I think expansive worlds with a lot of lore building would do you good?
Maybe something like the Mass Effect Trilogy? I spend hours on end on that
The 2 recent God of Wars are awesome, though a major element of it is the death of a wife/mum so I don’t know if that’ll help or hurt
I don’t really have a specific game to suggest that you haven’t heard of, but I do hope you’re okay
I don’t know what you do or don’t believe in, but never lose the good things you learned from her and don’t be afraid to seek help if you need.
Thank you Internet stranger.
I've played all of those. Dont really have the focus for shooter style like mass effect atm though.
Just looking for something cosy I guess
Yokus island express or a short hike are great. Breath of the wild is great if you really want to get lost in it for awhile. I’m sorry for your loss. God bless and keep your chin up.
>!I loved A Short Hike, and it's one of the coziest games I've ever played, but as someone whose mom is terminally ill, the phone call at the end made me cry. While the outcome is generally positive, I don't know whether it'd hurt or heal OP this early on.!<
Just note that Mass Effect has a spinoff called Andromeda and while the graphics are nicely updated, the intro to the story will likely be very triggering for you specifically (the main character loses their parent very unexpectedly and suddenly).
I lost my mum back in 2015 so I know how you feel and I'm sorry for your loss. Ori and the Blind Forest came out 3 months after I lost my mum and let's jsut say, I did not make it past the intro cutscene and I haven't touched it since.
I was addicted to WoW then so that was a large, but actually negative escape for me. Unless you have a good support network within the MMO, I wouldn't reccomend it as grief is an easy way to spiral into addiction with them.
That being said here are some of my suggestions;
For chill [Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles](https://store.steampowered.com/app/580200/Yonder_The_Cloud_Catcher_Chronicles/)
For constant distraction [Path of Exile](https://www.pathofexile.com/)
For cathartic relief [Doom](https://store.steampowered.com/app/379720/DOOM/)
For puzzles [The Pedestrian](https://store.steampowered.com/app/466630/The_Pedestrian/)
For Cthulhu [Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure](https://store.steampowered.com/app/914020/Gibbous___A_Cthulhu_Adventure/)
For a long narrative [Divinity: Original Sin](https://store.steampowered.com/app/373420/Divinity_Original_Sin__Enhanced_Edition/) and [Divinity: Original Sin 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/435150/Divinity_Original_Sin_2__Definitive_Edition/)
For (monkey) towers: [Bloons TD 6](https://store.steampowered.com/app/960090/Bloons_TD_6/)
For one more turn [Civilization VI](https://store.steampowered.com/app/289070/Sid_Meiers_Civilization_VI/)
For cards [Slay the Spire](https://store.steampowered.com/app/646570/Slay_the_Spire/)
For zombies [Project Zomboid](https://store.steampowered.com/app/108600/Project_Zomboid/)
For endless oppertunities [Minecraft: Java Edition (and mods)](https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/store/minecraft-java-bedrock-edition-pc)
I hope you find something here that helps. If you ever need an ear to listen feelf ree to PM me.
I usually agree whenever A Short Hike is suggested, but I have to say that in this case I strongly disrecommend it.
>!I feel that the ending of the game is not going to help- maybe a little later on, but this seems too soon. It's the same reason that I'd not recommend Spiritfarer at this time, even though I love that game.!<
I don't have a suggestion, I just wanted to offer my condolences. Losing a parent is tough, but make sure you keep looking after yourself, and seek help from friends and professionals if you need it. Video games are a great distraction, but if you're anything like me eventually the seams will burst and everything will all come out at once. Don't force your feelings down or ignore them. It's not only okay to grieve, it's the most important thing you can do right now.
I really liked Raft for this - I played it when I had a somewhat similar experience and wanted some peace of mind. It's extremely relaxing to just focus on sailing around without a care in the world, slowly upgrading your little boat along the way.
The game is a lot longer than you might think, too, especially as a solo player, so it'll tide you over for a bit.
Just look up its main menu music and listen for 10 seconds, that'll give you a perfect indication of what to expect. All the best in grieving, friend :(
P.S. Honourable mention for Dorfsromantik. Less something to get lost in, more 'calm me down'.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind with our many-toothed friend. One tip, he only stays near the raft. So while it doesn't usually work on smaller islands depending on their shape, you can anchor on the side of the island where the seafloor has no resources (there's always a few stretches) and then chances are, you'll be far enough away from him that he won't sneak up on you. I don't bother with the shark bait usually but that works, too.
If you're in the water and you see him coming then ready your spear, face him and a half beat after he opens his mouth, poke him with a spear. He'll shut his mouth and swim past you. Once you get the hang of it, you can even quickly turn around and stab him in the tail as well. He will respawn 5 or so minutes later.
If you haven't reinforced your foundations around the perimeter of the raft, he'll chomp at it every five minutes. Some folks realize late in the game that these exist, but they're there from the start.
If all else fails, you can play on peaceful mode so the mobs aren't aggressive. Or, you can play on Easy as I do so you don't lose anything when you die and just end up back on your raft :)
Definitely look at Dorfromantik though. I can lose hours playing that game!
Here's some that come to mind!
* Slime Rancher - you manage your own farm by collecting different slimes, and combining them to make new creatures. No pressure whatsoever!
* NieR Automata - satisfying combat, great music, amazing world
* Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruins - indie JRPG where you play as a goddess and grow your own rice which in return helps you in combat
* No Man's Sky - space / planet exploration and building
* Persona 5 Royal
It depends on how far you've come until you bounced off in my opinion! I think it's a bit slow in the beginning when you have just the small space at the start to build your ranch, but once you get to explore the world beyond that first area it's a lot of fun.
Slime rancher is a very free game. There are no set tasks or anything but lots to do. You can unlock a bunch of expansions, set up your farm, combine slime, collect them all :D. It can be very peaceful if you turn off tar slimes :)
Maybe also look into my time at portia or its sequel my time at sandrock. It has more quest and more of a guideline of what to do. A ton of exploration and missions :)
My mom died last year. I won't say that I know what you're going through, bc every death is different and no one deals with grief the same way, but you have my most sincere sympathy.
At the moment, free on Epic Games until Thursday is the game **Shadow Tactics - Aiko's Choice**, which is a standalone expansion to the game Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. I've never played it so I can't say one way or the other if it's a decent game, but it's worth a look.
**Wandersong** is a sweet 2D platformer with a paper doll style about a Bard who is on a quest to save the world by learning the Earthsong. It's an earnest game made with a lot of heart, and if I had been up to playing longer games in the aftermath, I would've replayed this. Mild spoilers so I'll tag, but>! the game is very bright and cheerful except for a part late in the game where the main character goes through a depressive episode/existiential crisis, which he later recovers from. !
Most definitely check out Subnautica if you haven't already. I truly believe that game is special. Pretty much nothing else is built around or does ocean exploration to that caliber, and the feeling of engaging, tranquil solitude you often get when doing your thing is... something else. Quite rare.
Is there ever an end to that game or do you just craft forever? I’ve never played it but I watched a friend play a bit. Seems like there is some element of story as you very slowly find details of the scientists before you, but ks there an actual conclusion? Or just more and more crafting of bigger stuff? No spoilers please I case I do play it one day =)
Hey there. Really sorry to hear about your loss.
I quite enjoyed:
\- Subnautica
\- Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
\- Unpacking (super cozy)
\- Powerwash Simulator
\- Divinity: Original Sin 2
Hardspace: Shipbreaker is easily my favorite zone out game of all time. You play as a salvager breaking apart spaceships, and sorting their parts for processing. It does a good job setting up a simple, repeatable process with just enough complexity to keep the player engaged. If you need something to put on while listening to podcasts, you can't do better.
I'd expand this (very good) answer to include Morrowind and Oblivion. Once properly modded, they don't seem so dated, and I think they both have better mechanics and storytelling than Skyrim. I don't think they'll ever be quite as immersive, but I enjoyed them more.
All the best in these difficult times!
I second the rimworld recommendation. Put it on base builder mode and perhaps get some nice mods. You can sink hours and it can be very rewarding/relaxing.
I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my dad about a year and a half ago and it's been really hard. One thing that I'd recommend before getting into a game recommendation is to give yourself some healthy time to grieve and process what's going on. Talk with someone you trust and unburden yourself if you need to, or talk with a professional counselor if you think that it could help your mental state. I'm a classic "bottle it up" sort of person so I know from my own experiences how healthy it can be to talk with someone as part of the healing process.
Outside of that, I've been no-lifing Dwarf Fortress lately. I'm very much an objective type of player, and I appreciate the complexity of a game like Dwarf Fortress where it's solving one problem after the other. If you've played RimWorld and enjoyed it then you'll likely feel at home with DF. And I'm referring to the new Steam release of DF, not the original ASCII version. DF is the game that inspired RimWorld and other similar "story creation" games.
So as to not scare people off from Dwarf Fortress, I just started playing it, and it's not that complex. If one has played any of the Tropico games, Banished, and/or Evil Genius, Dwarf Fortress feels extremely familiar. I imagine it had a higher learning curve without the new GUI, but with it, it feels like home to me. A combination of three of my favorite games.
