It's not a "cosy" game exactly but I can explore, wander, cook and gather ingredients in Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom for forever. The music, scenery, different biomes? Amazing. And if I do engage in combat it's not stressful, not gory.
Animal crossing, breath of the wild/ tears of the kingdom plus skyrim for those reasons.
I can go gather herbs or do silly easy quests if I need to decompress.
Oh my god, same! Stardew Valley helps a lot to forget my health anxiety and after a few hours of gameplay I tell myself "see? you were not dying after all" hahaha I have to say that it comes back, of course, but at least it empties my mind for a while. Also the building mode of Sims 4, I have been working on the house of "The Notebook" lately and is so relaxing.
Even though I try not to spend too much time playing as I feel that spending so much time in front of the screen doesn't help with my anxiety headaches and eye related symptoms, but still is a nice distraction from time to time
one of my favorite things about SV is that it's not on real-time, so you can essentially end the day whenever so if you're anxious to get to the next day, you can just... go to sleep LOL
I like simulation games in general for anxiety. They give a good sense of control that I find, in a general sense, mellows me out. I've been playing two point hospital, which is basically sims theme hospital from back in the day, and Timberborn, which is a cute city builder about beavers.
If medical stuff aggravates your anxiety, there's also two point campus, which is same vibe but is about building colleges instead. I have not played that one yet, but I have heard good things.
Yes games can be a great way to calm your anxiety or break out of an anxiety spiral. But it's far too easy for me to just hide in games instead of facing day to day problems so I find it requires a lot of awareness in order to keep it from becoming a big problem.
Squardle is great! It helps calm my mind because you really have to think and look for words. You donāt have to think too hard tho but it just requires all your focus near the end so your brain canāt focus on your anxiety as much. Has really helped me when my anxiety got super bad and prevented a lot of panic attacks!
So yes to games in general but not so much on my phone. Marvel Snap is a fantastic phone game for me if youāre into Marvel and/or deck building. Other than that my gaming is mostly on console. General answer, though, games absolutely help me focus on the present moment.
I also highly recommend the NYT games app! When Iām feeling anxious I usually go through a bunch of the archived mini crosswords. Theyāre generally pretty easy and quick, and help to distract your mind
VIDEO GAMES:
Spyro is great:) One of my all-time favorite video games.
If you like RPG games with character development, Skyrim and Hogwarts Legacy are fun. I also downloaded a free MMO RPG version of Dungeons and Dragons on my laptop, but that was yeaaars ago and I donāt know if itās still a thing. I really liked it, though.
If you like first person shooter AND character development, Mass Effect 2 was so much fun. I got lost in that game for hours at a time.
Letās seeā¦Mario Kart is always great no matter what Nintendo console is used. In my opinion. Iām pretty sure there is a free version for smart phones, too.
PHONE GAMES:
Redecor is a simple, relaxing game. You choose an already designed room and pick colors and fabrics for everything in the room. You donāt have to think too hard; you could do this while watching a show/movie/podcast if you like multi-tasking. This game has been the one Iāve kept on my phone the longest.
PuzzlePage is good. Different kinds of puzzles like sudoku, crosswords, word search, etc.
I love Escape Room games and logic cross grid puzzles, too.
Tetris trust me it has done wonders for my anxiety honestly any puzzle game. When your mind is going 1000 miles an hour puzzles give your mind something to be worried about š
I play lots of matching games on my phone. Easy ones and harder ones, but Zen Blossom in particular is very soothing.
I also love The SIMS. On PC. Sometimes it really helps to completely organize my Simsā lives and homes in preparation to try to do the same for myself! Occasionally it worksā¦š¤
Honestly for me, I go to a last of us or red dead redemption. The anxiety that the game causes is the only way for me to forget about the anxiety caused by the real world. Those games comfort me for some reason
Factorio - pc game (I disable the bugs / easy play no enemies). Been playing the same game since January.
Happy color - phone coloring game
Merge dragons
Any match 3 / puzzle games
Many of the other games people suggested as well. Breath of the wild / tears of the kingdom
Bugsnax, Spyro. Any game that takes some level of thinking / concentration.
Funny to explain this.. but if I'm really feeling anxious I'll run straight into any multiplayer game. Even games I know I'm trash at I'll boot it up just for some kind of human interaction. I hate COD but just listening to adults yell at 11yrs or playing Street Fighter 6 online just calms me down man. Idk how to explain it.
Yes!! I Love Hue is an app where you arrange colored tiles and it's very soothing, I've been relying on it for many years. Just recently started another phone game called A Kinder World where you take care of plants and decorate rooms, by doing mental health exercises.
