

Earth Defense Force when I want to blow shit up

Dinkum is a really good Stardew Valley/Animal Crossing mix. If you like either, you'll likely end up like me, playing "just a bit" and realizing over 4 hours flew by.

Weirdly, Yakuza. Not even to thrash thugs, just to have a virtual night out with some karaoke, pool, darts... sexy bug-lady wrestling... I love most of the mini games in the series.

I play Hades, but I cheat.

It's super fun to see what kind of ridiculous combinations of powers and weapons you can create when you aren't worried about money or resources in any way shape or form.

I had a Hermes Build for Max speed that did bonus damage based on speed bonuses, Ares for Blade rift when dodging, and some Athena for some invulnerability.

Sprinting around the levels like the flash and absolutely nuking everybody with blade rifts is just too much fun.

Timberborn is always nice,

so is Minecraft.

Subnautica is also very relaxing after you know your way around it.

But Red Dead Redemption 2 is the most "chill" game for me. You can simply go out to hunt, enjoy the nature, etc.

Nethack or DROD

Just starting to get into genshin impact, though, and it seems pretty cool.

Sky Children of the Light (solo player)

I've just started Snake Pass and it's a no bullshit old-style puzzle platformer (think PS1 platformers such as Croc, Crash Bandicoot or Rayman) with a unique movement mechanic that feels very chill. There's little in the way of worldbuilding though

Basically Loopy in Simon Tatham's Puzzles, available on Linux, Windows, and Android (F-Droid), when I don't want to be stressed.

Otherwise I just play some retro/old school games like Final Fantasy (started IV a few days ago), (Free)Doom, AssaultCube or Cave Story when on my laptop.

Not a long or super replayable game like some of these answers but Jusant is super chill.

Earth Defense Force or Creeper World 3

Descenders (oddly satisfying mountain biking game)

Life is Strange was a good one to chill and enjoy the unfolding of events (any of them are good. The 1st and Colors were my favorites)

Grand Turismo I've been on. Never really been a racing fan but for a few races I'm actually relaxed and enjoying myself.

These days it's Baldurs Gate 3 but before that, it's Grimdawn for ARPG itch or Stardew valley if I just want to turn a game on and afk alot. (Sometimes that's Grimdawn too)

I have several games for a lazy evening on the sofa, so it depends on the mood.

I hoard virtual cars, tanks and ships, so I pick CSR2 when I want to do an event there (daily boring grinding tasks are automated). When I want to shoot I either junp in World of Tanks Blitz or World of Warships Blitz.

When in a mood where I want to just tap around, I dust off Hay Day.

Gershwin Impact has been on the tablet, but after a few attempts to play it, it's removed again. Looks nice, but not my style, yet.

Spend hours downloading / messing with proton / configuring, and then play for 15 minutes...

At this point I'm almost convinced I just like the setup process.

Otherwise probably quake.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only person on here who plays Hollow Knight. When I want to chill, I like to start a new game and just go through the early-mid game exploration phase. No pressure, skip bosses if I feel like it. Just run around and enjoy the atmosphere and music. Love it.

Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, My Time at Portia, Cozy Grove or Good Pizza, Great Pizza!

You want arcade experiences

Legit, I was looking into getting a light gun working with my gaming setup recently cause that was my favorite thing to do at arcades.

So what games do you play when you just wanna relax?

Solitaire

Bloons td6 is pretty cool and laid back.

Creeper world 4. Especially the community made play as creep levels.

Haven't played CW4 yet but 1 & 3 are awesome chillout games.

I usually listen to music and play driving games like Forza Horizon, BeamNG, or Dirt.

Also roguelike games like Deadly Days.

Diablo II Resurrected. I've been playing it (Diablo II) for 20 years now. Even though I know the game inside out, a new rare rune drop can still make my day. I usually listen to podcasts meanwhile.

Vampire Survivors was tons of fun until I unlocked pretty much everything, but it also goes great with podcasts.

Clone Hero. Even though I only have a keyboard (so say goodbye to the fast strum bits), It often takes me from 'I just want to chill' to 'this song was FIRE'.

Pokemon Fire Red or Dark Souls

Genshin Impact has been my comfort game the last 2 years

I play Tibia. It's an old 2d MMORPG with endless grinding. Loads of quests and a playerbase where the average age is like 28.

Diablo 4. I usually turn on Futurama when I play.

I liked the earlier diablo games but have heard lots of negatives about 4. I know 3 had a lot of issues on launch but I really enjoy it now. Would you recommend it for someone who doesn't really have an interest in constantly running endgame content?
- It’s Diablo. The complaints came from the people that finished the campaign in a day, and got to 100 in a week. It perfectly fine if you’re a normal person that plays less than 10-20 hours a week.