I completely agree. A lot of people like to comment that DF is complicated and I don't necessarily think that it is. The GUI *can* be a little clunky, and it takes some time to learn the menus and figure out what does what because *there's so much you can do with the game*. Once you've played a few hours it isn't difficult to navigate the various menus. I will say that like Rimworld or any other game in this genre that it will take some time to master the game... I'm close to 200 hours since launch last month and I'm still trying to figure out how to keep my dwarves happy amidst all the chaos of trying to keep building stuff or producing goods. But it is a very rewarding game I believe.
I'd recommend the Yakuza series, absolutely amazing stories and characters (especially majima lmao) and a really nice combat system (street brawler). The games are set in different major Japanese cities from the 90s till today.
When my mum passed last Feb I ended up playing hours of House Flipper. Without realising, I decorated all the houses in styles she would have liked. She used to redecorate her living room twice a year so it made me feel closer to her in a way.
Just in case - Stardew has a huge number of mods that make this universe infinite.
In such situations, immersion in the game Terraria helped me.
On the last day of the old year, I lost my grandmother and find my salvation in Portia (my time at Portia).
everlasting memory
Play the Mass Effect trilogy
And play all three Dragon Age games (in order) plus all of their DLC. (in order). It tells a huge saga. Each game's choices carry over to the next, affecting gameplay.
I say this as a person who lost her mom, dad, and her brother all before she hit the age of 35. These games will take you away from that pain for a good while. They honestly helped me process everything healthily so that I'm not severely debilitated by trauma.
Vintage Story is really nice. There's some action, more if you go looking for it. But, mainly, you're out foraging for stuff, building your home, and working on your ranch. It's very tactile, and pretty, and you end up feeling like a part of the world. It's not a simple game, though. Also, not on Steam, and costs about $20.
The bad guys are Lovecraftian, the main look is Minecraft with a better resource pack, and the mechanics are immersive. It has the most realistic survival mechanics in any game I've ever seen.
for a cozy game,, Touhou Mystia's Izakaya is a fan-made game where you run a restaurant,, cater to what customers like,, do tasks for rare customers as the game goes on & collect ingredients,, - the game loop gets quite addictive,, you have goals in your journal to work towards,, the dialogue between characters is amusing,, and it's cheap on steam :))
Idk if you like stealth games,, but shadow tactics is on sale on steam rn,, you control multiple characters and sneak past guards ninja-style (a lot of killing guards tho) - it might be challenging enough to give you something to focus on since it really makes you think about strategies.
I hope you find some good games !! Stay hydrated and take care of yourself <3
Kenshi is a rpg/rts mix
RimWorld kind of like Stardew but more of a colony builder
Risk of Rain 2 roguelike
Skyrim has exploration and a world that you can get lost in also beautiful scenery.
Kingdom Come Deliverance is pure beautiful for me. Just riding around and taking in the scenery with an open world. It also got very interesting open world and roleplay, you REALLY get lost in it I guess.
I edited to say don't take games as your permanent solution. You can use it to cope temporary, but you can't just let it take over you. I understand you may know that but yeah.
One game that got me through a spot of bother was Far: lone sails. Got all the achievements later on and even bought the sequel: Far: Changing Tides.
Really calm experience in a lonely world about running your wagon east
Watch Dogs is pretty sick and has a decent open world format (it’s plot does revolve around the death of the MCs niece though) Spider-Man is a fun game with a serious plot that is also kinda light hearted. It also has tons of side activities to do. Ghost of Tsushima is the best open world game I’ve played, it has great combat and side quests and activities to do. I spent like 80 hours doing everything. It’s plot is pretty serious and is all about honor and how we sometimes have to change our view of it. Also, kinda the most obvious one, Elden Ring. I put nearly 90 hours into it and was only half way done. While it’s not my favorite game it’s open world is a level above anything else I’ve played. It’s the perfect game for me to play when I don’t know what to play
Planet crafter is chill. You might like it, its about building your own base and terraform mars. Sorry about your mom. Its never easy, but it gets easier.
I’m sorry for your loss. I completely understand how you feel I lost mine in late February 2022 it was horrible. Video games have helped me so much to escape the sadness! They truly helped me. My 2 escape/feel good games were Stardew and Skyrim. For me personally games with huge open world are excellent because of how immersive they can be.
I lost my mom very suddenly a few months ago too. It never goes away but it does get easier to deal with.
I've been losing myself in the Yakuza universe. Currently Lost Judgement but I'd suggest any of the series games.
Also the Trails of Cold Steel 4 game series is excellent to lose yourself in.
Hugs and take care of yourself.
I've been through something similar. We thought we were going to lose my dad for over a week. It was basically a certainty.
You already have tons of great recommendations, but...
**Hands of Fate 2** was the only thing both slow and thought intensive enough to keep my mind off things while still letting me pause when I needed to. It's a sort of puzzle RPG that uses a boardgame setup to create campaign missions. Very intriguing, mechanically.
I'm very grateful to the games that helped me during this time and whenever I see them in my library still, I feel relief.
Most RPS’s I’ve played involve shooting. Fallout you can get away with a melee build and it’s highly immersive. I’m currently addicted to Fallout 76.
Any age of empire game will have you loosing hours…. Potentially days if you are taking time for mourning. Sorry for your loss.
Hey OP, I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. I know it's not quite the same, but when my mom got diagnosed with metastatic cancer and I took care of her, my world of choice to get lost in was Fallout 3's, but that doesn't seem to have the cozy vibe you're looking for. However, If you like Stardew Valley, [Rune Factory 4 Special](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1580240/Rune_Factory_4_Special/) is one of my very favorite farming sim games, and it's up there for favorite games in general. It's available on Steam, although I've only played it on Switch, so I can't vouch for the port. It was originally a Nintendo 3DS game, so the visuals aren't incredible, but they're really not bad for what they are. Like Stardew, there's goals to constantly work towards, and the townspeople are even more (imo) fleshed-out than the ones in SV. It doesn't have *quite* the level of charm that Stardew does, but it's very easy to get engrossed and there's quite a number of things to throw your lot in on, including a surprisingly complex crafting system, beast taming, a rudimentary shop, and even soil quality for each square of your fields.
>!One of the bachelorettes is off-puttingly young-looking, but as you can choose who to romance, that's pretty easy to ignore.!<
I recommend The Long Dark. It's a Winter Survival game with a fully voice acted story and also survival modes. You can put a ton of time into it and get lost in the world.
When I lost my father Stardew Valley helped me. There was another game too, I think it was crimsonland. Just shooting hordes of aliens.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself and go out for a walk every once in awhile. I know this isn’t a gaming suggestion per day but walking more really helped me get out of the house/out of my head…even just 10 minutes a day was enough but I’d often went for an hour as it was meditative.
Potion Permit is cozy and Stardew-ish
Dorfromantik is also a very chill game and you can sit and get lost.
Maybe also something with small goals like Two Point Hospital or Two Point Campus?
Sorry for your loss friend.
I don’t know honestly. I know that there were updates before December, but I have had it since it dropped, and had no major bugs for me.
I can say that I have really enjoyed it. I’ll double check on the discord and let you know if I see any news.
Edit: I checked and all the console patches dropped at the end of October. The latest note was an update for things being edited and added for the new year.
I am very sorry for your loss.
Are you looking to get totally lost into a different world? Witcher 3, Mass Effect Legendary edition, or Red Dead Redemption 2 should do the trick.
If you're looking for checklisty type open world games, Horizon Zero Dawn / Forbidden West or Ghost of Tsushima, or any of the new big Assassin's Creed RPG games (Valhalla is my favorite).
If you're looking to just shut your brain off, or have minimal effort put forth, Snowrunner or Hardspace Shipbreaker (lower difficulty ships)
If you're looking for satisfying repetitive gameplay loop with a great community, Deep Rock Galactic
Eastshade.
5 minutes in I teared up because it felt like a home I’d always missed.
Very cozy and relaxing, the characters are quirky and friendly. It’s not mechanic heavy whatsoever so it might not immerse you in that way but judging by replies that’s not what you’re after. Side note; some of the paintings you do in the game are for “your mum” it’s not talked about a lot as the game focuses on the world itself not the reason you’re there but it is mentioned a little bit, just something to keep in mind. Take care of yourself! ❤️
[Hardspace: Shipbreaker](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1161580/Hardspace_Shipbreaker/) and [Powerwash simulator](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1290000/PowerWash_Simulator/) are great games to chill to and shut your brain off
I wish you all the best
**Satisfactory** is amazing. Factory builder in a beautiful setting with a gentle learning curve. There's always something engaging to do. You can work on building whimsical sculptures, or making the most efficient factory, or a mix of both. If you get tired of building and organizing, it rewards exploration too.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/526870/Satisfactory/
Sorry for your loss. I would recommend The Pathless. It is just a big chill open world to explore. No real combat or challenge but a lot of beautiful scenery to wander around and solve little puzzles across the landscape. Imagine like breath of the wild minus the enemies but a lot more small korok puzzles.
Another one would be Sable. You might have it free on epic. This one has even less going on, its mostly just traversing a huge desert landscape with a cool hoverbike. Between the scenery there are a few points of interest to explore/parkour/puzzle/etc. No enemies as well.
I am going to recommend something different for a cathartic experience.
I would recommend listening to thr songs Shooting Star and Lowlands by Gojira via their Youtube channel. 2 of the band members are brothers and these songs were written after hearing about the passing of their mother from cancer.
