I'm going to throw out a wild card here.. House Flipper. The first one specifically. Something about the repetitive mindless tasks seems to help my brain tune out constant overthinking. And seeing a place go from yucky to awesome is so so satisfying. Hope this recommendation may help š
Lost my 6 year old in a drunk driver crash last month. House Flipper and FTXIV have been my shut the brain off and just autopilot through content. It truly has helped the escape of it all and gives me something to look forward to throughout the day
My heart is filled with sadness for you and your family. I have some experience with this from my time as an emt and my inbox is open if you need an ear.
Power wash simulator as well, and put on your favorite podcast and hours fly by. It really is therapeutic for me.
helps you stay in the moment too imo, instead of just.dtahing.oncyoyr head which is w.trrrkglr.rjnmkchhh
Edit:don't smoke weed and type on reddit on your phone or you might start falling asleep and make yourself look like you had a medical emergency.
I fell asleep mid type on my phone, and guess I hit send or something idk lol. I smoke maruijana to help with my cancer pain and weed always knocks me out so sorry about that lmao. It's funny though.
Edit:cancer caused pain, I'm cancer free now.
Saw this comment and was super concerned for a moment until the edit, lmao I hope you had a good nap, agreed with the recommendation and thanks for the laugh ā¤ļø also congrats on being cancer free!
I really appreciate it, thank you so much for the kind words āŗļø. And the nap was great, woke up from such a powerful nap my whole left hand was numb from sleeping on it lol.
Id say hit or miss for me. Once you get in the swing of it you can shut your mind off to it, but if you have a lot on your mind, its mundane enough to run on autopilot and the bad thoughts creep in.
Sometimes I'll be discussing a book with people and as I'm thinking back to what book I listened to on Audible, my brain will flash images of Power Wash Simulator. Such a fun game to listen to books/music and just zone out.
I recommend My Time at Sandrock since the characters are fleshed out and you definitely can get lost in it. There's always something to do and I've noticed that I don't think about anything else while I'm playing it.
And I was coming here so excited to drop the "obligatory My Time at Sandrock comment" LMAO. you beat me to it!! This game feels like wrapping myself in a warm blanket. It's one of those types where I really feel like I'm making a difference in the world, and you receive such an outpouring of kindness and support from the virtual community.
I remember having a relatively late-game conversation with Unsuur at a lower point in time (slogging through college and working 16hrs a week with mental and physical health issues, you know the deal,) and he dropped something along the lines of "I love you, I care about you, you have changed my life," etc. Still makes me tear up typing it out š needless to say, I really needed to hear it at the time. Sandrock is so, so good at that.
I finished the game but still sometimes go and just walk and glide around, so even though it's short you can still enjoy it afterwards. A great recommendation
Stardew saved my sanity in so many ways (and several times!)
Also second the Wylde Flowers recommendation. Such a good game with clear guidance throughout.
Agreed - but a secondary character dies early in the game, thereās a funeral, and the characters all grieve. Itās brief, and I found it really beautifully done, but really critical to know about if youāre depressed
I was honestly expecting it to be so treacle-sweet, with all of the witch characters effortlessly perfect and good. The complexity of the characters and story was a delightful surprise.
I up this and say Stardew Modded, so the world truly can become completely yours. Not only is the game fun, but letting your mind go kinda numb but get excited when you find new mods to make your experience even better and then opening the game up to check out the new stuffā¦ a nice little hit of happy. Iām so thankful for Stardew. That title music comes on and I go into a whole other world without worry.
when I was extremely depressed my number one game was breath of the wild, I just ran wild in that game doing absolutely nothing and climbing stuff. I also really enjoyed the NPC quests and chasing down horses etc. it was just really fun, pretty, and I loved it. I also love playing WoW when im depressed, the npc characters are really funny to me and its so easy to get lost in the world since its huge. IMO WoW +can+ be cozy, I just played a hunter and focused on finding cool animals, taming them, and then they did most of the fighting for me.
Another vote for Skyrim. I'm probably a bit sheltered as I'm funny about what games I play but this is the only game that has ever given me a true sense of freedom (or the illusion of).
Play how you want, do what you want...the game doesn't really seem to care and it certainly doesn't seem to punish you. If you really want a game to get lost in, this is it.
I just paralyze enemies and stick ice shards into their... You know where.
I would love to have some reputation system where NPCs falk about your character's playstyle, like AI generated lines or something about your wrongdoings.
This is it OP. No little pixel art will get you lost in it if you're at the bottom of the well. Nor a all around happy game.
I'd suggest Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion due to bias but I'm not mistaking when I say that the quests really are much more interesting there than in Skyrim. Haven't touched Morrowind but that's a skip due to no voice acting. Morrowind has a lot of praise though.
Thieves guild and the Dark Brotherhood alone in Oblivion kick so much ass. It's not even close to Skyrim. Guilds in general. Which are the real meat of the game for me. And those weird town side quests you accidentally bump into.
BUT! Big fat but! Skyrim is easier to play. In Skyrim you feel more powerful early on. Skill points and leveling lets you experiment more and your character has no assigned class tied to its leveling. This is where Oblivion is weird. Leveling is tied to the class you've chosen (which can be custom made). I forgave it due to Acrobatics and Athletic skill points ( jump higher, run faster) as these do not exist in Skyrim.
Best of luck in your search OP!
This is kind of odd but I tried a lot of commonly recommended "cozy life sim" games and they made me more depressed.
Slay the Spire has actually been pushing me through a lot of intrusive thoughts and depressive episodes. Simple to pick up, but lots of variation.
I find that games that get my mind off things quickly and are easy to pick up (rather than games where you might have to invest more of yourself and your energy in) are usually more helpful. Roguelikes are great for this: dicey dungeons, Pixel Dungeon on mobile, Hades, Enter the Gungeon, into the breach, crypt of the necrodancer.
Also, I know it's hard and just wanted to say that I and probably many others are proud of you. Might not understand your specific flavor of depression, but you're not alone. Hope you get the help that you need/deserve.
Ooh, I love curling up and playing StS on my switch. Have you seen they are putting out StS2 soon? I'm pretty excited. That said, I second slay the spire!!! It's an amazing game. It's def one of the best card games out there. Tried wildfrost but... it just felt like you could never win lol
Dicey Dungeons is cute too! and Hades is AMAZING! Gonna have to check out Pixel Dungeon.
Cult of the Lamb snatched my depressed ass up and now I'm waist-deep in followers and gold with no sign of stopping. 10/10 would reccomend, it really lets you play at your own pace and hits a sweet spot between fighting and base building.
