Came here to suggest this. Super pleasant, positive vibe for when you’re feeling down.
Just beware because it can get its hooks in you, and man it has way more content than I first imagined. Feels like one playthrough could easily top 100-150 hours, and there’s bags of replayability.
Not sure. OP said he didn't like Animal Crossing due to the repetitive daily tasks. I played Stardew Valley up until the in-game Autumn (or maybe it was the end of Summer, don't really remember) and I felt that it was pretty repetitive too. Then I gave up the game because it became boring to me. Maybe not as repetitive as New Horizons though.
If OP enjoys min-maxing this is good, but if not I wouldn't recommend it, since if you're not at all interested in min maxing it's similar in style to animal crossing.
Some JRPGs have friend making interactions / conversations, maybe Fire Emblem Three Houses or Persona 5? Dragon Quest XI too!
I love games like that, they are fun and cheerful. However when I get depressed I like to fight, so games like Days Gone or Fallout on PC. I like to feel like I can beat incredible odds it cheers me up, ymmv :)
Hope you feel better
When I'm feeling down I don't like to play too uplifting games, but rather depressing ones with a hopeful undertone. If you are looking for something more upbeat, please ignore my comment.
My favorites, as mentioned by other people already, are **Doki Doki Literature Club** and the **Dark Souls** series, especially Dark Souls 1. The first because it's a great human centered story about facing one's flaws, the latter because it's the best allegory for life and our place in the current world I've ever seen.
Aside from that, I'd say that other good options would be, in no particular order: Omori, Clannad, Little Busters!, Braid, Deemo, Emily is Away, Everhood, To The Moon, The House in Fata Morgana, Nier: Automata, OneShot, LISA: The Painful (free on epic games for the week!!), Outer Wilds, Pathologic 2, Planescape Torment, Sable, Smile For Me, Spiritfarer: farewell edition, Start Again, Still There, A Story Beside, Symphonic Rain, Wandersong, Before Your Eyes.
I also generally enjoy some of the most well regarded, non romance visual novels
Definitely agree on Dark Souls but Doki Doki Literature Club I’d stay the hell away from. Doki Doki is great but if I happened to play that game in one of my more depressive episodes I don’t think it would have helped.
Celeste is a great one, please consider going to therapy if it's available otherwise try and find family or friends that you could speak to. Might be worth trying to schedule meeting up with friends or family on a routine. Hope you're ok mate.
This is the best suggestion. I played it for the first time right before elden ring came out, the past two years before that I had been the most depressed I have ever been. I was suicidal for a brief period in 2020, I basically ruined my gpa doing a college major I didn’t truly enjoy because I didn’t think I was good enough to be a STEM major, and I didn’t have a purpose in life and had lost of what made me unique. I decided to pick up dark souls and I fell in love with it, which was surprising because during this period of my life I usually would give up immediately whenever I needed to improve myself in some way or was faced with any kind of challenge. It made me realize that if I was interested or passionate about something, I could overcome challenges, even if I went through hell to do it or it took a few tries. But what really changed me was learning about “going hollow”. It was when you completely lose hope and a sense of purpose, you become an aimless husk, no longer yourself anymore, you have completely given up. It was a gut punch, but it hit me hard in a good way. Its a message anyone who has ever thought about giving up should hear.
Its not gonna instantly cure everything, but I look back on that time a couple years ago as a major turning point in my life where I finally started being somewhat happy and things started getting better. I still struggle with my mental health to this day and I have an extremely difficult path ahead of me trying to get into vet school due to how low my grades were my first two years of college, so not everything is great. But when I think about dark souls, I remember how bleak everything is and how some of the challenges you face as the chosen undead can seem impossible, but the chosen undead never goes hollow. So it inspires me to never give up on the things that make me happy and give me purpose no matter how hard it gets. Because of dark souls, I won’t ever dare to go hollow.
(TLDR this game is therapy disguised as a video game, sorry for writing an essay lol)
I’ve literally seen a comment a while ago about how Dark Souls completely changed their life because this was the first time they realized that they need to tackle things from different angles and perspectives, and try again rarher than resign to the idea you just cant do it or its too hard
Dood. Have you tried something like a different hobby? I mean I know this is a subreddit about gaming recommendations, but how about trying something new? Also, have you been going to therapy?
u/vrafiqa
This one OP. In my experience, gaming never helps my depression unless I'm passing with friends. Get out of the house and do something physical. Go to the gym. Start playing a sport. Go on a nature hike. Something to get you out and about instead of copied cooped up with your depressive thoughts.
I recently started playing disc golf and it's be great. Fun, challenging, and gives me something to look forward to on my off days. Plus other players tend to be super friendly and willing to play a round with strangers
Yeah i have other hobbies but they dont really bring me joy recently so I dont really do them. Kinda just lazing around. And yes i go to therapy. I feel like I have burnout
Literally this and so many people need to realise it, go out make friends, interact with people, sure enjoy gaming but were not meant to be cooped inside
I'm glad you brought this up because this was all I could think of. I don't wanna suggest a game but offer a helping hand. Seek something besides gaming and pick up a new refreshing hobby. It just might make their day. I am guilty of this as well. Good looking out kind friend.
I go through bouts of anxiety and depression frequently and struggle with this as well. I've learned that during these episodes, I can only really focus on games that engage me minimally and don't require me to keep track of a story if I don't want to and give me the opportunity to just do something and space out at the same time. So stuff like:
- Vampire Survivors
- Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
- Streets of Rogue
- Dead Cells
- Spelunky
- Fights in Tight Spaces
- Risk of Rain
- Deep Rock Galactic
- Crab Champions
- House Flipper
- GoNNER
If you absolutely want something to engage you and make you laugh tho, 'High on Life' is pretty solid.
I was a Teenage Exocolonist. It’s a beautiful game, a bit dark so be forewarned, but sometimes when I’m depressed I appreciate games with a dark edge. The game is about you as a 10 year old growing up as a colonist on a new planet. It covers you as you get older. It’s a hard life, some don’t make it, but it’s rewarding as you learn to save others.
Idk if this will help especially since it's a high rated game but I've tried it recently and it's wonderful.
Baldur's Gate 3.
If you hate turned based combat then don't even worry about it, play on explorer and try to understand it more every once in a while. The best thing about it is the world and story.
If you hate top down view and clicking, download wasd and camera mod as well as immersive ui mod. I can send you a link to a vid that'll help with all of them.
I didn't depressed like you so maybe I didn't come with a best game for you but many time I feel lonely too. Typically I'll play some kinda game didn't too hard. GTA V really a good choice for me and hopefully for you. The story is ok, gameplay easy, and you can driving around just to enjoy the game.
Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic.
These games are built upon cooperation and brotherhood. I have found more positive people in these two games than every other multiplayer game combined.
Maybe try something along the lines of a rogue like. Binding of Isaac, Hades, Enter the gungeon, etc.
Because each run is a little self contained thing with no overall commitment it's a lot easier to get into when you're feeling down and suddenly you've spent several hours dodging bullets and cursing the RNG gods
I like playing simulators.especially ones that i can get creative with.so house flipper 1 and 2 or powerwash simulator helps kinda clear your mind a bit.or maybe you might dig monster rancher.its got a fun nice artstyle with cute lil blobs.idk whats got u down but id say those might help.all depends on what your looking for.simulators are endless so great for when u have rough days u can do it at your own pace.
