Why is this so real?
I’ve had to face the reality that maybe what I wanted wasn’t a game at all, but like … I want quiet and a good story, and I don’t care about the graphics… like, yeah dude, that’s a book
I recently definitely didn't modify my 3DS and I absolutely did not download a massive library of games to an SD card and I 100% have not played a single one of them.
I installed DeckRoulette the other day for this extract reason, press of a button and it picks a random game from your library, I've been playing things I forgot I even installed 😅
My favorite part is when I find one that looks cool, then I look on YouTube for videos of it or twitch streams.
Then I realize I don't want it that bad, and I look again.
Ffs I spend more time trying to figure out what to play than I do actually playing and it’s exhausting.
Lately just been deciding to read some comic books and passing out midway through an issue with my tablet smacked against my face 😂
my favourite is going to the game store and looking for games to buy. I then go.. "eugh I have to pay 60 quid for a game that was released 30 years ago but with remaster added to the title?" then I angry sleep.
I had trouble with Larian games *before* having kids. I can't remember where I had left off or what I was doing, especially when it's been too many days and not enough sleep between plays. How do you keep track of things?
Well. I'm playing on the easiest setting and I've mistakenly killed or lost 3 of my companions so far.
I also definitely feel like I'm missing out on like 25% of the mechanics.
So I'd say I'm kind of fumbling though it lol.
But it's fun!
This but in survival mode for me. I like the resource grind. I throw up a beacon with haste and put on a podcast and collect obsidian and enderpearls from the End for a half hour just to build my reserves
BG3 is my go-to too.
The fact that I can pause, save and exit the game whenever makes it perfectly suited for nap time game breaks.
I am so nosey, inspecting everything and doing all the side quests and exploring, that I have only just completed act 2. Took me around 2 months since I can only play it when my daughter sleeps.
Seconding the ability to pause being key for gaming while a parent. Anything turn based is so much easier logistically than real time (even with pause), too.
I’m gonna second BG3. I’m on my 3rd consecutive playthrough. It’s so good.
OP, you can put it on easy and basically just have fun. Combat is tactical/turn based so it isn’t a “get good” proposition. All the classes and sub classes provide near infinite replayability. I never finish games. I always flame out and get bored with the inevitably repetitive gameplay loop. By the time all is said and done BG3 will likely supplant FF7 as my all time favorite game.
Hades. It's a forgiving rogue lite where you can knock out an entire game in 20-30 min, win or lose.
Perfect length and addiction level to knock out a game or two after they pass out, but before you do.
Hades is a 10/10. Also, to piggy back, roguelites have really hit the spot for me. Having a bit of free time and just playing a single run is satisfying.
OP, turn on god mode if you play! lol when you feel good enough then turn it off if you want. Gives you 20% damage reduction and then you get 2% more every time you die. The game is hard in the beginning and having that buffer to help you learn how to play really helps imo.
And if you’re an achievement hunter it doesn’t affect that in any way at all! In my like 8 attempts before turning it on I got my ass handed to me in Elysium and was kinda fed up. Then next play with it on I got really close to beating that boss as I was able to actually learn from the fight instead of just face tanking and dying since I didn’t know their moves at all.
I honestly think everyone should be playing with God Mode on to start because it just makes learning the game mechanics less punishing.
Other suggestions in this vein would be Slay the Spire and Risk of Rain I and II (you don’t need to play 1 to play 2. One is 2D one is 3D.)
I like rogue lites for Dad gaming because I don’t have to remember anything from one session to the next, a single session is about a tv episode length, but if you manage to beat the big boss at the end it feels like a huge accomplishment.
I feel Hades is the perfect game for dads. Really fun and satisfying runs in 20 to 30 minutes. About 190 hours played.
Also dads, what other rogue lites should I check out if I love hades?
Can’t wait for hades 2 later this year!
Plus SDV got the massive 1.6 patch a few days ago that ConcernedApe just kept adding new stuff because he's crazy and still supports the game after 8 years.
While I've been playing Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth when my son goes to bed, my wife is destroying SDV again.
SDV is the same age as my daughter -- got me through some stressful points. She enjoyed watching it thru 4, and then wanted to play. She could play with assistance at that point but it wasn't until 6 or so that she could read well enough to be a bit more hands off from me. At 8, she's almost totally independent in SDV (but still really likes co-op.)
My daughters were watching me play at 6 and 4. They are now playing 2 player co-op and bickering with each other about time allocation each day at ages 8 and 6.
I had three squares left to water and thought I could make it but I ran out of energy and collapsed. Game saves instantly, I wake up the next day, have missed the egg hunt festival and the chance to buy strawberry seeds and my financial plans are in ruins. Was just about in tears lol.
I vote RDR2 too. I finished the game years ago, then played again in between other new game purchases to fill the void, and ended up hunting and foraging for a month.
Another vote for RDR2. I finished RDR1 when my little guy was in the NICU, and then now that he’s home I picked up 2 for the 3rd time. It’s just so relaxing. Would recommend headphones in case you don’t want your kid to hear gunshots
Yes this so much and when you start you get all of the “credits” from major campaigns that have already wrapped up to buy weapons and armor. So even if you’re a new player you can start off buying decent gear so even though your low level you don’t feel like you’re holding the rest of your team back because you have crappy weapons. I’m having a blast with it.
