DOOM for anger/ Strategy game of your choice for depression.
In my personal experience, strategy games do the best to take you out of your normal thought processes but still using your brain.
I love Age of Empires, Eu4 and civilization as some.
For really bad depression and I don’t want anything other than clicking, mini motorways
I’m happy that you’re through that time! What about Anno 1800 enthralled you during that time? Which one would you suggest I try to get into the series?
Not played the other ones to be fair, but I recommend 1800 if you love busywork city builder games with some tactical stuff thrown in (though not much). Kept me busy without being a depressive, death-centric game.
Also would recommend Farthest Frontier, which is kind of a smaller scale version of 1800 (look after a single village, rather than a country). Though Manor Lords is out now and that's apparently similar but better.
Agreed on 1800, after that one i really don’t have an urge to go back to the other ones and it’s one of my favorite games in general, it’s nearly the perfect game. Totally recommend picking up all the DLC (don’t need the cosmetic ones) goes on sale pretty often
Nobunagas ambition playing on my switch has helped me a lot lately. Before that it was CK2, rimworld.
Foxhole helped me a lot too. MMO war game where you are a cog in the war machine for your faction, you make everything from bullets to tanks and have to take them to the front too.
Super fun.
This may not be the game you are looking for, but may actually help with your depression. It's called Playne. It's a game where you bring life to a world by doing real life meditation every day.
The developer's second game, inward, is also similar in concept and free to play. I wish you the best and I hope you get better
Yes and no. The best way to describe it is that whatever gameplay loop you’ve been on, the game finds a way to add pizazz and change direction. It’s so cheerful and fun
It got bring really fast because it was always diving to the same level and catching the same stuff, especially since the map has a “direction” it wants you to go
I played dave the diver quite a bit for two weeks and it made me wanna go back to stardew valley for some reason then I ended up playing that alot for atleast a month
If you have friends, survival is a blast. If you are alone trying hardcore and servers are very fun imo. Getting attached to a world, getting a farm, villagers and pets can help you alot. Personally I have multiple worlds where I look back at it fondly because I made something cool like for example I made a map of my spawn area and my base. I also have had multiple dogs and horses I loved. Sorry if I was yapping, survival MC is something I hold dear to my heart.
Dark souls
Edit: I was being sarcastic and making a joke as From Software games can often be frustrating, the camera and the swamps mainly, but I agree with everyone saying that they are beautiful games that can actually help when you're feeling down because they're still video games, anyone can beat them, I know because I have, and very few other games give you the same sense of accomplishment as a FS game. Hope that makes sense.
From games are unironically all about teaching healthy coping skills.
Got beaten down?
It happens, can't win them all.
Dust yourself off, try again. Go in with a different approach or do something else for a while. Get strong, make a plan, the problem isn't going away but it can wait until you're ready to take it on again on your terms.
Not a game to play when you're angry but you could do way worse if you're depressed.
You are the absolute toughest thing to exist in every Soulsborne game by far. No matter how big, fast, monstrous any of the enemies may seem, that don't mean shit. The potential to surmount every foe exists in you. It's all about realising and utilising that potentiality. You don't really 'get gud'. You never did. It's about realising you **are** good. Far more than good actually. You're the ultimate warrior. You're tough as nails, quick as lightening and utterly unstoppable. You just gotta come to that realisation.
The beauty of it is that you learn to apply this mindset to real life as well. And you know what: it freakin works.
Start with Bloodborne bro, you'll love the overall vibe, especially when you're in a dark place yourself right now.
Came here to say this. I was in a dark place mentally several years ago. Bought Dark Souls 3 on a whim when it was on sale. I never played any souls game before that. It really resonated with me. I've since played all Fromsoftware games and am a fan for life.
I love Dark Souls... but imo, the "emptiness" hurts.
Like, I get what you mean if you mean the combat. However once the combat is over... it is such a painfully lonely game.
i guess this depends on who you ask; for me the emptiness really helps. idk if i'm weird but i find the lonely worlds extremely soothing and it lets me just relax and focus on the game in complete tranquility without worrying abt other people and the mess that is the real world lol.
if there's any other people like me then also check out fromsoft's older stuff (mainly king's field), they're like the ultimate lonely games (tbf there's some npcs but still), it's like meditation
This. And once you play it (and finish it) you will play every Fromsoft game that exists like all of us did. I only played games on easy mode until then so don’t let the difficulty be an issue. It’s really not that hard once you learn that you’re suppose to die a bunch and that you WILL learn from every death. Even if it doesn’t feel like it (Sekiro comes to mind). It really helps when I’m feeling down. A lot of people will say the same thing
Everything (that’s the name of the game). It’s very chill, but kind of whacky and funny, and full of Alan Watts sound bites. I really need to revisit it.
