There is no doubt that 2020 was a rather unusual year Since its inception, and despite the fact that summer and the holidays have come, there are still many who find it difficult to clear their minds.
So this time we wanted to dedicate this special to the recommendations relaxing and non-violent games who you hang out with and even reduce some of this accumulated stress.
Animal crossing: new horizons
Oddly enough, one of the most successful titles this year was one of the most important relaxation games. And it is so that the latest edition of this exclusive social Nintendo simulator takes us to a deserted island with a pleasant and peaceful environment where, thanks to our work and effort, we can gradually see how it grows and grows with the arrival of new neighbors . .
While keeping the spirit of the saga, we can decorate our house, the city, and even remodel the relief of the island. In addition to some outdoor activities such as fishing, bug hunting, fossil hunting, star showers, beach walks and shells, and even travel and explore other islands where you can find exotic fruits.
All of this accompanied by a perfectly integrated soundtrack that makes the experience even more enjoyable, in a combination that allows us to invest hundreds of hours without effort in complete freedom during our sessions.
Jouney
One of my favorites on this list, and it is still one of the titles that surprised me the most.
Long before the last god of war arrived, the guys from Santa Monica Studio had already left us with another gem called Journey, an award-winning indie delivery that suggested a vast explorable world with a strange multiplayer component that we can only interact with other players through sounds.
And the fact is that the game doesn’t have a single line of text that its narrative is based solely on its own images and music, and an end result that leads to a really intense and emotional experience. Perhaps the biggest mistake is the short duration that makes us want more, although we have good replayability to try to unlock all secrets and hidden objects.
Although Journey was released as the exclusive Sony title for PS3 a few years ago, it is currently available in digital format for PS4 and PC (Steam and Epic).
Deduction
This time it was all about the colorful and diverse underwater world full of thousands of fish, which procedurally react to our presence and to each other, creating an almost perfect immersive feeling.
Just controlling the diver, doing a few tricks and getting closer to the schools of fish gives an almost unique feeling of calm in this environment.
With the same idea of quiet games, we can dive and explore the blue pool to meet all kinds of marine animals and fauna, which of course respond to our presence in very different ways. And although the sea floor is characterized by the absence of light, in this case we find very well-managed lighting with many scenarios that cast a spell on us in front of the screen.
Finally, and in perfect harmony with the artistic design, Austin Wintory’s joyful and impressive music has established itself as one of the best soundtracks of recent years and a perfect addition to round off the experience of this game on all platforms (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC for Steam and Epic.
Flow
Another company that has shown that we are really good at creating relaxing games is the game company (which actually worked on Journey as well) with great titles like Flow.
And this game shows us that it only takes a good minimalist approach to achieve an enormous result: to control a microscopic being in a huge oceanic organism, to see how life slowly flows and develops and evolves through a hypnotic visual spectacle a hearing that is always full of color and nuances and does not get overloaded.
Unfortunately we have a somewhat short game again, although it is undoubtedly a perfect experience to escape and let go for a few hours.
GRAY
From an independent Spanish study and the great support of Devolver Digital, this story of self-improvement leads us to where we need to help this young woman overcome depression by restoring the metaphorical colors of her gray world.
Aside from a nice experience, the most attractive aspect of this game is undoubtedly its aesthetics. And it’s about designs that are 100% hand-made by watercolors and that have been implemented and encouraged to create this authentic work of art.
With a fairly simple gameplay of platforms and puzzles, and as we expected during our analysis, we stopped to watch some of the beautiful environments and scenarios the game presents, and with more than 90% of the unlocked content the game can to be completed in almost four hours.
GRAY is now available for PC on Steam, in addition to its only presence on consoles for Nintendo Switch.
ODE
Developer Ubisoft Reflections, better known for its platform titles, surprised us with this suggestion, which, using the engines and physics of those titles, focused on providing us with a relaxing experience.
With a large number of sounds and graphic stimuli, we will explore four worlds that we will fill with colors and melodies when we interact with plant and animal life. In fact, there won’t be any real challenge in Ode, even the creators even call it a sensory experiment: we just have to focus on enjoying the transformation of our character and everything around him.
The game is currently only available for PC, only on the UPlay platform.
flower
We also find another beautiful atmospheric adventure from the creators of the artistic journey, in which we embody the wind that has to rock a petal between its invisible arms. As you play, you will go through other flowers that will let their petals come to you.
In this way, we can explore and navigate the various changing environments at our own pace and stay indefinitely anywhere and enjoy it.
Although it should be noted that this title hides a really intense story and emotional journey beyond its artistic beauty and interactive escape orientation.
Originally released exclusively for Sony consoles, we can currently enjoy this game on PC (available on Steam and Epic) as well as on iOS phones and devices.
Heaven: children of light
In addition to consoles and computers, there are also great suggestions and relaxing games for mobile phones like Sky.
Again from the hands of the award-winning ThatGame company, this innovative social adventure comes to us. In it we will incarnate one of the children of light and spread hope in the desolate kingdom to bring the fallen stars back into their constellations as we go forward and explore a kingdom in the clouds with animation and scenarios of great beauty.
As the game itself shows, the visual area is only a part, but the soundtrack and effects will also play a leading role.
We currently find this completely free game on both the App Store and the Google Play Store, although the upcoming launch on Nintendo Switch, dated for this summer, has already been confirmed.
Alto’s adventure
One of the most awarded games on the App Store, and that is still offered as one of the most beautiful relaxation games for mobile platforms. Alto’s Adventure by Canadian studio Snowman is an endless snowboard runner who takes players through idyllic landscapes: snow-capped mountains, ancient forests and steep ruins.
The minimalist visual style, great soundtrack and simple but versatile controls form one of these video games, which is perfect for lying in bed and separating the mind. The sequel to Alto’s Odyssey is also available.
We currently find this game completely free of charge in the Google Play Store and also in the App Store.
Monument valley
If you close this list of relaxing games, Monument Valley (and its sequel) should not be missing. It is an unreal journey through fantastic constructions and impossible geometries. Guide the quiet Princess Ida through mysterious monuments, discover hidden paths, reveal optical illusions and mock the enigmatic raven people.
To do this, we have to solve a number of puzzles and puzzles by manipulating impossible architectures, which often use visual illusions to turn reality around.
We currently find this game in both the App Store and the Google Play Store.