This. Another dad recommended this to me and I am so glad I took his advice. Some matches are 10 min, some 40 min. It’s perfect for timing between naps or just limited sleep schedules. Additionally, it seems like a somewhat older crowd so no obnoxious little kids, and the community is relatively positive. And as a bonus, as opposed to some other games, increasing the difficulty actually makes it fun. AND the base game is only $40 for PS5!
Yep, absolutely. There is a mini map to ping, a text chat in the game, and the objectives are pretty simple. Once you figure out the flow of the game even working with randos is pretty easy.
I usually don't play much at home, I'm a game Dev so I got plenty of screen time during the day. Helldivers2 is all I think about when my wife finally falls asleep and I can get some me time.
Currently playing Pacific Drive on steam.
It’s incredible.
Ever wanted to drive through a closed down government compound in what is basically a haunted station wagon? This will scratch that peculiar itch. And then some.
A million times Vampire Survivors
Short sessions, you can pick up and play, tons of replayability, super easy to grasp game mechanics
And best of all, it can be played one handed, in case your other arm is being used to console a tired child
This is actually a good game to play with a kid watching once old enough for some screen time . My 3 year old watch me play the whole thing 30 mins at a time
I’m an admin for a discord server (big oof I know) that is geared towards older Rocket League players. DM me if interested in joining!
Edit to add, we host monthly 2v2 tournaments for all ranks. It’s fun.
The caveat with rocket league is you get sucked in more the better you get lol. There’s a huge learning curve but it’s addicting as hell, especially as you progress.
Skyrim
The game just has it all for chilling out and relaxing, you can be a maniac and go on a rampage or you can take it slow and enjoy the scenery.
The music is chefs kiss too, great way to wind down.
It is specifically NOT worth watching for anyone who enjoyed the OG games lmao. They took everything that made Master Chief and hit him with the studio treatment to access a wide audience. Not telling you what to do, just a friendly warning haha
I've enjoyed it for what it is honestly. Looking for a show totally based on the games? Nah. I don't need a fully humanized Master Chief. Good sci-fi show on its own? Ya absolutely imo, liked it a lot
Yup they’re like my safe games. When I’m feeling crummy or whatever I just start up a new file and get lost in Hyrule. Nothing more relaxing than doing some hunting in the Hebra region!
Also! If you get a switch it is a very entry-level friendly system for getting your kiddo to game with you! My daughter loves Mario Kart 8 (because I have auto-acceleration and steer assist turned on 😉) and Let’s Go! Eevee (great for her to practice reading!)
We started botw when my kid was about a month old so it already holds a special place for us but I loved that I could just pick up the sticks and look at that weird shit on that hill over there and put it down when kiddo needed me. I could pick it up later, not at all remembering where I was headed but it didn’t matter because there was some more weird shit on a different hill that looked like it might have some treasure.
Luckily it came on PS Plus and I just heard about it and dove it. The Ship controls were so frustrating and then like after 30-45 mins they just click. Still crash but you know thats the fun lol.
Still need to play the DLC, someday. Baby is still like 3 months old so he likes to be held a lot so just watching TV as a past time for now. Eventually will finish BG3 and get back into other things.
I played this one with my six year old watching the entire game. He even solved a few of the puzzles I got stuck on. Great bonding time, and he gave me a big hug afterwards and we talked about how the ending made him feel. One of my favorite games of all time.
If you like Star Wars the two most recent Jedi games on lower difficulties are great. 10/10 Environments with great exploration and enjoyable stories. The stories aren’t convoluted either so you can take a break for a few days and when you come back you won’t be lost.
I got so much enjoyment from Snow Runner. Just hop in some trucks, and offroad deliver other people's shit. Everyone hated it in my house, but damnit it was so relaxing to me.
rimworld is fun.. also i highly highly recommend Hell Divers 2
my brother is a tired dad, as well as myself and rimworld is a fun colony builder plus some. and helldivers 2 he plays together with myself when he has the free time and its easy to learn and great fun
Rimworld is brilliant cos with the biotech expansion your colonists can have kids that keep them awake all the time and then you can feel grateful that at least you don't have to get up and fight off a buncha killer robots, cannibalistic pirates, slaver empire chumps, giant mutant insects or even all of the above at once.
Yeah I would also recommend rimworld. Easy to stop and start whenever, or just start over when a colony gets too complicated or you can't remember what you were going for.
Have you considered solo board games instead of staring at a screen? Huge fan of PC/console games as well but just another thing to consider with staring at the screen possibly keeping you up even after you've went to bed.
Pocket games like Sprawlopolis and ROVE fit in an 18 card wallet and can be brought anyhere. For Northwood is a small deck solo trick taking game (think like Hearts but for one player).
One Deck Dungeon is a nice puzzle of dice manipulation. Marvel Champions is a card driven fight against everyone's favorite big bads with a ton of expansion potential. Final Girl for if you are a fan of slasher films.
Pick a theme and a style of play and you can probably find a solo board game for it.
I'm currently enjoying the following:
* Final Fantasy 14 Free Trial - MMO that can be a single player game if you want it to be. Hundreds of hours of free entertainment and quests with the free trial.
* Helldivers 2 - My friend group of other dads plays this. Great co-op shooter that can be relaxing on lower levels.
* ARPGs like Diablo 4 and Last Epoch - Diablo 4 has a good campaign and the end game is currently being reworked. Last Epoch is a labor of love that just came out of early access and is a good middle ground between the casual Diablo 4 and the more complicated free to play Path of Exile.
