I know a lot of gamers, including myself, that use video games to destress from the stresses of real life. And I find certain games are really good for relaxing with and are great for gamers and non-gamers alike.
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A big clarification moment for my own comfort. While I am pro-gaming for stress relief, don’t let yourself succumb to playing games to the point of taking over your actual life. I’ve had those moments sometimes, but don’t stay there forever. Ok, on to the list!
The Sims 4
Many people say that The Sims 4 is their go-to destress game, and I’m no exception. I’ve had my fair share of days spent lost in the haze of building houses and controlling the life of my sims. And with so many DLC’s out there, the amount of content will keep you playing through your stressful times.
Megaquarium (and other tycoon games)
I am a big fan of tycoon games for stress relief. A recent go-to is Megaquarium, where you build and manage your own aquarium. It’s beautiful, has a relaxing atmosphere and music, and has a sandbox option if you’re relaxing style is just building and not the challenges.
Wandersong
While platformers are not always the most relaxing, Wandersong‘s story, aesthetic, and atmosphere is very relaxing. It is an enjoyable game that will distract you from the stress of your life while staying engaging through the platforming and story.
Armello
I’m a little biased since Armello is my most played and favorite game, but I find Armello a stress relief for me specifically when I play alone. It causes me to focus on the game and trying to win for an hour instead of the anxieties of life. And this works for many other strategy-centric games like XCOM 2 and Civilization games.
Singleplayer Games
While this isn’t a specific game, I included it because I often go specifically to singleplayer games when stressed out or struggling. I have found I get easily irritated when playing with others, and that is even worse when I’m already stressed out. I can get more easily lost in the experience when playing alone, and I find that more relaxing.
Jackbox Party Packs
However, the one time I can do a multiplayer game to destress it is with Jackbox games. They are meant to be ridiculous and funny, and a good laugh is a great destresser. If you prefer playing games with other people and find being with friends helps your stress, I do recommend Jackbox.
What video games do you play to help you destress? Share them in the comments!
A great list, thank you! I think Jackbox isn’t always as stressless as it could be for me, though!
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Definitely depends on the game! And who you play with. A lot of factors can effect a games stresslessness really.
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I personally like Cities Skylines. It’s just a great chill game.
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I’m seriously tempted to play Armello with how many times you’ve recommended it, but I find board games so intimidating and I’m scared to dive in.
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It isn’t too bad. I highly recommend the prologue (aka tutorial) as it can be a lot when you want to know strategy. But the tutorial focuses on how the game works which is great when you are first playing. And then you can find your strategy.
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I’ve actually played Jackbox with friends and it can be a great de stress game. I’d also recommend Endless Ocean. It’s a beautiful game where you’re a deep sea diver swimming in the ocean and nothing attacks you. You just enjoy the scenery.
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So it’s like Abzu?
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I wouldn’t know, I’ve never played Abzu.
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I wrote about Abzu! It sounds similar in premise, but Abzu does have a story to follow and isn’t necessarily happy and relaxing always.
Here’s the review if you’re interested https://ageekgirlsguide.com/2017/02/28/abzu-review/
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Thank you, I just checked it out! It also reminded me of another relaxing game I forgot all about, Journey.
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All of these games on your list sound wonderful. For me personally, just playing video games in general usually helps me destress. The only time that isn’t the case is when I’m playing a game and get to a hard boss fight or am just in general struggling with whatever game I’m playing. But whenever that happens, I’ll usually just take a moment away from the game so it doesn’t stress me out too much.
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It is different for everyone. I have friends who enjoy FPS games to destress but those would stress me out more.
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Yeah; I can understand why those would help someone destress. But I haven’t really given them a try.
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Slime Rancher is my main stress-reliever game. It’s just so cute with all the slimes bouncing around!
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So interesting. I love games! I will check some of those out for sure. My sister plays SIMS on her phone ALL the time! Thank you for sharing this.
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Dynasty Warriors is a great way to relieve stress. Put the game on very easy and you can pretty much 1 hit everything. You effectively become a sword wielding lawnmower and it’s brilliant.
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Ori and the Blind Forest is another incredibly good de-stressing game, by the way (when you’re not dying in the more tricky areas). So cozy and beautiful, and the music is incredibly relaxing, too.
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I have it but haven’t played it yet. I really need to though!
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Sims 4 actually stresses me out more because I can’t stop playing once I start lol. Great post!
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