As we observe Mental Health Awareness Month, We Compiled a Short List of Games that Can Help You Relieve Some Stress and Relax
The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month is “Turn Awareness into Action.” As explained by a commentary piece from the Indiana Capital Chronicle, that nationally recognized theme “is a call to go beyond the conversation and take real steps to improve mental well-being — whether that means checking in on a friend, calling your legislator, or reaching out for help yourself.”
As some of you reading this right now do your part to abide by the call-to-action message of that theme, I’m sure you’re looking for ways to relieve your stress and participate in undertakings that improve your mental health. Besides reading books, going for a quick stroll, or simply chatting with your loved ones, playing video games stands out as a go-to hobby for those looking to ease their minds and take a break from their everyday struggles.
To help you, I’ve selected 10 games that are the ultimate stress relievers—instead of embracing the explosive firefights and brutal melee clashes associated with most modern-day games, these titles delve into less violent undertakings that are easier to handle. Casual and hardcore gamers alike should get a ton of pleasure from these recommendations as they’re the perfect playable stress relievers for Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond.
A certain type of unbridled bliss is derived from farming simulators. Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon is the widely recognized originator of that genre, which has inspired a collection of equally engrossing games in its wake. The one that has garnered the most acclaim in recent years is Stardew Valley, which owes its creation to one sole developer named Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone. Everything you’d expect from a farm life simulation game is present here, such as tending to the daily duties of managing a farm, developing one’s essential skills, interacting with the townspeople, and eventually getting married and raising a family. If you haven’t entered the comfy world of Stardew Valley yet, do yourself a favor and push your worries to the side as you enjoy some farming, fishing, mining, and more.
When everyone was stuck inside their homes and stressed beyond belief during the 2020 pandemic, playing video games sprang up as one of the best methods to stay occupied during lockdown. The one game that garnered tons of attention and dominated everyone’s timelines was Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Nintendo’s social simulation game transports players to an island where their neighbors are adorable anthropomorphic villagers. After customizing your human avatar, you’ll start small with a tent and eventually expand your horizons to make way for a town hall and more. You’ll quickly get addicted to turning your digital island into a destination spot for other villagers and local/online players that want to inhabit your playspace. If you’re looking for an escape from the ills of the real world, pay a visit to your wholesome island and catch a vibe to the tunes of K.K. Slider. And don’t worry, if you buy it before you buy a Switch 2, you’ll be able to transfer your save file over!
The phenomenon known as Minecraft has captured the attention of gamers of all ages. The simple joy of creating monumental structures with Lego bricks has been perfectly translated into this rewarding sandbox experience. Minecraft may have its taxing moments here and there (doing your best not to fall into lava pits and steering clear of “Creepers” are the moments that come to mind!), but its main focus stays in the lane of building any grand structure you can dream up. Getting into the current-gen version of Minecraft is a treat thanks to its wealth of expansions that have introduced new biomes, structures, and character skin packs based on popular licensed properties. Avoid the game’s survival mode and just stick with its creative mode. With unlimited resources at your disposal, you’ll become engrossed in the act of building whatever your creative mind can cook up. All the while, a wave of tranquility will wash over you as you build to your heart’s content.
There is such an amazing high derived from matching pieces together in any and every puzzle game. Your phone’s home screen is probably littered with a swath of match-three puzzlers that keep you busy during waiting room sessions at the doctor’s office and mass transit trips. The undisputed king of puzzle games is none other than Tetris, the world-renowned game that’s about fitting falling blocks into a pile, packing them into a horizontal line, and making them disappear to make space for more blocks and earn a higher score. That game’s simple formula has evolved to offer different modes and gameplay variations—one of the most recent takes on Tetris that I can’t get enough of is Tetris Effect: Connected. Tetris’ gameplay formula becomes more of a treat to the eyes and ears thanks to this game’s mind-blowing visual and audio effects. You’ll quickly notice how your onscreen actions are perfectly in sync with an abundance of flashy explosions and illuminating visuals. Tetris Effect: Connected will place you in a zen state that’ll help you pass the time and leave all your worries behind.