I always like a good management sim when im in my head or depressed. Something not too difficult ofc. Lets Build a Zoo really helped me in my low moments. Just being able to put my mind into something else fully and be proud of my results in the game.
Palia, I feel like it's just so peaceful, people are so nice, and the game reminds you to like stay hydrated and be kind and welcoming. I think palia has made me be kinder to myself haha.
For me, itās Dragon Age: Inquisition. My mumā¦ my mum used to love watch me play this game. We both loved the series & the wonderful but dark world of Thedas with each game, but DAI was her favourite, as it is mine.
Iāve suffered with depression since I was in my early teens, & my mum was the one who helped me through hell at times. It was even my mum who got me my first PlayStation as a birthday gift, & so gaming became my counsellor when no one else would. Huh, my mum even said that I was so good at gaming, I could have gone professional! Sheā¦ she was the best mother anyone could have asked for.
Sadly thoughā¦ I lost my mother at the beginning of the year to a long illness sheād been battling with. The pain is still obviously very rawā¦ but if not for my games, I think Iād have lost my god damn mind that same day.
Iāve only just returned back to DAI & Iām doing a whole walkthrough of it & plan to upload it to YouTube to help other new gamers to the franchise in my motherās memoryā¦ I think she would have liked that some how.
Thank you. š
Iāve got a very hard road ahead, but my mum left me with some truly wonderful memories. If not for her, Iād never have become a gamer!
Games have been a great comfort to me while dealing with health problems for years so I get it! And you're not alone, several people close to me have lost their mothers so I know it's very very hard, but you will get through it <3
years ago my ex wife was in the hospital and asked for me to bring the 3DS so she could play games while staying overnight. We sat in the hospital bed and she tried animal crossing for the first time and fell in love with it. That game got us through some rough times.
I got Everafter Falls and I am incredibly impressed by it, it is definitely fun and great to lose yourself in. The person who created it did an amazing job for sure.
I have two recommendations:
**Celeste**: intense platformer with a great message. This is coming from someone who never plays platforming games. I think I made it to about the third or fourth level before I turned on some of the assists in the settings because it was too difficult for me, but I wanted to finish it badly. The difficulty does play a part in the story, so I suggest starting with no assists enabled.
**Vampire Survivors**: mostly mindless but time literally flies while playing. I find that it required enough focus to keep me engaged and prevent my mind from wandering. Soundtrack is good, but it could also be played while listening to a podcast.
I shout about it a bit too much maybe, but the time I discovered life 8s strange I was dealing with the black dog.
Something about it's melancholic beauty coupled with the art style and gorgeous locales really resonated with me and even though it's hardly the happiest of games, it does have moments within that give you a peaceful calm feeling despite the overarching story and the choice at the end.
Follow LiS with before the storm.
The games have some really amazing music as well.
seconding this! it's not a feel-good game, but the atmosphere kind of helps me feel grounded and in the moment. it's my favorite game of all time and definitely my comfort game for when things get rough
Eastshade! The world feels alive and easy to get lost in. It's relaxing and low stakes. The visuals are beautiful, as is the music. The story pulled me in because it's a bit strange. Highly recommend I'd you're looking for a world to get lost in!
*For me it was Stardew*
*Valley, Dreamlight valley and*
*Animal crossing*
\- LunarCupcake19
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Not typically considered a cozy, but when my cat almost died last year Hades was the only game that kept my mind off of it for hours at a time. Most of the cozy games I normally love and lose myself in weāre too slow paced or calm for me at that time. The fast-paced action and slight combat improvement after each dungeon run really kept me distracted and working towards something that felt positive.
Usually I'll listen to an audio book while playing American Truck Simulator. It's so relaxing and fun. My newest addiction in gaming is Runescape. I never played it until a week ago. I'm following a wiki guides for quests, and I'm doing random little tasks. Dated graphics, but it gets me out of my head. I've lived with daily depression for over 20 years now so I won't say "life gets better", but I will say keep on going. You're not alone.
Weirdly enough, there's an extremely happy, cheerful, and uplifting post-apocalyptic game called "I Am Future".
It's as cozy as you can get and honestly I found the atmosphere very positive.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1658040/I_Am_Future_Cozy_Apocalypse_Survival/
pokemon snap! the stakes are nonexistent but thereās lots to unlock and its cute. or just any pokemon tbh - i had a blast just exploring in violet and legends arceus cuz theyāre open world(ish for arceus)
bugsnax was fun and unexpected
i also love puzzle-y games to zone me out. some i love areā¦. fit my cat, railbound, inbento, dorfromantik, and my fave of all time - the last campfire
I'm sure it's been said already, but animal crossing new horizons. I got it a few months after release and it's honestly the biggest blessing as a game, and I know that's stupid to say. My best example is that for personal reasons I hate my birthday, but I have celebrated my birthday in game every year since I got this game. I love it, so much. This silly little game brings me such joy and just allows me to relax and not worry about life for a little while. I feel like it's the game I reach for EVERY time I'm majorly depressed
Animal crossing new horizons or Alba. Alba reminded me of a happier time: my childhood. Lots of exploring the outdoors. Whereas animal crossing you can feel very productive and loved by your villagers while just feeling cozy.
For me, I may play sims build mode, or planet crafters, maybe Dreamlight valley (if I want a short time sink), but honestly my go to is 7 days to die. It doesnt fall into anything meditative to where you can either zone out or your thoughts can take over. It has building and crafting, and if you put the zombies on easy mode or blood moon to more easy, I find it has enough to keep me busy without being too stressful. Although I dont mind the normal difficulty because I fully expect to die. I just keep my items on death for ease. XD
Stardew Valley, Dinkum, Littlewood, Yonder The Cloud Catcher, My Time at Sandrock, Skyrim, Witcher 3, Parkitect, Minecraft, Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator
I really like life Sims or farm Sims for this tbh. The emphasis on taking it slow and living a happy life within a community always helps me personally.
Animal Crossing is a super nice wholesome game. I recommend them all, New Leaf for the 3DS being my favourite. New Horizons for the Switch is definitely the fluffiest of the titles though with the removal of sassy villagers so if you want something extra light hearted it's a good one.
Most older harvest moon or now story of seasons titles are personal favorites.
I've been playing Roots of Pacha lately, similar idea to Stardew but stone age. It has a lot of focus on community and helping one another which I super love, but all of the characters do have their own personal issues and struggles (I haven't encountered anything triggering so far) so if that might be too much thats something to consider. It's on steam and switch I believe.
I've heard amazing things about the 3ds fantasy life too!
Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer (3DS) and Animal Crossing Happy Home Paradise (expansion to ACNH, switch). Itās a room designer game with Animal Crossing characters and itās so underrated. You play in tiny chunks, which makes it easy to put down if you need to, and can go back at any time to redo, add to, or fix any builds.
Not cozy but Iāve heard dark souls can be very therapeutic. The challenge is there but thereās also ways around it like grinding levels or getting help.
What little plot there is is about how some undead āgo hollowā and lose their minds. But you wonāt go hollow if you just keep trying.
Also, the challenge means when you do succeed at something you get a nice boost of dopamine to make you feel good for a bit.
But skip it if itās not your vibe.
Gotta vouch for this one, in my case it was Elden Ring that got me through really dark times, got into the whole Souls lore/concept after it and can really say it helped a lot in many ways, Donāt you dare go hollow sure is a phrase I try to live by since then
If youāre looking for something cheery and cute, I recommend playing Coral Island, itās got positive messaging about the environment, taking care of oneself and has diverse representation, sometimes it can be a bit on the nose, but itās a nice escape set in a beautiful beach village.
Yonder - I was so in awe just running around for the first few hours (took me a a hot minute to understand how to complete tasks but I was in such a joyous mood just exploring the gorgeous map!
If you're looking to get absorbed in gameplay: Anno 1404/1800, Factorio, Dyson Sphere Program
If you're into an emotional roller coasters (for some people that help when feeling down): GRIS, Spiritfarer, To the Moon, Finding Paradise
An immersive/cute game that will either not be your thing or be the single best game you'll ever play: The Outer Wilds
4X type games: Endless Space 2, Humankind
I know you said you want to be lost in a world, but there's some studies that show tetris helps with trauma. I think it's mostly based on playing tetris after a traumatic event, but my personal anecdote is that it does help me just kind of check out and not think about much of anything for a while. Which is helpful for my depression personally.
**Kind Words** - it's not really a game per se but it's on Steam and I like to keep it running all day long sometimes. I guess there is a Kind Words 2 now that I'm gonna go buy.
Other games I would recommend specifically for depression (all relatively short games, some 2hrs or less): Chicory: A Colorful Tale, A Short Hike, Hoa, Journey of a Broken Circle, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley.
I don't know what you're going through, OP but I hope life takes a better turn for you soon.
Many players said that Sky: Children of the Light helped them with depression. Itās a game where you can make friends, you can unlock chat or not. Itās an entertaining game game as there is no Ā«Ā finishĀ Ā». Itās on many platforms (iOS, Android, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and lately came on Steam). You can go check on the gameās [Sky: COTL wiki](https://sky-children-of-the-light.fandom.com/wiki/Sky:_Children_of_the_Light_Wiki). Iāve played it for 28 months now and still love it. I made friends from around the world ā¤ļø
touhou mystia's izakaya is really comforting to me at the moment in my current hard times! it's on switch and steam. i had no idea about touhou before playing it so it isn't a prerequisite to be into touhou!
you run an izakaya by night (like a restaurant sim) and collect ingredients/explore/do storyline things during the day. the characters are all adorable and all have their own lore even outside of the game and it really shows through in their dialogue. fully recommend!
Tetris has been shown to improve symptoms of PTSD. I canāt play games like that however. Fae Farm, Slime rancher, Stardew, and Dreamlight valley are my favorite cozy games.
Skyrim. World of Warcraft. Fallout 3 or 4. Oblivion. Wild card: The Sims 4 (great for no energy/limited focus. Throw on a TV show and build all you want to, or train all your skills, or do the legacy challenge!).
I'm a fan of relatively easy but fun platformers and dungeon crawlers. Ratalaika games has a lot of these short cheap platformers. Undermine I've become semi obsessed with. Also been really liking moonstone island. All of these I'm a fan on switch. Ups the cozy ability factor.Ā
Not cozy, but something about the challenging nature and the fantasy/horror setting of the Fromsoft games (especially Bloodborne, but also Dark Souls) help me to shut my mind off completely! I'd also recommend games like Hades or Inscryption that are repetitive but challenging enough to keep you engaged. Games like these helped me stay sane the last 2.5 years with Post Covid, when I was too exhausted to do anything anything else than lying down and gaming.
Persona 4 Golden and Dave The Diver are 2 that's helped me forget about my problems and the world when I sit and play them.
Not exactly cozy games, but I also have to recommend Devil May Cry 3 & 5. The fast-paced combat and Dantes humor is always a fun time.
Genshin impact. I know it gets a bad rep, but the writing can be incredibly uplifting even if it's a little parasocial at times. Paimon genuinely cares about you
I've been playing Bakery Simulator. I find it relaxing to bake foods. The bonus is that I'm not eating the food so no weight gain. I am trying cooking simulator, but it's a bit too much I think.
toontown rewritten- it's such a fun and silly game, i get to just be a cute anticapitalist dog for a while. the community is super friendly and funny too.
I'm not much of a gamer, but I started playing Strange Horticulture this weekend and I spent houuurrsssss on it. The music is calming, there's no rush to win anything and the puzzles are fun.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Dreamlight Valley, and Baldurās Gate 3. Baldurās Gate is not necessarily a ācozyā game, but you can take it at your own pace and you feel like youāre part of a different world.
Rimworld sucked me in like no other game has since The Sims franchise. Itās possible to set the threat level very, very low and then itās just a colony builder with quirky little guys.
I didnāt think I would get into it because of the art style, but Iām so invested in my pawns and their wellbeing. The learning curve is a bit steep, but the tutorial does a great job to hold your hand and the subreddit is incredibly active and helpful.
I'm going to recommend the older sims games, Urbz sims in the city DS, wii my sims kingdom, castaways, the sims 2 gba, sims bustin out gba (apparently the gamecube version is pretty buggy) and theres plenty of fun to be had! (I do recommend doing an emulator for urbz, theres a glitch where a specific kind of trash disappears after a set amount of days and theres a ton of missions where you need to have full stats and sometimes it can be rough getting everything ready on time!)
Animal Crossing is my go to when I have issues with trauma and depression.
Ooblets, maybe, too.
Probably not cozy but throwing Genshin out there because it's exploration is good for that. Any open world game would work though
BOTW!!! but if uuuu realllly dont want to think and just want to set your own goals or maybe roam around, then sims 4 or 3!! i play sims 4 and always disable the household decay so i wouldnt be stressed about managing their needs
with botw, when i cant figure things out, i just look the solution up from youtube. botw is still stressful at times but it can take my mind off things when i grind for materials
In my deepest depression I needed to avoid stress, so battles, PvP, timed missions, anything that would bring extra stress had to go.