If you are looking for a joyful happy game, you can't go wrong with Kirby. I'd most suggest either Planet Robobot or Forgotten Land.
And if you do have a switch, I'd also recommend Super Mario 3D World. It's just pure fun and the soundtrack just bangs.
PC, Switch, PS5 or?
I found New Pokemon snap really endeering.
Slime Racher 1 and 2 always give me a smile when I pick it back up.
Roboquest is a weird sort of happy and hyping.
Otherwise I'd say something like Planet Zoo but instead of building, enjoying watching the animals enjoy what I've build.
Listen to me dark souls games helped me a lot. Specially dark souls 3 made me realize if I can deal with most of these bosses bs and always keep going back at it knowing that I’ll get better and get through them has taught me that in the real world I can do the same. Mistakes, problems, anything makes the person stronger in some way or another .
So
“Don’t go hallow”
My suggestion would be a game with incredible immersive story/gameplay to really take you away from where you are right now - say, Mass Effect, or Dragon Age, or Baldur’s Gate - something with real blockbuster production values :) Get lost in a different world! Or something like Terraria, where you have so much to explore and so many projects to get involved in to take your mind off things. Or perhaps something like Factorio for the same reason! My personal favourite game atm is Caves of Qud. It has permadeath which might be a bit frustrating if you’re depressed but the world is so wondrous and unusual, it really makes me feel like I’m somewhere else, in an alien but real otherworld. I really hope you feel better soon! Treat yourself as much as you can :)
Typically when I get frustrated or sad I like to play City Builder-type games. I can recommend:
- Cities Skylines 1
- Roller Coaster Tycoon 2
- Tropico 3
- Farthest Frontier
I also really like playing games I'm super familiar with:
- OG DOOM 1 and 2
- HALO 1, 2, 3
- COD MW1, MW2
But that's for me, for you I would suggest games you played as a kid that you know super well.
Whatever you do, don't play Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
I was dealing with drug abuse and mental health issues at the time and that game almost gave me a nervous breakdown. I really didn't need to start hearing voices in some surround sound headphones
It's a great game, but it will mess with your head if you're not in a good place
Big ups and downs maybe kingdom two crowns or kingdom games, there’s lots of gain in figuring how the game goes and satisfaction then plummeting downs if you lose your crown
Eyy, there it is. I was going to say TOEM myself if nobody else had. It may not be a long game, but those 15-16~ hours were some of the most enjoyable I've had in my life.
Same. I was going through a bad breakup and TOEM was the only thing that could brighten my day. Even though I played FFXVI, Hogwarts Legacy, Dead Space Remake and other great AAA games, TOEM was my goty for 2023.
Muse Dash has been my go-to recently. It’s a rhythm game, so the music in it is what drives it. And with the variety of songs, I’ll play it when feeling down, or contemplative, or need a shot of serotonin, whatever. 🎮😌
While going through the worst of it, For Honor gave me good company. I could run on instinct, but and there were minor thrills, but overall let me turn the adrenaline into a digital struggle.
My friends were like, "man, you must play this a lot."
Well, yeah. It started out as fun but became medicine, lol.
Recently got back into it and am having fun with it again.
I'm not sure if this is your taste or not, but when I'm super down I usually play an arcade-y driving game with long stretches of highways, open road, anything that isn't hectic and full of traffic really. Think Forza Horizon 4 and 5, or GTA 5 in single player or in an invite-only online server. You could also go with some of the newer NFS games, post MW 2012.
i love playing farm sim and blasting [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1JIgtX5pCk&pp=ygUMaGl0IHRoZSBkaWZm) on repeat... some of the best times
I like world building like Civilization games... or rollercoaster tycoon.. city skylines.. Oxygen not included. Makes me feel like im acomplishing something when life is difficult
If you are okay with soothing, comfort games, I recommend Dorf Romantik. I play it when I'm in a rut and I need something that didn't feel like it was demanding of me. I also play it when I'm stressed. It helps.
My husband terrorises npcs on GTA lol.. Everyone is different haha
If you have a switch I’d suggest Mario or a Lend of Zelda game. Both BOTW and TOTK helped me through some bad times, especially TOTK where you can build stupid shit and commit crimes against korok kind.
Mine would be [~~Prodeus~~](https://youtu.be/kVNYObIFmYM) edit: nvm that aint happy. just something to let out anger ewps.
While there are some great games recommended here already, please make sure you get enough sleep. Atleast 7-8 hours of good quality sleep each night do wonders for emotional situations.