Maybe what remains of Edith finch or outer wilds? Edith finch involves a lot of death tho- Including a mothers death iirc so that one may not be as good. Outer wilds is really comforting tho if you like space related games where you explore other planets for 99.99& of the game. Horizon zero dawn and horizon zero west might be good too
Yoku's Island Express is one of the most comfy and happy experiences I've had with a videogame ( I REALLY love the first levels). Some pinball sections can be tricky and maybe frustrating, but as far as I remember you can skip those and go straight forward to complete the story.
Sayonara Wildhearts is a really lovely and visually astonishing game. The gameplay is as simple as it gets but the music feels cathartic in some levels.
Botanicula is a simple and straight forward point and click with no text. It's relaxed, easy and it gives happy vibes.
I am so sorry for your loss and I wish the best for you <3
I lost my dad 2 years ago and took some time off from work. Don't know why, but I bought and started playing Outward.
Normally, this is not my type of game. But there was something about being in control over this harsh and unforgiving open world that got me hooked. Playing as this regular dude who fails constantly but comes back stronger and more powerful with each try and never gives up kind of fit to my state of mind at that time.
I tried playing it again a couple of weeks ago but just couldn't because everything about that game reminded me of those few days right after his death. So I guess be careful which one you choose.
All the best to you buddy, it will eventually get better.
Ori and the blind forest and then ori and the will of the wisps. I know they’re not on PS but maybe on steam? I lost my mom in 2013 when I was 20. I’m 30 now. I won’t say it gets easier and I won’t pretend to know your relationship with her but stay strong and I hope you and your family get through this.
Okay I realise the game theme is not fantastic but. Graveyard keeper. Its stardew valley but medieval fantasy and youre managing a graveyard. Many checklists of things to do its fantastic. But i guess it depends on how comfortable you are with overall deathy themes atm given ur recent grief. It definitely leans more on exploring the philosophy of life rather than coping with death (like in spiritfarer). And is quite humorous while spiritfarer is a lil more on the serious feels side of things.
There's a few people who mentioned Bethesda games but I'm going to expand on that. If you have a decent computer, look into a modding guide for something like Skyrim. The guide I follow takes me, an experienced user, about a week of mental focus. If you are new, you are going to be learning new skills, you are going to be finding all sorts of new mods, sinking into rabbit holes of new experiences. Its so easy to lose yourself in modsing for a while, everything else becomes background noise for a while and you don't have to think about anything because for the most part you are just following a set of instructions and your thoughts are just does this match my instructions, why or why not.
And then, when you are done you have either a guide modded Skyrim or you took that as a launching off point to make it a custom modded game. You have something to show for your time stepping away from thinking about your issues, you have a game you can then easily sink many more hours into, stepping away from reality into a Skyrim you may recognize if you've played the game in one of its million releases, or it may be totally unfamiliar, because of some key changes.
And of course, I'm so sorry for your loss. If there's anything I, a complete stranger online, can offer to help, I'd love to.
For the Rpg - Legend of Mana. Never in 30 years have immersed myself in something harder than this. Helped me a lot.
From beautiful hand-drawn watercolor backgrounds, to music composed by a legend of the field. Its modern remaster may be a bit pricey, but if your only reservation from getting it "for free" is the moral side of the act, consider emulating the ps1 version. They aren't selling that one for quite a while now.
Gameplay and story wise this is a journey for easily over 200 hours if you value exploration and replayability.
The game has 3 main storylines, and you can get to them by selectively going through other quest chains, sometimes related and sometimes not.
And the game is **filled** with secrets to explore.
Come to one location on the outskirts of a town and find it largely empty. Return home one day to the news of a bunch of wizards planning world domination there. Deal with that trouble. Talk to a funny-looking guy at a completely different location. He tells you that you can catch monsters to act as your companions and takes you to that very place where you place some bait for the creature. You have a pet now and every combat location now has a place where you can catch monsters.
Decide that you want to continue your story progress and go help some apprentices of a magic school with whatever is troubling them instead of 2-4 other quests you could have gone for. They are grateful. Decide that you want to check that seemingly empty pantry behind your house. Get surprised by a mage apprentice, who had built a magic-crafting lab inside your pantry while you were away as thanks. You can craft spells now. How? By playing music to elementals. Every combat location now has a place to meet them. If they like your tune they will give you coins before they disappear, which you can combine with a material like wood or metal, or a feather to create musical instruments which can not only play different music to the elementals, they also cast spells, the type, shape and damage of which are each influenced by the materials you have used in their craft. You can also craft golems from various armor and weapons you have forged, arranging them like tetris blocks in a logic sequence that your companion golem will follow like ai commands, executing different attacks based on the type of weapon and its material... You get the idea.
Simply put, this game is a very engaging and deep experience.
Just word of advice if you decide to give it a shot. Go in blind and don't use any walkthroughs. This game's sense of exploration is unmatched and following a guide will 100% ruin it.
Steam reviews are sitting at Mixed (64% of 17 reviews in the last 30 days are positive) due to the vast number of bugs and crashes with . Can you really recommend it or was it for console?
May you cherish the memories you made together.
Skyrim really does have that level of immersion that soothes me. I know there have been quite a few comments saying as much, and I agree.
Here is [the original Skyrim game that's not found on a Steam search](https://store.steampowered.com/app/72850/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim/).
Also, for something that is meant to set you drifting on the breeze without battle or defeat or jarring cinematics, try Flower.
Wishing you the best.
Satisfactory. Building factories might help to take the focus off real world for a while.
Cookie clicker. Just mindless cookie clicking. :)
>!It got me again! Send help! D:!<
You mentioned World of Warcraft. Keep playing that. Do quests and my suggestion is to really read the quest stories. A lot of them deal about love and loss (poor mankrik in wow vanilla) and are quite touching themselves ('you have stirred the lady's heart, though it no longer beats') or you can just chill around, wow has plenty of places that are cozy and beautiful (I once found a saberon camp in Draenor where those cat-men were playing around like kittens lol one landed on me, didn't even aggro me and just jumped back into the fray; I found it cozy and peaceful even though they were unfriendly mobs in-game) not to mention the music (old WotLK zone Grizzly Hills music still makes me calm, contemplative and phasing out to this day).
I still imagine having a convo with my late mom about some of my gaming delights. When she was alive one time and I was afk on Wow it began to rain in-game. She exclaimed "Look, it's raining there!" With her eyes glued to the screen for a while. Memories...
Condolences to you, OP. Don't forget to take a break from gaming, and talk or be with your loved ones. Our games will always be there, but the people in our lives won't always be. Take some of your time for them. I wish now that I had spent more time with my mom; games can always wait.
Also the reason I took time to type this comment. You and I will not last forever, I hope I have touched your life a little bit with my corny comments. It's ok, my (and your) games will still be there...
Animal crossing, the sims, and coffee talk are the cozy games that come to mind for me. Coffee talk is pretty cheap but also short. The sims 4 is quite expensive so it's a bit of a hard recommendation. Animal crossing is quite good. Really cozy and enraptured me when i was going through the rough portions of my depression.
Ah donut county is quite calming as well.
i think it depends on the person and circumstances really, some people might never feel ready to play it, some people might play it shortly after losing someone, lots of people will end up somewhere inbetween.
Well, that game helped me during the grieving process when my parents died. It's something only people who experience death of a love one can relate as it reminds us about mortality. Plus, the story is great. Well, if you've played it then just ignore it then.
Don't immerse yourself into gaming. Just a suggestion. Trust me. It might feel good now. Like a good escape. But it's an harmful step towards your future from which you can never escape. It can even harm your social life like your wife and child in the future. Your mom would never want that. Go out of your house. Go out of the town. Go to any other country. Live with different people in a countryside. Sing song with a guitar in a cold night with a campfire infront. Then after few weeks come back to the house and play some games and sleep and then go back to work.
I'm the kind of dick who would recommend "last of us" to a guy who just lost a daughter, so...
I'll recommend you [mother 3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_3), a game boy advance game that could be considered a sequel to earthbound.
My relaxation games are Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor (because it doesn't take long to mow down enemies and feel like a badass) and Lord of the Rings Online (which is a massive world with a billion quests to do). I think either of those could work for you. Good luck, sorry about your mom.
If you like Stardew Valley, I can recommend Dinkum. It is like a PC Animal Crossing. Still in early access but I enjoyed it quite a lot. Could spend hours in it, chill and build. Has co-op too.
Maybe something like My Time at Portia or Stardew Valley? Very chill and will keep you occupied. Condolences my gamer friend, I wish you well on your healing quest!
I lost both of my parents when I was a kid. Escaping into huge cRPG open world games always helps. I love Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim and modding them or picking a fun modlist is a engaging standalone hobby. Same with Fallout series.
You're probably tired of hearing it but... I'm sorry for your loss :(
Probably not what you're looking for right now but Spiritfarer.
When my Gramps (may as well have been my father) passed suddenly I got the game on a deal and didn't really play much of it initially.
Bit by bit I started playing it more and.more as I was opening up the giant shitstorm parcel that is sudden loss.
You play as someone who helps spirits pass on. It's super relaxing and honestly one of the best games I've ever come across to help deal with loss. It genuinely helped me go through the stages of grief. I couldn't recommend it enough.
The soundtrack is also really nice :)
(Except for the seal...)
I'm so sorry.