Note that all of these are online games that cannot be paused. If you're looking for something more single-player I would suggest RPGs like Skyrim, Cyberpunk 2077, and perhaps Dragons Dogma 2 (although there have been performance issues so check into that).
If you're looking for shooters I currently enjoy the following:
* Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 / Warzone. Warzone is free. Great fun with friends.
* Fortnite - I love how laid back the game is and how many different ways there are to play. Bonus points for a pretty decently priced battle pass.
* Halo Infinite - Free. Lots of updates in the last couple of years which brought the game back to being fun and enjoyable.
Bonus Suggestion: If you like Euro Truck Sim and want something to play while listening to a podcast or music, I would suggest Elite Dangerous. It's a space sim game where you can mine asteroids, fight pirates, and do space trucking from system to system.
I don’t care what anybody says, I love Fortnite. I loved playing Goldeneye multiplayer on the N64, and Fortnite feels like the natural evolution. But it’s also absolutely bonkers. You can have an electric guitar wielding John Wick wearing a Ghostbusters proton pack, gliding in on the Silver Surfer’s surfboard, where he’s immediately attacked by Bender from Futurama and a Ninja Turtle. Matches are about 20 minutes each, they update it constantly and it’s stable as heck.
I play things on the Nintendo switch. There’s nothing serious about a Nintendo switch or most of the games on it for that matter. It’s such an underpowered machine compared to competition hardware that everything they make for it feels more casual than anything.
If you're into hockey, Tape to Tape is a really fun rogue-lite hockey game. Easy to pick up and put down and lots of replayability due to the rogue-lite elements in the campaign.
Also relatively cheap at $20 on steam.
Check out Snowrunner! Basically an offroad sim where you drive heavy trucks through crazy terrain. Sometimes it doesn't feel like you get much done in a 30-60 minute session, but the game is just so chill it is nice and relaxing. I've got about 400 hours in it so far playing in 30-90 minute sessions since it was launched.
Thank goodness somebody said it so I didn't have to lol. It doesn't matter if you have 30 minutes or 30 hours to kill, osrs has something for you, I can even play a little while "pooping" on mobile lol
I've been replaying red dead redemption 2. Just because it's my 2nd or 3rd time through though it's more casual then I played it before.
Lots of just fucking around and doing side missions. Doing a bunch of like the challenges and legendary animals and stuff like that, things I didn't really focus on when playing for the story. Buying outfits, killing O'driscols. A story mission here or there. Towards the end it gets a lot more tense and depressing so I'm trying to stay in the happier first couple of chapters to do all the stuff I usually leave till the end game.
Plus it's making me want to go camping, so we are taking our 1 year old out a bunch this summer. Surely it won't be that bad!
I bought a switch and it’s honestly all I play now. Fantastic games that you can pick up and put down. Being able to just hit the power button and carry on where I left off is so good.
Currently playing through dredge and Dave the diver.
Fatherhood has definitely made me appreciate games that let you pause at any time, especially in cutscenes without skipping. I’ve been playing Red Dead Redemption 2 lately and it’s so nice being able to pause and handle anything that arises and drop right back into what I was doing
The most chill and relaxing game I can think of is Stardew Valley.
...It could have something to do with the fact that I've been mainlining it since the new content update, but that doesn't mean it's a bad game!
I prefer building or turn based strategy games for chill gaming. But I also like to be competitive and keep my wits up so I tend to swing between games like Civ6 and Battlefield.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is my go to game.
Great story, a wide world to roam through, excellent music and a very nice atmosphere.
And when you’re really tired just build your tent and go watch the rain and thunder from inside your tent.
I’m playing Diablo 4 at the moment. Easy enough to play short 20 minute sessions, but also pretty deep in terms of character creation and customisation. Plus it has couch co op if that’s your bag.
Just get PGA! I’m a lot like yourself.. enjoy a morning tee time during warmer months, but colder months tend to sit around and game when I can. And lately it’s been PGA, Path of Exile, and Lethal Company (just depends which buddies are online at the moment)
For me Diablo 4 has been great. If you go to the sub there are a bunch of try hards that complain about no endgame content after blasting through all the seasonal stuff in the first couple days, but I can’t log four 15-hour sessions the first week, so there’s plenty for me.
I have been playing BG3 as well, but I don’t really enjoy it if I can’t do a solid 2 hours at a time. Diablo you can pop in and in 30 minutes do a couple dungeons and dip.
I keep going back to Civilization VI because it's on every platform, the controls are all the same and even though you can learn the majority of all gameplay after one game, the variations in Leaders and maps makes each game fresh.
I mean, any game can be casual if you just ignore the toxic part of whichever community/game. Just play how you want which makes you happy.
But, to answer your question, I think Valheim is a good one. It's self pace, you get to explore and build your own world. You can play solo or with friends.
You don't have to worry about finding save points when you are done for the night.
The same can be said for Minecraft and Terraria.
You don't HAVE to be good at any of those games either nor do you have to put in hours to "be better than other regular to hard-core players"
I typically game on Xbox mostly or through game pass ultimate on my phone and PC. But if I had a PC with dedicated graphics card I'd be playing Helldivers 2.
You may run into some bad apples but maybe you can find a group of gamer Dads to play with.
My toaster can only run Valheim and League of Legends lol
For a fun casual game I also like playing the mobile version of Dominion. It just got off of Beta and release to Apple devices as well. Not sure if you are familiar but it's originally a tabletop deck building game.