Not necessarily cozy, but Snowrunner was super chill, nice to look at and allowed me to go at my own pace. I could double down on avoidance and pop on some podcasts or stream some background noise videos.
Simulators were great for this too: MS Flight Simulator 2020, American Truck Simulator, also great, low energy games.
Keeping with the vehicle theme, a point and click (similar to Power Washer, House Flipper, etc) was Car Mechanic Simulator. Never thought I would play a game like that, but oddly satisfying.
City builders are always good for chill mode and a lot of survival/base builders can be good. No Manās Sky is pretty good that way.
I really got into Hardspace Shipbreaker as well. Little bit of a puzzler and even though it had ten minutes on the clock, there was something helpful about doing ten minute chunks.
One thing that games seem to do too often is have an endless stream of quests and side quests and itās easy for me to sit for 14 hours or more on a game. Not great for my marriage. I sometimes wish there was more consideration for design that included periodic rest periods in games instead of just laying one thing on top of another.
One last suggestion: Red Dead Redemption. I loved just wandering around the map. Fishing and hunting. No purpose just seeing the incredible details and vibing.
I could go on, but Iāll leave room for others.
Spiritfarer. The story will hit you in the feels, and you can pace yourself with the gameplay. You can take as long as you want to complete it. The music is very soothing as well. I love it so much.
I've seen other people say Spirit Farer was a game that really helped them process grief for the loss of a loved one. I played it during the shut down, and found it to be really impactful.
I struggle with Major Depressive Disorder so I completely get this!
If you want a story and characters you can get lost in - Assasinās Creed Valhalla was amazing for me for that. It was my first AC game so I googled the previously plot points so I knew what the heck was goin on but I loved being a Viking!
For the days when my depression is showing up as irritability, I play Man Eater. You are a shark and you get to EVERYTHINGā¦including people. Lol
I like the repetitiveness and building bits of Medieval Dynasty at the moment too. Gives me enough to distract or numb out with.
Animal Crossing
Story of Seasons
Pokemon
Fantasy Life
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Disney Magical World
Edit: Adding Kingdom Hearts to this list too. That's another go-to comfort series for me.
When my PTSD and depression was at its highest i was easily playing 17 hours of world of Warcraft a day. I have some really really close friends i play with and the joy they brought me and support they gave me probably saved my life multiple times. Id be having suicidal thoughts and suddenly get a discord ping to come play with them.
Love you racecar gang if any of you see this.
I just got cat cafe manager and it was so wholesome and adorable š„°
itās not a forever unless you start over or just run it endlessly and keep remodeling. I stretched the story for 20 something hours tho! I donāt recommend the dog rescue one that is sometimes packaged with it - it stressed me out.
Been in a crippling depression for a while now. Really trying to fight through when nothing at all sounds enjoyable has been hard. Everything seems pointless and too much energy.
I started playing Sprout Valley a week or so ago. Not gonna lie. It has really helped. Plus it has pretty pastel relaxing colors that I appreciate. And basically just gets right to the game play.
I'm going to throw out a wild card here.. House Flipper. The first one specifically. Something about the repetitive mindless tasks seems to help my brain tune out constant overthinking. And seeing a place go from yucky to awesome is so so satisfying. Hope this recommendation may help š
Lost my 6 year old in a drunk driver crash last month. House Flipper and FTXIV have been my shut the brain off and just autopilot through content. It truly has helped the escape of it all and gives me something to look forward to throughout the day
I'm so very sorry for your loss
ā¤ļø I'm so sorry for your loss.
I'm sorry for your loss. You're in my thoughts. ā¤ļø
Iām so sorry for your loss.
very sorry for your loss, my thoughts are with you
I am so so sorry for the loss of your little one.
I donāt even know how youāre functioning. You and your family are in my thoughts.
I am so sorry for your loss!
My heart is filled with sadness for you and your family. I have some experience with this from my time as an emt and my inbox is open if you need an ear.
Power wash simulator as well, and put on your favorite podcast and hours fly by. It really is therapeutic for me. helps you stay in the moment too imo, instead of just.dtahing.oncyoyr head which is w.trrrkglr.rjnmkchhh Edit:don't smoke weed and type on reddit on your phone or you might start falling asleep and make yourself look like you had a medical emergency.
r/ihadastroke
I fell asleep mid type on my phone, and guess I hit send or something idk lol. I smoke maruijana to help with my cancer pain and weed always knocks me out so sorry about that lmao. It's funny though. Edit:cancer caused pain, I'm cancer free now.
Saw this comment and was super concerned for a moment until the edit, lmao I hope you had a good nap, agreed with the recommendation and thanks for the laugh ā¤ļø also congrats on being cancer free!
I really appreciate it, thank you so much for the kind words āŗļø. And the nap was great, woke up from such a powerful nap my whole left hand was numb from sleeping on it lol.
Iām gonna second House Flipper
Id say hit or miss for me. Once you get in the swing of it you can shut your mind off to it, but if you have a lot on your mind, its mundane enough to run on autopilot and the bad thoughts creep in.
i always play it with some youtube or netflix show in the background, on my other screen, or on my phone.
Or as my husband calls it, Lawn mowing simulator! Cuz every time he looks at my screen I'm doing that or breaking walls š
Power Wash Simulator. It sounds like it wouldn't work, but it totally does.
This is like my meditation game. Throw on an audio book or background video and then just clean things.
Sometimes I'll be discussing a book with people and as I'm thinking back to what book I listened to on Audible, my brain will flash images of Power Wash Simulator. Such a fun game to listen to books/music and just zone out.
This is always my suggestion. No thoughts, only clean.
I second this! Love watching YouTube while Iām playing this
I recommend My Time at Sandrock since the characters are fleshed out and you definitely can get lost in it. There's always something to do and I've noticed that I don't think about anything else while I'm playing it.
Second this! My Time at Portia is also on Xbox game pass!
I could be wrong but I think they just added Sandrock to the pass too!
They did! Been playing it daily since
I know what I'm doing tonight then! :D Thanks for the info!!
And I was coming here so excited to drop the "obligatory My Time at Sandrock comment" LMAO. you beat me to it!! This game feels like wrapping myself in a warm blanket. It's one of those types where I really feel like I'm making a difference in the world, and you receive such an outpouring of kindness and support from the virtual community. I remember having a relatively late-game conversation with Unsuur at a lower point in time (slogging through college and working 16hrs a week with mental and physical health issues, you know the deal,) and he dropped something along the lines of "I love you, I care about you, you have changed my life," etc. Still makes me tear up typing it out š needless to say, I really needed to hear it at the time. Sandrock is so, so good at that.
a short hike is....short....but also extremely wholesome and cute and fun. recommended to improve your mood.