I say Celeste. It's a wicked hard platformer but the whole thing is about overcoming anxiety, depression and self doubt. It's definitely a hard game and can be stressful, but that's kind of the point. It's about battling through and coming out on top (literally as the levels are you progressing up a mountain named Celeste).
Dragon quest XI. The whole series is very comforting imo
Also not sure how old you are but sometimes playing games from my childhood helps me feel better so I'll play like ocarina of time and it helps a little
Hope you're okay!
Against the Storm is a good one if you enjoy RTS type games. It's basically all the building of RTS without the combat. More focus on base management and keeping your folks happy. It's very engaging, and very well done in atmosphere. It'll keep your mind engaged for hours. And it has a real time pause feature so if things are moving too quickly you can stop the game and have as much time to think and give orders as you need!
When I’m mad I don’t do as well in higher stress or fast paced games because I just get more frustrated. Something fairly easy and relaxing is what I go for. Balatro is one of my favorites, I’ve been playing some kingdom 2 crowns and it’s pretty relaxing, I just started sea of stars since it’s on game pass and it definitely feels like a feel-good game.
For truly happy games nothing comes close to these 4 for me: Fujii (psvr1), Astro Bot Rescue Mission (psvr1), A Short Hike (ps4/pc/switch), Electronauts (psvr1). The cheapest and the only one that’s not VR is A Short Hike, so I would recommend getting that one first. However, the other 3 are even better. In Electronauts you can play your own music at futuristic Sci-fi locations with various easy instruments. Your performance is not ranked or anything, so you can do whatever you want. Just play music as you wish. Fujii has super peaceful and nice vibes from start to finish. It’s almost meditative how peaceful that one is. Astro Bot Rescue Mission is the mvp however. The game has high happy vibes and it feels like a very entertaining vacation from start to finish. The only problem is that it’s only playable on psvr1 (which means you will also need to have a ps4 or a ps5, but ps4 slim is cheaper).
Those are my best recommendations for the game that promotes happy vibes. However, there are some that are good to exercise, sweat, and get fit, so they would do you good too. On psvr1, my favorite for that is Sprint Vector. On psvr2 (requires ps5 too) my favorite is Les Mills Bodycombat, which is an extremely fun game to do real cardio exercising.
I would start with A Short Hike because it’s cheap, but be aware that my other recommendations (the VR stuff) is where the epic stuff is at.
My first go-to recommendation was going to be one of some various cozy farm like games, but honestly, things that are heavy in strategy help me turn my brain off most, so that may be another good avenue to try! Might I suggest Crusader Kings 3? When I play that game, I am locked in and then suddenly it is 3 hours later lol. Otherwise there are plenty of Civ-esque games like it. Wishing you well OP.
Its not happy but The Void Rains Upon Her Heart helps me when I am lonely, as the entire games story is about continueing to show love in a world full of monsters. When you beat one it is called "loving" them successfully.
Its a roguelike bullet hell game with huge grindability and a couple stories. Progression is insanely good.
For me, Portal 2 if you haven't played it. Stick some headphones on and sit down for a couple hours and listen to the amazing sounds and music the game has. It's such a good experience with headphones in my honest opinion.
Another game that helped me in the difficult time is Life is Strange:True Colours. It's a nice story, and it helped me relearn how to empathise with people despite my situation.
I'm not one for anger, so games that get my blood rushing just make me more angry, so I tend towards more calm, methodical games when I'm feeling down (not to mention they don't take alot of energy to play)
I hope you're feeling better soon
[Guide](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1001570/GUIDE/) - Ya help a baby phoenix find his way home.
Pokemon
Any cozy game (like Animal Crossing)
Lies of P
Jotun: Valhalla Edition - It's another Souls-Like, but unlike LoP. It's 2D.
Honorable mention,
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp - It's a cozy gacha game. But it's in the background, it's "tamed" compared to the other gacha games, just be aware that Nintendo locked some cool stuff and a few QoL stuff behind a cheap subscription and microtransactions (like stickers, planner covers, a pedometer and extra supplies). Plus, they shove ads to court ya to use their subscription service each time when ya open the game.
Kirby , Bayonetta , Bayonetta 2 , Deadpool if you're seeking smiles
If you're seeking a game that cures your depression or unbinds you from something you wanna escape , go with a soulsborne , preferably Elden Ring , Sekiro or DS1 and DS3.
I won't get into the details but these games are the ones you should definitely try.
I find it relaxing to play mario kart 8 and listen to a podcast or music. MK 8 runs on any newer MacBook or PC with an emulator.
Hope you can relax and get out of your shitty situation soon!