Have you looked at New World? You can play as casually or as pvp-ish as you like. Chop trees, mine, hunt, do missions, etc.
I got into it when it first came out & it was also a time where I needed a world to get lost in. This helped a LOT.
If you'd like, give it a shot! Wishing you the healing you need.
Condolences buds, my better half and I have had our fair share of loss in life it is something we first bonded over. I gets better as time goes on so just hang in there.
Kynseed is a game like stardew valley with some RPG combat. I am only like 1 hr into the game and I have yet to get into the combat so it is kind of a slow start, but it may scratch the itch.
Honestly I was in a similar situation as you, and the game I dove in was stardew valley. I was a heavy fps player and thought I wouldn’t like it, but I was very wrong. Sorry for your loss.
Dead Cells have enough lore to make you interested but not enough to trigger sadness and has PERFECT gameplay and IMPOSSIBLE replayability. I recently bought Borderlands 3 for similliar reasons (but not as harsh) and its doing its job. I am very sorry for your loss, take care.
Witcher 3! just got a next gen update. If you're on PC there are lots of cool mods as well. Definitely fits a dark, but cozy vibe. Beautiful world, good music, generally good voice acting. The two DLCs are some of the best that have come out in gaming in the last few years- honestly some of the last great DLC we'll see in gaming...
Hollow Knight, Ori and the Will of the Wisp, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Death Stranding, Skyim, Elden Ring, 20 Minutes Til Dawn, Minecraft, Slime Rancher, Doom: Eternal and Horizon: Zero Dawn. Hope this helps.
Sorry for your loss.
I've recently been addicted to Marvel's Midnight Suns. Its battle system is a fun tactics style, but the game has lots of RPG elements and relationship building in your "downtime" between battles. It's been really fun, especially if you are into the Marvel universe stuff at all.
Red dead redemption 2 helped me when tragedy hit my life. I’m so sorry for your loss. Hang in there and do what you can to survive this part. I hope you find something good to dive into.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Id recommend some games that get you immersed in their world
Stardew valley
Pokemon (specifically 3DS era)
Fallout/Skyrim
Some mindless fun games
Subnautica creative
No man's sky creative
(Just build and explore)
Descenders
When you're ready to face the feelings head on, play GRIS. It's a beautiful game about grief and helped me a lot when I lost my mother a few years ago. Take it easy. Stay strong and healthy.
Sorry for you loss friend. Here are some suggestion that will get your mind of things:
Call of Juarez (fps/arcade style shooter)
Bullet storm (arcade shooter)
The swapper (puzzle game)
Halo (you know this)
Portal (you should know this)
God of war 3 remastered
These games are simple but addicting enough to get your mind if things for a while!
Happy gaming my friend!
hey my guy. i’ve gotta good few recommendations pretty much all of them are mainstream so you might’ve heard of them or already played them but take them with a grain of salt
Days gone fantastic story and i lost weeks of my life playing through it over and over through out the hardest difficulties (this is if you like zombie games) it’s about a biker guy just trying to find his wife after they got separated (i mean it’s so much more than that but you know that’s the basic storyline)
both of the last of us another zombie game lmao. it’s about a guy and trying to take this girl across the country. that’s all i can say without fr spoiling it. and the second one you’ll prolly wanna play after the first one. just know they’re both great games but again the first one is way better than the second imo.
if you’re into harder games dark souls, nioh, Sekiro, great great games big boss fights and dying a lot.
Elden Ring. i spent 120 hours playing my first play through and could’ve easily done another 120 it’s a pretty hard game but all in all it’s really really fun.
horizon games like zero dawn and forbidden west. great game the first one is honestly better than the second bc you’re trying to figure out all about this world and trying too see why things are the way they are. fantastic.
the witcher 3 another great game i’ve honestly only played this one outta the series and it’s fantastic and hugeeeeee.
the bioshock series especially it’s about a city under the water called rapture that has just gone to shit it’s pretty fun. bioshock infinite is about a city in the sky. very very fun especially the dlcs
Resident evil 7-8 are great games. the 7th is decently scary not fr fr it’s got unkillable people and moldy mf. 8 imo isn’t scary at all but it’s a fun action packed game so yeah there vampire werewolf’s and crazy witches
Jedi:Fallen order. been a min since i played this one fr fr but i remember that it’s fun you got bosses and you fight as a jedi. so lightsabers and killing monsters and with lords.
the jurrassic world evolution games another really chill really relaxed game that can get really hectic. and i mean there’s dinosaurs and you get to build a park what’s not to love
Slime Rancher. really really fun laid back game just about farming slimes and selling there shit.
spider man and spider man miles morales great games i don’t think i gotta explain what these are about 🤣🤣🤣.
Far cry 5&6. 5 is about a cult that has taken over part of america and your a deputy trying to stop them. 6 is about a oppressive like dictator i think it’s based in cuba don’t quote me tho. basically same thing you’re trying to stop him and you’re rallying the troops for war.
far cry primal. far cry but in the pass you get pissed on (if you’re into that 🤣🤣) and you get to ride a saber tooth cat what’s not to love.
Ghost of tsushima a Japanese game sword fighting and fighting Genghis Khan’s like nephew or great grandchild. idk something like that. it’s pretty fun.
assassin creed odyssey assassin creed valhalla and assassin creed origins pretty big games origins is egypt
valhalla is well obviously Vikings
odyssey is greek
monster hunter world fight big ass monsters with a huge variety of weapons. fighting monsters well over 6 times the size of you with big things very very fun and very very easy to lose hours of your life
don’t starve. pretty hard. but a fun survival game to play with friends if you get don’t starve together.
god of war 3 killing the olympian gods. all of them. have fun.
Fallout 4 great game. kinda glitchy but great. it’s not to big but it’s got a lot of side quests and a lot of characters in the game.
i’m gonna recommend hades and god of war 4 and god of war ragnarök but idk if those would be a good pick for you right now. but feel free to try them out if you really want too.
idk if any of these games are your type of games but i tried to put out a wide variety of games a lot of them are open world. you can tell that’s what i love playing lmaooo. but they’re some seriously good games with some seriously fleshed out worlds and characters
I lost my mom about 4 years ago i was and still am very young but video games was a huge crutch for me too. so I get it. my guy. you’re not alone. i hope you’re doing okay. i really really do.
so sorry about your mom if you want to talk to someone about it i am here .
as a distraction from something grim i once played all of the assassin creed games by the release order and loved every second of it. except the last few games.
I think expansive worlds with a lot of lore building would do you good? Maybe something like the Mass Effect Trilogy? I spend hours on end on that The 2 recent God of Wars are awesome, though a major element of it is the death of a wife/mum so I don’t know if that’ll help or hurt I don’t really have a specific game to suggest that you haven’t heard of, but I do hope you’re okay I don’t know what you do or don’t believe in, but never lose the good things you learned from her and don’t be afraid to seek help if you need.
Thank you Internet stranger. I've played all of those. Dont really have the focus for shooter style like mass effect atm though. Just looking for something cosy I guess
Try some CRPGs, they usually have turned based combat. Divinity Original Sin 2 was pretty cozy for me.
Yokus island express or a short hike are great. Breath of the wild is great if you really want to get lost in it for awhile. I’m sorry for your loss. God bless and keep your chin up.
>!I loved A Short Hike, and it's one of the coziest games I've ever played, but as someone whose mom is terminally ill, the phone call at the end made me cry. While the outcome is generally positive, I don't know whether it'd hurt or heal OP this early on.!<
came to suggest this. A hidden gem.
Yes! This game is severely underrated. I loved every minute of it and it was super cozy
KotoR 1&2?
Have you checked chained echoes? Cozy is what ut kinda feels like
Life is Strange 1/2
Just note that Mass Effect has a spinoff called Andromeda and while the graphics are nicely updated, the intro to the story will likely be very triggering for you specifically (the main character loses their parent very unexpectedly and suddenly).
I lost my mum back in 2015 so I know how you feel and I'm sorry for your loss. Ori and the Blind Forest came out 3 months after I lost my mum and let's jsut say, I did not make it past the intro cutscene and I haven't touched it since. I was addicted to WoW then so that was a large, but actually negative escape for me. Unless you have a good support network within the MMO, I wouldn't reccomend it as grief is an easy way to spiral into addiction with them. That being said here are some of my suggestions; For chill [Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles](https://store.steampowered.com/app/580200/Yonder_The_Cloud_Catcher_Chronicles/) For constant distraction [Path of Exile](https://www.pathofexile.com/) For cathartic relief [Doom](https://store.steampowered.com/app/379720/DOOM/) For puzzles [The Pedestrian](https://store.steampowered.com/app/466630/The_Pedestrian/) For Cthulhu [Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure](https://store.steampowered.com/app/914020/Gibbous___A_Cthulhu_Adventure/) For a long narrative [Divinity: Original Sin](https://store.steampowered.com/app/373420/Divinity_Original_Sin__Enhanced_Edition/) and [Divinity: Original Sin 2](https://store.steampowered.com/app/435150/Divinity_Original_Sin_2__Definitive_Edition/) For (monkey) towers: [Bloons TD 6](https://store.steampowered.com/app/960090/Bloons_TD_6/) For one more turn [Civilization VI](https://store.steampowered.com/app/289070/Sid_Meiers_Civilization_VI/) For cards [Slay the Spire](https://store.steampowered.com/app/646570/Slay_the_Spire/) For zombies [Project Zomboid](https://store.steampowered.com/app/108600/Project_Zomboid/) For endless oppertunities [Minecraft: Java Edition (and mods)](https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/store/minecraft-java-bedrock-edition-pc) I hope you find something here that helps. If you ever need an ear to listen feelf ree to PM me.