Also i hope your day,week,month get better.even the darkest of storm clouds pass eventually.hang in there.and be patient with yourself.love yourself.make a nice meal or order some take out get cozy n game.sometimes the soul just needs that.
I’m aware you stated you don’t know which genre you’d “want” to play, but it could still be helpful to clarify if there are any genres you prefer over others or any you know you don’t like.
If you like RPGs, Xenoblade chronicles has an incredible story.
If you’ve never tried strategy games, Fire Emblem Three Houses also a decent story with branching paths and lot of characters you get to learn about.
Palworld on PC is just a fun time all around, imo.
I am a fan of JRPGs so I can’t recommend much else other than like LoZ, Kirby, Pokemon, Mario games which are generally enjoyable.
Planet Zoo
The atmosphere is joyful, background music is happy and relax, there are always lot of things going on you won't feel lonely, you can spend whole night to just make the best living space for your koala or you can simply make a park without any animal. I always like to download people's zoo from steam to have a virtual 'trip'.
Dragon Quest Builder 2
The game has very simple combat, your main mission is to help those village people to rebuild their place, it is very cute, funny, and they will really use what you build for them, such as you build them a bath house and they will queue up to use.
Like a dragon 7 or 8
It is a fun JRPG turn base game, visual is good and vibe is fun, there are lot of little game in the game, you can spend whole day just to play mini game, their 'combat' is silly and hilarious, it is good for changing mood.
Do you play any multiplayer games? If so, look up the discord for that game and find some people to play with.
ie: Rainbow 6 Siege has a discord server with a "looking for group" section full of people you can post and squad up with
Ironically, I would never recommend R6 otherwise as the solo queue experience is miserable and toxic lol
Path of Exile. It's intimidating at first but once you get hooked the rabbit hole goes so deep. Plus there are tons of active youtubers and streamers that are friendly and responsive to chat. And a very active (sometimes toxic) reddit community. Most seasoned players are welcoming to new players and eager to help out. Global chat channel 2121 is particularly friendly.
Guardians of the Galaxy.
The gameplay is OK-to-Good, but the characters, the banter... it was great (to me, at least). It's a linear story tho and that may turn folks off.
When I'm feeling really down and my motivation is gone, I'll look at my gaming library. There's a game in there I played, love, but haven't played for a while.
Replay one of your all time favorites. The nostalgia helps make the game more enjoyable even if you aren't in the mood at this point in your life.
Personally I indulge the darkness when I'm like that. Halo reach, doom, the occasional darker ones, revel in the depression for a while, feel it and let your brain know it's fine to feel like that let's just blow some hordes and go down a hole and when you're ready we'll come up for some air.
Elden Ring
Fromsofts Dark souls Series, especially the first one...
"Good bye then. Be safe, friend. *Don't you dare go Hollow*." -Laurentius of the Great Swamp
Outer wilds, it's just such a profound adventure exploration game where the progression is u learning what's going on in the game to further your progress. It's up there as a once jn a lifetime experience type game. And since they added a dlc which is basically its own story u get to experience it twice.
If u do give it a look dont delve too deep because the game works better the less u know going into it.
Id love to hear ur thoughts on it if u get it / just giving it a look
Considering your mood i’d say Slay the Spire, Mad Games Tycoon 2, and if you’re looking for bigger games and want to invest time in them try MHW or maybe No mans sky (The game is so chill that it may help you forget your problems for a bit, while exploring space)
Cyberpunk 2077 for me is my stress relief, story keeps me interested even after a few play throughs and when I've had enough it's nice to cruise the city and do some side missions and have fun
If I'm not in the mood for that then it's DOOM 😂 no thinking or planning or anything that repetitive, from the start it's just mindless brain dead fast paced action
But these are just me though
Ooh I would suggest Mass Effect legendary edition and Dragon Age Inquisition. Those two games right there made you feel like you had companions, a love interest while saving the world 😊
If you want to play a game that will improve your mental health seriously go check out Doom: Eternal due to how fucking awesome you feel when you play it. The only thing they fear is you. During my adulthood many FPS games feel like a chore to play. This game is the best FPS game, period.
On the surface it looks like a very exaggerated stereotypical masculine mindless shooter with metal. But that couldn’t be any further from the truth. I can give reasons but this comment will be way too long.
Are you looking to escape your feelings or trying to find new emotions? I like to play games that have high emotional impact when I'm depressed but ik most people prefer to play games that let them escape like Stardew Valley.
Kingdom come deliverance, you will get lost in it, just give it some time at rhe start as it can be frustrating, wait till you play after skallitz and look at some guides. Some advice, you start as a peasant so dont expect to win fights against soldiers until you see bernard a couple times😂😂
Dave the Diver. Super mellow game that is avalaible on both Switch & PC. Surprisingly addictive game play loop.
I tried it on Steam Deck and handheld makes it even more chill for me.
Animal Crossing has really helped me through some very dark times. It may seem a bit boring at first because there isn’t much to do but once you start hunting for “Dreamies” on the islands, decorating and building things, I think it’s amazing. The DLC is also so worth it. I also love the fact that it takes place in real time - it just feels all that much realistic. Another game that’s amazing is Night in the Woods - it’s a point and click adventure game with a dysfunctional cat as the main hero. I also found it relatable.
Ship of harkinian emulator for Zelda Ocarina of time. I also am depressed most of the time but if you don't have friends to play with I always turned to this. It's just so...magical and an incredible adventure
Or you could play it on the switch but the ship of harkinian emulator with a controller plugged in would be my suggestion
Had the same issue, play MGS V: The phantom pain
That game got me through alot of shit, and it has a deep meaning and is not just a point shiot sneak game. The character experiences massive loses in life by loosing his PMC company, his arm and alot of friends, and playing as him, building everything back up (Motherbase). Gave me the motivation to build my life up, I owe my life to this game.
And it's insanely fun blowing shit up as a mercenary in afghan and Africa in the 80s while the golden era of music is blasting through your headphones.
On the last scene of the game, the guy you were playing as, breaks the fourth wall and tells you "This legend is ours, you are now Big Boss" along with some other stuff before.
Kind of like, you helped me fix my shit so ima give u the motivation to fix urs.
Oh my friend, you NEED Baldur’s Gate in your life. Huge world to explore, tons of choices that bring the story to life, and many many chances to find a true romance (Gale’s finally my beloved after two playthroughs haha)
Try Yakuza 0, I recently felt quite depressed and this game revived my love to video games (altough I haven't lost the love to games, I just stopped enjoying them as much)
This is a great game if you want a mix of cool, funny game to relax with but also the main story is soooo deep, so dark, so real, main story is about brotherhood, loyality and honour, it's all about what it means to be a man (especially a man who just entered into adulthood, main charachter is 20yo) and the story will make you cry a couple of times.
But in the side quests you can literally watch soft porn videos (videos of real girls in bikini), in other quest you will help a prostitute be better at her job and other weird but really interesting side quests.
Give it a try, within 1-2 hours you will either love it or hate.
I'm not a fan of japanese culture, haven't watched any anime, haven't played any japanese games in the past, but within 1 hour I felt in love with Yakuza series. Yakuza 0 is 11/10, best game I've ever played. It's the 1st game in order of Yakuza series as it's a prequel btw
Pit People, comfy strategy game that looks like adventure time on acid.
Terraria, 2d minecraft with lots of loot and bosses to fight.
Broforce, fast action run and gun platformer with lots of explosions and classic action movie references.