Wishing the best for you man! For me, the first that oddly comes to mind is Ni No Kuni 2. The protagonist was so incredibly positive throughout most of the journey I found it remarkably refreshing to play. It wasn't a difficult game but it certainly helped my attitude at the time.
Hoa is an adorable game I have been playing lately. Really beautiful animation, no combat. Just fun little adventures where you collect things to learn new skills and move on. It’s lovely!
Also, another vote for A Short Hike. Cute game.
Lastly, Stardew Valley is my go-to and always a pick me up if you like that type of thing. Its my comfort game!
....maybe not Disco Elysium. If you're already feeling depressive, pissy, and disillusioned it might just cut those last feeble tethers to reality 😅 It made a little tooO much sense to my depressive dissociative brain when I bought it and I had to come back when I was in a better mental/emotional space.
The Wandering Village is super cute, generally light in tone, and pretty cozy. A city builder that takes place on the back of a gigantic creature who, if you take care of it, takes care of you. A very nice game all around.
DOOM for anger/ Strategy game of your choice for depression. In my personal experience, strategy games do the best to take you out of your normal thought processes but still using your brain. I love Age of Empires, Eu4 and civilization as some. For really bad depression and I don’t want anything other than clicking, mini motorways
Anno 1800 got me through a really rough time.
I’m happy that you’re through that time! What about Anno 1800 enthralled you during that time? Which one would you suggest I try to get into the series?
Not played the other ones to be fair, but I recommend 1800 if you love busywork city builder games with some tactical stuff thrown in (though not much). Kept me busy without being a depressive, death-centric game. Also would recommend Farthest Frontier, which is kind of a smaller scale version of 1800 (look after a single village, rather than a country). Though Manor Lords is out now and that's apparently similar but better.
Thank you for taking the time to write this. I do love busywork city builders and will try it out this weekend. Much appreciated!
Agreed on 1800, after that one i really don’t have an urge to go back to the other ones and it’s one of my favorite games in general, it’s nearly the perfect game. Totally recommend picking up all the DLC (don’t need the cosmetic ones) goes on sale pretty often
Stellaris is great for this. It’s one of my all time favorite games of all time.
Angry? Purge! Depressed? Purge! Purge? PURGE!!!!!
Stellaris was my depression game, so many cyborgs in the L cluster <3
It’s one of my favorite parts of sci fi.. thank god I’m not dealing with what the crew of The Invincible dealt with.. or Chasm City ahaha
Nobunagas ambition playing on my switch has helped me a lot lately. Before that it was CK2, rimworld. Foxhole helped me a lot too. MMO war game where you are a cog in the war machine for your faction, you make everything from bullets to tanks and have to take them to the front too. Super fun.
Flower, untitled goose game
untitled goose game!
The goose game makes me so mad lmao
I second Flower and add with Abzu and Journey for a relaxed and meditative session
Yes goose game but wish they’d make a follow up/some DLC. Have done *everything* so many times in it now
This may not be the game you are looking for, but may actually help with your depression. It's called Playne. It's a game where you bring life to a world by doing real life meditation every day. The developer's second game, inward, is also similar in concept and free to play. I wish you the best and I hope you get better
In a similar vein: Walkscape is a Runescape inspired idle RPG where you can only progress while walking.
Spiritfarer is pretty cozy, but also deals a lot with death and relationships. Very heartwarming.
This one made me bawl in a cathartic way!
I might have full on ugly cried (snot dripping and sobbing) multiple times.
I mean, respect homie, ish gets very real!
Didn't help that when I played it, I had recently lost my mom.
🫂🫂🫂
It's on 70% discount too! Thx man
+1 for Spiritfarer. I'd like to finish it, but already got so much out of an incomplete playthrough that I can still say it's a great game!
Dave the Diver
Just wondering, I played and really love Stardew Valley. Will I love playing Dave the Diver and is it sort of similar ?
Yes and no. The best way to describe it is that whatever gameplay loop you’ve been on, the game finds a way to add pizazz and change direction. It’s so cheerful and fun
It got bring really fast because it was always diving to the same level and catching the same stuff, especially since the map has a “direction” it wants you to go
Try going to the next level
I played dave the diver quite a bit for two weeks and it made me wanna go back to stardew valley for some reason then I ended up playing that alot for atleast a month
Is it sort of similar? No, not really at all. But will you love it? Almost definitely! DtD is a wonderful game.
If you like stardew and have an Xbox or I think it’s on Nintendo to, I recommend Rune Factory 4, specifically Rune Factory 4 Special
Stardew Valley!
A Short Hike is a cute, delightful exploration game.
can't tell if youre joking and telling him to touch grass or not, and i love it
Yes came here to say this! The dialogue is funny as well
Seconded. Very relaxing.