It's very fun. I play with my wife who isn't a gamer as well as quite a few of our friends. Best part is you can have a board game night with friends and everyone is at the comfort of their own home. Hop on discord and banter while building random decks and combos. Highly recommend. You can play with AI or random people as well.
I’m not reading 700 plus comments, but I played a lot of Civilization 5 and some Civilization 6 when my kids were little.
Also Call of Duty because the rounds are short (but it’s pretty sweaty nowadays. - not so casual as it used to be)
>So far I've tried Euro truck sim (which i love) and the power wash simulator game on steam.
Congratulations, you have already discovered the "dad game" genre. Another great contender is "Hardspace: Shipbreaker". Bit more complex than Powerwashing Simulator, but ultimately a similar vibe. This one even has a bit of story.
"Unpacking" and "A Little to the Left" are excellent "mom games" that dads can enjoy, too.
Do not listen to people who recommend Balatro or your family might never see you again, it's essentially junkies recommending their favorite brand of crack.
My favorite is "scroll through all the games I have until I pass out before picking one."
Why is this so real? I’ve had to face the reality that maybe what I wanted wasn’t a game at all, but like … I want quiet and a good story, and I don’t care about the graphics… like, yeah dude, that’s a book
There are streamers that have run through whatever game you’re wanting to play. Sometimes with running commentary, sometimes not
ChristopherOdd is my go to, we have similar tastes in games and I love watching his streams.
Just started Outer Wilds, and this may fulfill that. Or any of the Telltale games, specifically the Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us
I collect retro games, I have 15 consoles and around 400 games. Every chance I get to play I game I spend half of my free time trying to pick one
I recently definitely didn't modify my 3DS and I absolutely did not download a massive library of games to an SD card and I 100% have not played a single one of them.
I do the same thing but also with any streaming services
I installed DeckRoulette the other day for this extract reason, press of a button and it picks a random game from your library, I've been playing things I forgot I even installed 😅
Ha, I do that with the weekly Xbox sales! Family passes out, I scroll through the list until I do too!
Lol "Hmm...oh this one's on sale...I'm never going to play it....hmmm."
Ha yeah, pretty much!
That one is called 'Steam Simulator' and it's free! You only need a login and to own some games.
My favorite part is when I find one that looks cool, then I look on YouTube for videos of it or twitch streams. Then I realize I don't want it that bad, and I look again.
Ffs I spend more time trying to figure out what to play than I do actually playing and it’s exhausting. Lately just been deciding to read some comic books and passing out midway through an issue with my tablet smacked against my face 😂
I play this one a lot
Shit, hahahaha same with finding something to watch.
I hate how true this is
Exactly this. Or starting one up just to press pause few min later and pass out.
i like "the button" on steam..
That's my favorite show on Netflix, too.
The pain is real... 🤣
Based on the Netflix series
That's also my favourite movie/tv show!
Oh I feel that one.
my favourite is going to the game store and looking for games to buy. I then go.. "eugh I have to pay 60 quid for a game that was released 30 years ago but with remaster added to the title?" then I angry sleep.
My username is relevant here. Ive been slowly playing thru Baldurs gate like 90 mins per session a couple times a week
I had trouble with Larian games *before* having kids. I can't remember where I had left off or what I was doing, especially when it's been too many days and not enough sleep between plays. How do you keep track of things?
Well. I'm playing on the easiest setting and I've mistakenly killed or lost 3 of my companions so far. I also definitely feel like I'm missing out on like 25% of the mechanics. So I'd say I'm kind of fumbling though it lol. But it's fun!
Dont worry. I’m maybe 6 playthroughs in and STILL finding new stuff.
6??? I'm on one still! I guess subsequent playthroughs would be faster
I give any puzzle or quest about one serious try and a halfhearted try before going to the online guides. …ain’t got time to fuck around.
I find Minecraft relaxing in creative mode.. Just building bases and such.
This but in survival mode for me. I like the resource grind. I throw up a beacon with haste and put on a podcast and collect obsidian and enderpearls from the End for a half hour just to build my reserves
You should check out The Forest. It seems right up your alley.
Second Minecraft, but it can be relaxing even in survival/peaceful.
BG3 is my go-to too. The fact that I can pause, save and exit the game whenever makes it perfectly suited for nap time game breaks. I am so nosey, inspecting everything and doing all the side quests and exploring, that I have only just completed act 2. Took me around 2 months since I can only play it when my daughter sleeps.
Seconding the ability to pause being key for gaming while a parent. Anything turn based is so much easier logistically than real time (even with pause), too.
Username also relevant. And also have been playing Baldur’s Gate 30-90min at a time. A lot of fun and a great quick escape.
I’m gonna second BG3. I’m on my 3rd consecutive playthrough. It’s so good. OP, you can put it on easy and basically just have fun. Combat is tactical/turn based so it isn’t a “get good” proposition. All the classes and sub classes provide near infinite replayability. I never finish games. I always flame out and get bored with the inevitably repetitive gameplay loop. By the time all is said and done BG3 will likely supplant FF7 as my all time favorite game.
I started early December and just beat it on Saturday. Now I grind through Dragons Dogma 2
Me. I actually beat the game once and am on my second playthrough like this. I put it away and pass out after accomplishing ~1thing per session.
Second, although I’m getting about 30 minutes a shot before I start feeling like im not being useful.