I finished the game but still sometimes go and just walk and glide around, so even though it's short you can still enjoy it afterwards. A great recommendation
Stardew Valley! The music, the graphics, -- -just...stay away from Shane.
Stardew saved my sanity in so many ways (and several times!) Also second the Wylde Flowers recommendation. Such a good game with clear guidance throughout.
Agreed - but a secondary character dies early in the game, thereās a funeral, and the characters all grieve. Itās brief, and I found it really beautifully done, but really critical to know about if youāre depressed
Thank you for Wylde Flowers. I hadn't heard of but but am currently engrossed in the demo. :)
I second on Wylde Flowers. Itās awesome and cute!
I was honestly expecting it to be so treacle-sweet, with all of the witch characters effortlessly perfect and good. The complexity of the characters and story was a delightful surprise.
I up this and say Stardew Modded, so the world truly can become completely yours. Not only is the game fun, but letting your mind go kinda numb but get excited when you find new mods to make your experience even better and then opening the game up to check out the new stuffā¦ a nice little hit of happy. Iām so thankful for Stardew. That title music comes on and I go into a whole other world without worry.
I just wish there was a way to slow down time on the switch version. I love the game but the time passing so quick gives me anxiety
Dreamlight Valley helped me through a rough patch.
Just a heads up, it has some dark themes but its accompanied by warnings. Caught me off guard and I had to pause the story a bit.
Second this! It's very relaxing and so much to do. Also comes with regular updates so there is always something new to discover
when I was extremely depressed my number one game was breath of the wild, I just ran wild in that game doing absolutely nothing and climbing stuff. I also really enjoyed the NPC quests and chasing down horses etc. it was just really fun, pretty, and I loved it. I also love playing WoW when im depressed, the npc characters are really funny to me and its so easy to get lost in the world since its huge. IMO WoW +can+ be cozy, I just played a hunter and focused on finding cool animals, taming them, and then they did most of the fighting for me.
Rune factory 4 100%
Any Elder Scrolls game. Really get into the roleplaying, make a character and stick with it.
Agreed! Skyrim has been my comfort game since its release and every time Iām feeling down, it makes me feel at home and happy.
Another vote for Skyrim. I'm probably a bit sheltered as I'm funny about what games I play but this is the only game that has ever given me a true sense of freedom (or the illusion of). Play how you want, do what you want...the game doesn't really seem to care and it certainly doesn't seem to punish you. If you really want a game to get lost in, this is it.
I just paralyze enemies and stick ice shards into their... You know where. I would love to have some reputation system where NPCs falk about your character's playstyle, like AI generated lines or something about your wrongdoings.
This is it OP. No little pixel art will get you lost in it if you're at the bottom of the well. Nor a all around happy game. I'd suggest Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion due to bias but I'm not mistaking when I say that the quests really are much more interesting there than in Skyrim. Haven't touched Morrowind but that's a skip due to no voice acting. Morrowind has a lot of praise though. Thieves guild and the Dark Brotherhood alone in Oblivion kick so much ass. It's not even close to Skyrim. Guilds in general. Which are the real meat of the game for me. And those weird town side quests you accidentally bump into. BUT! Big fat but! Skyrim is easier to play. In Skyrim you feel more powerful early on. Skill points and leveling lets you experiment more and your character has no assigned class tied to its leveling. This is where Oblivion is weird. Leveling is tied to the class you've chosen (which can be custom made). I forgave it due to Acrobatics and Athletic skill points ( jump higher, run faster) as these do not exist in Skyrim. Best of luck in your search OP!
This was my suggestion too! Any time I jump back into a TES game it feels like going to visit old friends.
>make a character and stick with it. You mean make a character and inevitably become a stealth archer, right?
This is kind of odd but I tried a lot of commonly recommended "cozy life sim" games and they made me more depressed. Slay the Spire has actually been pushing me through a lot of intrusive thoughts and depressive episodes. Simple to pick up, but lots of variation. I find that games that get my mind off things quickly and are easy to pick up (rather than games where you might have to invest more of yourself and your energy in) are usually more helpful. Roguelikes are great for this: dicey dungeons, Pixel Dungeon on mobile, Hades, Enter the Gungeon, into the breach, crypt of the necrodancer. Also, I know it's hard and just wanted to say that I and probably many others are proud of you. Might not understand your specific flavor of depression, but you're not alone. Hope you get the help that you need/deserve.
Ooh, I love curling up and playing StS on my switch. Have you seen they are putting out StS2 soon? I'm pretty excited. That said, I second slay the spire!!! It's an amazing game. It's def one of the best card games out there. Tried wildfrost but... it just felt like you could never win lol Dicey Dungeons is cute too! and Hades is AMAZING! Gonna have to check out Pixel Dungeon.
Cult of the Lamb snatched my depressed ass up and now I'm waist-deep in followers and gold with no sign of stopping. 10/10 would reccomend, it really lets you play at your own pace and hits a sweet spot between fighting and base building.
I'm enjoying moonstone island
Potion Permit might work or Minami Lane.
AAAAAH Minami Lane! HOW COULD I FORGET THAT ONE!! It's amazing.
Slime Rancher 1, I believe itās available on every platform and itās just a fun little critter collection game with very minimal farming
I always like a good management sim when im in my head or depressed. Something not too difficult ofc. Lets Build a Zoo really helped me in my low moments. Just being able to put my mind into something else fully and be proud of my results in the game.
Palia, I feel like it's just so peaceful, people are so nice, and the game reminds you to like stay hydrated and be kind and welcoming. I think palia has made me be kinder to myself haha.
I highly recommend Wylde Flowers or Hello Kitty Adventure Island! Both great games to get lost in, I think!
I absolutely second Wylde Flowers
For me, itās Dragon Age: Inquisition. My mumā¦ my mum used to love watch me play this game. We both loved the series & the wonderful but dark world of Thedas with each game, but DAI was her favourite, as it is mine. Iāve suffered with depression since I was in my early teens, & my mum was the one who helped me through hell at times. It was even my mum who got me my first PlayStation as a birthday gift, & so gaming became my counsellor when no one else would. Huh, my mum even said that I was so good at gaming, I could have gone professional! Sheā¦ she was the best mother anyone could have asked for. Sadly thoughā¦ I lost my mother at the beginning of the year to a long illness sheād been battling with. The pain is still obviously very rawā¦ but if not for my games, I think Iād have lost my god damn mind that same day. Iāve only just returned back to DAI & Iām doing a whole walkthrough of it & plan to upload it to YouTube to help other new gamers to the franchise in my motherās memoryā¦ I think she would have liked that some how.