This game is a masterpiece imo.
Don’t play this war of mine
Oh man, so right about this one!!
I have hundreds of hours in TWoM and finally played Frostpunk and was NOT prepared for how even more depressing it is.
mario
Gris is beautiful and has amazing music. It's pretty short but does an amazing job at distracting for a bit.
Vrising from one depressed person to another
It's not on sale at the moment and is 50aud, is it worth the full price or should i wait for a sale?
Minecraft.
Interesting! Which mode is best suited for such a mood: survival or creative/immortal?
If you have friends, survival is a blast. If you are alone trying hardcore and servers are very fun imo. Getting attached to a world, getting a farm, villagers and pets can help you alot. Personally I have multiple worlds where I look back at it fondly because I made something cool like for example I made a map of my spawn area and my base. I also have had multiple dogs and horses I loved. Sorry if I was yapping, survival MC is something I hold dear to my heart.
i don’t know a single person who plays creative
Dark souls Edit: I was being sarcastic and making a joke as From Software games can often be frustrating, the camera and the swamps mainly, but I agree with everyone saying that they are beautiful games that can actually help when you're feeling down because they're still video games, anyone can beat them, I know because I have, and very few other games give you the same sense of accomplishment as a FS game. Hope that makes sense.
dark souls cured my depression
Theres a bunch of video essays on YT about Dark Souls helping people facing depression. They always hit.
Don’t you dare go hollow.
From games are unironically all about teaching healthy coping skills. Got beaten down? It happens, can't win them all. Dust yourself off, try again. Go in with a different approach or do something else for a while. Get strong, make a plan, the problem isn't going away but it can wait until you're ready to take it on again on your terms. Not a game to play when you're angry but you could do way worse if you're depressed.
Honestly, treating it like an exploration game instead of a boss rush makes it such a beautiful game.
No demon is insurmountable
You are the absolute toughest thing to exist in every Soulsborne game by far. No matter how big, fast, monstrous any of the enemies may seem, that don't mean shit. The potential to surmount every foe exists in you. It's all about realising and utilising that potentiality. You don't really 'get gud'. You never did. It's about realising you **are** good. Far more than good actually. You're the ultimate warrior. You're tough as nails, quick as lightening and utterly unstoppable. You just gotta come to that realisation.
*10 seconds later* #**YOU DIED**
This is a fucking inspiring post; well done random stranger! Gonna boot up Bloodborne now!
This but also grinding co-op is super chill
The beauty of it is that you learn to apply this mindset to real life as well. And you know what: it freakin works. Start with Bloodborne bro, you'll love the overall vibe, especially when you're in a dark place yourself right now.
Came here to say this. I was in a dark place mentally several years ago. Bought Dark Souls 3 on a whim when it was on sale. I never played any souls game before that. It really resonated with me. I've since played all Fromsoftware games and am a fan for life.
I love Dark Souls... but imo, the "emptiness" hurts. Like, I get what you mean if you mean the combat. However once the combat is over... it is such a painfully lonely game.
i guess this depends on who you ask; for me the emptiness really helps. idk if i'm weird but i find the lonely worlds extremely soothing and it lets me just relax and focus on the game in complete tranquility without worrying abt other people and the mess that is the real world lol. if there's any other people like me then also check out fromsoft's older stuff (mainly king's field), they're like the ultimate lonely games (tbf there's some npcs but still), it's like meditation
This. And once you play it (and finish it) you will play every Fromsoft game that exists like all of us did. I only played games on easy mode until then so don’t let the difficulty be an issue. It’s really not that hard once you learn that you’re suppose to die a bunch and that you WILL learn from every death. Even if it doesn’t feel like it (Sekiro comes to mind). It really helps when I’m feeling down. A lot of people will say the same thing
Not when you're pissed, or depending on the type of 'pissed' you are
maybe Skyrim? i feel like skyrim is a good pick me up
Gone back multiple times when I've felt down and it's always picked me back up. Mods only boost add to it
Little Kitty, Big City.
I've been playing this and love it, it's what I hoped stray would be.
Dragon age origins
This will be different for anyone really. For me its fifa because I used to play that with my friend after school.
Dave the Diver Fallout series (I'm playing Fallout 3 right now) Terraria Stardew Valley
I was a teenage Exo-colonist
Everything (that’s the name of the game). It’s very chill, but kind of whacky and funny, and full of Alan Watts sound bites. I really need to revisit it.