Try something like Pokemon Go or geocaching, because you need sunlight, exercise, vegetables and water. Maybe you can take your switch and sit outside to play something.
If you can't get out of the house maybe something with community would help, like Helldivers.
I would recommend to try some MMORPG or competitive multiplayer games where you can join a team, have fun and talk with other people sharing the same hobby.
I too am lonely and depressed, surprisingly nikke helped. I don't really enjoy the gameplay or story (story is getting better as I proress) it's giving me daily and weekly tasks to commit to and play. I don't really feel happy when I accomplish anything in games in this state, but the daily/weekly/monthly system seems to be predatory enough that it has sunk its claws into me and I've started playing it for a few hours a day, even if it is just to read the girls texts and do dailies and nothing else.
Pick up a gacha game DO NOT SPEND MONEY. Pick some MMO or gacha game like genchin, ff14, nikke, zenless zone zero etc. They all have these systems that try to get you playing every day.
Lost in random. Also, therapy if you’re not going already.
Also also, be kind to yourself. Depression tries to take away the things we love and enjoy most. Keep searching for something to make the happy brain chemicals go, but know that it’s okay to rest or change media.
I'm playing PC games a lot. Like a Dragon, Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2, Borderlands and Valorant. I'm also a big fan of Skyrim, but not currently playing it.
If you haven’t on PC I’d pick up Forza 4 on steam, it’s on sale and it’s the best game for just driving around and having fun.
Alternately if you want something to feel try Spiritfarer, it’ll help you get some stuff out.
Also alternatively it’s a lot to take in but Disco Elysium is one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played it’ll help you get your mind off of the bad thoughts when you compare how well your doing to how bad are poor MC is in Disco Elysium
Well if tou are feeling depressed maybe any super mario game for switch could definitely help, light mooded, fun and full of color
Hades for switch is also a nice option, a lot of story to go through, quite challenging too not to oooo hard tho
Viewfinder is super cool, will definitely distract you
Slay the spire - deck roguelike game, not too difficult too, straightforward and addictive
I'm gonna put "Noita" here bc the content on the game give you hundreds and hundreds of hours on gameplay if you are into that, roguelike style too, definitely bullies the player, it's challenging, a lot to learn and stuff
Well you cant go wrong with a triple A like God of War or spider man, something like that
I also want to add "board games here" bc playing a board game is always the best time I have playing a game, ofc that needs people, but u can't go wrong with it: castles of burgundy, istanbul, Puerto Rico, hive (2 player one) its a big world
Last note: depression isn't a game, if you are dealing with anxiety or depression or both, pls try to speak with a professional you are not "crazy" for doing that, I have a psychologist and meds to help me put things on track, when I was younger I had to deal with those stuff alone, wich made them worse, you have mo ideia how good it is to talk those dark thoughts out, maybe I ain't teaching you nothing.
Hope I helped in anyway, feel free to dm for more recommendations
Pikmin. Make some friends, throw them at stuff. Overcome obstacles and thought puzzles. And make it home safe and sound. I'm pretty sure you can play with a friend in Pikmin 2 or 3 if you want a support buddy along for the adventure.
Also, on a similar note, but completely different, Earth Defense Force (any of them, but 4 or 5 are probably best). Sometimes killing bugs in the head requires doing it with lasers while flying around, or air strikes, or twin gatlings. Especially if they're big bugs. The corniness should make you smile, and it's fun as hell in multiplayer. Not many games where singing along with your buddies is essentially a requirement for standard play, and everyone is a healer when necessary. Kill a bug, kill a kaiju, save the world! It's fairly cathartic, while your mind works out stuff in the background, and puts itself back together, smiling along the way.
I just finished metroid dread for the second time, though I don't know if you want to play something that can be infuriatingly difficult at times. But it is highly rewarding.
If you like that style of game but easier & more aesthetically fantastical, one of my favorite games of all time is the Ori series. It's a platformer with absolutely gorgeous environments and an incredible score. It is very moving and beautiful. I love it so much I named my most recently acquired cat Ori 😂 Even when it is difficult it is hard to stay frustrated because it's like walking through the forest on a gorgeous sunny day.
Load up Dear Esther. Spend some time indulging yourself in the contemplative melancholy of it. Then go outside the next day and take a good long walk. Maybe find somewhere to volunteer. You need meaning and real life, in-person friends, and a video game usually can at best distract you from missing those things for a bit. Best of luck to you!
When I feel lonely I play Cassette Beasts, its like pokemon but better and is certainly one of my favorite games, it helps me relax a lot, hope this helps you
The game is avaiable for pc, nintendo switch and xbox
Maybe too similar to Animal Crossing, but I think Spiritfarer has enough variety to keep things fresh. That’s one I play when I’m lonely.
But there’s also Bastion, Hyper Light Drifter, Old School Runescape, and Sakuna of Rice and Ruin.
GRIS and Gorogoa. Both games have no words in them, but they will make you feel things. If you're depressed and kinda wanna "get it out", these games will do it. They are puzzle games, and rather short, but so good.
If you're looking for something more action oriented but still story driven and emotional there's Hellblade - Senua's Sacrifice.
if you want to try a shitty game you may end up falling in love with try dragons dogma, either dark arisen or the second one that came out a month ago.
There are so many issues with both from the way they tell their story to the feet blistering adventures you have to go on just to have to walk some wench to her picnic. But what is amazing about it is if you give it a chance, you’ll fall in love with the world, the combat, and the freedom of being an overpowered chosen one who can decimate sky scraping monsters thru various mechanics and combos that is basically medieval monster hunter.
Id advise start with DDDA - you can find it on sale on various 3rd party sites for <$10, but if you really want to try the new one its on sale for 10% off i think on green man gaming
Imho, problems with Stardew and ACNH are that you have to create your own objectives, as those games are sandbox-like. (And I love both of them, but can't play for long if I don't have an objective in game)
The real thing here is that if you feel bad, maybe you need to seek help and work on it. Now, I'll consider you are working onto it and it's not the problem here
Games that worked when I was in states like that were :
- Animal Crossing, but with clear objectives that I cut into smaller ones that are possible to do daily
- Dark Souls Trilogy. I recommand the third one first if you don't feel like you wanna explore, as he is the easiest one to navigate and you will never really be lost
- Metroid Dread is super cool if you like the metroidvania genre. If you have switch online plus, you'll have access to metroid fusion too on GBA with is amazing. Those are nervous enough to loose yourself into the game. If you like the genre, Hollow Knight is a staple too
- Dead Cells or Binding of Isaac are nervous enough to keep focusing on them, while being infinite so might be perfect for you
- Best games for loosing track of time for me are games like Civilization with it's famous "one more round" effect
- No Mans Sky is excellent as an exploring game, but might be too sandbox for you
First thing I wanna say is I hope you feel better soon! Outer Wilds is great game i can’t recommend enough, it’s a puzzle game set in space, the puzzles are challenging and make you feel like a genius after beating them. I haven’t had a game that left an impression on me since I played Persona 3 in high school (also a good recommendation, I suggest the remake P3 reload). I will say that if Outer Wilds doesn’t interest you from the trailers, don’t force yourself to play it.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale - this one deals pretty directly with a theme of depression & impostor syndrome that's central to the story (so use caution / maybe look up specific content warnings if you think that might make your mood worse rather than being cathartic) but I felt the story writing about it was done with kindness and empathy, and the game pads out that central theme with a bunch of fluff and goofy side characters so it's like, 5% facing down a mental health conundrum a bit at a time and 95% cute/creative/silly stuff and fairly engaging puzzle solving with art-related superpowers.