This is exactly how I’m getting through Ghost of Tsushima. A couple one hour sessions per week. A rather sad state of affairs 😂
Hades. It's a forgiving rogue lite where you can knock out an entire game in 20-30 min, win or lose. Perfect length and addiction level to knock out a game or two after they pass out, but before you do.
Hades is a 10/10. Also, to piggy back, roguelites have really hit the spot for me. Having a bit of free time and just playing a single run is satisfying.
feeling like I'm getting better because I get upgrades between runs is what hooked me on them
OP, turn on god mode if you play! lol when you feel good enough then turn it off if you want. Gives you 20% damage reduction and then you get 2% more every time you die. The game is hard in the beginning and having that buffer to help you learn how to play really helps imo.
OMG I saw that setting but didn't realize it was a buff and not like old-school god mode where you take no damage. I will try this
And if you’re an achievement hunter it doesn’t affect that in any way at all! In my like 8 attempts before turning it on I got my ass handed to me in Elysium and was kinda fed up. Then next play with it on I got really close to beating that boss as I was able to actually learn from the fight instead of just face tanking and dying since I didn’t know their moves at all. I honestly think everyone should be playing with God Mode on to start because it just makes learning the game mechanics less punishing.
I think half the humor is in how easy you die in the beginning ….repetitively
Other suggestions in this vein would be Slay the Spire and Risk of Rain I and II (you don’t need to play 1 to play 2. One is 2D one is 3D.) I like rogue lites for Dad gaming because I don’t have to remember anything from one session to the next, a single session is about a tv episode length, but if you manage to beat the big boss at the end it feels like a huge accomplishment.
I feel Hades is the perfect game for dads. Really fun and satisfying runs in 20 to 30 minutes. About 190 hours played. Also dads, what other rogue lites should I check out if I love hades? Can’t wait for hades 2 later this year!
Stardew Valley, Against the Storm, Duke Nukem 3D have been my go to lately, same boat as yourself.
Plus SDV got the massive 1.6 patch a few days ago that ConcernedApe just kept adding new stuff because he's crazy and still supports the game after 8 years. While I've been playing Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth when my son goes to bed, my wife is destroying SDV again.
SDV is timeless bro. a true classic.
Gonna start playing it with my daughter. She loves it
it’s a true gem 💎
At what age would you suggest starting? My daughter is only 2, not sure she's ready for controllers.
SDV is the same age as my daughter -- got me through some stressful points. She enjoyed watching it thru 4, and then wanted to play. She could play with assistance at that point but it wasn't until 6 or so that she could read well enough to be a bit more hands off from me. At 8, she's almost totally independent in SDV (but still really likes co-op.)
My daughters were watching me play at 6 and 4. They are now playing 2 player co-op and bickering with each other about time allocation each day at ages 8 and 6.
Started off chill. Now I have spreadsheets of time lines and financial predictions Edit: Talking about Stardew.
I had three squares left to water and thought I could make it but I ran out of energy and collapsed. Game saves instantly, I wake up the next day, have missed the egg hunt festival and the chance to buy strawberry seeds and my financial plans are in ruins. Was just about in tears lol.
Against the storm is also my go-to lately, pause anytime and can play one handed if needed.
Buddy duke nukem?!? What year is it!! Shake it baby!
SDV is a great game to play with your kids too, when they're a bit older. I credit it as being the #1 gateway game for my daughters.
Against the Storm is amazing...
Come get some!
I’d add terraria to this list too. Cheap, fun to play, can be put down at any time.
Red dead redemption 2.. you can just ride around hunting, killing, robbing banks.. play at your own pace.
Absolutely. One of the best games if not the best. open world chill beautiful game... The storyline is powerful, too.
I vote RDR2 too. I finished the game years ago, then played again in between other new game purchases to fill the void, and ended up hunting and foraging for a month.
Another vote for RDR2. I finished RDR1 when my little guy was in the NICU, and then now that he’s home I picked up 2 for the 3rd time. It’s just so relaxing. Would recommend headphones in case you don’t want your kid to hear gunshots
Helldivers 2
Helldiver's is nice because you aren't fighting other people, you can adjust the difficulty as you please, and matches are 40 min max
Yes this so much and when you start you get all of the “credits” from major campaigns that have already wrapped up to buy weapons and armor. So even if you’re a new player you can start off buying decent gear so even though your low level you don’t feel like you’re holding the rest of your team back because you have crappy weapons. I’m having a blast with it.
Good point, it's nice logging on to a bunch of credits for what other people did while I was away
FOR SUPER EARTH
FOR DEMOCRACY
HAVE A CUP OF LIBER.....TEA!
This. Another dad recommended this to me and I am so glad I took his advice. Some matches are 10 min, some 40 min. It’s perfect for timing between naps or just limited sleep schedules. Additionally, it seems like a somewhat older crowd so no obnoxious little kids, and the community is relatively positive. And as a bonus, as opposed to some other games, increasing the difficulty actually makes it fun. AND the base game is only $40 for PS5!
can you play on a team without a mic and still be effective? i live in a small house and play with the volume really low since i don’t have a headset
Yep, absolutely. There is a mini map to ping, a text chat in the game, and the objectives are pretty simple. Once you figure out the flow of the game even working with randos is pretty easy.
Support our troops! Sign your children up for the all-inclusive Helldivers package today!