I don't personally play Dragon Age but your story is so sweet, thank you for sharing <3 And so sorry for the loss of your mom.
Thank you. š Iāve got a very hard road ahead, but my mum left me with some truly wonderful memories. If not for her, Iād never have become a gamer!
Games have been a great comfort to me while dealing with health problems for years so I get it! And you're not alone, several people close to me have lost their mothers so I know it's very very hard, but you will get through it <3
Thank youā¦ itās nice to know there are still some caring people in the world.
If you have a 3DS, Animal Crossing New Leaf. That game got me through some tough times
years ago my ex wife was in the hospital and asked for me to bring the 3DS so she could play games while staying overnight. We sat in the hospital bed and she tried animal crossing for the first time and fell in love with it. That game got us through some rough times.
Moonstone Island or Everafter falls are my choices. They are both excellent and easy to get lost in.
I got Everafter Falls and I am incredibly impressed by it, it is definitely fun and great to lose yourself in. The person who created it did an amazing job for sure.
I have two recommendations: **Celeste**: intense platformer with a great message. This is coming from someone who never plays platforming games. I think I made it to about the third or fourth level before I turned on some of the assists in the settings because it was too difficult for me, but I wanted to finish it badly. The difficulty does play a part in the story, so I suggest starting with no assists enabled. **Vampire Survivors**: mostly mindless but time literally flies while playing. I find that it required enough focus to keep me engaged and prevent my mind from wandering. Soundtrack is good, but it could also be played while listening to a podcast.
I shout about it a bit too much maybe, but the time I discovered life 8s strange I was dealing with the black dog. Something about it's melancholic beauty coupled with the art style and gorgeous locales really resonated with me and even though it's hardly the happiest of games, it does have moments within that give you a peaceful calm feeling despite the overarching story and the choice at the end. Follow LiS with before the storm. The games have some really amazing music as well.
seconding this! it's not a feel-good game, but the atmosphere kind of helps me feel grounded and in the moment. it's my favorite game of all time and definitely my comfort game for when things get rough
Hey OP, I hope youāre doing okay! What consoles do you play on?
Eastshade! The world feels alive and easy to get lost in. It's relaxing and low stakes. The visuals are beautiful, as is the music. The story pulled me in because it's a bit strange. Highly recommend I'd you're looking for a world to get lost in!
Civ 6 is mine. I completely forget everything else going on in my life.
For me it was Stardew valley, Dreamlight valley and animal crossing
*For me it was Stardew* *Valley, Dreamlight valley and* *Animal crossing* \- LunarCupcake19 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Solitaire is my go-to. I really like spider, organising the chaos of the cards into nice neat piles is weirdly cathartic.
Ooblets! You basically run around collecting objects (resources) and little guys and complete small tasks.
Not typically considered a cozy, but when my cat almost died last year Hades was the only game that kept my mind off of it for hours at a time. Most of the cozy games I normally love and lose myself in weāre too slow paced or calm for me at that time. The fast-paced action and slight combat improvement after each dungeon run really kept me distracted and working towards something that felt positive.
Usually I'll listen to an audio book while playing American Truck Simulator. It's so relaxing and fun. My newest addiction in gaming is Runescape. I never played it until a week ago. I'm following a wiki guides for quests, and I'm doing random little tasks. Dated graphics, but it gets me out of my head. I've lived with daily depression for over 20 years now so I won't say "life gets better", but I will say keep on going. You're not alone.
Epic Chef. Found it while grieving a lost pet, helped me pass the time enjoying myself.
Weirdly enough, there's an extremely happy, cheerful, and uplifting post-apocalyptic game called "I Am Future". It's as cozy as you can get and honestly I found the atmosphere very positive. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1658040/I_Am_Future_Cozy_Apocalypse_Survival/
Story of seasons on the nintendo switch I play that game to relax as well.
pokemon snap! the stakes are nonexistent but thereās lots to unlock and its cute. or just any pokemon tbh - i had a blast just exploring in violet and legends arceus cuz theyāre open world(ish for arceus) bugsnax was fun and unexpected i also love puzzle-y games to zone me out. some i love areā¦. fit my cat, railbound, inbento, dorfromantik, and my fave of all time - the last campfire
I'm sure it's been said already, but animal crossing new horizons. I got it a few months after release and it's honestly the biggest blessing as a game, and I know that's stupid to say. My best example is that for personal reasons I hate my birthday, but I have celebrated my birthday in game every year since I got this game. I love it, so much. This silly little game brings me such joy and just allows me to relax and not worry about life for a little while. I feel like it's the game I reach for EVERY time I'm majorly depressed
Animal crossing new horizons or Alba. Alba reminded me of a happier time: my childhood. Lots of exploring the outdoors. Whereas animal crossing you can feel very productive and loved by your villagers while just feeling cozy.
I play Animal Crossing when Iām depressed ā„ļø
If you want to lean into the sad a bit, I highly recommend Gris or Spiritfarer. They both have the same feeling of hope mixed in, too.
I love both of these. For more that lean into the sad a bit, I'd also like to add The Wild At Heart, and Child of Light.
Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing are so absolutely suffused with love and joy. They are like cheap therapy. (Still get therapy!)
Paliaš¤ its been helping me so so much
Sneaky Sasquatch. Easy enough to play casually but a fun story to keep you distracted
For me, I may play sims build mode, or planet crafters, maybe Dreamlight valley (if I want a short time sink), but honestly my go to is 7 days to die. It doesnt fall into anything meditative to where you can either zone out or your thoughts can take over. It has building and crafting, and if you put the zombies on easy mode or blood moon to more easy, I find it has enough to keep me busy without being too stressful. Although I dont mind the normal difficulty because I fully expect to die. I just keep my items on death for ease. XD
Stardew Valley, Dinkum, Littlewood, Yonder The Cloud Catcher, My Time at Sandrock, Skyrim, Witcher 3, Parkitect, Minecraft, Euro Truck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator
not cozy but i mean dark souls remastered personal lifted me out of a depression
Coral island
I really like life Sims or farm Sims for this tbh. The emphasis on taking it slow and living a happy life within a community always helps me personally. Animal Crossing is a super nice wholesome game. I recommend them all, New Leaf for the 3DS being my favourite. New Horizons for the Switch is definitely the fluffiest of the titles though with the removal of sassy villagers so if you want something extra light hearted it's a good one. Most older harvest moon or now story of seasons titles are personal favorites. I've been playing Roots of Pacha lately, similar idea to Stardew but stone age. It has a lot of focus on community and helping one another which I super love, but all of the characters do have their own personal issues and struggles (I haven't encountered anything triggering so far) so if that might be too much thats something to consider. It's on steam and switch I believe. I've heard amazing things about the 3ds fantasy life too!
Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer (3DS) and Animal Crossing Happy Home Paradise (expansion to ACNH, switch). Itās a room designer game with Animal Crossing characters and itās so underrated. You play in tiny chunks, which makes it easy to put down if you need to, and can go back at any time to redo, add to, or fix any builds.
Unpacking. Like a lot of the recs here, itās a game that lets u go on autopilot but also visually cozy š¤
Disney Dreamlight Valley.
Not cozy but Iāve heard dark souls can be very therapeutic. The challenge is there but thereās also ways around it like grinding levels or getting help. What little plot there is is about how some undead āgo hollowā and lose their minds. But you wonāt go hollow if you just keep trying. Also, the challenge means when you do succeed at something you get a nice boost of dopamine to make you feel good for a bit. But skip it if itās not your vibe.
Gotta vouch for this one, in my case it was Elden Ring that got me through really dark times, got into the whole Souls lore/concept after it and can really say it helped a lot in many ways, Donāt you dare go hollow sure is a phrase I try to live by since then
If youāre looking for something cheery and cute, I recommend playing Coral Island, itās got positive messaging about the environment, taking care of oneself and has diverse representation, sometimes it can be a bit on the nose, but itās a nice escape set in a beautiful beach village.
Yonder - I was so in awe just running around for the first few hours (took me a a hot minute to understand how to complete tasks but I was in such a joyous mood just exploring the gorgeous map!
Before your eyes. It's a short 2 hour game
Loddlenaut! Something about helping adorable loddles makes it hard for me to stay in funks. Palia is also great, it's been my game of choice lately.
If you're looking to get absorbed in gameplay: Anno 1404/1800, Factorio, Dyson Sphere Program If you're into an emotional roller coasters (for some people that help when feeling down): GRIS, Spiritfarer, To the Moon, Finding Paradise An immersive/cute game that will either not be your thing or be the single best game you'll ever play: The Outer Wilds 4X type games: Endless Space 2, Humankind
Idk if this counts as cosy but Power wash sim is calm and rewarding and has definitely helped me through some dark times
Mass Effect
MinecraftĀ
I played Subnautica when depressed and I had so much fun, usually nothing works, not even Warcraft, so thatās like top level epic.
USE FLINCH. Its a self care game app!! Very cute!! edit: FINCH*
I know you said you want to be lost in a world, but there's some studies that show tetris helps with trauma. I think it's mostly based on playing tetris after a traumatic event, but my personal anecdote is that it does help me just kind of check out and not think about much of anything for a while. Which is helpful for my depression personally.
A short hike (quick play time can turn your brain off, beautiful sweet). PokĆ©mon Legends arceus. Any of the Zelda games (Iād say BOTW). Stardew valley
**Kind Words** - it's not really a game per se but it's on Steam and I like to keep it running all day long sometimes. I guess there is a Kind Words 2 now that I'm gonna go buy. Other games I would recommend specifically for depression (all relatively short games, some 2hrs or less): Chicory: A Colorful Tale, A Short Hike, Hoa, Journey of a Broken Circle, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley. I don't know what you're going through, OP but I hope life takes a better turn for you soon.
Many players said that Sky: Children of the Light helped them with depression. Itās a game where you can make friends, you can unlock chat or not. Itās an entertaining game game as there is no Ā«Ā finishĀ Ā». Itās on many platforms (iOS, Android, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and lately came on Steam). You can go check on the gameās [Sky: COTL wiki](https://sky-children-of-the-light.fandom.com/wiki/Sky:_Children_of_the_Light_Wiki). Iāve played it for 28 months now and still love it. I made friends from around the world ā¤ļø
touhou mystia's izakaya is really comforting to me at the moment in my current hard times! it's on switch and steam. i had no idea about touhou before playing it so it isn't a prerequisite to be into touhou! you run an izakaya by night (like a restaurant sim) and collect ingredients/explore/do storyline things during the day. the characters are all adorable and all have their own lore even outside of the game and it really shows through in their dialogue. fully recommend!
Tetris has been shown to improve symptoms of PTSD. I canāt play games like that however. Fae Farm, Slime rancher, Stardew, and Dreamlight valley are my favorite cozy games.
Grow: Song of the Evertree on Switch is very zen and whimsical.
Game here to say this - I played through it during a depression spell this winter and it was kinda amazing how much it helped.
Skyrim. World of Warcraft. Fallout 3 or 4. Oblivion. Wild card: The Sims 4 (great for no energy/limited focus. Throw on a TV show and build all you want to, or train all your skills, or do the legacy challenge!).
I'm a fan of relatively easy but fun platformers and dungeon crawlers. Ratalaika games has a lot of these short cheap platformers. Undermine I've become semi obsessed with. Also been really liking moonstone island. All of these I'm a fan on switch. Ups the cozy ability factor.Ā
Undertale!
Castle Crashers is easy, has humor, and can get addicting. Also, itās cheap!
Balatro !
Life is Strange, Captian Spirit, Tell Me Why, Gris, Lake.
Stardew valley got me through a huge depressive episode
Doom
Alba. A short game but so wholesome and calming and itās a pretty setting.
Moonstone island or slime rancher
Slime Rancher!
toontown ong
Dreamscaper or GRIS These two games have fun gameplay but their secret is in the music, it engulfs
The Monument Valley games arenāt that long but their music and simplicity helped with my depression and really stayed with me. Also when Iām really stuck I go hard on PokĆ©mon games. Sword and Shield specifically idk why.
Not cozy, but something about the challenging nature and the fantasy/horror setting of the Fromsoft games (especially Bloodborne, but also Dark Souls) help me to shut my mind off completely! I'd also recommend games like Hades or Inscryption that are repetitive but challenging enough to keep you engaged. Games like these helped me stay sane the last 2.5 years with Post Covid, when I was too exhausted to do anything anything else than lying down and gaming.
Nobody is saying Sun Haven? I've been having a blast with that game. Also, Immortal life is very chill.
Tamagotchi Adventure Kingdom is my go to depression game.
Night in the woods
any narrative games likes Tell tale games, life is strange games, as dusk falls, tell me why
Valheim
Persona 4 Golden and Dave The Diver are 2 that's helped me forget about my problems and the world when I sit and play them. Not exactly cozy games, but I also have to recommend Devil May Cry 3 & 5. The fast-paced combat and Dantes humor is always a fun time.