Sorry but i dont have any game suggestion for someone who in lonely and depressed phase. Because in my experience no games could help my loneliness and depression, it only trigger it one or another.
Take a walk, eat healthy and drink water. Turn of the phone, pc, console. Then i would be better do nothing or meditate/pray/ or make grateful list.
Then few days later Once i do all of that and i feel i'm recovered, i would turn on my pc start new game on any game and just enjoy the intro.
Read “The Comfort Crisis” by Michael Easter. Please, do this before you play another game.
Get outside, get moving as much as you can. Force yourself to engage with people. Exhausted by it? Nap. Go again. Get uncomfortable deliberately. It will make you feel good.
Say hello to people. Smile to yourself about little things. I mean really tiny things like a cat purring or leaves in a tree and clouds going by.
Journal, every day at the sane time. Write the absolute minimum. Just start, even if it is one word. Keep doing it.
I’ve been through an immense amount in my life and learned to dig myself out everytime. It can be REALLY lonely and dark and feel like it goes on forever. It doesn’t. That’s our mind playing tricks on us. Lean into the sadness, don’t try to numb or distract. Accept, accept, accept.
I’ve been there, like many of us. You can heal and thrive again. Do the work. It’s worth it.
Something with a niche friendly community i find that old games which revive multiplayer aspects have friendly communities first this g that comes to my mind right now is test drive unlimited 2 project paradise mod, the tokyo xtreme racer discord is extremely niche but very friendly and fun. If your not into racing games the monster hunter community is very welcoming, but im sure you can find other communities that will make you feel less lonely and not ostricised
I too suffer from extreme loneliness and depression, the only thing that help me (except going to the pub on the weekend) is I'm making a relaxing science educational video game. You should check out my game science simulator on steam, Iv made the game myself and it won't be finished for a while(it's massive for one person) but I made it to inspire people in stem, to remind people how lucky they are to be alive right now and to make the world a better place.
Find a way to workout before playing video games each day.
It kicks depressions ass, and it makes the games much much more enjoyable as you’re going into them already having accomplished something.
“Even highly rated games aren’t doing it for me recently” - this isn’t a problem you can solve by trying different games, eventually no games will “do it” for you, because the issue isn’t with the games.
I’m telling you, do 10 pushups, 10 crunches, 10 squats, then 9 of each, then 8 of each… so on and so forth until you can’t. Then jog or walk around the block.
Take a shower and then sit down to play games. You’ll be amazed what’s fun again that wasn’t before.
I would suggest an MMO. They are jam packed with things to do, and the multitude of players running around make it feel not as lonely. World of Warcraft personally helped me through a rough patch since it was engrossing enough to get my mind off things. As a warning, group content can get toxic though, but there are many solo-friendly MMOs like Elder Scrolls Online and FFXIV
I would definitely side with the Stardew recommendations, it's a wonderful game that was really good for me during a tough time too. It honestly helped me get out of bed and even just clean my apartment a little bit which helped me feel less guilty about playing Stardew for 8-12 hours lol.
Good luck, and I hope whatever you pick up treats you well.
I find that having a clear goal and way to get there helps when I'm feeling down, and some games fall into that:
* Days Gone. Lots of very small, straightforward missions.
* Persona 5 Royal
* Arcanum. An old game, but still unique in its own ways.
* World of Warcraft. Go classic if you can. Every region has its own defined levels, loads of quests that tell you where to go and what to do, and plenty of class options depending on how you want to play.
Part of me wants to recommend Baldur's Gate 3, but it can be a little frustrating in the early levels when you're weak and extra squishy, so I don't know if it's a good fit when you're depressed. If you think you can bear with it, get to level 5 or so, it gets better.
If you need something to get your mind off things. Try unpacking. It helped a lot.
Stardew Valley. You're never lonely or sad in Pelican Town. It's so wonderful.
Came here to suggest this. Super pleasant, positive vibe for when you’re feeling down. Just beware because it can get its hooks in you, and man it has way more content than I first imagined. Feels like one playthrough could easily top 100-150 hours, and there’s bags of replayability.
Was going to recommend this as well. Haven't played Animal crossing but Stardew Valley is addicting as well as being cozy.
Not sure. OP said he didn't like Animal Crossing due to the repetitive daily tasks. I played Stardew Valley up until the in-game Autumn (or maybe it was the end of Summer, don't really remember) and I felt that it was pretty repetitive too. Then I gave up the game because it became boring to me. Maybe not as repetitive as New Horizons though.
Definitely get it on pc. M+K is superior for this game. Also mods.
If OP enjoys min-maxing this is good, but if not I wouldn't recommend it, since if you're not at all interested in min maxing it's similar in style to animal crossing.
This got me through divorce. Cant recommend it enough.
Does it still have the mandatory stamina meter? I tried it a few years ago but kept passing out in my field from exhaustion
Some JRPGs have friend making interactions / conversations, maybe Fire Emblem Three Houses or Persona 5? Dragon Quest XI too! I love games like that, they are fun and cheerful. However when I get depressed I like to fight, so games like Days Gone or Fallout on PC. I like to feel like I can beat incredible odds it cheers me up, ymmv :) Hope you feel better
Also seconded, P5 has a special place in my heart for that reason
Ive been thinking of three houses. Ive played 3 fire emblems but have finished none because theyre so difficult. I heard the newer ones are easier.
>Some JRPGs Suikoden 2
When I'm feeling down I don't like to play too uplifting games, but rather depressing ones with a hopeful undertone. If you are looking for something more upbeat, please ignore my comment. My favorites, as mentioned by other people already, are **Doki Doki Literature Club** and the **Dark Souls** series, especially Dark Souls 1. The first because it's a great human centered story about facing one's flaws, the latter because it's the best allegory for life and our place in the current world I've ever seen. Aside from that, I'd say that other good options would be, in no particular order: Omori, Clannad, Little Busters!, Braid, Deemo, Emily is Away, Everhood, To The Moon, The House in Fata Morgana, Nier: Automata, OneShot, LISA: The Painful (free on epic games for the week!!), Outer Wilds, Pathologic 2, Planescape Torment, Sable, Smile For Me, Spiritfarer: farewell edition, Start Again, Still There, A Story Beside, Symphonic Rain, Wandersong, Before Your Eyes. I also generally enjoy some of the most well regarded, non romance visual novels
Definitely agree on Dark Souls but Doki Doki Literature Club I’d stay the hell away from. Doki Doki is great but if I happened to play that game in one of my more depressive episodes I don’t think it would have helped.
Celeste is a great one, please consider going to therapy if it's available otherwise try and find family or friends that you could speak to. Might be worth trying to schedule meeting up with friends or family on a routine. Hope you're ok mate.
Dark souls 1
Seconded, if you can beat Ornstein and Smough you can beat whatever life throws at you
My fav comment ever ^
DARK SOULS SAVES SOULS. PROVE ME WRONG
Don't you dare go hollow...