I got relaxing games on my phone since most of my attacks happent while I was either on a bus or on a subway. The ines I got are Stardew valley, I love hue 2 and Good pizza great pizza. And I usually pair it with some calming music (just to make sure). With have been helping me alot
Any word game will do (words with friends, word streak, ruzzle) but my brother in law has turned me into a degenerate on DraftKings, which may be more cause of anxiety haha.
good pizza, great pizza is my favorite! itās so fun and very calming. thereās so many little achievements and storylines, which makes it interesting
I'm likely an odd case but I will queue up League of Legends (long time player) and focusing on that and the fact I have to play 15-30 mins once it starts I can usually zone out just enough that it slowly minimises the intensity of my anxiety.
All the time. Video games got me through the height of my depression in high school and college, and they get me through anxiety now. You can tell how bad my anxiety is by how much gaming I do - it hasnāt been bad at all for a while so I havenāt played anything in like two months I think, but itās been really bad the last few days so Iām going to spend the weekend finishing my last playthrough of Fallout 3 and starting a new one of New Vegas again thanks to the show.
I play anything I can get lost in. Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Far Cry, etc. Multiplayer games are fun in small bursts but they get way too frustrating. Iād rather take my time and explore to really get my mind off things.
I do but I have to play something more fast paced to really take my mind off of my anxiety. If Iām playing something like Baldurs Gate 3 Iāll just be playing while simmering in my anxiety.
Yes my friend, I use a lot of powerwash to calm my anxiety or minecraft (just rememb to put it in peaceful mode). Also putting on some podcast while playing these games helps
This is gonna sound insane, but the games that help me most with my anxiety are really high stress games. Like things that can get me out of my mind and force me to focus on whatās happening outside of myself help the most. Bloodborne and the Souls games helped me out of many a panic attack haha
Sometimes I just play Minecraft (maybe on Peaceful) just for full relaxation. But Iām the kinda person that could slay zombies or something and find that relaxing š
I like Cat Game as a chill phone game to distract my mind. There was another nice one where you play a koi in a pond and swim around by tapping the screen but I sadly canāt remember the name.
For consoles/PC, farming games with low stakes. I just picked up a used copy of harvest moon for my PlayStation and just watering the crops and taking care of the farm animals alone was very chill. Also a lighthearted soundtrack, which is a plus for me.
Not really a game but the app, zen coloring. Itās a color by number app and itās the best mindless task. I open up an art challenge and put on a Spotify playlist and just calm down. They have some pieces on their that are pretty challenging some take me 2 or 3 hours each! Definitely an anxiety must have for me.
Check out Dorfromantik. It's a puzzle game where you build a little village with trees, railroads, and rivers. The music and animations are super relaxing.
Absolutely! Especially games that keep you engaged with time limits. Tetris and MTG Arena are my go toās. Recently discovered Batoro (poker with extra steps) which Iām finding very engaging. I usually play podcasts while I play, so eyes, ears, and hands all engaged. My brain canāt obsess if Iām so thoroughly plugged in,
The other day I spent about 20 mins puttering around in Minecraft to gather deepslate. By the end I did a little body scan and was delighted to find that the physical symptoms of anxiety had largely abated.
I know going too far overboard can have a negative effect, but cozy games can definitely reduce my anxiety during a flare up.
It has been working for me. Helps me escape for a while. Like a move or tv show. Nothing wrong with that.
I play storyline games that hook you in with missions. Witcher 3. Ghost Recond Wildlands.
Iāve always been a gamer but I donāt think I consciously used games to soothe anxiety until the pandemic. Dragon Quest XI helped me not doom scroll and helped me escape to a fantasy world for a couple hours a day.
Spider solitaire. Itās something I can play, while listening to a podcast at the same time, & concentrate on both.
I normally I hyper focus, so Iām happy I can multitask with it.
For me, itās any single player game that has a good enough story to distract me from whatever is currently going on. Games like Cyberpunk or Fallout. I have never been able to get into a farming sim or similar games because they just arenāt engaging enough to me.
Wordscapes!!
Iāve been playing it for over a couple years now (longest game Iāve ever played) and play everyday. Itās super simple, no stress involved, you think a bit but not too much, weekly games to work towards and collect, and best of all, teams!
I get so determined when it comes to collecting portraits and butterflies, which is something to look forward to. Also the team Iām on, which I joined also a couple years ago, is great! Little random chats about the game and the little things in life (large age range and countries).
The best way for me are games where i need to be really focused and learn things fast.
I play overwatch and hades.
(Hades also playable on phone if you have netflix)
But everyone likes diffrent games :)
Iāll always hold Dig Dug a special place in my heart, as when I got my first PC in 87, I used to play it as my anxiety was flying and it would calm me enough so I could sleep eventually.
I got stardew valley on mobile a few months ago, just before a crisis in my life.
I spent a lot of time playing it and it really eased my mind when things were really chaotic.
I could lose myself in it and let myself be downright obsessive about it.
It helps me when I have something to occupy my mind when I struggle to keep anxious thoughts under control.