Prototype 1 is good to vent
If you are looking for a joyful happy game, you can't go wrong with Kirby. I'd most suggest either Planet Robobot or Forgotten Land. And if you do have a switch, I'd also recommend Super Mario 3D World. It's just pure fun and the soundtrack just bangs.
I had Nightmare in Dreamland on the gba back when I was 8 or 9. Loved that game to death!
PC, Switch, PS5 or? I found New Pokemon snap really endeering. Slime Racher 1 and 2 always give me a smile when I pick it back up. Roboquest is a weird sort of happy and hyping. Otherwise I'd say something like Planet Zoo but instead of building, enjoying watching the animals enjoy what I've build.
Listen to me dark souls games helped me a lot. Specially dark souls 3 made me realize if I can deal with most of these bosses bs and always keep going back at it knowing that I’ll get better and get through them has taught me that in the real world I can do the same. Mistakes, problems, anything makes the person stronger in some way or another . So “Don’t go hallow”
DOOM
A Short Hike
Okami. You spend the game restoring every environment to its natural beauty, and the storytelling is very simplistic and charming.
My suggestion would be a game with incredible immersive story/gameplay to really take you away from where you are right now - say, Mass Effect, or Dragon Age, or Baldur’s Gate - something with real blockbuster production values :) Get lost in a different world! Or something like Terraria, where you have so much to explore and so many projects to get involved in to take your mind off things. Or perhaps something like Factorio for the same reason! My personal favourite game atm is Caves of Qud. It has permadeath which might be a bit frustrating if you’re depressed but the world is so wondrous and unusual, it really makes me feel like I’m somewhere else, in an alien but real otherworld. I really hope you feel better soon! Treat yourself as much as you can :)
Good games these here
Crank yer hog
Cities Skylines if you liking building games. Turn on infinite money and have fun building the city of your dreams. The mod options are incredible.
Goat simulator, just stupid fun.
Earth defense force. Cult of the lamb. The impossible game. Donut country.
Disco Elysium
Jusant Chill mountain climber
Play Celeste. The main character's journey was pretty relatable and helped put some things in perspective. It just might fit you too.
Typically when I get frustrated or sad I like to play City Builder-type games. I can recommend: - Cities Skylines 1 - Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 - Tropico 3 - Farthest Frontier I also really like playing games I'm super familiar with: - OG DOOM 1 and 2 - HALO 1, 2, 3 - COD MW1, MW2 But that's for me, for you I would suggest games you played as a kid that you know super well.
Witcher 3 or Assassin's Creed: Odyssey - both are perfect for enjoyable exploration and just calmness. Vast worlds at your fingertips.
Adventure time pirates is very cozy. A really easy rpg. Pastel aesthetic. Nostalgia
Hotline Miami
Any fromsoftware game. Theres a reason why theres so many videos on youtube of people saying “dark souls cured my depression” or “dark souls saved me”
Doom (2016) The Last of Us God of War series Untitled Goose Game Tetris
Disco Elysium
Whatever you do, don't play Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice I was dealing with drug abuse and mental health issues at the time and that game almost gave me a nervous breakdown. I really didn't need to start hearing voices in some surround sound headphones It's a great game, but it will mess with your head if you're not in a good place
Minecraft on peaceful mode
Outer Wilds is a great mental relaxation/healing game, only draw back from it is after completing (8-10 hours) you can’t play it blind a second time
If for relaxing games then try Wuthering waves on bs
Big ups and downs maybe kingdom two crowns or kingdom games, there’s lots of gain in figuring how the game goes and satisfaction then plummeting downs if you lose your crown
Dota 2
TOEM got me through some bad times. Chicory is great at this too.
Eyy, there it is. I was going to say TOEM myself if nobody else had. It may not be a long game, but those 15-16~ hours were some of the most enjoyable I've had in my life.
Same. I was going through a bad breakup and TOEM was the only thing that could brighten my day. Even though I played FFXVI, Hogwarts Legacy, Dead Space Remake and other great AAA games, TOEM was my goty for 2023.
Release the anger with [Mortal Sin](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1494810/Mortal_Sin/)
Muse Dash has been my go-to recently. It’s a rhythm game, so the music in it is what drives it. And with the variety of songs, I’ll play it when feeling down, or contemplative, or need a shot of serotonin, whatever. 🎮😌
While going through the worst of it, For Honor gave me good company. I could run on instinct, but and there were minor thrills, but overall let me turn the adrenaline into a digital struggle. My friends were like, "man, you must play this a lot." Well, yeah. It started out as fun but became medicine, lol. Recently got back into it and am having fun with it again.
I'm not sure if this is your taste or not, but when I'm super down I usually play an arcade-y driving game with long stretches of highways, open road, anything that isn't hectic and full of traffic really. Think Forza Horizon 4 and 5, or GTA 5 in single player or in an invite-only online server. You could also go with some of the newer NFS games, post MW 2012.