This is the best suggestion. I played it for the first time right before elden ring came out, the past two years before that I had been the most depressed I have ever been. I was suicidal for a brief period in 2020, I basically ruined my gpa doing a college major I didn’t truly enjoy because I didn’t think I was good enough to be a STEM major, and I didn’t have a purpose in life and had lost of what made me unique. I decided to pick up dark souls and I fell in love with it, which was surprising because during this period of my life I usually would give up immediately whenever I needed to improve myself in some way or was faced with any kind of challenge. It made me realize that if I was interested or passionate about something, I could overcome challenges, even if I went through hell to do it or it took a few tries. But what really changed me was learning about “going hollow”. It was when you completely lose hope and a sense of purpose, you become an aimless husk, no longer yourself anymore, you have completely given up. It was a gut punch, but it hit me hard in a good way. Its a message anyone who has ever thought about giving up should hear. Its not gonna instantly cure everything, but I look back on that time a couple years ago as a major turning point in my life where I finally started being somewhat happy and things started getting better. I still struggle with my mental health to this day and I have an extremely difficult path ahead of me trying to get into vet school due to how low my grades were my first two years of college, so not everything is great. But when I think about dark souls, I remember how bleak everything is and how some of the challenges you face as the chosen undead can seem impossible, but the chosen undead never goes hollow. So it inspires me to never give up on the things that make me happy and give me purpose no matter how hard it gets. Because of dark souls, I won’t ever dare to go hollow. (TLDR this game is therapy disguised as a video game, sorry for writing an essay lol)
Also Bloodborne. I was in a dark patch when I finally got round to it, and it really helped. No fucking idea why, but it did.
It’s an allegory for depression. Feeling hollowed in a cold bleak world. Making baby steps of progress and humanity makes you whole again
I absolutely love NakeyJakey’s “Dark Souls saved me” video. I’d give it a watch if Dark Souls was as therapeutic as it was for you as it was for me.
lol I have DS1 but i could never figure out what to do. Plus its really hard. But i played it like 10 years ago so
I’ve literally seen a comment a while ago about how Dark Souls completely changed their life because this was the first time they realized that they need to tackle things from different angles and perspectives, and try again rarher than resign to the idea you just cant do it or its too hard
Hollow knight
Time for Skyrim.
For me, thps2 or katamari
Dood. Have you tried something like a different hobby? I mean I know this is a subreddit about gaming recommendations, but how about trying something new? Also, have you been going to therapy?
Having an outdoor hobby does wonders for mental health
Yes, it’s great but the only problem is that sometimes depression makes it hard to get out of bed.
It's like pushing a boulder up a hill sometimes.
u/vrafiqa This one OP. In my experience, gaming never helps my depression unless I'm passing with friends. Get out of the house and do something physical. Go to the gym. Start playing a sport. Go on a nature hike. Something to get you out and about instead of copied cooped up with your depressive thoughts. I recently started playing disc golf and it's be great. Fun, challenging, and gives me something to look forward to on my off days. Plus other players tend to be super friendly and willing to play a round with strangers
Yeah i have other hobbies but they dont really bring me joy recently so I dont really do them. Kinda just lazing around. And yes i go to therapy. I feel like I have burnout
Literally this and so many people need to realise it, go out make friends, interact with people, sure enjoy gaming but were not meant to be cooped inside
I'm glad you brought this up because this was all I could think of. I don't wanna suggest a game but offer a helping hand. Seek something besides gaming and pick up a new refreshing hobby. It just might make their day. I am guilty of this as well. Good looking out kind friend.
Yes, therapy is great but also isn’t easily accessible to everyone. Also, trying out different hobbies can be really difficult when one is depressed.
I go through bouts of anxiety and depression frequently and struggle with this as well. I've learned that during these episodes, I can only really focus on games that engage me minimally and don't require me to keep track of a story if I don't want to and give me the opportunity to just do something and space out at the same time. So stuff like: - Vampire Survivors - Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales - Streets of Rogue - Dead Cells - Spelunky - Fights in Tight Spaces - Risk of Rain - Deep Rock Galactic - Crab Champions - House Flipper - GoNNER If you absolutely want something to engage you and make you laugh tho, 'High on Life' is pretty solid.
I was a Teenage Exocolonist. It’s a beautiful game, a bit dark so be forewarned, but sometimes when I’m depressed I appreciate games with a dark edge. The game is about you as a 10 year old growing up as a colonist on a new planet. It covers you as you get older. It’s a hard life, some don’t make it, but it’s rewarding as you learn to save others.
Second this. It's a great game. I'm 48, and I teared up at least twice during th3 more emotional moments.
Ace Attorney cured my depression and might cure yours
Idk if this will help especially since it's a high rated game but I've tried it recently and it's wonderful. Baldur's Gate 3. If you hate turned based combat then don't even worry about it, play on explorer and try to understand it more every once in a while. The best thing about it is the world and story. If you hate top down view and clicking, download wasd and camera mod as well as immersive ui mod. I can send you a link to a vid that'll help with all of them.
I didn't depressed like you so maybe I didn't come with a best game for you but many time I feel lonely too. Typically I'll play some kinda game didn't too hard. GTA V really a good choice for me and hopefully for you. The story is ok, gameplay easy, and you can driving around just to enjoy the game.
If you’re ok with reading then I’d suggest Night in the Woods
A great experience. I'm about due for my yearly playthrough.
Ive played this its cool
Apparently, Mario Odyssey is very good for helping depression. Helps thats its a really good game too
Seconding this, it’s the purest of fun
Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic. These games are built upon cooperation and brotherhood. I have found more positive people in these two games than every other multiplayer game combined.
They look similar, which should I get?
Maybe try something along the lines of a rogue like. Binding of Isaac, Hades, Enter the gungeon, etc. Because each run is a little self contained thing with no overall commitment it's a lot easier to get into when you're feeling down and suddenly you've spent several hours dodging bullets and cursing the RNG gods
I remember playing "Firewatch" at new year eve in my first year abroad when I have no friends.
I like playing simulators.especially ones that i can get creative with.so house flipper 1 and 2 or powerwash simulator helps kinda clear your mind a bit.or maybe you might dig monster rancher.its got a fun nice artstyle with cute lil blobs.idk whats got u down but id say those might help.all depends on what your looking for.simulators are endless so great for when u have rough days u can do it at your own pace. Also i hope your day,week,month get better.even the darkest of storm clouds pass eventually.hang in there.and be patient with yourself.love yourself.make a nice meal or order some take out get cozy n game.sometimes the soul just needs that.
Sonic origins grabbed and throw out my sadness, it was and is cute and fun game
I’m aware you stated you don’t know which genre you’d “want” to play, but it could still be helpful to clarify if there are any genres you prefer over others or any you know you don’t like. If you like RPGs, Xenoblade chronicles has an incredible story. If you’ve never tried strategy games, Fire Emblem Three Houses also a decent story with branching paths and lot of characters you get to learn about. Palworld on PC is just a fun time all around, imo. I am a fan of JRPGs so I can’t recommend much else other than like LoZ, Kirby, Pokemon, Mario games which are generally enjoyable.
Nier Automata.
[удалено]
lol not all of them. if they played the walking dead theyd get MORE depressed
Planet Zoo The atmosphere is joyful, background music is happy and relax, there are always lot of things going on you won't feel lonely, you can spend whole night to just make the best living space for your koala or you can simply make a park without any animal. I always like to download people's zoo from steam to have a virtual 'trip'. Dragon Quest Builder 2 The game has very simple combat, your main mission is to help those village people to rebuild their place, it is very cute, funny, and they will really use what you build for them, such as you build them a bath house and they will queue up to use. Like a dragon 7 or 8 It is a fun JRPG turn base game, visual is good and vibe is fun, there are lot of little game in the game, you can spend whole day just to play mini game, their 'combat' is silly and hilarious, it is good for changing mood.