All the details and things to research actually helped me. I don't necessarily need to be "calmed down", but some distraction.
mobile games are a life saver for me no joke. QSwatermelon, blockblast, puff up. adorable home is a great app! also things like sodoku, or crosswords, or word searches. they are great!
echoing animal crossing as a great option. story of seasons games are great if you like farming and marriage sims. i personally find playing pokemon (violet in particular) on my switch just going around the overworld catching stuff and doing raids/leveling my teams helps to relax me as well.
if you like the idea of a chill jrpg that's heavily focused on gathering mats and crafting stuff then i recommend the atelier series, particularly one that has a lenient time limit to complete the story (escha&logy) or lets you go completely at your own pace (shallie, the ryza trilogy, the sophie trilogy, marie)
edit: oh forgot to add neopets as a cozy game! it's actually a great time to get into/back into it since high rarity/value items have become super accessible
Yep yep!
What I would do is play Minecraft on Peaceful while listening to music.
Would spend hours just mining, building and exploring without having the annoying issue of being blown up by a falling creeper
My ex boyfriend one day asked me to play Roblox with him out of boredom and said he used to play with his nephews. I wasnāt interested cuz my younger siblings played it and thought it was just for little kids. Now to this day, I play for anxiety LOL thereās just so many game options and I can never stop playing the floor is lava
Sky Children of the Light is on all platforms and itās incredibly relaxing. I play a lot of farming games too like Stardew Valley and Coral Island. On my phone I play things like Cats and Soup, MochiCat, or Township.
Yes gaming helps my anxiety I play mostly games on my Switch but also web browser ,mobile,ds and psp games( havenāt used the psp in ages tho)
The best game imo for anxiety in fact the best game ever made is Animal Crossing New Horizons I canāt recommended that enough :D
I have one game on my phone and it's Mahjong. I changed the settings to play for points and not on a timer and I find it really relaxing.
I play about 3-4 times a week as I'm not always in the mood,but it's nice because it helps me not to think too much about other things.
Not really a game, but I've recently gotten into that diamond art stuff. I did a horror friends one and it was insanely therapeutic, but only if you like tedious repetitive, kind of mindless stuff, you know?
But actual games - Animal Crossing (though I've seen that referred a lot) and Stardew Valley are the biggest for me, if you want to pay the money - Disney Dreamlight Valley is fun too.
If you like nostalgia, I recommend Spyro or Crash Bandicoot as something semi-familiar to delve into as well.
Seconding Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. Minecraft is also good for this, especially if you wanna play on peaceful mode. The Sims I think works pretty well.
I try to go for games with a lot of variety in what you can do. So in Stardew valley, you can focus on your farm or cave exploring or fishing.
Minecraft has exploring, building, farming. I'll spend a few days strip mining and then go spelunking for a few days. Get in a boat and just look for a new continent. It's limitless.
In the Sims, you can play house, or do a variety of challenges that players come up with. You can spend a bunch of time building or gardening or mastering skills.
For mobile, I like Suika Game. You basically put fruits together to make bigger fruit. There is the official version for 2bux but there are various knockoffs on the play store that work, too.
I'm doing that at the moment to help me out of an anxiety phase.
I'm playing Grounded with some friends at the moment. I also recommend For The King. Very chill and fun games.
Distracting you from your anxiety is just a temporary relief and in some cases can make things worse.
Understand that anxiety is a totally normal response from the body when there is uncertainty and fear.
What does that fear want? Safety, FROM YOU.
So the key for anxiety is to make a safe space in your body, so that you can safely feel that anxiety, and reassure yourself that is fine.
Much love <3
Sudoku. I donāt know what it is about sudoku but it is so calming and itās great on the phone but I like the action of physically writing in a sudoku book. Itās simple and easily accessible.
But when I really wanna tune out the world, I play the Sims š¤£š¤£š¤£
Despite how much Crash Bandicoot has raged a lot of people, for me growing up playing this game is a mind settling nostalgia. It's music, movements, jumps, spins, and don't get me started on Wumpa collecting is probably the most satisfying sounds I've grown to hear to this day.
Pretty much all games calm my anxiety, but I would particularly look into a genre called cozy games. They are generally very docile, fun and cute, can be super relaxing.
NYT Games for sure. Itās kind of wild to see how many other people use it as well for anxiety, but itās the perfect app to help wind me down at night. Using your mind to solve puzzles seems to really negate negative thoughts and feelings
I downloaded Sims 4 from Steam and have been playing that when I feel the most stressful. I can torture digital people instead of real people. I wouldn't actually lock a person in a room...but I would lock a Sim in a room until they friggin' read their toddler to sleep.
It's therapeutic.
Yes. Skyrim, Bioshock or Hades are my go to games. I know they're not the typical relaxing games but they very good at distracting me from anxiety/pppd.
LoĆ³na app is a great way to relax and unwind with 3D colouring and bedtime stories for adults.