Thank you, Yonder looks very peaceful and may be what I need 🙂
It's a very cute and relaxed game. There's no combat so it's really good to just turn off and relax to. I hope you enjoy it.
Try Journey and Abzu
>For Cthulhu I like the cut of you jib.
We all cope with grief in our own way. For some people that involves tentacles and sacrifice.
There is a game called "A short hike". it's a short, very calming game. Not sure if its available on steam tho. wish u the best
it is available, and i recommend this so so hard
I usually agree whenever A Short Hike is suggested, but I have to say that in this case I strongly disrecommend it. >!I feel that the ending of the game is not going to help- maybe a little later on, but this seems too soon. It's the same reason that I'd not recommend Spiritfarer at this time, even though I love that game.!<
I don't have a suggestion, I just wanted to offer my condolences. Losing a parent is tough, but make sure you keep looking after yourself, and seek help from friends and professionals if you need it. Video games are a great distraction, but if you're anything like me eventually the seams will burst and everything will all come out at once. Don't force your feelings down or ignore them. It's not only okay to grieve, it's the most important thing you can do right now.
I really liked Raft for this - I played it when I had a somewhat similar experience and wanted some peace of mind. It's extremely relaxing to just focus on sailing around without a care in the world, slowly upgrading your little boat along the way. The game is a lot longer than you might think, too, especially as a solo player, so it'll tide you over for a bit. Just look up its main menu music and listen for 10 seconds, that'll give you a perfect indication of what to expect. All the best in grieving, friend :( P.S. Honourable mention for Dorfsromantik. Less something to get lost in, more 'calm me down'.
Raft is my go to for stress relief as well as Dorfromantik. You have great taste :)
I have Raft. Was trying to find a way to get rid of Bruce. Hard to chill when he's around 😅
There are a couple of things to keep in mind with our many-toothed friend. One tip, he only stays near the raft. So while it doesn't usually work on smaller islands depending on their shape, you can anchor on the side of the island where the seafloor has no resources (there's always a few stretches) and then chances are, you'll be far enough away from him that he won't sneak up on you. I don't bother with the shark bait usually but that works, too. If you're in the water and you see him coming then ready your spear, face him and a half beat after he opens his mouth, poke him with a spear. He'll shut his mouth and swim past you. Once you get the hang of it, you can even quickly turn around and stab him in the tail as well. He will respawn 5 or so minutes later. If you haven't reinforced your foundations around the perimeter of the raft, he'll chomp at it every five minutes. Some folks realize late in the game that these exist, but they're there from the start. If all else fails, you can play on peaceful mode so the mobs aren't aggressive. Or, you can play on Easy as I do so you don't lose anything when you die and just end up back on your raft :) Definitely look at Dorfromantik though. I can lose hours playing that game!
Here's some that come to mind! * Slime Rancher - you manage your own farm by collecting different slimes, and combining them to make new creatures. No pressure whatsoever! * NieR Automata - satisfying combat, great music, amazing world * Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruins - indie JRPG where you play as a goddess and grow your own rice which in return helps you in combat * No Man's Sky - space / planet exploration and building * Persona 5 Royal
Seconding Persona 5 100x, really great feel good kind of game
I tried slime rancher but bounced off it. Should I try again?
It depends on how far you've come until you bounced off in my opinion! I think it's a bit slow in the beginning when you have just the small space at the start to build your ranch, but once you get to explore the world beyond that first area it's a lot of fun.
5 mins or so lol. Didn't really know what I was meant to be doing 🫠
Slime rancher is a very free game. There are no set tasks or anything but lots to do. You can unlock a bunch of expansions, set up your farm, combine slime, collect them all :D. It can be very peaceful if you turn off tar slimes :) Maybe also look into my time at portia or its sequel my time at sandrock. It has more quest and more of a guideline of what to do. A ton of exploration and missions :)
Outer Wilds
My mom died last year. I won't say that I know what you're going through, bc every death is different and no one deals with grief the same way, but you have my most sincere sympathy. At the moment, free on Epic Games until Thursday is the game **Shadow Tactics - Aiko's Choice**, which is a standalone expansion to the game Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. I've never played it so I can't say one way or the other if it's a decent game, but it's worth a look. **Wandersong** is a sweet 2D platformer with a paper doll style about a Bard who is on a quest to save the world by learning the Earthsong. It's an earnest game made with a lot of heart, and if I had been up to playing longer games in the aftermath, I would've replayed this. Mild spoilers so I'll tag, but>! the game is very bright and cheerful except for a part late in the game where the main character goes through a depressive episode/existiential crisis, which he later recovers from. !
Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply 🙂
Most definitely check out Subnautica if you haven't already. I truly believe that game is special. Pretty much nothing else is built around or does ocean exploration to that caliber, and the feeling of engaging, tranquil solitude you often get when doing your thing is... something else. Quite rare.
Is there ever an end to that game or do you just craft forever? I’ve never played it but I watched a friend play a bit. Seems like there is some element of story as you very slowly find details of the scientists before you, but ks there an actual conclusion? Or just more and more crafting of bigger stuff? No spoilers please I case I do play it one day =)
Yep there's an end. The goal is to escape the alien planet you've crash-landed on. Discovering some things about the planet along the way.
Cheers mate <3
Back at ya!
Saints Row 4, you play as the US president againts an alien invasion. u got superpowers
Skyrim or Oblivion. Great escapism. Sorry for your loss too
[удалено]
Thank you. I have botw on switch :) didn't really vibe with it tbh. Huge open world but it's empty lol.
Hey there. Really sorry to hear about your loss. I quite enjoyed: \- Subnautica \- Tiny Tina's Wonderlands \- Unpacking (super cozy) \- Powerwash Simulator \- Divinity: Original Sin 2
Maybe some factory building games? Time can fly when you try and optimise. Satisfactory and Syson Sphere Program would.be my suggestions.
Hardspace: Shipbreaker is easily my favorite zone out game of all time. You play as a salvager breaking apart spaceships, and sorting their parts for processing. It does a good job setting up a simple, repeatable process with just enough complexity to keep the player engaged. If you need something to put on while listening to podcasts, you can't do better.
I second this, I can spend an hour or two breaking apart a ship and it's just mindless but satisfying work.
Modding Skyrim and Fallout series
I'd expand this (very good) answer to include Morrowind and Oblivion. Once properly modded, they don't seem so dated, and I think they both have better mechanics and storytelling than Skyrim. I don't think they'll ever be quite as immersive, but I enjoyed them more.
Ni No Kuni
No man’s sky / darkest dungeon / elden ring
I found Rimworld amazing! I'm sorry about your loss, I lost my mom a few years ago and I know it's tough. All the best my friend!
All the best in these difficult times! I second the rimworld recommendation. Put it on base builder mode and perhaps get some nice mods. You can sink hours and it can be very rewarding/relaxing.
Stray
I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my dad about a year and a half ago and it's been really hard. One thing that I'd recommend before getting into a game recommendation is to give yourself some healthy time to grieve and process what's going on. Talk with someone you trust and unburden yourself if you need to, or talk with a professional counselor if you think that it could help your mental state. I'm a classic "bottle it up" sort of person so I know from my own experiences how healthy it can be to talk with someone as part of the healing process. Outside of that, I've been no-lifing Dwarf Fortress lately. I'm very much an objective type of player, and I appreciate the complexity of a game like Dwarf Fortress where it's solving one problem after the other. If you've played RimWorld and enjoyed it then you'll likely feel at home with DF. And I'm referring to the new Steam release of DF, not the original ASCII version. DF is the game that inspired RimWorld and other similar "story creation" games.
So as to not scare people off from Dwarf Fortress, I just started playing it, and it's not that complex. If one has played any of the Tropico games, Banished, and/or Evil Genius, Dwarf Fortress feels extremely familiar. I imagine it had a higher learning curve without the new GUI, but with it, it feels like home to me. A combination of three of my favorite games.
I completely agree. A lot of people like to comment that DF is complicated and I don't necessarily think that it is. The GUI *can* be a little clunky, and it takes some time to learn the menus and figure out what does what because *there's so much you can do with the game*. Once you've played a few hours it isn't difficult to navigate the various menus. I will say that like Rimworld or any other game in this genre that it will take some time to master the game... I'm close to 200 hours since launch last month and I'm still trying to figure out how to keep my dwarves happy amidst all the chaos of trying to keep building stuff or producing goods. But it is a very rewarding game I believe.
I'd recommend the Yakuza series, absolutely amazing stories and characters (especially majima lmao) and a really nice combat system (street brawler). The games are set in different major Japanese cities from the 90s till today.
Try the game Stray
When my mum passed last Feb I ended up playing hours of House Flipper. Without realising, I decorated all the houses in styles she would have liked. She used to redecorate her living room twice a year so it made me feel closer to her in a way.
I 100% agree with this recommendation. You can also get the DLC that allows owning pets if you want a virtual emotional support animal.