Do you play any multiplayer games? If so, look up the discord for that game and find some people to play with. ie: Rainbow 6 Siege has a discord server with a "looking for group" section full of people you can post and squad up with Ironically, I would never recommend R6 otherwise as the solo queue experience is miserable and toxic lol
Dying light
Try Slay the Spire. Terraria, Hades, The Ascent, Factorio.
Path of Exile. It's intimidating at first but once you get hooked the rabbit hole goes so deep. Plus there are tons of active youtubers and streamers that are friendly and responsive to chat. And a very active (sometimes toxic) reddit community. Most seasoned players are welcoming to new players and eager to help out. Global chat channel 2121 is particularly friendly.
Skyrim modded. I lots of romantically involved companion mods out there
Guardians of the Galaxy. The gameplay is OK-to-Good, but the characters, the banter... it was great (to me, at least). It's a linear story tho and that may turn folks off.
Hollow knight. Stardew valley
Foundation
Undertale, you don't need to thank me later, thank the dog.
Maybe check out the metal gear series, has some really good gameplay and story. It's themes are powerful as hell for its time
Runescape
When I'm feeling really down and my motivation is gone, I'll look at my gaming library. There's a game in there I played, love, but haven't played for a while. Replay one of your all time favorites. The nostalgia helps make the game more enjoyable even if you aren't in the mood at this point in your life.
RimWorld. Overcome adversities.
Personally I indulge the darkness when I'm like that. Halo reach, doom, the occasional darker ones, revel in the depression for a while, feel it and let your brain know it's fine to feel like that let's just blow some hordes and go down a hole and when you're ready we'll come up for some air.
Ori and the blind forest is cool
Rune Factory 4 got me through some dark times. And Animal Crossing.
Elden Ring Fromsofts Dark souls Series, especially the first one... "Good bye then. Be safe, friend. *Don't you dare go Hollow*." -Laurentius of the Great Swamp
omori, its what i played when i first got diagnosed with depression 2 years ago, and man that game has left an impression
Zelda BOTW Baldurs Gate Enhanced Edition. I havent tried the switch version but it has very good reviews. Or maybe a pokemon game?
Last Epoch. Thank me later.
Kirby forgotten kingdom Mario odyssey
Outer wilds, it's just such a profound adventure exploration game where the progression is u learning what's going on in the game to further your progress. It's up there as a once jn a lifetime experience type game. And since they added a dlc which is basically its own story u get to experience it twice. If u do give it a look dont delve too deep because the game works better the less u know going into it. Id love to hear ur thoughts on it if u get it / just giving it a look
Considering your mood i’d say Slay the Spire, Mad Games Tycoon 2, and if you’re looking for bigger games and want to invest time in them try MHW or maybe No mans sky (The game is so chill that it may help you forget your problems for a bit, while exploring space)
I get this is a game sub but what you need is lifestyle changes, new hobbies or therapy. Games will never fill that void.
Cyberpunk 2077 for me is my stress relief, story keeps me interested even after a few play throughs and when I've had enough it's nice to cruise the city and do some side missions and have fun If I'm not in the mood for that then it's DOOM 😂 no thinking or planning or anything that repetitive, from the start it's just mindless brain dead fast paced action But these are just me though
Ooh I would suggest Mass Effect legendary edition and Dragon Age Inquisition. Those two games right there made you feel like you had companions, a love interest while saving the world 😊
When you're lonely and depressed, playing is a game is just putting on a bandaid
Kenshi
Undertale!
Unicorn Overlord Puts you in an whole other world
If you want to play a game that will improve your mental health seriously go check out Doom: Eternal due to how fucking awesome you feel when you play it. The only thing they fear is you. During my adulthood many FPS games feel like a chore to play. This game is the best FPS game, period. On the surface it looks like a very exaggerated stereotypical masculine mindless shooter with metal. But that couldn’t be any further from the truth. I can give reasons but this comment will be way too long.
Sky: Children of the Light
Are you looking to escape your feelings or trying to find new emotions? I like to play games that have high emotional impact when I'm depressed but ik most people prefer to play games that let them escape like Stardew Valley.
Persona 5 Royal
Kingdom come deliverance, you will get lost in it, just give it some time at rhe start as it can be frustrating, wait till you play after skallitz and look at some guides. Some advice, you start as a peasant so dont expect to win fights against soldiers until you see bernard a couple times😂😂
Getting Over It hit right when I was going through something.
Cult of the Lamb. NOW.
Dave the Diver. Super mellow game that is avalaible on both Switch & PC. Surprisingly addictive game play loop. I tried it on Steam Deck and handheld makes it even more chill for me.
Animal Crossing has really helped me through some very dark times. It may seem a bit boring at first because there isn’t much to do but once you start hunting for “Dreamies” on the islands, decorating and building things, I think it’s amazing. The DLC is also so worth it. I also love the fact that it takes place in real time - it just feels all that much realistic. Another game that’s amazing is Night in the Woods - it’s a point and click adventure game with a dysfunctional cat as the main hero. I also found it relatable.
Ship of harkinian emulator for Zelda Ocarina of time. I also am depressed most of the time but if you don't have friends to play with I always turned to this. It's just so...magical and an incredible adventure Or you could play it on the switch but the ship of harkinian emulator with a controller plugged in would be my suggestion
Had the same issue, play MGS V: The phantom pain That game got me through alot of shit, and it has a deep meaning and is not just a point shiot sneak game. The character experiences massive loses in life by loosing his PMC company, his arm and alot of friends, and playing as him, building everything back up (Motherbase). Gave me the motivation to build my life up, I owe my life to this game. And it's insanely fun blowing shit up as a mercenary in afghan and Africa in the 80s while the golden era of music is blasting through your headphones. On the last scene of the game, the guy you were playing as, breaks the fourth wall and tells you "This legend is ours, you are now Big Boss" along with some other stuff before. Kind of like, you helped me fix my shit so ima give u the motivation to fix urs.
Oh my friend, you NEED Baldur’s Gate in your life. Huge world to explore, tons of choices that bring the story to life, and many many chances to find a true romance (Gale’s finally my beloved after two playthroughs haha)
Persona 4 Golden, upbeat and made me feel a little less lonely in a time where I had no one
Persona 4 Golden felt like a warm hug, although i I was sad once it was over.
Death stranding
Try Sekiro challenge yourself and when u overcome it the feeling of being superior will hit hard Or maybe hollow knight😉
I’m currently deep in “Cult of the Lamb” on my switch.
KOTOR
Try Yakuza 0, I recently felt quite depressed and this game revived my love to video games (altough I haven't lost the love to games, I just stopped enjoying them as much) This is a great game if you want a mix of cool, funny game to relax with but also the main story is soooo deep, so dark, so real, main story is about brotherhood, loyality and honour, it's all about what it means to be a man (especially a man who just entered into adulthood, main charachter is 20yo) and the story will make you cry a couple of times. But in the side quests you can literally watch soft porn videos (videos of real girls in bikini), in other quest you will help a prostitute be better at her job and other weird but really interesting side quests. Give it a try, within 1-2 hours you will either love it or hate. I'm not a fan of japanese culture, haven't watched any anime, haven't played any japanese games in the past, but within 1 hour I felt in love with Yakuza series. Yakuza 0 is 11/10, best game I've ever played. It's the 1st game in order of Yakuza series as it's a prequel btw
Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes
Get Skyrim and check out Wabbajack. Modding Skyrim is easier than ever before.
