Video games are such lifesavers. It has positive effects on our brain to make us feel good and somehow okay.
Here are 10 of the best ones, and these might be the ones you’re looking for:
1. MINECRAFT
Minecraft is much more than an adventure story full of monsters and survival. It’s an opportunity for play and create anything your heart and mind can conceive. Perhaps the game itself doesn’t spell out this concept, but it gives players a place to feel at home, at peace, and create anything from outlandish castles for solo players to rattle around in.
2. ICO
ICO tells a classic ‘boy meets girl’ story set in a vast world. With no dialogue, each movement conveys emotion and the trust in which Yorda places in the titular character of Ico is just lovely. The world is gorgeous, the castle and its puzzles are equally sublime. But the joy mostly comes from these two delightful characters interacting, with Yorda showing Ico how to love and accept one another for who they are.
3. FLOWER
This is a game of utter beauty in color, music and movement that offers up a very relaxing experience you can get swept in. Flower, much like Journey, is a game where your own interpretation is a guide to what occurs on screen. For others, it’s a tale of loss saved by new life springing forth. But generally, it’s about birth and the constant renewal of life.
4. STARDEW VALLEY
If you’re looking for something cozy and rewarding to sink into, then look no further than Stardew Valley. After inheriting your grandfather’s farm in Pelican town, you work to build up a little life of your own. From planting crops to looking after cows and chickens, there’s so much to work towards, and the series of little tasks you can get stuck into offer up the perfect distraction after a busy day. There’s so much to do and discover in Stardew Valley.
5. THE SIMS
The Sims can bring joy in so many ways. Whether you want to create and build an adorable family who will strive to chase their dreams, or maybe you enjoy messing with the tiny beings by stealing ladders, you’re free to do as you wish and orchestrate your own stories in this virtual dollhouse. The Sims is the perfect way to live a life you may not be able to achieve in the real world – be a rockstar, an astronaut or an artist.
6. PEGGLE DELUXE
Peggle is a casual puzzle video game developed by PopCap Games. Initially released for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X systems in 2007, it has since had versions released for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, the Nintendo DS. Inspired by pachinko and bagatelle, each level of Peggle challenges the player to shoot a limited supply of balls at a field of colored pegs to clear out specifically marked pegs while attempting to achieve a high score through skilled shot planning.
7. YAKUZA
The Yakuza games constantly convey a line of positivity. The storyline premise for each franchise installment is typically a crime drama with plot lines inspired by yakuza films. The most frequently featured protagonist is Kazuma Kiryu, a reformed gangster associated with the Kanto-based Tojo Clan. The gameplay of Yakuza has the player controlling Kiryu in an open world where he can fight random groups of punks and gangsters, take on side missions and activities to earn experience and money.
8. DREAMS
Dreams, for the most part, guides you through processes with kindly voices and bright sentiments of encouragement. Playing to create, you’re always told what a great job you’ve done or how impressive your creation is. Playing other people’s creations opens up whole worlds of possibilities.
9. KIND WORDS
Kind Words seemed to appear on Steam out of nowhere. Perhaps, like the greatest superheroes, it only appeared when we truly needed it. Kind Words sets out to make the world a better place through communication and it does so by keeping the player in a safe space. There’s no grieving, no trolls, just positivity and people helping each other with sentiments of peace, words of encouragement, and tiny envelopes bursting with advice.
10. ANIMAL CROSSING: NEW HORIZONS
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the kind of game that makes something as simple delivering a package for a villager the most joyful thing in life. And if you love to kick back and get stuck into designing your home or island, you’ll no doubt find the Happy Home Paradise DLC rewarding. Since its release, it’s been such a source of comfort for so many during hard times thanks to its delightful characters and laid-back feel. The adorable fuzzy neighboring villagers really do become real friends, and they’re always so happy to see you whenever you pop by.