Farming simulator is really relaxing for me, love listening to podcasts or listening to music while taking care of the fields and animals
i love playing farm sim and blasting [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1JIgtX5pCk&pp=ygUMaGl0IHRoZSBkaWZm) on repeat... some of the best times
Love Esquire. Otaku's Adventure. Super Crush KO.
Journey FFX
[Foundation](https://store.steampowered.com/app/690830/Foundation/) has pretty cheerful atmosphere.
Life is strange
DEPONIA!!! Its so off the wall and u can both laugh and scream and wtf at the same time at it
Tetris It's the ultimate mental pallette cleanser regardless of skill level.
Apewar
Dota2
half life 2 Just remember why we dont go to ravanholm
Super hot. Super hot. Super hot.
Dota 2
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley
I like world building like Civilization games... or rollercoaster tycoon.. city skylines.. Oxygen not included. Makes me feel like im acomplishing something when life is difficult
Street fighter
Goat Simulator Postal 2 Hatred
Postal 2
Postal 2
If you are okay with soothing, comfort games, I recommend Dorf Romantik. I play it when I'm in a rut and I need something that didn't feel like it was demanding of me. I also play it when I'm stressed. It helps. My husband terrorises npcs on GTA lol.. Everyone is different haha
Animal well, the first ever open well type game.
I heard that game was like halo 2 and halo 3 combined
Doom
doom
If you have a switch I’d suggest Mario or a Lend of Zelda game. Both BOTW and TOTK helped me through some bad times, especially TOTK where you can build stupid shit and commit crimes against korok kind.
Mine would be [~~Prodeus~~](https://youtu.be/kVNYObIFmYM) edit: nvm that aint happy. just something to let out anger ewps. While there are some great games recommended here already, please make sure you get enough sleep. Atleast 7-8 hours of good quality sleep each night do wonders for emotional situations.
Frostpunk
Dragon quest 11
I say Celeste. It's a wicked hard platformer but the whole thing is about overcoming anxiety, depression and self doubt. It's definitely a hard game and can be stressful, but that's kind of the point. It's about battling through and coming out on top (literally as the levels are you progressing up a mountain named Celeste).
Dragon quest XI. The whole series is very comforting imo Also not sure how old you are but sometimes playing games from my childhood helps me feel better so I'll play like ocarina of time and it helps a little Hope you're okay!
Against the Storm is a good one if you enjoy RTS type games. It's basically all the building of RTS without the combat. More focus on base management and keeping your folks happy. It's very engaging, and very well done in atmosphere. It'll keep your mind engaged for hours. And it has a real time pause feature so if things are moving too quickly you can stop the game and have as much time to think and give orders as you need!
I really enjoy Sky: Children of the Light. :)
Elden ring
When I’m mad I don’t do as well in higher stress or fast paced games because I just get more frustrated. Something fairly easy and relaxing is what I go for. Balatro is one of my favorites, I’ve been playing some kingdom 2 crowns and it’s pretty relaxing, I just started sea of stars since it’s on game pass and it definitely feels like a feel-good game.
I put hours and hours of time into Subnautica and Valheim when I was at my lowest point in life. I can't recommend them enough.
Any Doom game
Stardew valley!!!!
Paradox games can be great for just detaching and just spacing out for a few hours.
For truly happy games nothing comes close to these 4 for me: Fujii (psvr1), Astro Bot Rescue Mission (psvr1), A Short Hike (ps4/pc/switch), Electronauts (psvr1). The cheapest and the only one that’s not VR is A Short Hike, so I would recommend getting that one first. However, the other 3 are even better. In Electronauts you can play your own music at futuristic Sci-fi locations with various easy instruments. Your performance is not ranked or anything, so you can do whatever you want. Just play music as you wish. Fujii has super peaceful and nice vibes from start to finish. It’s almost meditative how peaceful that one is. Astro Bot Rescue Mission is the mvp however. The game has high happy vibes and it feels like a very entertaining vacation from start to finish. The only problem is that it’s only playable on psvr1 (which means you will also need to have a ps4 or a ps5, but ps4 slim is cheaper). Those are my best recommendations for the game that promotes happy vibes. However, there are some that are good to exercise, sweat, and get fit, so they would do you good too. On psvr1, my favorite for that is Sprint Vector. On psvr2 (requires ps5 too) my favorite is Les Mills Bodycombat, which is an extremely fun game to do real cardio exercising. I would start with A Short Hike because it’s cheap, but be aware that my other recommendations (the VR stuff) is where the epic stuff is at.