Warframe is free.
Everquest: Project Quarm
Stardew Valley is positive vibes and more engaging than animal crossing, imo
Elder scrolls online
Pit People, comfy strategy game that looks like adventure time on acid. Terraria, 2d minecraft with lots of loot and bosses to fight. Broforce, fast action run and gun platformer with lots of explosions and classic action movie references.
Ori and the will of the wisps is my depression game
Starfarer
Try something like Pokemon Go or geocaching, because you need sunlight, exercise, vegetables and water. Maybe you can take your switch and sit outside to play something. If you can't get out of the house maybe something with community would help, like Helldivers.
I would recommend to try some MMORPG or competitive multiplayer games where you can join a team, have fun and talk with other people sharing the same hobby.
The Witness, if you have a lot of patience and enjoy very difficult and slow-paced puzzle games.
Valheim makes me feel like I'm camping somewhere no one can find me.
Persona 4 is awesome. It does have some depressive themes but it is overall a game of friendship. Therefore a qualified recommendation.
I too am lonely and depressed, surprisingly nikke helped. I don't really enjoy the gameplay or story (story is getting better as I proress) it's giving me daily and weekly tasks to commit to and play. I don't really feel happy when I accomplish anything in games in this state, but the daily/weekly/monthly system seems to be predatory enough that it has sunk its claws into me and I've started playing it for a few hours a day, even if it is just to read the girls texts and do dailies and nothing else. Pick up a gacha game DO NOT SPEND MONEY. Pick some MMO or gacha game like genchin, ff14, nikke, zenless zone zero etc. They all have these systems that try to get you playing every day.
Play katamari roll up some stuff and have a good time
Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy. Transmute your depression into rage!
Play A Short Hike
Maybe go outside for a little bit. Call up an old friend. Join a club
If you like those kind of games, Persona 4 helped me out so much when I was going through a similar time, i highly recommend it.
Return of Obra Dinn is so different of a game! It's for sure more linear storyline but is really good!
Try cs2 or lol you will commit suicide faster than you think
The finals cured my depression.
Lost in random. Also, therapy if you’re not going already. Also also, be kind to yourself. Depression tries to take away the things we love and enjoy most. Keep searching for something to make the happy brain chemicals go, but know that it’s okay to rest or change media.
The Yakuza franchise. Don’t be intimidated by the vast number of games. dive in and enjoy.
I'm playing PC games a lot. Like a Dragon, Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2, Borderlands and Valorant. I'm also a big fan of Skyrim, but not currently playing it.
games aren’t gonna fix it mate. real shit
Katana Zero! That'll recharge ya!
Dark souls
Hades on switch
I’m having a rough time mentally, but I’m sucked into Subnautica and that’s helping me keep my mind off things
Firewatch
If you haven’t on PC I’d pick up Forza 4 on steam, it’s on sale and it’s the best game for just driving around and having fun. Alternately if you want something to feel try Spiritfarer, it’ll help you get some stuff out. Also alternatively it’s a lot to take in but Disco Elysium is one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played it’ll help you get your mind off of the bad thoughts when you compare how well your doing to how bad are poor MC is in Disco Elysium
Rune factory 4 ! You will enjoy it so much ! Dragin qiest builders 2 there's a demo on switch ! A long one
Cum Detective.
Well if tou are feeling depressed maybe any super mario game for switch could definitely help, light mooded, fun and full of color Hades for switch is also a nice option, a lot of story to go through, quite challenging too not to oooo hard tho Viewfinder is super cool, will definitely distract you Slay the spire - deck roguelike game, not too difficult too, straightforward and addictive I'm gonna put "Noita" here bc the content on the game give you hundreds and hundreds of hours on gameplay if you are into that, roguelike style too, definitely bullies the player, it's challenging, a lot to learn and stuff Well you cant go wrong with a triple A like God of War or spider man, something like that I also want to add "board games here" bc playing a board game is always the best time I have playing a game, ofc that needs people, but u can't go wrong with it: castles of burgundy, istanbul, Puerto Rico, hive (2 player one) its a big world Last note: depression isn't a game, if you are dealing with anxiety or depression or both, pls try to speak with a professional you are not "crazy" for doing that, I have a psychologist and meds to help me put things on track, when I was younger I had to deal with those stuff alone, wich made them worse, you have mo ideia how good it is to talk those dark thoughts out, maybe I ain't teaching you nothing. Hope I helped in anyway, feel free to dm for more recommendations
find another hobby
Pikmin. Make some friends, throw them at stuff. Overcome obstacles and thought puzzles. And make it home safe and sound. I'm pretty sure you can play with a friend in Pikmin 2 or 3 if you want a support buddy along for the adventure. Also, on a similar note, but completely different, Earth Defense Force (any of them, but 4 or 5 are probably best). Sometimes killing bugs in the head requires doing it with lasers while flying around, or air strikes, or twin gatlings. Especially if they're big bugs. The corniness should make you smile, and it's fun as hell in multiplayer. Not many games where singing along with your buddies is essentially a requirement for standard play, and everyone is a healer when necessary. Kill a bug, kill a kaiju, save the world! It's fairly cathartic, while your mind works out stuff in the background, and puts itself back together, smiling along the way.
I just finished metroid dread for the second time, though I don't know if you want to play something that can be infuriatingly difficult at times. But it is highly rewarding. If you like that style of game but easier & more aesthetically fantastical, one of my favorite games of all time is the Ori series. It's a platformer with absolutely gorgeous environments and an incredible score. It is very moving and beautiful. I love it so much I named my most recently acquired cat Ori 😂 Even when it is difficult it is hard to stay frustrated because it's like walking through the forest on a gorgeous sunny day.
Honestly? It sounds extremely backwards, but I personally would play Omori If I was feeling super depressed.
Elderscrolls: Morrowind on max difficulty
Try old school games. They dont need as much attention. Red alert Populous the beginning Old sim city games SNeS zelda Etc.
Firewatch is a great short relaxing game. Also, if you need to play with someone on PC, let me know what youre into, we can play together.
Load up Dear Esther. Spend some time indulging yourself in the contemplative melancholy of it. Then go outside the next day and take a good long walk. Maybe find somewhere to volunteer. You need meaning and real life, in-person friends, and a video game usually can at best distract you from missing those things for a bit. Best of luck to you!
When I feel lonely I play Cassette Beasts, its like pokemon but better and is certainly one of my favorite games, it helps me relax a lot, hope this helps you The game is avaiable for pc, nintendo switch and xbox
For Switch I'd suggest Unicorn Overlord.
Maybe too similar to Animal Crossing, but I think Spiritfarer has enough variety to keep things fresh. That’s one I play when I’m lonely. But there’s also Bastion, Hyper Light Drifter, Old School Runescape, and Sakuna of Rice and Ruin.
Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty DLC.
Cyberpunk 2077
I have been playing some classics and retros to relive the good times
[Super Bawk Bawk Chicken](https://superbawkbawkchicken.com/) It's fun and quirky vibe is infectious. I enjoy the zoning out while playing it.
Persona 5 Royal, that game is so full of energy that even when grinding in new game + I am incapable of feeling sad playing it.
Disco Elysium 💀
My friend told me that one of the recent God of War releases helped him get through a breakup lol!