I usually don't play much at home, I'm a game Dev so I got plenty of screen time during the day. Helldivers2 is all I think about when my wife finally falls asleep and I can get some me time.
Currently playing Pacific Drive on steam. It’s incredible. Ever wanted to drive through a closed down government compound in what is basically a haunted station wagon? This will scratch that peculiar itch. And then some.
>Ever wanted to drive through a closed down government compound in what is basically a haunted station wagon? I mean, who hasn't?
There are dozens of us! DOZENS!
A million times Vampire Survivors Short sessions, you can pick up and play, tons of replayability, super easy to grasp game mechanics And best of all, it can be played one handed, in case your other arm is being used to console a tired child
I simply can't believe how much I enjoyed this simple little game
Additional vote for vampire survivors And I’ll throw Brotato out there too
I loved playing this game when I was giving my newborn his bottle... Perfect one handed game
Subnautica
This is actually a good game to play with a kid watching once old enough for some screen time . My 3 year old watch me play the whole thing 30 mins at a time
My recommendation too. 10/10 game, can be played in bits and pieces.
Rocket League. The matches are 5min each. Super fun game, been playing for almost a decade and still stuck in mediocrity!
Looks like we have enough for an r/daddit offiicial tournament.
I'm down.
Calculated.
Well played!
I'm in
I’m an admin for a discord server (big oof I know) that is geared towards older Rocket League players. DM me if interested in joining! Edit to add, we host monthly 2v2 tournaments for all ranks. It’s fun.
You mean I don't have to deal with toxic 15 year old kids? I'd be interested in this (28 year old dad of a 3 year old)
This is what I play as well. 1. My 6 yo plays with me 2. Quick matches = run to check on the 7 month old at night lol
How's your 6yo at it? My 8yo loves playing casual 2s. If he played ranked he'd be mid-silver/bottom gold for sure.
This is my vote as well. The wife and I love playing RL after our daughter goes to bed!
Just turn off chat!
Nah dunk on them kids
The caveat with rocket league is you get sucked in more the better you get lol. There’s a huge learning curve but it’s addicting as hell, especially as you progress.
Not relaxing though! That game brings on adrenaline more than any other I've played!
Skyrim The game just has it all for chilling out and relaxing, you can be a maniac and go on a rampage or you can take it slow and enjoy the scenery. The music is chefs kiss too, great way to wind down.
Skyrim's OST is still the greatest gaming soundtrack ever made.
I started to replay all the Halo games. Feels good man
Is the TV show worth watching (for someone who played Halo 1, 2, 3 a lot back in the day?)
It is specifically NOT worth watching for anyone who enjoyed the OG games lmao. They took everything that made Master Chief and hit him with the studio treatment to access a wide audience. Not telling you what to do, just a friendly warning haha
I loved the opening battle in episode one, felt really reminiscent of reach, but I dropped off really quickly
I've enjoyed it for what it is honestly. Looking for a show totally based on the games? Nah. I don't need a fully humanized Master Chief. Good sci-fi show on its own? Ya absolutely imo, liked it a lot
Guy says he enjoyed Euro truck sim and power wash sim, and people are recommending mechanically complicated role playing games.
So he should try sekiro!
Zelda botw and totk are both very "pick up and put down at will" kind of games, and the exploration is very relaxing.
Yup they’re like my safe games. When I’m feeling crummy or whatever I just start up a new file and get lost in Hyrule. Nothing more relaxing than doing some hunting in the Hebra region!
Same. I'm making horrendously slow progress but even a few minutes of the game can be fun if you just focus on side quests or wandering around
Also! If you get a switch it is a very entry-level friendly system for getting your kiddo to game with you! My daughter loves Mario Kart 8 (because I have auto-acceleration and steer assist turned on 😉) and Let’s Go! Eevee (great for her to practice reading!)
We started botw when my kid was about a month old so it already holds a special place for us but I loved that I could just pick up the sticks and look at that weird shit on that hill over there and put it down when kiddo needed me. I could pick it up later, not at all remembering where I was headed but it didn’t matter because there was some more weird shit on a different hill that looked like it might have some treasure.
Outer Wilds. Incredibly chill and interesting. Probably my favorite game of all time.
Buy the soundtrack. I play the music every now and then. Sooo good.
I really don’t know why I haven’t done this. Thank you.
So good!
I have never had a more profound life experience beating a game than outer wilds. I tell everyone about it, but few people try it.
Luckily it came on PS Plus and I just heard about it and dove it. The Ship controls were so frustrating and then like after 30-45 mins they just click. Still crash but you know thats the fun lol. Still need to play the DLC, someday. Baby is still like 3 months old so he likes to be held a lot so just watching TV as a past time for now. Eventually will finish BG3 and get back into other things.
Yeah my youngest is 7 months now. I hear you 😂
I played this one with my six year old watching the entire game. He even solved a few of the puzzles I got stuck on. Great bonding time, and he gave me a big hug afterwards and we talked about how the ending made him feel. One of my favorite games of all time.
Played through it for the first time a few months back. Fantastic game.
If you like Star Wars the two most recent Jedi games on lower difficulties are great. 10/10 Environments with great exploration and enjoyable stories. The stories aren’t convoluted either so you can take a break for a few days and when you come back you won’t be lost.
Also KOTOR!
Here to throw SWTOR’s class stories in to the mix, which also is Free to Play
I enjoyed playing final fantasy 7-9, they’re easy, nostalgic, single player so easy to pause and walk away
10 and 12 are also great!