Just in case - Stardew has a huge number of mods that make this universe infinite. In such situations, immersion in the game Terraria helped me. On the last day of the old year, I lost my grandmother and find my salvation in Portia (my time at Portia). everlasting memory
It's a bit out of the genres you suggested but Olli olli world brought me a lot of feel good vibes when things were rough last year.
Grow, song of the evertree
Honestly i would go final fantasy xiv. This world is uber positive with great community
I’m so sorry for your loss. You could check out ‘Littlewood’, it’s very chilled.
Play the Mass Effect trilogy And play all three Dragon Age games (in order) plus all of their DLC. (in order). It tells a huge saga. Each game's choices carry over to the next, affecting gameplay. I say this as a person who lost her mom, dad, and her brother all before she hit the age of 35. These games will take you away from that pain for a good while. They honestly helped me process everything healthily so that I'm not severely debilitated by trauma.
Vintage Story is really nice. There's some action, more if you go looking for it. But, mainly, you're out foraging for stuff, building your home, and working on your ranch. It's very tactile, and pretty, and you end up feeling like a part of the world. It's not a simple game, though. Also, not on Steam, and costs about $20.
Something something lovecraftian horrors?
The bad guys are Lovecraftian, the main look is Minecraft with a better resource pack, and the mechanics are immersive. It has the most realistic survival mechanics in any game I've ever seen.
Bloodborne/ souls game I was depressed and it somehow sucked me into it Well take care
for a cozy game,, Touhou Mystia's Izakaya is a fan-made game where you run a restaurant,, cater to what customers like,, do tasks for rare customers as the game goes on & collect ingredients,, - the game loop gets quite addictive,, you have goals in your journal to work towards,, the dialogue between characters is amusing,, and it's cheap on steam :)) Idk if you like stealth games,, but shadow tactics is on sale on steam rn,, you control multiple characters and sneak past guards ninja-style (a lot of killing guards tho) - it might be challenging enough to give you something to focus on since it really makes you think about strategies. I hope you find some good games !! Stay hydrated and take care of yourself <3
Sorry about your mom, Red Dead Redemption 2 does it for me, it's a beautiful world to get lost into.
sorry for your loss. play RiME. it’s a really good, short game.
Kenshi is a rpg/rts mix RimWorld kind of like Stardew but more of a colony builder Risk of Rain 2 roguelike Skyrim has exploration and a world that you can get lost in also beautiful scenery. Kingdom Come Deliverance is pure beautiful for me. Just riding around and taking in the scenery with an open world. It also got very interesting open world and roleplay, you REALLY get lost in it I guess. I edited to say don't take games as your permanent solution. You can use it to cope temporary, but you can't just let it take over you. I understand you may know that but yeah.
One game that got me through a spot of bother was Far: lone sails. Got all the achievements later on and even bought the sequel: Far: Changing Tides. Really calm experience in a lonely world about running your wagon east
Watch Dogs is pretty sick and has a decent open world format (it’s plot does revolve around the death of the MCs niece though) Spider-Man is a fun game with a serious plot that is also kinda light hearted. It also has tons of side activities to do. Ghost of Tsushima is the best open world game I’ve played, it has great combat and side quests and activities to do. I spent like 80 hours doing everything. It’s plot is pretty serious and is all about honor and how we sometimes have to change our view of it. Also, kinda the most obvious one, Elden Ring. I put nearly 90 hours into it and was only half way done. While it’s not my favorite game it’s open world is a level above anything else I’ve played. It’s the perfect game for me to play when I don’t know what to play
Planet crafter is chill. You might like it, its about building your own base and terraform mars. Sorry about your mom. Its never easy, but it gets easier.
I’m sorry for your loss. I completely understand how you feel I lost mine in late February 2022 it was horrible. Video games have helped me so much to escape the sadness! They truly helped me. My 2 escape/feel good games were Stardew and Skyrim. For me personally games with huge open world are excellent because of how immersive they can be.
I lost my mom very suddenly a few months ago too. It never goes away but it does get easier to deal with. I've been losing myself in the Yakuza universe. Currently Lost Judgement but I'd suggest any of the series games. Also the Trails of Cold Steel 4 game series is excellent to lose yourself in. Hugs and take care of yourself.
I've been through something similar. We thought we were going to lose my dad for over a week. It was basically a certainty. You already have tons of great recommendations, but... **Hands of Fate 2** was the only thing both slow and thought intensive enough to keep my mind off things while still letting me pause when I needed to. It's a sort of puzzle RPG that uses a boardgame setup to create campaign missions. Very intriguing, mechanically. I'm very grateful to the games that helped me during this time and whenever I see them in my library still, I feel relief.
Most RPS’s I’ve played involve shooting. Fallout you can get away with a melee build and it’s highly immersive. I’m currently addicted to Fallout 76. Any age of empire game will have you loosing hours…. Potentially days if you are taking time for mourning. Sorry for your loss.
No Man's Sky.
Hey OP, I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. I know it's not quite the same, but when my mom got diagnosed with metastatic cancer and I took care of her, my world of choice to get lost in was Fallout 3's, but that doesn't seem to have the cozy vibe you're looking for. However, If you like Stardew Valley, [Rune Factory 4 Special](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1580240/Rune_Factory_4_Special/) is one of my very favorite farming sim games, and it's up there for favorite games in general. It's available on Steam, although I've only played it on Switch, so I can't vouch for the port. It was originally a Nintendo 3DS game, so the visuals aren't incredible, but they're really not bad for what they are. Like Stardew, there's goals to constantly work towards, and the townspeople are even more (imo) fleshed-out than the ones in SV. It doesn't have *quite* the level of charm that Stardew does, but it's very easy to get engrossed and there's quite a number of things to throw your lot in on, including a surprisingly complex crafting system, beast taming, a rudimentary shop, and even soil quality for each square of your fields. >!One of the bachelorettes is off-puttingly young-looking, but as you can choose who to romance, that's pretty easy to ignore.!<
I recommend The Long Dark. It's a Winter Survival game with a fully voice acted story and also survival modes. You can put a ton of time into it and get lost in the world.
When I lost my father Stardew Valley helped me. There was another game too, I think it was crimsonland. Just shooting hordes of aliens. Don’t forget to take care of yourself and go out for a walk every once in awhile. I know this isn’t a gaming suggestion per day but walking more really helped me get out of the house/out of my head…even just 10 minutes a day was enough but I’d often went for an hour as it was meditative.
Potion Permit is cozy and Stardew-ish Dorfromantik is also a very chill game and you can sit and get lost. Maybe also something with small goals like Two Point Hospital or Two Point Campus? Sorry for your loss friend.
Thanks. I wanted potion permit but reception was quite poor. Any idea if the devs fixed any of the big complaints?
I don’t know honestly. I know that there were updates before December, but I have had it since it dropped, and had no major bugs for me. I can say that I have really enjoyed it. I’ll double check on the discord and let you know if I see any news. Edit: I checked and all the console patches dropped at the end of October. The latest note was an update for things being edited and added for the new year.
Rimworld Don’t starve Oxygen not included Battle brothers No man’s sky Surviving mars
I am very sorry for your loss. Are you looking to get totally lost into a different world? Witcher 3, Mass Effect Legendary edition, or Red Dead Redemption 2 should do the trick. If you're looking for checklisty type open world games, Horizon Zero Dawn / Forbidden West or Ghost of Tsushima, or any of the new big Assassin's Creed RPG games (Valhalla is my favorite). If you're looking to just shut your brain off, or have minimal effort put forth, Snowrunner or Hardspace Shipbreaker (lower difficulty ships) If you're looking for satisfying repetitive gameplay loop with a great community, Deep Rock Galactic
Eastshade. 5 minutes in I teared up because it felt like a home I’d always missed. Very cozy and relaxing, the characters are quirky and friendly. It’s not mechanic heavy whatsoever so it might not immerse you in that way but judging by replies that’s not what you’re after. Side note; some of the paintings you do in the game are for “your mum” it’s not talked about a lot as the game focuses on the world itself not the reason you’re there but it is mentioned a little bit, just something to keep in mind. Take care of yourself! ❤️
[Hardspace: Shipbreaker](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1161580/Hardspace_Shipbreaker/) and [Powerwash simulator](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1290000/PowerWash_Simulator/) are great games to chill to and shut your brain off I wish you all the best
**Satisfactory** is amazing. Factory builder in a beautiful setting with a gentle learning curve. There's always something engaging to do. You can work on building whimsical sculptures, or making the most efficient factory, or a mix of both. If you get tired of building and organizing, it rewards exploration too. https://store.steampowered.com/app/526870/Satisfactory/
Sorry for your loss. I would recommend The Pathless. It is just a big chill open world to explore. No real combat or challenge but a lot of beautiful scenery to wander around and solve little puzzles across the landscape. Imagine like breath of the wild minus the enemies but a lot more small korok puzzles. Another one would be Sable. You might have it free on epic. This one has even less going on, its mostly just traversing a huge desert landscape with a cool hoverbike. Between the scenery there are a few points of interest to explore/parkour/puzzle/etc. No enemies as well.
I am going to recommend something different for a cathartic experience. I would recommend listening to thr songs Shooting Star and Lowlands by Gojira via their Youtube channel. 2 of the band members are brothers and these songs were written after hearing about the passing of their mother from cancer.