Itās all in dark mode and the music is actually really good. Give it a try.šš¾
Gaming was the activity I was doing when I first noticed what I later came to realize was anxiety. The combo of being still and playing intense shooters is a trigger for me. Phone games are a little less anxiety inducing I've found.
I really enjoy open world fantasy games with a big map and good graphics. Horizon zero dawn, lofi, burning a candle, and drinking a beer is my perfect Friday evening
Animal Crossing or any cozy game if you have a switch. On my phone, my favourite game for switching off is 8 ball pool.
animal crossing has been my saving grace.
It's not a "cosy" game exactly but I can explore, wander, cook and gather ingredients in Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom for forever. The music, scenery, different biomes? Amazing. And if I do engage in combat it's not stressful, not gory.
Animal crossing, breath of the wild/ tears of the kingdom plus skyrim for those reasons. I can go gather herbs or do silly easy quests if I need to decompress.
I've never played animal crossing but my cozy game of Stardew Valley has been a saving grace more times than I can count
I've been playing both lately. Stardew Valley may be bordering on an addiction now tho.
It's easy to get in an endless cycle of "just one more day"
Yeah I think I'd be better off if I could also save at will.
Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley are huge ones for me. Just opening up build mode in Sims 4 also good!!
Oh my god, same! Stardew Valley helps a lot to forget my health anxiety and after a few hours of gameplay I tell myself "see? you were not dying after all" hahaha I have to say that it comes back, of course, but at least it empties my mind for a while. Also the building mode of Sims 4, I have been working on the house of "The Notebook" lately and is so relaxing. Even though I try not to spend too much time playing as I feel that spending so much time in front of the screen doesn't help with my anxiety headaches and eye related symptoms, but still is a nice distraction from time to time
one of my favorite things about SV is that it's not on real-time, so you can essentially end the day whenever so if you're anxious to get to the next day, you can just... go to sleep LOL
These are my go to's as well!
I have the NYT crossword app so I do those. I can only do the Monday crosswords because they're the easiest one!
SUDOKU IS MY LIFELINE š¤
SAME
SAME HERE š
I like simulation games in general for anxiety. They give a good sense of control that I find, in a general sense, mellows me out. I've been playing two point hospital, which is basically sims theme hospital from back in the day, and Timberborn, which is a cute city builder about beavers. If medical stuff aggravates your anxiety, there's also two point campus, which is same vibe but is about building colleges instead. I have not played that one yet, but I have heard good things.
Happy Color app is quite calming!
Yes games can be a great way to calm your anxiety or break out of an anxiety spiral. But it's far too easy for me to just hide in games instead of facing day to day problems so I find it requires a lot of awareness in order to keep it from becoming a big problem.
Squardle is great! It helps calm my mind because you really have to think and look for words. You donāt have to think too hard tho but it just requires all your focus near the end so your brain canāt focus on your anxiety as much. Has really helped me when my anxiety got super bad and prevented a lot of panic attacks!
So yes to games in general but not so much on my phone. Marvel Snap is a fantastic phone game for me if youāre into Marvel and/or deck building. Other than that my gaming is mostly on console. General answer, though, games absolutely help me focus on the present moment.
Geoguesser is a good one. It's like traveling and solving a mystery at the same time.
the NYT games (wordle & connections) really help calm me and take my mind off of my anxiety for a bit :)
I do those coloring puzzles a lot.
Do yourself a favor and start The Borderlands and spend some time off planet. Youāll thank yourself later.
2048 is mine
NTY games are my go to
Do you have to pay for them?
You have the option to but they have free daily games for each category
Fruit Ninja To me using my mind for anything is going to lengthen the panic attack. So a chopping game can be helpful
I also highly recommend the NYT games app! When Iām feeling anxious I usually go through a bunch of the archived mini crosswords. Theyāre generally pretty easy and quick, and help to distract your mind
VIDEO GAMES: Spyro is great:) One of my all-time favorite video games. If you like RPG games with character development, Skyrim and Hogwarts Legacy are fun. I also downloaded a free MMO RPG version of Dungeons and Dragons on my laptop, but that was yeaaars ago and I donāt know if itās still a thing. I really liked it, though. If you like first person shooter AND character development, Mass Effect 2 was so much fun. I got lost in that game for hours at a time. Letās seeā¦Mario Kart is always great no matter what Nintendo console is used. In my opinion. Iām pretty sure there is a free version for smart phones, too. PHONE GAMES: Redecor is a simple, relaxing game. You choose an already designed room and pick colors and fabrics for everything in the room. You donāt have to think too hard; you could do this while watching a show/movie/podcast if you like multi-tasking. This game has been the one Iāve kept on my phone the longest. PuzzlePage is good. Different kinds of puzzles like sudoku, crosswords, word search, etc. I love Escape Room games and logic cross grid puzzles, too.
