Nowadays I find a lot of games feel like too much work and/or anxiety when I just want to relax for like, 30 minutes to an hour after a long day. On the other hand, the games specifically designed to help you unwind just feel boring imo.
In the past I’ve felt like Outer Wilds scratched this itch, cause the whole experience was engaging but generally relaxed. There was a mystery that kept me hooked and the exploration and movement was fun in and of itself. I also felt like Subnautica filled this role since it was very much at my own pace, with anxiety producing portions which could for the most part be avoided or minimized, and also there was a clear objective to fulfill, get off the planet.
So what games do you play when you just wanna relax?
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.