Minecraft. I go through phases of not playing it, but once or twice a year I’ll start up a new world and just mindlessly build and mine while listening to a podcast or an audiobook, and will play every night for several weeks. I’ve started so many minecraft worlds over the years that I really don’t need to think about what to do next
Portal 1 followed immediately by 2 after I’ve completed the first. I own them on every console and also PC and I just love the feeling I get when I play them.
I’ll never forget finding the Orange Box in a bargain bin at BestBuy and how much fun I had playing Portal. GLaDOS being cheeky then becoming full on sadistic and homicidal was something I’ve never experienced in a game before. I laughed a lot and remember my heart beating so fast in the final stages - the thrill I felt when I finally beat her and then starting all over in order to get all of the achievements. It was the most fun I’ve ever had in a game.
Needless to say how excited I was when 2 was announced and I was not disappointed. They’ll never get old for me.
Have you tried Portal Reloaded yet? It’s pretty good as well and as of the June 2023 “Cooperative Update” adds 20 new levels. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_Reloaded
I’ve spent a lot of time in it and have 100% it, so it’s hard to find a reason get back in, but even just booting to the title screen just completely transports me.
Why? Outer Wilds was just an incredible experience, and the OST is astounding and the music completely soaked up the experience and can bring it all back just by listening.
Same, because I can’t seem to make any progress at all. I don’t really know what the goal is. I keep taking off and go fool around on planets until the time resets, and it’s pleasant enough. But I haven’t wrapped my head around the mystery so far
I didn’t even get that far. Hopped on the ship, explored a bit of the starting planet, then the closest bodies and couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I get that the idea is to research the mystery behind the ancient texts, but I wasn’t really feeling compelled to.
To be honest, many games published by Annapurna Interactive are an incredible experience. So, if you want to experience some new things, check them out if you haven’t already! I can personally recommend Stray and What Remains of Edith Finch. Final note; if you play the latter for the first time, play it in a single sitting. It’s only 2 hours but man is it worth it!
It’s such an amazing game and such a break from reality. There is tremendous depth there, if you go and look for it, but you can also just dungeon dive and smack monsters in the face with a sword if you want.
Check out OpenMW for a great, easy to use, source port of the game engine.
Seconded… I take roguelite breaks after every other game I play… Hades, Slay the Spire, Monster Train, Griftlands, and Little Noah have been sort of relaxing to me.
It allows you to randomise which enemies/bosses spawn where, and it randomises items. The world stays the same but the game plays out differently because it often changes how you progress.
Death Stranding is downright meditative. One of the most interesting and compelling games I've ever played. I just love delivering the packages and just soaking in that world.
Galloping around, taking in the hazy morning with a cup of coffee at a makeshift camp, the ambient music and noises as you travel. It gives me such wanderlust.
It has been updated significantly over the years, and there’s a lot of cool mods to try. If I had to pick a single game to play forever it would be Minecraft.
I always play a game of Stellaris every few months. The combination of roleplay and grand strategy massages my brain just right to make the happy chemicals.
Definitely Stardew Valley. It’s not necessarily like I could play it endlessly forever but whenever all other alternatives seem boring or like they require more energy than I feel like spending, I always turn to Stardew exactly for comfort.
Dynasty Warriors (and its many, many spinoffs). I know they’re not objectively good, but man does it feel great to kill 1,000 enemies just by mashing Square and Triangle.
The older entries also had endearingly bad English voice acting.
Oh man I used to be a major dynasty warriors fan. Specifically of the empires spinoffs. I wish they were more accessible on PC (specifically 7 empires, or the samurai warrior empires games).
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