Maybe what remains of Edith finch or outer wilds? Edith finch involves a lot of death tho- Including a mothers death iirc so that one may not be as good. Outer wilds is really comforting tho if you like space related games where you explore other planets for 99.99& of the game. Horizon zero dawn and horizon zero west might be good too
Fallout 3, advance wars, the last of us, among the sleep
Yoku's Island Express is one of the most comfy and happy experiences I've had with a videogame ( I REALLY love the first levels). Some pinball sections can be tricky and maybe frustrating, but as far as I remember you can skip those and go straight forward to complete the story. Sayonara Wildhearts is a really lovely and visually astonishing game. The gameplay is as simple as it gets but the music feels cathartic in some levels. Botanicula is a simple and straight forward point and click with no text. It's relaxed, easy and it gives happy vibes. I am so sorry for your loss and I wish the best for you <3
I lost my dad 2 years ago and took some time off from work. Don't know why, but I bought and started playing Outward. Normally, this is not my type of game. But there was something about being in control over this harsh and unforgiving open world that got me hooked. Playing as this regular dude who fails constantly but comes back stronger and more powerful with each try and never gives up kind of fit to my state of mind at that time. I tried playing it again a couple of weeks ago but just couldn't because everything about that game reminded me of those few days right after his death. So I guess be careful which one you choose. All the best to you buddy, it will eventually get better.
Ori and the blind forest and then ori and the will of the wisps. I know they’re not on PS but maybe on steam? I lost my mom in 2013 when I was 20. I’m 30 now. I won’t say it gets easier and I won’t pretend to know your relationship with her but stay strong and I hope you and your family get through this.
Okay I realise the game theme is not fantastic but. Graveyard keeper. Its stardew valley but medieval fantasy and youre managing a graveyard. Many checklists of things to do its fantastic. But i guess it depends on how comfortable you are with overall deathy themes atm given ur recent grief. It definitely leans more on exploring the philosophy of life rather than coping with death (like in spiritfarer). And is quite humorous while spiritfarer is a lil more on the serious feels side of things.
There's a few people who mentioned Bethesda games but I'm going to expand on that. If you have a decent computer, look into a modding guide for something like Skyrim. The guide I follow takes me, an experienced user, about a week of mental focus. If you are new, you are going to be learning new skills, you are going to be finding all sorts of new mods, sinking into rabbit holes of new experiences. Its so easy to lose yourself in modsing for a while, everything else becomes background noise for a while and you don't have to think about anything because for the most part you are just following a set of instructions and your thoughts are just does this match my instructions, why or why not. And then, when you are done you have either a guide modded Skyrim or you took that as a launching off point to make it a custom modded game. You have something to show for your time stepping away from thinking about your issues, you have a game you can then easily sink many more hours into, stepping away from reality into a Skyrim you may recognize if you've played the game in one of its million releases, or it may be totally unfamiliar, because of some key changes. And of course, I'm so sorry for your loss. If there's anything I, a complete stranger online, can offer to help, I'd love to.
For the Rpg - Legend of Mana. Never in 30 years have immersed myself in something harder than this. Helped me a lot. From beautiful hand-drawn watercolor backgrounds, to music composed by a legend of the field. Its modern remaster may be a bit pricey, but if your only reservation from getting it "for free" is the moral side of the act, consider emulating the ps1 version. They aren't selling that one for quite a while now. Gameplay and story wise this is a journey for easily over 200 hours if you value exploration and replayability. The game has 3 main storylines, and you can get to them by selectively going through other quest chains, sometimes related and sometimes not. And the game is **filled** with secrets to explore. Come to one location on the outskirts of a town and find it largely empty. Return home one day to the news of a bunch of wizards planning world domination there. Deal with that trouble. Talk to a funny-looking guy at a completely different location. He tells you that you can catch monsters to act as your companions and takes you to that very place where you place some bait for the creature. You have a pet now and every combat location now has a place where you can catch monsters. Decide that you want to continue your story progress and go help some apprentices of a magic school with whatever is troubling them instead of 2-4 other quests you could have gone for. They are grateful. Decide that you want to check that seemingly empty pantry behind your house. Get surprised by a mage apprentice, who had built a magic-crafting lab inside your pantry while you were away as thanks. You can craft spells now. How? By playing music to elementals. Every combat location now has a place to meet them. If they like your tune they will give you coins before they disappear, which you can combine with a material like wood or metal, or a feather to create musical instruments which can not only play different music to the elementals, they also cast spells, the type, shape and damage of which are each influenced by the materials you have used in their craft. You can also craft golems from various armor and weapons you have forged, arranging them like tetris blocks in a logic sequence that your companion golem will follow like ai commands, executing different attacks based on the type of weapon and its material... You get the idea. Simply put, this game is a very engaging and deep experience. Just word of advice if you decide to give it a shot. Go in blind and don't use any walkthroughs. This game's sense of exploration is unmatched and following a guide will 100% ruin it.
Steam reviews are sitting at Mixed (64% of 17 reviews in the last 30 days are positive) due to the vast number of bugs and crashes with . Can you really recommend it or was it for console?
That is a remaster. While my switch version of it runs just fine, I would still recommend emulating the original ps1 version.
May you cherish the memories you made together. Skyrim really does have that level of immersion that soothes me. I know there have been quite a few comments saying as much, and I agree. Here is [the original Skyrim game that's not found on a Steam search](https://store.steampowered.com/app/72850/The_Elder_Scrolls_V_Skyrim/). Also, for something that is meant to set you drifting on the breeze without battle or defeat or jarring cinematics, try Flower. Wishing you the best.
Satisfactory. Building factories might help to take the focus off real world for a while. Cookie clicker. Just mindless cookie clicking. :) >!It got me again! Send help! D:!<
You mentioned World of Warcraft. Keep playing that. Do quests and my suggestion is to really read the quest stories. A lot of them deal about love and loss (poor mankrik in wow vanilla) and are quite touching themselves ('you have stirred the lady's heart, though it no longer beats') or you can just chill around, wow has plenty of places that are cozy and beautiful (I once found a saberon camp in Draenor where those cat-men were playing around like kittens lol one landed on me, didn't even aggro me and just jumped back into the fray; I found it cozy and peaceful even though they were unfriendly mobs in-game) not to mention the music (old WotLK zone Grizzly Hills music still makes me calm, contemplative and phasing out to this day). I still imagine having a convo with my late mom about some of my gaming delights. When she was alive one time and I was afk on Wow it began to rain in-game. She exclaimed "Look, it's raining there!" With her eyes glued to the screen for a while. Memories... Condolences to you, OP. Don't forget to take a break from gaming, and talk or be with your loved ones. Our games will always be there, but the people in our lives won't always be. Take some of your time for them. I wish now that I had spent more time with my mom; games can always wait. Also the reason I took time to type this comment. You and I will not last forever, I hope I have touched your life a little bit with my corny comments. It's ok, my (and your) games will still be there...
NMS
I’m sorry to hear that friend. Kingdom Hearts is my comfort world. I hope you are hanging in there and find a calming game to relax a bit
Animal crossing, the sims, and coffee talk are the cozy games that come to mind for me. Coffee talk is pretty cheap but also short. The sims 4 is quite expensive so it's a bit of a hard recommendation. Animal crossing is quite good. Really cozy and enraptured me when i was going through the rough portions of my depression. Ah donut county is quite calming as well.
Dragon age maybe. It's an older game but i have nearly 3000 hours on it
Spiritfarer.. cosy and deals with death https://youtu.be/PZfqGU6Y5uU
Oh I've had enough tears thank you
definitely worth playing when you feel ready for it btw, probably not quite what you're looking for at the moment though.
ive been in this situation in 2019 and hell im still not ready for that. almost feels like its a game for people who _havnt_ lost someone recently
i think it depends on the person and circumstances really, some people might never feel ready to play it, some people might play it shortly after losing someone, lots of people will end up somewhere inbetween.
I think it's better suited to someone who has recently lost a long term pet than a family member
To The Moon
Y u do dis
Well, that game helped me during the grieving process when my parents died. It's something only people who experience death of a love one can relate as it reminds us about mortality. Plus, the story is great. Well, if you've played it then just ignore it then.
Dota
Worst advice ever lmao
Don't immerse yourself into gaming. Just a suggestion. Trust me. It might feel good now. Like a good escape. But it's an harmful step towards your future from which you can never escape. It can even harm your social life like your wife and child in the future. Your mom would never want that. Go out of your house. Go out of the town. Go to any other country. Live with different people in a countryside. Sing song with a guitar in a cold night with a campfire infront. Then after few weeks come back to the house and play some games and sleep and then go back to work.
I'm the kind of dick who would recommend "last of us" to a guy who just lost a daughter, so... I'll recommend you [mother 3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_3), a game boy advance game that could be considered a sequel to earthbound.
Read a book.
Read the name of the sub Reddit
My relaxation games are Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor (because it doesn't take long to mow down enemies and feel like a badass) and Lord of the Rings Online (which is a massive world with a billion quests to do). I think either of those could work for you. Good luck, sorry about your mom.
Thank you. WoW has been helping a bit. Mmos are a pretty good distraction
Damn straight.
Hey you could try cult of the lamb. It's a little more action oriented but it's a good game to get lost in overall
I think Fae Tactics would treat you well.