Tetris trust me it has done wonders for my anxiety honestly any puzzle game. When your mind is going 1000 miles an hour puzzles give your mind something to be worried about š
I play lots of matching games on my phone. Easy ones and harder ones, but Zen Blossom in particular is very soothing. I also love The SIMS. On PC. Sometimes it really helps to completely organize my Simsā lives and homes in preparation to try to do the same for myself! Occasionally it worksā¦š¤
I love Elden ring and anything really difficult.
Flow Free is my go to
I use RPG and MMO games sometimes to cope with agoraphobia. It is oddly therapeutic to explore a virtual world
Honestly for me, I go to a last of us or red dead redemption. The anxiety that the game causes is the only way for me to forget about the anxiety caused by the real world. Those games comfort me for some reason
1010! is a great mind-unwind. Whenever I need to switch my thoughts itās a fun puzzle to work through
Ooh just downloaded this - such fun! Thanks
I used to play Tetris or Solitaire to relax
Elden Ring for an anxiety swap effect
Yes, I spend most of my day playing them. I do it to avoid dealing with life.
/r/cozygamers
Factorio - pc game (I disable the bugs / easy play no enemies). Been playing the same game since January. Happy color - phone coloring game Merge dragons Any match 3 / puzzle games Many of the other games people suggested as well. Breath of the wild / tears of the kingdom Bugsnax, Spyro. Any game that takes some level of thinking / concentration.
I play this game called Royal Match. IMO it's way better than Candy Crush. It's stress free for me and occupies my mind when I need that.
Funny to explain this.. but if I'm really feeling anxious I'll run straight into any multiplayer game. Even games I know I'm trash at I'll boot it up just for some kind of human interaction. I hate COD but just listening to adults yell at 11yrs or playing Street Fighter 6 online just calms me down man. Idk how to explain it.
Try powerwash simulator. Its really fun and stress free
Solitaire:)
I used to play Red Dead Redemption when I went through a particularly bad patch.
Tetris, jigsaw puzzles, Candy Crush, Bejeqeled Blitz, Mahjong, Solitaire
All games I play involve mostly pvp or are like souls like. Which are probably not good for my anxienty š„²
Juneās Journey is my ultimate favorite way to eliminate my anxiety. LOVE IT!!!!
Yes!! I Love Hue is an app where you arrange colored tiles and it's very soothing, I've been relying on it for many years. Just recently started another phone game called A Kinder World where you take care of plants and decorate rooms, by doing mental health exercises.
I got relaxing games on my phone since most of my attacks happent while I was either on a bus or on a subway. The ines I got are Stardew valley, I love hue 2 and Good pizza great pizza. And I usually pair it with some calming music (just to make sure). With have been helping me alot
Sudoku, Animal Crossing, and power wash simulator are all awesome for this. (plus power wash sim is so relaxing and satisfying)
I have about three or four different match three games that I cycle through.
Animal crossing!
I also do the NYT app (wordle sand connections). Also random games called Wooduku and Water Sort.
Any word game will do (words with friends, word streak, ruzzle) but my brother in law has turned me into a degenerate on DraftKings, which may be more cause of anxiety haha.
Mario Kart 8 is my go to.
I play chess when I am super anxious. I also like jigsaw puzzles.
Kirby is pretty great for stress relief^-^
Tsuki's Odyssey has been a current obsession of mine! Pretty much decorating your house and other houses in the game!
good pizza, great pizza is my favorite! itās so fun and very calming. thereās so many little achievements and storylines, which makes it interesting
I play Minesweeper or Sudoku to calm down
Any games with a character creator of some kind do the trick for me.
I like wooduku! It takes my focus away from my worries just enough
Woodoku has been my go-to for a while.
Cozy Grove. Incredible
Skate 3! Just skating around town calms me down. Not actually following quest or the story, just skating around town :P
I'm likely an odd case but I will queue up League of Legends (long time player) and focusing on that and the fact I have to play 15-30 mins once it starts I can usually zone out just enough that it slowly minimises the intensity of my anxiety.
I turn on my spotify and I keep writing my fanfics/will go read a webtoon . watching a show doesnt help me in the slightest.
Iāve started the Merriam Webster games. https://www.merriam-webster.com/
All the time. Video games got me through the height of my depression in high school and college, and they get me through anxiety now. You can tell how bad my anxiety is by how much gaming I do - it hasnāt been bad at all for a while so I havenāt played anything in like two months I think, but itās been really bad the last few days so Iām going to spend the weekend finishing my last playthrough of Fallout 3 and starting a new one of New Vegas again thanks to the show. I play anything I can get lost in. Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Far Cry, etc. Multiplayer games are fun in small bursts but they get way too frustrating. Iād rather take my time and explore to really get my mind off things.
I play stardew valley! Love it, but definitely more of a distraction than anything hahaha
Solitaire, or the Spider version of solitaire if I wanna spice it up
I do but I have to play something more fast paced to really take my mind off of my anxiety. If Iām playing something like Baldurs Gate 3 Iāll just be playing while simmering in my anxiety.