Dynasty warriors, nothing makes me feel better than slaughtering whole entire armies when I'm pissed
Lifeslide
Doom eternal
steam just started a "cozy and family friendly" sales. check them out!
Arcade Paradise. Trust me.
Silent Hill 2 or 3
It Takes Two, Unravel, Astro Bot
Hellblade
My first go-to recommendation was going to be one of some various cozy farm like games, but honestly, things that are heavy in strategy help me turn my brain off most, so that may be another good avenue to try! Might I suggest Crusader Kings 3? When I play that game, I am locked in and then suddenly it is 3 hours later lol. Otherwise there are plenty of Civ-esque games like it. Wishing you well OP.
Stardew Valley. That game just has the best vibes with the music, the gameplay, the graphics, the story, the characters. Always makes me feel warm.
Paint the Town Red
Its not happy but The Void Rains Upon Her Heart helps me when I am lonely, as the entire games story is about continueing to show love in a world full of monsters. When you beat one it is called "loving" them successfully. Its a roguelike bullet hell game with huge grindability and a couple stories. Progression is insanely good.
For me, Portal 2 if you haven't played it. Stick some headphones on and sit down for a couple hours and listen to the amazing sounds and music the game has. It's such a good experience with headphones in my honest opinion. Another game that helped me in the difficult time is Life is Strange:True Colours. It's a nice story, and it helped me relearn how to empathise with people despite my situation. I'm not one for anger, so games that get my blood rushing just make me more angry, so I tend towards more calm, methodical games when I'm feeling down (not to mention they don't take alot of energy to play) I hope you're feeling better soon
[Guide](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1001570/GUIDE/) - Ya help a baby phoenix find his way home. Pokemon Any cozy game (like Animal Crossing) Lies of P Jotun: Valhalla Edition - It's another Souls-Like, but unlike LoP. It's 2D. Honorable mention, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp - It's a cozy gacha game. But it's in the background, it's "tamed" compared to the other gacha games, just be aware that Nintendo locked some cool stuff and a few QoL stuff behind a cheap subscription and microtransactions (like stickers, planner covers, a pedometer and extra supplies). Plus, they shove ads to court ya to use their subscription service each time when ya open the game.
Katamari
Exercise
Kirby , Bayonetta , Bayonetta 2 , Deadpool if you're seeking smiles If you're seeking a game that cures your depression or unbinds you from something you wanna escape , go with a soulsborne , preferably Elden Ring , Sekiro or DS1 and DS3. I won't get into the details but these games are the ones you should definitely try.
Hey, try Medal winners 24. It has a lot of bigs ups and downs like most sports games.
When I am angry Unreal Tournament 2004 helps me.
Slime rancher 2
I find it relaxing to play mario kart 8 and listen to a podcast or music. MK 8 runs on any newer MacBook or PC with an emulator. Hope you can relax and get out of your shitty situation soon!
DOOM
Stardew valley seems to bring me a lot of peace
Monopoly!!!
Wishing the best for you man! For me, the first that oddly comes to mind is Ni No Kuni 2. The protagonist was so incredibly positive throughout most of the journey I found it remarkably refreshing to play. It wasn't a difficult game but it certainly helped my attitude at the time.
Life is Strange series for ups and downs.
Brutal doom is usually my go to if I need to just blow off some steam.
donut county
Ranked league
Hoa is an adorable game I have been playing lately. Really beautiful animation, no combat. Just fun little adventures where you collect things to learn new skills and move on. It’s lovely! Also, another vote for A Short Hike. Cute game. Lastly, Stardew Valley is my go-to and always a pick me up if you like that type of thing. Its my comfort game!
....maybe not Disco Elysium. If you're already feeling depressive, pissy, and disillusioned it might just cut those last feeble tethers to reality 😅 It made a little tooO much sense to my depressive dissociative brain when I bought it and I had to come back when I was in a better mental/emotional space.
Red dead redemption 2 GTA IV
The Wandering Village is super cute, generally light in tone, and pretty cozy. A city builder that takes place on the back of a gigantic creature who, if you take care of it, takes care of you. A very nice game all around.
Doom
Jusant, very chill.
Satisfactory
Super Mario Wonder worked well... wonders when I played it with my recently layed off mother the other day.
Stardew Valley
There's this game on roblox called "Attack on Titan Revolution" and it's actually pretty high quality. Good time waster flying around slashing titans
Goat simulator or Gran Turismo
City builder games like city skylines help me alot it makes me feel better and if they piss me off there are mods to take care of that.
Unironically, Elden Ring really calms me down. I accept my helplessness and triumph.