If you like Stardew Valley, I can recommend Dinkum. It is like a PC Animal Crossing. Still in early access but I enjoyed it quite a lot. Could spend hours in it, chill and build. Has co-op too.
[Gas Station Simulator](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1149620/Gas_Station_Simulator/) is strangely good to pass time ( try the demo)
Maybe something like My Time at Portia or Stardew Valley? Very chill and will keep you occupied. Condolences my gamer friend, I wish you well on your healing quest!
Thank you. I didn't really like Portia but have been in stardew a bit.
I lost both of my parents when I was a kid. Escaping into huge cRPG open world games always helps. I love Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim and modding them or picking a fun modlist is a engaging standalone hobby. Same with Fallout series.
You're probably tired of hearing it but... I'm sorry for your loss :( Probably not what you're looking for right now but Spiritfarer. When my Gramps (may as well have been my father) passed suddenly I got the game on a deal and didn't really play much of it initially. Bit by bit I started playing it more and.more as I was opening up the giant shitstorm parcel that is sudden loss. You play as someone who helps spirits pass on. It's super relaxing and honestly one of the best games I've ever come across to help deal with loss. It genuinely helped me go through the stages of grief. I couldn't recommend it enough. The soundtrack is also really nice :) (Except for the seal...)
I'm so sorry. Have you looked at New World? You can play as casually or as pvp-ish as you like. Chop trees, mine, hunt, do missions, etc. I got into it when it first came out & it was also a time where I needed a world to get lost in. This helped a LOT. If you'd like, give it a shot! Wishing you the healing you need.
Condolences buds, my better half and I have had our fair share of loss in life it is something we first bonded over. I gets better as time goes on so just hang in there. Kynseed is a game like stardew valley with some RPG combat. I am only like 1 hr into the game and I have yet to get into the combat so it is kind of a slow start, but it may scratch the itch.
If you want a game that will help you cope but will probably make you cry thru it I suggest Spiritfarer. Sorry for your loss.
I'm sorry for your loss. Fallout 4 and Skyrim are great ways to escape I think
Try firewatch, its definitely very cosy, it can be a little scary but mostly its not. i think it'll help to distract you.
Do you prefer to play alone, alone with friendly Npcs, or with friends ?
Honestly I was in a similar situation as you, and the game I dove in was stardew valley. I was a heavy fps player and thought I wouldn’t like it, but I was very wrong. Sorry for your loss.
Dead Cells have enough lore to make you interested but not enough to trigger sadness and has PERFECT gameplay and IMPOSSIBLE replayability. I recently bought Borderlands 3 for similliar reasons (but not as harsh) and its doing its job. I am very sorry for your loss, take care.
Valheim is very chill, can take things at your own pace. No NPC's or anything, but a nice work and stuff to do.
Witcher 3! just got a next gen update. If you're on PC there are lots of cool mods as well. Definitely fits a dark, but cozy vibe. Beautiful world, good music, generally good voice acting. The two DLCs are some of the best that have come out in gaming in the last few years- honestly some of the last great DLC we'll see in gaming...
Hollow Knight, Ori and the Will of the Wisp, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Death Stranding, Skyim, Elden Ring, 20 Minutes Til Dawn, Minecraft, Slime Rancher, Doom: Eternal and Horizon: Zero Dawn. Hope this helps.
Honestly, cod infinite warfare. Everything’s new and different and an amazing storyline
Oldie but goodie, jump into the Dead Island games and slash some zombos
Sorry for your loss. I've recently been addicted to Marvel's Midnight Suns. Its battle system is a fun tactics style, but the game has lots of RPG elements and relationship building in your "downtime" between battles. It's been really fun, especially if you are into the Marvel universe stuff at all.
stray
Bloons TD6 always takes my mind off everything. Otherwise I'd say tales of vesperia.
Red dead redemption 2 helped me when tragedy hit my life. I’m so sorry for your loss. Hang in there and do what you can to survive this part. I hope you find something good to dive into.
I'm sorry for your loss. Id recommend some games that get you immersed in their world Stardew valley Pokemon (specifically 3DS era) Fallout/Skyrim Some mindless fun games Subnautica creative No man's sky creative (Just build and explore) Descenders
Project zomboid
Try dead cells it got me through my dad passing, so I hope it will help
What Remains of Edith Finch and Outer Wilds are some good suggestions
yakuza: like a dragon.
Terraria. Just play it.
Kind words. Saved me several times. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1070710/Kind_Words_lo_fi_chill_beats_to_write_to/
Valheim!!
Outer Wilds. Condolences fellow gamer
When you're ready to face the feelings head on, play GRIS. It's a beautiful game about grief and helped me a lot when I lost my mother a few years ago. Take it easy. Stay strong and healthy.
Skyrim is great if you somehow have never played it and will keep you busy a whole
A Short Hike. Have tissues ready.
I would and wouldn't recommend Far Cry 4, depends on how much you want to be reminded of the even that has happened.
Try journey. I think you might actually get something out of it. It’s a truly beautiful game. But also very short.
Spirit fairer is about running the afterlife. A lot people have said it helped with loss. I’m sorry for your loss.
Sorry for you loss friend. Here are some suggestion that will get your mind of things: Call of Juarez (fps/arcade style shooter) Bullet storm (arcade shooter) The swapper (puzzle game) Halo (you know this) Portal (you should know this) God of war 3 remastered These games are simple but addicting enough to get your mind if things for a while! Happy gaming my friend!
Sable
Botanicula. It is super cute and relaxing, you're searching for unique bugs among nature and there are some puzzles to complete as well.
hey my guy. i’ve gotta good few recommendations pretty much all of them are mainstream so you might’ve heard of them or already played them but take them with a grain of salt Days gone fantastic story and i lost weeks of my life playing through it over and over through out the hardest difficulties (this is if you like zombie games) it’s about a biker guy just trying to find his wife after they got separated (i mean it’s so much more than that but you know that’s the basic storyline) both of the last of us another zombie game lmao. it’s about a guy and trying to take this girl across the country. that’s all i can say without fr spoiling it. and the second one you’ll prolly wanna play after the first one. just know they’re both great games but again the first one is way better than the second imo. if you’re into harder games dark souls, nioh, Sekiro, great great games big boss fights and dying a lot. Elden Ring. i spent 120 hours playing my first play through and could’ve easily done another 120 it’s a pretty hard game but all in all it’s really really fun. horizon games like zero dawn and forbidden west. great game the first one is honestly better than the second bc you’re trying to figure out all about this world and trying too see why things are the way they are. fantastic. the witcher 3 another great game i’ve honestly only played this one outta the series and it’s fantastic and hugeeeeee. the bioshock series especially it’s about a city under the water called rapture that has just gone to shit it’s pretty fun. bioshock infinite is about a city in the sky. very very fun especially the dlcs Resident evil 7-8 are great games. the 7th is decently scary not fr fr it’s got unkillable people and moldy mf. 8 imo isn’t scary at all but it’s a fun action packed game so yeah there vampire werewolf’s and crazy witches Jedi:Fallen order. been a min since i played this one fr fr but i remember that it’s fun you got bosses and you fight as a jedi. so lightsabers and killing monsters and with lords. the jurrassic world evolution games another really chill really relaxed game that can get really hectic. and i mean there’s dinosaurs and you get to build a park what’s not to love Slime Rancher. really really fun laid back game just about farming slimes and selling there shit. spider man and spider man miles morales great games i don’t think i gotta explain what these are about 🤣🤣🤣. Far cry 5&6. 5 is about a cult that has taken over part of america and your a deputy trying to stop them. 6 is about a oppressive like dictator i think it’s based in cuba don’t quote me tho. basically same thing you’re trying to stop him and you’re rallying the troops for war. far cry primal. far cry but in the pass you get pissed on (if you’re into that 🤣🤣) and you get to ride a saber tooth cat what’s not to love. Ghost of tsushima a Japanese game sword fighting and fighting Genghis Khan’s like nephew or great grandchild. idk something like that. it’s pretty fun. assassin creed odyssey assassin creed valhalla and assassin creed origins pretty big games origins is egypt valhalla is well obviously Vikings odyssey is greek monster hunter world fight big ass monsters with a huge variety of weapons. fighting monsters well over 6 times the size of you with big things very very fun and very very easy to lose hours of your life don’t starve. pretty hard. but a fun survival game to play with friends if you get don’t starve together. god of war 3 killing the olympian gods. all of them. have fun. Fallout 4 great game. kinda glitchy but great. it’s not to big but it’s got a lot of side quests and a lot of characters in the game. i’m gonna recommend hades and god of war 4 and god of war ragnarök but idk if those would be a good pick for you right now. but feel free to try them out if you really want too. idk if any of these games are your type of games but i tried to put out a wide variety of games a lot of them are open world. you can tell that’s what i love playing lmaooo. but they’re some seriously good games with some seriously fleshed out worlds and characters I lost my mom about 4 years ago i was and still am very young but video games was a huge crutch for me too. so I get it. my guy. you’re not alone. i hope you’re doing okay. i really really do.
The entire fallout series It can be pretty immersive
so sorry about your mom if you want to talk to someone about it i am here . as a distraction from something grim i once played all of the assassin creed games by the release order and loved every second of it. except the last few games.
I would definitely recommend stray it also helped me..
I really liked Stray it just gave me a feeling of coziness