If you’ve been on the lookout for a game that mashes up farming, creature collecting, and dancing, Ooblets has everything you’ve been wanting and more. What’s on offer here is an amalgamation of Story of Seasons/Harvest Moon and Pokémon. Your farming obligations lead to the birth of “Ooblets,” cutesy creatures who are capable of helping you perform assorted tasks and engage in lively card-based dance battles with rival Ooblets. There’s plenty more to do besides that—becoming friendly with the townsfolk that inhabit “Badgetown,” joining one of its four clubs, improving your home decor, and earning seeds that can grow new Ooblets are chief among those bonus activities. Ooblets brings with it wholesome and hilarious vibes that will soothe your soul and ease your mind.
I never knew I wanted to play as a hole in the ground until Donut County made it a reality. Now you may be thinking to yourself, “Why would I want to play a game as a hole?” Hear me out! You take on the role of a raccoon named BK, who wreaks havoc with his remote-controlled trash-stealing hole. You’ll go around terrorizing the residents of “Donut County” as you use your hole to perform a myriad of silly tasks. Your hole is capable of growing by swallowing up objects of varying sizes, combining items inside of it to deliver expected (and unexpected!) results, shooting things out of it to solve puzzles, and more. You’ll come to appreciate this game’s whimsical cast of characters and be surprised by its mind-bending twists on a unique gameplay loop. The bright and bubbly exterior of this game will catch your attention, while its gameplay premise will keep you equally relaxed and entertained.
Most folks will admit that moving your cherished items out of your home to another one is a demanding task. Once you finally get all those boxes full of your essentials to your new place of living, it becomes so much easier to furnish your new home when it’s time to unpack. Unpacking goes all in on that affair by turning it into a super chill puzzle game. You’ll unload plenty of digital belongings across a variety of domestic locales as you arrange bookshelves, place utensils in kitchen cabinets, and more. While you place everything into its most fitting spots, you’ll get a clearer understanding of the person whose items you’re unpacking. The game’s theme of unpacking goods during the preceding years also plays a part in following the main character’s growth as a person. The zen-like experience featured in Unpacking will put you at ease and make you reflect on how much your possessions mean to you.
The next farming simulator I want to make you all aware of is the sci-fi, first-person adventure called Slime Rancher. The first series entry will introduce you to a young rancher named Beatrix LeBeau who makes her way to a planet simply referred to as the “Far Far Range.” Her way of life revolves around building a ranch and using your “Vacpack” to round up a bunch of adorable “Slimes.” Feeding those lovable creatures, being gifted with “Plorts,” and getting “Newbucks” in exchange for them go directly into improving your ranching tools and all the buildings that help your operation run smoothly. After you’ve gotten accustomed to the gameplay loop of the first game, you’ll be more than ready to hop into its quality sequel. This time around, you’ll venture to the “Slime Sea” and “Rainbow Island” while you discover new variants of Slimes and construct a thriving conservatory.
I don’t know what it is, but the simple act of watching pressure-washing cleaning jobs is strangely therapeutic. I can’t get enough of those videos where someone is cleaning all the mud off a car with the pinpoint precision of a power washer. PowerWash Simulator produces the same satisfying vibes derived from those clips in the form of a playable endeavor. Your mission is simple—pick up your trusty power washer, clean up every bit of dirt and grime you see, and take a gander at your sparkling finish. Besides performing clean-up missions on houses, vehicles, playgrounds, and more, you’ll also put your power washer to good use in a bunch of familiar locales. Have you ever wanted to spruce up Tifa’s bar “Seventh Heaven” from Final Fantasy VII? Are you interested in helping the DMC DeLorean from Back to the Future shine again? Hop into PowerWash Simulator to do all that and more! Forgive me for sounding like a used car salesman just now, but I can’t help but get excited when I talk about this quirky game!
Deep-sea diving can be a serene experience. Taking in the beautiful sights of the ocean and having close encounters with different species of sea creatures can have a positive lasting effect on anyone who takes the plunge. ABZÛ replicates that experience by letting players participate in an immersive underwater journey of vibrant colors and sea life. You’ll easily get sucked into this game thanks to its bounty of gorgeous environments and be amazed by the ways species of fish react to you. As you enter new depths of the wide-reaching ocean, you’ll need to steer clear of the dangers that come your way. Besides that threatening element of the game, the majority of ABZÛ provides a stress-free experience that will stick with you long after it’s done.
