Summary
- Video games offer a deeper, interactive experience than books or movies, blending mechanics, music, and storytelling.
- Recommendations include relaxing video games with minimal interactions from various genres for stress-free gaming.
- Games like Tetris Effect provide soothing experiences, especially in VR, making gameplay transformative with music.
Video games are popular because of the interactivity that binds the game to the player. It’s a connection deeper than what a book or a movie can do for an individual. Games combine mechanics, music, and storytelling to create a unique hybrid experience, and there are numerous genres to explore, ranging from RPGs to puzzle games.
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Exploration doesn't always have to feature heavy danger, as shown by these open-world games where venturing out is be surprisingly relaxing.
It can be hard to know where to start, especially if players have anxiety about threatening situations or just daily life. That’s why these recommendations include some of the most inviting and passive gaming experiences around from all genres of the video game landscape. Playing these games will hopefully not be too stressful, and they will be ranked based on how relaxing they can be.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Three Classic Stories For Budding Detectives
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
- Released
- February 7, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Use of Tobacco, Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Visual Novel, Mystery
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy combines the three DS games into one complete package. They all follow Phoenix Wright, an attorney who keeps getting assigned wild and unpredictable cases.
The trilogy is a series of visual novels wherein players will have to press witnesses for information to spot contradictions. Crime scenes can also be investigated. The whole series is a wacky set of stories that are both intriguing and funny for anyone who wants to dip their toe into video games with minimal difficult interactions.
What The Golf?
A Golf Game For People Who Hate Balls
WHAT THE GOLF?
- Released
- September 19, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Sports
There are a ton of golf games aimed at a casual crowd, like Mario Golf and Hot Shots Golf, which are both fine series in their own right. However, What the Golf? Will provide players with a good golf game and a funny one too.
Instead of hitting a ball in a hole every round, the puzzles keep getting more bizarre, like getting a car to fall in the hole instead. It’s a good game to play in short bursts, and is a lot more fun and inventive than it is challenging.
Blue Prince
Uncovering The Past
Blue Prince
- Released
- April 10, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Alcohol Reference, Simulated Gambling
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle, Adventure, Exploration, Strategy
There are a few roguelikes that don’t take a lot of effort to play or that don’t have violence, but Blue Prince is an outlier in that regard. Players will inherit a house after a family death, but the catch is that this house’s rooms are randomized.
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To mitigate this randomness, players must attempt to reach the end of the maze one day at a time. It’s a hard game to describe, as there aren’t many roguelikes similar to it, but once players try it, Blue Prince will become second nature. It's a puzzle game at heart, but a very welcoming one that doesn't punish failure while rewarding success.
Fantasy Life I: The Girl Who Steals Time
An RPG For Everyone
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
- Released
- May 21, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is a long-awaited sequel to a 3DS game that gained popularity with hardcore RPG fans and beginners alike. The core gameplay loop revolves around changing classes, or Lives in Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, ranging from combat-focused ones like Paladin and Magician to more basic Lives like Woodcutter and Cook.
Every action will level a particular Life up, including fighting monsters, chopping wood, or sewing a dress together. With easy combat, this is a game that is inviting to everyone without the pressure of an epic, world-ending story.
Journey
A Short Hike
Journey
- Released
- March 13, 2012
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone due to Mild Fantasy, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Journey is one of those games that is better experienced than read about, as there’s not much to it. The whole game will probably only take about two hours to complete and involves a lot of walking and surfing through sand.
That said, Journey does enough to keep players interested, from exploring ruins to meeting nameless other players online along the way. It’s one of the most chill games ever made and holds up as a PS3 classic, which is now available on more platforms.
Minecraft
Building A Better Tomorrow
Minecraft
- Released
- November 18, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Sandbox, Survival
Minecraft needs no introduction, as it’s about as well-known as the Mario franchise but with the benefit of being on nearly every platform under the gaming sun. Players get dropped into a world and can start exploring and building as soon as possible.
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There’s absolutely no goal in Minecraft other than to enjoy crafting, with near-endless possibilities awaiting curious players. It’s fun alone, but grouping together with friends is a surefire way to quell any anxiety boiling up with a few good laughs online.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Now Better On Switch 2
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Released
- March 20, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Everyone / Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases
- Genre(s)
- Simulation
Animal Crossing: New Horizons ran okay on the original Switch, but it’s much faster to get in and out of buildings and to get online on the Switch 2. It’s the latest entry in the Animal Crossing series, a life sim filled with quirky little animal characters that players can invite to live in their village.
The gameplay loop involves gathering materials daily to build houses or items like furniture. Players can be as elaborate or as casual as they want with their village planning, but half the fun involves visiting friends online to get inspiration.
Tetris Effect
Get Into VR
Tetris Effect
- Released
- November 9, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
There are a few musical games that everyone can enjoy relaxing to, including Rock Band or Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Final Bar Line, along with a near-endless supply of puzzle games. Tetris Effect combines both genres into one package, as it is another Tetris game at its core, but it can also become a transformative experience when the music is taken into account.
This game was exclusive to the PS4 at first, and could be played in VR, which helped it rise to the top of the PSVR’s best games. Playing a match in VR while listening to music can be one of the most soothing experiences in video games and is something that everyone should try at least once. It can be played without VR and against others too, via Tetris Effect: Connected, but the original version hooked up to VR is mesmerizing.
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