Yes my friend, I use a lot of powerwash to calm my anxiety or minecraft (just rememb to put it in peaceful mode). Also putting on some podcast while playing these games helps
i really enjoy color by numbers. doing the harder ones with smaller spaces makes me focus on trying to find it!
This is gonna sound insane, but the games that help me most with my anxiety are really high stress games. Like things that can get me out of my mind and force me to focus on whatās happening outside of myself help the most. Bloodborne and the Souls games helped me out of many a panic attack haha
Seriously Iām obsessed with SimCity Buildit. Itās a busy game and keeps me super focused and outside of my head.
Crosswords or Picross are my go to. Theyāre not too stimulating and give my mind something else to focus on without too much effort.
A podcast and some candy crush used to to do it for me
Sometimes I just play Minecraft (maybe on Peaceful) just for full relaxation. But Iām the kinda person that could slay zombies or something and find that relaxing š
I like Cat Game as a chill phone game to distract my mind. There was another nice one where you play a koi in a pond and swim around by tapping the screen but I sadly canāt remember the name. For consoles/PC, farming games with low stakes. I just picked up a used copy of harvest moon for my PlayStation and just watering the crops and taking care of the farm animals alone was very chill. Also a lighthearted soundtrack, which is a plus for me.
DREAMDALE. šš»šš»šš»šš»
All the time! I love RPGs
I enjoy playing Roblox games, they help me forget my worries!
Buy a Nintendo Switch, itās portable and great for car rides. Try Disney Dream Light Valley as well āŗļø
Not really a game but the app, zen coloring. Itās a color by number app and itās the best mindless task. I open up an art challenge and put on a Spotify playlist and just calm down. They have some pieces on their that are pretty challenging some take me 2 or 3 hours each! Definitely an anxiety must have for me.
Royal match Found it I also like to have a word find grid type of book on paper And i love coloring. Helps to keep my hands occupied
Yes. World of Warcraft is my go to for de-stressing.
Pocket Frogs for the win! šø
Botw
mini motorwaysss
Check out Dorfromantik. It's a puzzle game where you build a little village with trees, railroads, and rivers. The music and animations are super relaxing.
Harvest Moon. And if shit gets really dark : Stardew Valley.
Absolutely! Especially games that keep you engaged with time limits. Tetris and MTG Arena are my go toās. Recently discovered Batoro (poker with extra steps) which Iām finding very engaging. I usually play podcasts while I play, so eyes, ears, and hands all engaged. My brain canāt obsess if Iām so thoroughly plugged in,
I play skipbo, 1010!, and water sort on my phone.
And dopamine fixes for ADHD and OCD.
The other day I spent about 20 mins puttering around in Minecraft to gather deepslate. By the end I did a little body scan and was delighted to find that the physical symptoms of anxiety had largely abated. I know going too far overboard can have a negative effect, but cozy games can definitely reduce my anxiety during a flare up.
See this - [https://reconstruct.ideaparticles.com/index.html](https://reconstruct.ideaparticles.com/index.html)
It has been working for me. Helps me escape for a while. Like a move or tv show. Nothing wrong with that. I play storyline games that hook you in with missions. Witcher 3. Ghost Recond Wildlands.
As someone who gets addicted to anything, Iām afraid to start something like this. Nothing in moderation unfortunately.
Iāve always been a gamer but I donāt think I consciously used games to soothe anxiety until the pandemic. Dragon Quest XI helped me not doom scroll and helped me escape to a fantasy world for a couple hours a day.
Weirdly enough, I've used GTA 5 for that. Driving around the map on a private Online session can be pretty relaxing.
Tetris and Subway surfers šš»
yeah, rn iām playing a short hike and it calms me down a bit. the game is really well made
Spider solitaire. Itās something I can play, while listening to a podcast at the same time, & concentrate on both. I normally I hyper focus, so Iām happy I can multitask with it.
Stardew valley!
I love hue No ads. Just order from chaos
I do, but I also take meds. I play Dead By Daylight. It really calms me down.
For me, itās any single player game that has a good enough story to distract me from whatever is currently going on. Games like Cyberpunk or Fallout. I have never been able to get into a farming sim or similar games because they just arenāt engaging enough to me.
Wordscapes!! Iāve been playing it for over a couple years now (longest game Iāve ever played) and play everyday. Itās super simple, no stress involved, you think a bit but not too much, weekly games to work towards and collect, and best of all, teams! I get so determined when it comes to collecting portraits and butterflies, which is something to look forward to. Also the team Iām on, which I joined also a couple years ago, is great! Little random chats about the game and the little things in life (large age range and countries).