Oldschool runescape, everyone else playing it are depressed too
Genshin impact. I know it gets a bad rep, but the writing can be incredibly uplifting even if it's a little parasocial at times. Paimon genuinely cares about you
Foundation
I've been playing Bakery Simulator. I find it relaxing to bake foods. The bonus is that I'm not eating the food so no weight gain. I am trying cooking simulator, but it's a bit too much I think.
Fears to fathom: Ironbark lookout
If u want to unwind then Wuthering waves on bs, I often playing it to escape from reality
Unpacking saw me through one depressive episode and Stardew Valley saw me through another.
Ooblets!!!
Skyrim
Winkeltje. A very simple game with no drama or emotional baggage. You just run your shop, expand it, decorate it. Helped me. Best wishes.
toontown rewritten- it's such a fun and silly game, i get to just be a cute anticapitalist dog for a while. the community is super friendly and funny too.
I'm not much of a gamer, but I started playing Strange Horticulture this weekend and I spent houuurrsssss on it. The music is calming, there's no rush to win anything and the puzzles are fun.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Dreamlight Valley, and Baldurās Gate 3. Baldurās Gate is not necessarily a ācozyā game, but you can take it at your own pace and you feel like youāre part of a different world.
Rimworld sucked me in like no other game has since The Sims franchise. Itās possible to set the threat level very, very low and then itās just a colony builder with quirky little guys. I didnāt think I would get into it because of the art style, but Iām so invested in my pawns and their wellbeing. The learning curve is a bit steep, but the tutorial does a great job to hold your hand and the subreddit is incredibly active and helpful.
Go work out it will actually help you , literally go for a walk
Dave the Diver
I'm going to recommend the older sims games, Urbz sims in the city DS, wii my sims kingdom, castaways, the sims 2 gba, sims bustin out gba (apparently the gamecube version is pretty buggy) and theres plenty of fun to be had! (I do recommend doing an emulator for urbz, theres a glitch where a specific kind of trash disappears after a set amount of days and theres a ton of missions where you need to have full stats and sometimes it can be rough getting everything ready on time!)
Animal Crossing is my go to when I have issues with trauma and depression. Ooblets, maybe, too. Probably not cozy but throwing Genshin out there because it's exploration is good for that. Any open world game would work though
BOTW!!! but if uuuu realllly dont want to think and just want to set your own goals or maybe roam around, then sims 4 or 3!! i play sims 4 and always disable the household decay so i wouldnt be stressed about managing their needs with botw, when i cant figure things out, i just look the solution up from youtube. botw is still stressful at times but it can take my mind off things when i grind for materials
In my deepest depression I needed to avoid stress, so battles, PvP, timed missions, anything that would bring extra stress had to go. Not necessarily cozy, but Snowrunner was super chill, nice to look at and allowed me to go at my own pace. I could double down on avoidance and pop on some podcasts or stream some background noise videos. Simulators were great for this too: MS Flight Simulator 2020, American Truck Simulator, also great, low energy games. Keeping with the vehicle theme, a point and click (similar to Power Washer, House Flipper, etc) was Car Mechanic Simulator. Never thought I would play a game like that, but oddly satisfying. City builders are always good for chill mode and a lot of survival/base builders can be good. No Manās Sky is pretty good that way. I really got into Hardspace Shipbreaker as well. Little bit of a puzzler and even though it had ten minutes on the clock, there was something helpful about doing ten minute chunks. One thing that games seem to do too often is have an endless stream of quests and side quests and itās easy for me to sit for 14 hours or more on a game. Not great for my marriage. I sometimes wish there was more consideration for design that included periodic rest periods in games instead of just laying one thing on top of another. One last suggestion: Red Dead Redemption. I loved just wandering around the map. Fishing and hunting. No purpose just seeing the incredible details and vibing. I could go on, but Iāll leave room for others.
Dreamlight Valley!
Iāve been enjoying princess peach showtime
Spiritfarer. The story will hit you in the feels, and you can pace yourself with the gameplay. You can take as long as you want to complete it. The music is very soothing as well. I love it so much.
Neopets!!!!
Firewatch. Thereās a free roam mode where you can just explore the forest
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^sad_soul8: *Firewatch. Thereās* *A free roam mode where you can* *Just explore the forest* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
I've seen other people say Spirit Farer was a game that really helped them process grief for the loss of a loved one. I played it during the shut down, and found it to be really impactful.
I struggle with Major Depressive Disorder so I completely get this! If you want a story and characters you can get lost in - Assasinās Creed Valhalla was amazing for me for that. It was my first AC game so I googled the previously plot points so I knew what the heck was goin on but I loved being a Viking! For the days when my depression is showing up as irritability, I play Man Eater. You are a shark and you get to EVERYTHINGā¦including people. Lol I like the repetitiveness and building bits of Medieval Dynasty at the moment too. Gives me enough to distract or numb out with.
Fashion dreamer on the switch. I can turn my brain off and play dress up for hours.
Stardew Valley, Factorio, Farthest Frontier, Rust on modded PVE servers.
Animal Crossing Story of Seasons Pokemon Fantasy Life Disney Dreamlight Valley Disney Magical World Edit: Adding Kingdom Hearts to this list too. That's another go-to comfort series for me.
Mini Motorways Leaf Blower Revolution
A Short Hike!!
When my PTSD and depression was at its highest i was easily playing 17 hours of world of Warcraft a day. I have some really really close friends i play with and the joy they brought me and support they gave me probably saved my life multiple times. Id be having suicidal thoughts and suddenly get a discord ping to come play with them. Love you racecar gang if any of you see this.
Dave the Diver really got me hooked and forgetting about everything else for a while.
It's Pokemon Go for me, lol. It's forcing me to go out to walk and see some sun.
I just got cat cafe manager and it was so wholesome and adorable š„° itās not a forever unless you start over or just run it endlessly and keep remodeling. I stretched the story for 20 something hours tho! I donāt recommend the dog rescue one that is sometimes packaged with it - it stressed me out.
Warframe. Too much shit to do for you to have time to feel depressed
My go-to is Lake
I think Slime Rancher 2, it's very joyful and fun and colorful and adds no emotional weight to your life like 90% of the things I play lol
Warframe was that game for me. Also disco elysium
Been in a crippling depression for a while now. Really trying to fight through when nothing at all sounds enjoyable has been hard. Everything seems pointless and too much energy. I started playing Sprout Valley a week or so ago. Not gonna lie. It has really helped. Plus it has pretty pastel relaxing colors that I appreciate. And basically just gets right to the game play.