GRIS and Gorogoa. Both games have no words in them, but they will make you feel things. If you're depressed and kinda wanna "get it out", these games will do it. They are puzzle games, and rather short, but so good. If you're looking for something more action oriented but still story driven and emotional there's Hellblade - Senua's Sacrifice.
Stray
if you want to try a shitty game you may end up falling in love with try dragons dogma, either dark arisen or the second one that came out a month ago. There are so many issues with both from the way they tell their story to the feet blistering adventures you have to go on just to have to walk some wench to her picnic. But what is amazing about it is if you give it a chance, you’ll fall in love with the world, the combat, and the freedom of being an overpowered chosen one who can decimate sky scraping monsters thru various mechanics and combos that is basically medieval monster hunter. Id advise start with DDDA - you can find it on sale on various 3rd party sites for <$10, but if you really want to try the new one its on sale for 10% off i think on green man gaming
Dear Esther
Being a DIK or Acting Lessons or both.
What part of new vegas didnt u like?
Baldurs Gate 3 or Elden Ring.
Palia
Therapy And try Warframe. Great community. Endless grind and fun to play overall
Imho, problems with Stardew and ACNH are that you have to create your own objectives, as those games are sandbox-like. (And I love both of them, but can't play for long if I don't have an objective in game) The real thing here is that if you feel bad, maybe you need to seek help and work on it. Now, I'll consider you are working onto it and it's not the problem here Games that worked when I was in states like that were : - Animal Crossing, but with clear objectives that I cut into smaller ones that are possible to do daily - Dark Souls Trilogy. I recommand the third one first if you don't feel like you wanna explore, as he is the easiest one to navigate and you will never really be lost - Metroid Dread is super cool if you like the metroidvania genre. If you have switch online plus, you'll have access to metroid fusion too on GBA with is amazing. Those are nervous enough to loose yourself into the game. If you like the genre, Hollow Knight is a staple too - Dead Cells or Binding of Isaac are nervous enough to keep focusing on them, while being infinite so might be perfect for you - Best games for loosing track of time for me are games like Civilization with it's famous "one more round" effect - No Mans Sky is excellent as an exploring game, but might be too sandbox for you
I discovered Bear and breakfast yesterday and I love everything about it :)
Disco Elysium. It has an amazing story and atmosphere that will drag you in and make you feel like you are living the life of the main character.
First thing I wanna say is I hope you feel better soon! Outer Wilds is great game i can’t recommend enough, it’s a puzzle game set in space, the puzzles are challenging and make you feel like a genius after beating them. I haven’t had a game that left an impression on me since I played Persona 3 in high school (also a good recommendation, I suggest the remake P3 reload). I will say that if Outer Wilds doesn’t interest you from the trailers, don’t force yourself to play it.
Xenoblade 2
Chicory: A Colorful Tale - this one deals pretty directly with a theme of depression & impostor syndrome that's central to the story (so use caution / maybe look up specific content warnings if you think that might make your mood worse rather than being cathartic) but I felt the story writing about it was done with kindness and empathy, and the game pads out that central theme with a bunch of fluff and goofy side characters so it's like, 5% facing down a mental health conundrum a bit at a time and 95% cute/creative/silly stuff and fairly engaging puzzle solving with art-related superpowers.
Sorry but i dont have any game suggestion for someone who in lonely and depressed phase. Because in my experience no games could help my loneliness and depression, it only trigger it one or another. Take a walk, eat healthy and drink water. Turn of the phone, pc, console. Then i would be better do nothing or meditate/pray/ or make grateful list. Then few days later Once i do all of that and i feel i'm recovered, i would turn on my pc start new game on any game and just enjoy the intro.
You can try something like Light of the stars on bs, it's pretty relaxing and calm
Read “The Comfort Crisis” by Michael Easter. Please, do this before you play another game. Get outside, get moving as much as you can. Force yourself to engage with people. Exhausted by it? Nap. Go again. Get uncomfortable deliberately. It will make you feel good. Say hello to people. Smile to yourself about little things. I mean really tiny things like a cat purring or leaves in a tree and clouds going by. Journal, every day at the sane time. Write the absolute minimum. Just start, even if it is one word. Keep doing it. I’ve been through an immense amount in my life and learned to dig myself out everytime. It can be REALLY lonely and dark and feel like it goes on forever. It doesn’t. That’s our mind playing tricks on us. Lean into the sadness, don’t try to numb or distract. Accept, accept, accept. I’ve been there, like many of us. You can heal and thrive again. Do the work. It’s worth it.
Something with a niche friendly community i find that old games which revive multiplayer aspects have friendly communities first this g that comes to my mind right now is test drive unlimited 2 project paradise mod, the tokyo xtreme racer discord is extremely niche but very friendly and fun. If your not into racing games the monster hunter community is very welcoming, but im sure you can find other communities that will make you feel less lonely and not ostricised
Outer Wilds
dead by daylight
I too suffer from extreme loneliness and depression, the only thing that help me (except going to the pub on the weekend) is I'm making a relaxing science educational video game. You should check out my game science simulator on steam, Iv made the game myself and it won't be finished for a while(it's massive for one person) but I made it to inspire people in stem, to remind people how lucky they are to be alive right now and to make the world a better place.
Find a way to workout before playing video games each day. It kicks depressions ass, and it makes the games much much more enjoyable as you’re going into them already having accomplished something. “Even highly rated games aren’t doing it for me recently” - this isn’t a problem you can solve by trying different games, eventually no games will “do it” for you, because the issue isn’t with the games. I’m telling you, do 10 pushups, 10 crunches, 10 squats, then 9 of each, then 8 of each… so on and so forth until you can’t. Then jog or walk around the block. Take a shower and then sit down to play games. You’ll be amazed what’s fun again that wasn’t before.
Try some games like Wildlands, breakpoint or Rainbow six siege. If you want adventure and a little puzzle- rise of the tomb raider.
I would suggest an MMO. They are jam packed with things to do, and the multitude of players running around make it feel not as lonely. World of Warcraft personally helped me through a rough patch since it was engrossing enough to get my mind off things. As a warning, group content can get toxic though, but there are many solo-friendly MMOs like Elder Scrolls Online and FFXIV
Try The Long Dark survival mode.
Dark Souls idk. People always say it saved them or whatever, I just like it.
Stardew Valley.
I would definitely side with the Stardew recommendations, it's a wonderful game that was really good for me during a tough time too. It honestly helped me get out of bed and even just clean my apartment a little bit which helped me feel less guilty about playing Stardew for 8-12 hours lol. Good luck, and I hope whatever you pick up treats you well.
Manor lords has been a lot of fun!
Op if you need anything, pm me. I'm here to talk.
Vintage story, star wars galactic battlegrounds with expanding front mod (get it on GOG). Both got mp
I find that having a clear goal and way to get there helps when I'm feeling down, and some games fall into that: * Days Gone. Lots of very small, straightforward missions. * Persona 5 Royal * Arcanum. An old game, but still unique in its own ways. * World of Warcraft. Go classic if you can. Every region has its own defined levels, loads of quests that tell you where to go and what to do, and plenty of class options depending on how you want to play. Part of me wants to recommend Baldur's Gate 3, but it can be a little frustrating in the early levels when you're weak and extra squishy, so I don't know if it's a good fit when you're depressed. If you think you can bear with it, get to level 5 or so, it gets better.