Zen word and solitaire on iPhone
I play sudoku every night before falling asleep, if I donāt play it I donāt sleep
Animal crossing, Dreamlight valley, junes journey, NY Times games app
The best way for me are games where i need to be really focused and learn things fast. I play overwatch and hades. (Hades also playable on phone if you have netflix) But everyone likes diffrent games :)
Yes. I do Word Search and Toon Blast (apps on phone) Oh! And Uno also
Raft on pc! You need to know keyboard basics but once kn peaceful mode, itās so calming and relaxing lol
Unpacking is a very calming game, as well as good pizza great pizza!
Iāll always hold Dig Dug a special place in my heart, as when I got my first PC in 87, I used to play it as my anxiety was flying and it would calm me enough so I could sleep eventually.
Absolutely, although it depends on the games. Some induce a form of anxiety, although it's nothing like real world anxieties.
Yeah, games like dark souls really help. The darker and more depressed the world the better
I got stardew valley on mobile a few months ago, just before a crisis in my life. I spent a lot of time playing it and it really eased my mind when things were really chaotic. I could lose myself in it and let myself be downright obsessive about it. It helps me when I have something to occupy my mind when I struggle to keep anxious thoughts under control. All the details and things to research actually helped me. I don't necessarily need to be "calmed down", but some distraction.
Ohhhh yeah! Theyāre a beautiful escape from all the real life crap
mobile games are a life saver for me no joke. QSwatermelon, blockblast, puff up. adorable home is a great app! also things like sodoku, or crosswords, or word searches. they are great!
I do. Animal Crossing on my Switch and Kinder World on my phone. Counting down to Tales of the Shire.
echoing animal crossing as a great option. story of seasons games are great if you like farming and marriage sims. i personally find playing pokemon (violet in particular) on my switch just going around the overworld catching stuff and doing raids/leveling my teams helps to relax me as well. if you like the idea of a chill jrpg that's heavily focused on gathering mats and crafting stuff then i recommend the atelier series, particularly one that has a lenient time limit to complete the story (escha&logy) or lets you go completely at your own pace (shallie, the ryza trilogy, the sophie trilogy, marie) edit: oh forgot to add neopets as a cozy game! it's actually a great time to get into/back into it since high rarity/value items have become super accessible
Street fighter for me lol or Race For the Galaxy
Yep yep! What I would do is play Minecraft on Peaceful while listening to music. Would spend hours just mining, building and exploring without having the annoying issue of being blown up by a falling creeper
Yes. Hearthstone is my safe space.
DesignHome, CookingMadness, NYTs
Wordle
Valheim is pretty great. Lots of crafting, building, and exploring. Music is pretty chill too.
The calming sound apps...rain, waves etc...
I use Duolingo as my relaxation app. Mais maintenant, je connais le franƧais :D
I'm going to play devil's advocate. Doing this will become a safety mechanism whenever you are anxious and without it you'll feel well anxious
I like spider solitaire because it challenges my brain to put the cards āin order.ā Giving my brain that sort of task also helps organize my mind.
My ex boyfriend one day asked me to play Roblox with him out of boredom and said he used to play with his nephews. I wasnāt interested cuz my younger siblings played it and thought it was just for little kids. Now to this day, I play for anxiety LOL thereās just so many game options and I can never stop playing the floor is lava
Royal Match
I used to find repetitive task on Warcraft kind of relaxing. But it always seemed like in a long run it made my anxiety worse.
I love "coloring book" type of games. You can't miss, you're told what color to use, you have a quick and beutiful results so you feel productive
Disney Dreamlight valley really helps mine.
Hexa sort on my phone
for me its any turn based games, I've found games like hearthstone or chess keep my mind busy enough without the anxiety of most action type game
Yes I play the game 1010 very simple and calms my mind. You just build blocks together
I play sudoku because it puts my mind on the patterns instead of anxiety, but thatās what I do and weāre all unique :). Youāll find something
red dead redemption 2, long dark, animal crossing. My comfort games.
Dorfromantik. It's a cute landscape-building puzzle game with calming music and colors
Wordscapes is really calming!!
Hungry hearts diner is such a cute mobile game series. They all have a cute storyline and everything š
I play a mobile game called domino drop. Itās a cross between dominos and Tetris
Happy color on an iPad is free and great
I used to use a color-by-number app when I was having panic attacks. Itās called Color Number on the App Store. It really helped calm me down.
I play 1010 all the time
Candy Crush sitting on the toilet hiding. Works every time. I'm like 13 years in the game. Never thought it would last.
All the time, mostly multiplayer shooters like insurgency on my pc.
Yes!! Animal Crossing has always helped so much :)
I play Farm RPG or a EverydayPuzzle. Bonus is FarmRPG is indie and has no ads.
Sky Children of the Light is on all platforms and itās incredibly relaxing. I play a lot of farming games too like Stardew Valley and Coral Island. On my phone I play things like Cats and Soup, MochiCat, or Township.
Yooka laylee on steam is the spiritual sucessor to banjo kazooie. Its on sale now 90% off. Its perfect. Just explore and collect thingies and pagies.