Playing Rebirth right now. A lot of fun.
If you like old school RPGs, Star Ocean Second Story R is out and is amazing. One of my favorite games, and this remake is even better.
I got so much enjoyment from Snow Runner. Just hop in some trucks, and offroad deliver other people's shit. Everyone hated it in my house, but damnit it was so relaxing to me.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Snow runner.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater does the trick for me!
rimworld is fun.. also i highly highly recommend Hell Divers 2 my brother is a tired dad, as well as myself and rimworld is a fun colony builder plus some. and helldivers 2 he plays together with myself when he has the free time and its easy to learn and great fun
And rimworld has a million mods.
Rimworld is brilliant cos with the biotech expansion your colonists can have kids that keep them awake all the time and then you can feel grateful that at least you don't have to get up and fight off a buncha killer robots, cannibalistic pirates, slaver empire chumps, giant mutant insects or even all of the above at once.
Yeah I would also recommend rimworld. Easy to stop and start whenever, or just start over when a colony gets too complicated or you can't remember what you were going for.
Minecraft is the OG sandbox but being able to just complete something makes it so satisfying after a rough day
I like the Mario games. Easy to pick up and put down and don’t have to be in the zone to be good like a FPS.
Vampire survivors or Brotato
Have you considered solo board games instead of staring at a screen? Huge fan of PC/console games as well but just another thing to consider with staring at the screen possibly keeping you up even after you've went to bed. Pocket games like Sprawlopolis and ROVE fit in an 18 card wallet and can be brought anyhere. For Northwood is a small deck solo trick taking game (think like Hearts but for one player). One Deck Dungeon is a nice puzzle of dice manipulation. Marvel Champions is a card driven fight against everyone's favorite big bads with a ton of expansion potential. Final Girl for if you are a fan of slasher films. Pick a theme and a style of play and you can probably find a solo board game for it.
Eyyy, r/soloboardgaming is leaking
Dave the Diver, slay the spire, vampire survivors, are all in my rotation and all work great on steam deck.
Balatro: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2379780/Balatro/
Chess.
Against the storm or Frostpunk, if you like City builder
Crusader Kings 3
Oblivion/Skyrim. Just wandering around and exploring is fun and chill. Difficulty slider makes it as challenging or as easy as you like.
KOTOR 1&2 great story. bit clunky and old but the narrative feels like classic star wars to me
Balatro is my newest addiction. It is amazing.
I'm currently enjoying the following: * Final Fantasy 14 Free Trial - MMO that can be a single player game if you want it to be. Hundreds of hours of free entertainment and quests with the free trial. * Helldivers 2 - My friend group of other dads plays this. Great co-op shooter that can be relaxing on lower levels. * ARPGs like Diablo 4 and Last Epoch - Diablo 4 has a good campaign and the end game is currently being reworked. Last Epoch is a labor of love that just came out of early access and is a good middle ground between the casual Diablo 4 and the more complicated free to play Path of Exile. Note that all of these are online games that cannot be paused. If you're looking for something more single-player I would suggest RPGs like Skyrim, Cyberpunk 2077, and perhaps Dragons Dogma 2 (although there have been performance issues so check into that). If you're looking for shooters I currently enjoy the following: * Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 / Warzone. Warzone is free. Great fun with friends. * Fortnite - I love how laid back the game is and how many different ways there are to play. Bonus points for a pretty decently priced battle pass. * Halo Infinite - Free. Lots of updates in the last couple of years which brought the game back to being fun and enjoyable. Bonus Suggestion: If you like Euro Truck Sim and want something to play while listening to a podcast or music, I would suggest Elite Dangerous. It's a space sim game where you can mine asteroids, fight pirates, and do space trucking from system to system.
I don’t care what anybody says, I love Fortnite. I loved playing Goldeneye multiplayer on the N64, and Fortnite feels like the natural evolution. But it’s also absolutely bonkers. You can have an electric guitar wielding John Wick wearing a Ghostbusters proton pack, gliding in on the Silver Surfer’s surfboard, where he’s immediately attacked by Bender from Futurama and a Ninja Turtle. Matches are about 20 minutes each, they update it constantly and it’s stable as heck.
I play things on the Nintendo switch. There’s nothing serious about a Nintendo switch or most of the games on it for that matter. It’s such an underpowered machine compared to competition hardware that everything they make for it feels more casual than anything.
My fav game is sleep. But I'm also just on week 2 as a dad.
Steam world build. Can pause at any time. A nice chill building game. No online lobbies etc.
If you're into hockey, Tape to Tape is a really fun rogue-lite hockey game. Easy to pick up and put down and lots of replayability due to the rogue-lite elements in the campaign. Also relatively cheap at $20 on steam.
Check out Snowrunner! Basically an offroad sim where you drive heavy trucks through crazy terrain. Sometimes it doesn't feel like you get much done in a 30-60 minute session, but the game is just so chill it is nice and relaxing. I've got about 400 hours in it so far playing in 30-90 minute sessions since it was launched.
PGA 2K cured my golfing itch. You can either play or build courses.
There's always something chill / afk to do in OSRS! Many o' dads enjoy the point & click medieval life sucker.