For me, it is Nova Drift. It has been the game I go to when I just want to relax and chill.

Stacklands, inscription, forza.

Stacklands was surprisingly addicting

Inscription was fun and challenging but not too crazy if you get creative ;)

Forza - I mean really any game where I can drive around. Fun to try to hit some corners sharp or do some tricks in gta.

BeamNG

Car/truck driving simulator with the best crash physics you'll ever see. Great to just drive, off-rod, modify cars, race or just smash cars up. The game is only limited by your imagination.

Same here. I've got almost 300 hours in beamng

geometry dash

I am biased as I am the Imagineer of my title, but I get a lot of comments that it is a great place to just chill, even with a loved one or good friend. It is a VR Theme Park focused on highly detailed, story driven dark rides like the ones you find at Disney. The first ride is out and it sent me to the top of charts on the Meta Quest App Lab Store. Even if you do not have VR yet, that is fine as I am not done developing yet as I have years of work ahead of me, but if/when you do, come check it out. It really does feels like you are in a Theme Park on a nice sunny day, walking around the grounds, exploring the ride queues and of course boarding the dark rides…well one dark ride, but the second one is coming along nice,”The Haunted Castle” and I will be updating the store with a tease soon.

https://www.meta.com/experiences/4212005182188732/

....that is not even good advertising...

Hitman: World of Assassination is what I usually go to when I just want to chill and not think much.

This is probably one of the worst things you can say about a Hitman game.

I play farming games on emulators on my phone usually.

But when I'm too stressed or tired, I don't really have the energy to play games, just lay on my bed, put something on in the background, and sleep.

iOS / iPad game called "Flight Pilot". Dumb, not even a simulator, just get off the ground and hit hot air baloons for points kind of game. It's just a mindless time for me to relax a bit. You can run "missions" if you want, but you don't have to, and if you're patient, you can level up without making any purchases using real money. It's really great.

When I'm on the go, I like to just chill with games like Fire Emblem Heroes on my phone (the parts that don't require you to potentially pair up and play against sweats with no life who can make a lvl.1 3 star character nuke your lvl.40+10 5 star unit). Or if I'm not on a bus and am just in a car, I might just pull out my switch if I have it on me and do some raids in Pokemon Violet (offline since I don't have the online pass).

If I'm at home on my desktop, I like to chill from time to time building rollercoasters (Rollercoaster Tycoon 3 Platinum) of either doom (mostly those) or ones could feasibly be made in the real world without healthy people dying while riding it. That, or do some casual peglin runs.

Wurm Unlimited

civ 5 - random everything & just do whatever.

Euro truck simulator. Just hit the road and drive.

Super smash. The intense gameplay draws me in away from whatever is keeping me from relaxing.

I can't name a specific game because they all get old, boring, and unsatisfying after a while. However in terms of genre, it tends to be roguelites and poker.

I guess whatever Kairosoft sim game I'm playing at the moment. Right now that's Tropical Resort Story. I am entirely addicted to their formula. I love watching my little guys do things and helping them succeed.

Or maybe Shadow of the Colossus. It's the game I know better than any other. I'll never not be able to jump into at least normal difficulty. And I can just ride around the Forbidden Lands having thoughts and feelings for hours sometimes. The Forbidden Lands are a very placid, pensive place for me. I have known them since I was a teenager, for nearly 20 years. And occasionally I can tackle a Colossus or two.

Where are my Satisfactory Pioneers at?

Im going to hijack op post.

Im looking for game to chill just like OP described, but im looking for something with online multiplayer. Ideally something like a builder like minecraft or no man sky, where I can just connect and find randomly people and help them build shit. I dont want to have to search for specific servers to interact with people, something that would randomly put me in worlds with other people.

Mini Metro

Phasmophobia

Project Zomboid https://lemmy.world/c/projectzomboid
beamng https://lemmy.world/c/beamng
dying light 1+dlc

Love to sit down and smash shit up in beamng also play around in beamng mutitplayer mod kissmp acrynom for keep it simple stupid I would love to give beammp a proper go my but beammp is woefully unoptmised and I've got some already pretty low end hardware

Hi there! Looks like you linked to a Lemmy community using a URL instead of its name, which doesn't work well for people on different instances. Try fixing it like this: !projectzomboid@lemmy.world, !beamng@lemmy.world
- Cool bot

HoloCure

Fallout 3

Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age

Cities Skylines and Civ

I like playing on the minecraft server "diamondfire". You can make minigames and play minigames made by other players

Either ACNH or TotK

Why use acronyms when people are looking for suggestions? What did you do with the 30 seconds you saved by typing acronyms instead of just typing out the name?
- Are you not familiar with Animal Crossing New Horizons and Tears of the Kingdom?

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