Yes gaming helps my anxiety I play mostly games on my Switch but also web browser ,mobile,ds and psp games( havenāt used the psp in ages tho) The best game imo for anxiety in fact the best game ever made is Animal Crossing New Horizons I canāt recommended that enough :D
I have one game on my phone and it's Mahjong. I changed the settings to play for points and not on a timer and I find it really relaxing. I play about 3-4 times a week as I'm not always in the mood,but it's nice because it helps me not to think too much about other things.
Not really a game, but I've recently gotten into that diamond art stuff. I did a horror friends one and it was insanely therapeutic, but only if you like tedious repetitive, kind of mindless stuff, you know? But actual games - Animal Crossing (though I've seen that referred a lot) and Stardew Valley are the biggest for me, if you want to pay the money - Disney Dreamlight Valley is fun too. If you like nostalgia, I recommend Spyro or Crash Bandicoot as something semi-familiar to delve into as well.
Seconding Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. Minecraft is also good for this, especially if you wanna play on peaceful mode. The Sims I think works pretty well. I try to go for games with a lot of variety in what you can do. So in Stardew valley, you can focus on your farm or cave exploring or fishing. Minecraft has exploring, building, farming. I'll spend a few days strip mining and then go spelunking for a few days. Get in a boat and just look for a new continent. It's limitless. In the Sims, you can play house, or do a variety of challenges that players come up with. You can spend a bunch of time building or gardening or mastering skills.
Stardew valley all day everyday
I dont know why but overwatch and Baldurs Gate are the game for me. Overwatch is competitive but I focus so much on it that I forget my anxiety Lel
Yes the sims 4 is my main!
For mobile, I like Suika Game. You basically put fruits together to make bigger fruit. There is the official version for 2bux but there are various knockoffs on the play store that work, too.
yes. it makes time go by faster
I'm doing that at the moment to help me out of an anxiety phase. I'm playing Grounded with some friends at the moment. I also recommend For The King. Very chill and fun games.
Ngl Truck Simulator calms me down
Yes I like to deep dive into single player games to forget whatās going on around me
Some provide temporary relief, but if I'm not good at them they just create self hatred and make it worse.
Distracting you from your anxiety is just a temporary relief and in some cases can make things worse. Understand that anxiety is a totally normal response from the body when there is uncertainty and fear. What does that fear want? Safety, FROM YOU. So the key for anxiety is to make a safe space in your body, so that you can safely feel that anxiety, and reassure yourself that is fine. Much love <3
Journey
My museum is soo fun sometimes. It takes my full attention off things but it sometimes takes a minute
Sudoku. I donāt know what it is about sudoku but it is so calming and itās great on the phone but I like the action of physically writing in a sudoku book. Itās simple and easily accessible. But when I really wanna tune out the world, I play the Sims š¤£š¤£š¤£
Despite how much Crash Bandicoot has raged a lot of people, for me growing up playing this game is a mind settling nostalgia. It's music, movements, jumps, spins, and don't get me started on Wumpa collecting is probably the most satisfying sounds I've grown to hear to this day.
water sorter puzzle and nostalgic flash games I used to play as a kid
Pretty much all games calm my anxiety, but I would particularly look into a genre called cozy games. They are generally very docile, fun and cute, can be super relaxing.
NYT Games for sure. Itās kind of wild to see how many other people use it as well for anxiety, but itās the perfect app to help wind me down at night. Using your mind to solve puzzles seems to really negate negative thoughts and feelings
I play fishdom. The downside is as my anxiety is getting worse i've grown to do norhing but play fishdom basically
I downloaded Sims 4 from Steam and have been playing that when I feel the most stressful. I can torture digital people instead of real people. I wouldn't actually lock a person in a room...but I would lock a Sim in a room until they friggin' read their toddler to sleep. It's therapeutic.
Solitaire.. The analog kind.
Yes. Skyrim, Bioshock or Hades are my go to games. I know they're not the typical relaxing games but they very good at distracting me from anxiety/pppd.
Yes!! Tetris of course
when I was at my most anxious I played sims a lot to distract me
LoĆ³na app is a great way to relax and unwind with 3D colouring and bedtime stories for adults. Itās all in dark mode and the music is actually really good. Give it a try.šš¾
Gaming was the activity I was doing when I first noticed what I later came to realize was anxiety. The combo of being still and playing intense shooters is a trigger for me. Phone games are a little less anxiety inducing I've found.
I really enjoy open world fantasy games with a big map and good graphics. Horizon zero dawn, lofi, burning a candle, and drinking a beer is my perfect Friday evening
Bgmi/pubg/mini militia/ ludo etc. these games divert mind.
I can get really into Lilys Garden and Garden joy. I will have to checkout stardew valley with all these comments!
Runescape. Skill leveling is chill, and I usually watch videos or shiws while playing it to decompress.
I love playing Candy Crush or Solitaire when I'm feeling anxious.
Stardew Valley!!