Hello all! I would like to know what games give you that cozy, fuzzy feeling of simple happiness.
I’m currently experiencing this with Tchia, a wholesome game about a girl doing fun stuff on an island.
Weirdly enough I have a similar thing going with Doom (2016) at the moment. Something about the intensity of the levels and the interesting map design make me feel really satisfied and immersed.
Lastly, Super Mario 3D World really has a similar effect to Tchia, we’re I immediately get a happy feeling just by booting it up and looking at the wonderful colors en design.
What is your go-to game for feeling relaxes or happy?
For me it’s Skyrim. If need a game to play just to be immersed std Skyrim
West of Loathing. The RPG stuff is great and the comedy is great but really the main strength is I just enjoy reading its dialogue. The vocabulary and sentence construction have a real sincerity for the setting contrasted against the silliness of the rest of it that makes both parts hit harder.
Similarly, the first three Monkey Island games which achieve that same injection of the heartfelt into the wacky by way of their gorgeous art and music.
But as far as the joy of just doing something it’s hard to beat the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games, to just be dropped into a level and be told “do cool stuff for a while”.
I love West of Loathing, one of the best games ever made. Completely second this.
A Short Hike, definitely. I just wish it was longer.
Perhaps they’ll make a sequel, A Slightly Longer Hike.
Spiritfarer.
The soundtrack, art direction, color palette, and gameplay all come together in a relaxing loop. I have spent hours just drifting along spot to spot, taking care of the spirits in my care until their times came to depart, and still go back to it when I just want to have some time to relax.
As a warning, the game does deal with some emotional tones, so there’s a bit of melancholy mixed in. My wife and I both had times where we teared up because it felt like saying goodbye to someone again. It’s handled well, though. Really gives the feeling of everything being put to rest, and there’s still everything they taught you right there as a reminder of the effect they had.
I remember just sitting there after helping the first spirit depart and thinking - wow. Which doesn’t happen a lot in games, but the combination of the music, the storylines for each spirit and the time when I started playing (early in the pandemic) cemented the game in my mind as a piece of art.
Factorio without bitters. The music of desolance, alone on the planet trying to get efficient so you can leave and go home. I don’t know why it is so relaxing, but it is… just having time to plan and build exactly what you had in mind is bliss.
On the other hand if you want some adrenaline, play bitters in deathworld.
Exactly what I do. I use Angels and Bobs mods for a huge amount of stuff to do, loads of trains (almost 1,000 in my current playthrough!), and loads of stuff to build.
It’s heavenly!
Rollercoaster tycoon and openTTD.
Citizen Sleeper had many moments that I just breathed in and smiled about. It is a beautiful game with beautiful stories in it
The Last Campfire feels like you’re being read a bedtime story, in the best way. I haven’t quite felt anything like it from gaming.
I haven’t seen anyone mention Mirror’s Edge yet! The free running (especially in the first game) is such a unique and rewarding experience. A little janky and frustrating sometimes but when it clicks it just feels so good
I play a lot of boomer shooters, some of the more nostalgic ones give me that feeling.
But the cozy exploration, and childlike wonder of Sable are feelings I yearn for long after completing it. So far nothing else has scratched the itch.
Outer Wilds can get similar when you have transcended beyond the existential dread of lonely death in space. It’s spooky at times, but death is cheap, so you just look forward to the next attempt.
It depends what kind of happy I’m looking for.
Townscaper - this is my go-to for just kind of chilling out. Just plonking down buildings and seeing what configurations they make is just so relaxing. There’s no points, no goals, no competition, not even any citizens with needs that must be fulfilled. You just build nice cities.
Slime Rancher - the slimes are cute, and just so happy to be alive. There’s something about a bright pink slime bouncing past, with a massive smile on its face as it cries “wheeeee!” that reminds me there are indeed reasons to live.
Maneater - this is a different kind of happy. A cathartic, violent, murderous happiness, as I pop inflatable unicorns, sink yachts, and launch myself at unsuspecting golfers.
To top up the happy tank, I love playing
- Katamari games
- OpenRA (Red Alert)
- Wrestling games (Smackdown on PS1/2)
- OpenRCT (Rollercoaster Tycoon)
- Baldurs Gate 3
- Mass Effect
- Frog Detective 1, 2, 3
- Game Dev Tycoon
I just did two playthroughs of BG3, and I think it’s now one of my “happy” games! I can see myself going back to it several more times!
Animal Crossing games for me! Just chilling and catching bugs or fishing or whatever is super relaxing. I also like that nothing feels rushed, you can move at your own pace, and make your town/island look however you want.
Someone else mentioned Skyrim and that’s another one for me. I have it on practically every platform and I drop back into it every so often.
- Persona 5 Royal
- Captain Toad Tracker
- Mario 3D World
If I want relaxation it’s Disney Dreamlight Valley.
Dave the Dive was a blast. Definitely has that ocean community vibe of everyone supporting each other and contributing in their own unique way. Super laid back and just relaxing, even though there’s plenty of things to do.
My favorite part was the questionable messaging around killing endangered animals. But it was a chill game for sure.