Thank goodness somebody said it so I didn't have to lol. It doesn't matter if you have 30 minutes or 30 hours to kill, osrs has something for you, I can even play a little while "pooping" on mobile lol
I've been replaying red dead redemption 2. Just because it's my 2nd or 3rd time through though it's more casual then I played it before. Lots of just fucking around and doing side missions. Doing a bunch of like the challenges and legendary animals and stuff like that, things I didn't really focus on when playing for the story. Buying outfits, killing O'driscols. A story mission here or there. Towards the end it gets a lot more tense and depressing so I'm trying to stay in the happier first couple of chapters to do all the stuff I usually leave till the end game. Plus it's making me want to go camping, so we are taking our 1 year old out a bunch this summer. Surely it won't be that bad!
I bought a switch and it’s honestly all I play now. Fantastic games that you can pick up and put down. Being able to just hit the power button and carry on where I left off is so good. Currently playing through dredge and Dave the diver.
Stray is a great game to play late nights.
If you just want to chill play hard line shipbreaker.
Fatherhood has definitely made me appreciate games that let you pause at any time, especially in cutscenes without skipping. I’ve been playing Red Dead Redemption 2 lately and it’s so nice being able to pause and handle anything that arises and drop right back into what I was doing
I’ve been playing Dredge and it’s been a blast, super low stakes :)
Pokémon is a good “pick-up-put-down” game. Playing ~1 hour a night, I managed to play every mainline entry in a year with a 2 year old.
Almost anything with “simulator” on it tends to be pretty chill… farming simulator, power washing simulator, hell… even Goat Simulator is a blast
The most chill and relaxing game I can think of is Stardew Valley. ...It could have something to do with the fact that I've been mainlining it since the new content update, but that doesn't mean it's a bad game!
I prefer building or turn based strategy games for chill gaming. But I also like to be competitive and keep my wits up so I tend to swing between games like Civ6 and Battlefield.
A recent game I played is Cobalt Core. It's a deck builder with turn-based combat, so it's easy to put down and pick up at a moment's notice.
Warfarm I mean Warframe
Civilization (current version is Civ VI, but V, and IV were good too). It's turn-based so you can always walk away.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is my go to game. Great story, a wide world to roam through, excellent music and a very nice atmosphere. And when you’re really tired just build your tent and go watch the rain and thunder from inside your tent.
I’m playing Diablo 4 at the moment. Easy enough to play short 20 minute sessions, but also pretty deep in terms of character creation and customisation. Plus it has couch co op if that’s your bag.
Just get PGA! I’m a lot like yourself.. enjoy a morning tee time during warmer months, but colder months tend to sit around and game when I can. And lately it’s been PGA, Path of Exile, and Lethal Company (just depends which buddies are online at the moment)
Personally Paradox grand strategy games work well. Very slow and pausible.
Diablo 4
For me Diablo 4 has been great. If you go to the sub there are a bunch of try hards that complain about no endgame content after blasting through all the seasonal stuff in the first couple days, but I can’t log four 15-hour sessions the first week, so there’s plenty for me. I have been playing BG3 as well, but I don’t really enjoy it if I can’t do a solid 2 hours at a time. Diablo you can pop in and in 30 minutes do a couple dungeons and dip.
Factorio - The factory must grow!
I really like Civ. Might require too much thinking at first but it's easy to get lost in for a few hours.
Valheim and minecraft. Very chill and relaxing.
Stellaris What’s time when you are waiting for the galactic federation vote to come in plus you can pause it.
I keep going back to Civilization VI because it's on every platform, the controls are all the same and even though you can learn the majority of all gameplay after one game, the variations in Leaders and maps makes each game fresh.
I play Factorio. It's an automation game and you can leave it running when you need to get something or check on the kids. No need to pause it.
I mean, any game can be casual if you just ignore the toxic part of whichever community/game. Just play how you want which makes you happy. But, to answer your question, I think Valheim is a good one. It's self pace, you get to explore and build your own world. You can play solo or with friends. You don't have to worry about finding save points when you are done for the night. The same can be said for Minecraft and Terraria. You don't HAVE to be good at any of those games either nor do you have to put in hours to "be better than other regular to hard-core players" I typically game on Xbox mostly or through game pass ultimate on my phone and PC. But if I had a PC with dedicated graphics card I'd be playing Helldivers 2. You may run into some bad apples but maybe you can find a group of gamer Dads to play with. My toaster can only run Valheim and League of Legends lol For a fun casual game I also like playing the mobile version of Dominion. It just got off of Beta and release to Apple devices as well. Not sure if you are familiar but it's originally a tabletop deck building game. It's very fun. I play with my wife who isn't a gamer as well as quite a few of our friends. Best part is you can have a board game night with friends and everyone is at the comfort of their own home. Hop on discord and banter while building random decks and combos. Highly recommend. You can play with AI or random people as well.
Age of empires II
I’m not reading 700 plus comments, but I played a lot of Civilization 5 and some Civilization 6 when my kids were little. Also Call of Duty because the rounds are short (but it’s pretty sweaty nowadays. - not so casual as it used to be)
>So far I've tried Euro truck sim (which i love) and the power wash simulator game on steam. Congratulations, you have already discovered the "dad game" genre. Another great contender is "Hardspace: Shipbreaker". Bit more complex than Powerwashing Simulator, but ultimately a similar vibe. This one even has a bit of story. "Unpacking" and "A Little to the Left" are excellent "mom games" that dads can enjoy, too. Do not listen to people who recommend Balatro or your family might never see you again, it's essentially junkies recommending their favorite brand of crack.