What games make you feel better when you’re depressed or anxious?

[popopdc]

What are some games that do a good job lifting your spirits or at least distracting you when you are feeling anxious or depressed?

[Maniakkid25]

Digimon World 2 comes to mind. I don't know why, but there is something that is relaxing about loading a save file for that game, sitting down, and just saying "okay, I'm just going to grind for the next 3 hours." It nevet fails, so long as I remember to save and don't die 2 hours into a run.

[Kyng]

Most building games (like Minecraft and various Tycoon games) do a good job of this. They're mentally stimulating, but they aren't competitive (especially if you're playing them in sandbox mode), so you're not going to get stressed out from losing!

[Moonface]

Digimon World 2 comes to mind. I don't know why, but there is something that is relaxing about loading a save file for that game, sitting down, and just saying "okay, I'm just going to grind for the next 3 hours." It nevet fails, so long as I remember to save and don't die 2 hours into a run.

I'm curious what prevents any of the other Digimon World games from falling into this category for you.

Most building games (like Minecraft and various Tycoon games) do a good job of this. They're mentally stimulating, but they aren't competitive (especially if you're playing them in sandbox mode), so you're not going to get stressed out from losing!

Yeah, Minecraft is definitely one for me. There's just something very zen about going into creative mode and just doing whatever with zero pressure from the game or anyone else to do anything in particular. I can't even count how many times I've booted Minecraft, loaded up one of my creative saves (either a personal world or a HermitCraft world save), and proceeded to spend a couple of hours in there doing nothing but just looking at what already exists.
LittleBigPlanet was another game like that for me where I could just zen out in create mode, or find a community level that was made just to chill in. Sucks lbp.me died and never came back so I can't easily show some of the ones I always went into.

Oddly enough, the game I tend to play mostly nowadays when I'm feeling depressed/anxious/lonely is Dead by Daylight. I find having to focus on a task co-operatively in an online game helps take my mind off things troubling me, because I can't just simply pause the game or put the controller down to let my thoughts distract me, plus there's no predictability to real players so I can't just end up going through the motions like I could with an offline objective based game where I know what the AI is always going to be doing.

[Nightingale]

GTA: Vice City Stories, Stardew Valley and Minecraft do that for me.

Basically, I wanna come down to the very core of human nature without much else or thought involved: I wanna create and destroy.

[Maniakkid25]

Digimon World 2 comes to mind. I don't know why, but there is something that is relaxing about loading a save file for that game, sitting down, and just saying "okay, I'm just going to grind for the next 3 hours." It nevet fails, so long as I remember to save and don't die 2 hours into a run.

I'm curious what prevents any of the other Digimon World games from falling into this category for you.

Almost certainly the Rose-colored Glasses. I can think of better times, or nothing at all with that game. It is my favorite Digimon game, after all.

[Moonface]

GTA: Vice City Stories, Stardew Valley and Minecraft do that for me.

Basically, I wanna come down to the very core of human nature  without much else or thought involved: I wanna create and destroy.

I remember trying to use GTA V as a game to just release stress in, but found I always got bored too quickly with just killing cops and such. Which is weird because thinking about it, I loved doing that in Red Dead Redemption. I think it might have been because it felt like a more even playing field trying to make a stand against the cops when they can't use helicopters and you don't have a machine gun to just mow them down with. Felt like the more power both sides had the less fun it actually was. Odd really.

Digimon World 2 comes to mind. I don't know why, but there is something that is relaxing about loading a save file for that game, sitting down, and just saying "okay, I'm just going to grind for the next 3 hours." It nevet fails, so long as I remember to save and don't die 2 hours into a run.

I'm curious what prevents any of the other Digimon World games from falling into this category for you.

Almost certainly the Rose-colored Glasses. I can think of better times, or nothing at all with that game. It is my favorite Digimon game, after all.

Ah. Sounds similar to how I found comfort playing Crash Bash with my dad all the time. The game itself isn't anything amazing, but the few mini games in it that I really enjoy are ones I always play with him. Wish there was a way to play it with an online connection in some fashion so I could try playing sessions with him again from time to time.


I will say though, no matter what game it is, if things aren't really going my way in them then my attempt to escape my anxiety or depression will instead turn into frustration or just more sadness, depending on what I'm not managing to accomplish. Like if it's DbD I'll get frustrated if the games are always going poorly, and if it's Minecraft I'll get sad if I feel like I can't come up with any ideas or start negatively judging anything I've built already.

[Kyng]

Most building games (like Minecraft and various Tycoon games) do a good job of this. They're mentally stimulating, but they aren't competitive (especially if you're playing them in sandbox mode), so you're not going to get stressed out from losing!

Yeah, Minecraft is definitely one for me. There's just something very zen about going into creative mode and just doing whatever with zero pressure from the game or anyone else to do anything in particular. I can't even count how many times I've booted Minecraft, loaded up one of my creative saves (either a personal world or a HermitCraft world save), and proceeded to spend a couple of hours in there doing nothing but just looking at what already exists.

Yeah, definitely. And to add to that, the Minecraft Creative background music is quite calming:



Helps to make Creative Minecraft one of the most relaxing and therapeutic gaming experiences I'm aware of!

[queenzelda]

Usually for me that game is always Pokemon. Especially the 3DS Pokemon games where you could pet your Pokemon, feed them foods or etc. We have some of that back kinda with Scarlet and Violet since you can bathe your Pokemon. I just miss being able to pet them, so I basically go back cause I can there. Another one is going back to old games I've played before. Like Xenosaga, I fished out my PS2 just so I could play it again. Sadly Bandi Namco doesn't think it'll make enough for a remake when Xenoblade Chronicles has been a huge hit for Nintendo. smh

I also enjoy some Animal Crossing but I really love New Leaf more for that then New Horizons tbh.

[Moonface]

Most building games (like Minecraft and various Tycoon games) do a good job of this. They're mentally stimulating, but they aren't competitive (especially if you're playing them in sandbox mode), so you're not going to get stressed out from losing!

Yeah, Minecraft is definitely one for me. There's just something very zen about going into creative mode and just doing whatever with zero pressure from the game or anyone else to do anything in particular. I can't even count how many times I've booted Minecraft, loaded up one of my creative saves (either a personal world or a HermitCraft world save), and proceeded to spend a couple of hours in there doing nothing but just looking at what already exists.

Yeah, definitely. And to add to that, the Minecraft Creative background music is quite calming:



Helps to make Creative Minecraft one of the most relaxing and therapeutic gaming experiences I'm aware of!

Oh for definite! I forget what update it was but whenever they added in dedicated tracks for creative mode was when I really started to love the mode even more than I already did.

@queenzelda: I'm guessing the preference for NL over NH is villager interactions being better or maybe that the world isn't a barren wasteland until you do something with it?

[queenzelda]

@queenzelda: I'm guessing the preference for NL over NH is villager interactions being better or maybe that the world isn't a barren wasteland until you do something with it?  

For me it's because you can actually talk with the villagers and they don't stay dull & boring like in NH. With NL you can head out to a summer island WITH YOUR FRIENDS and do games with them. So I feel like I can do more in NL tbh.

[Henrywrites]

Usually for me that game is always Pokemon. Especially the 3DS Pokemon games where you could pet your Pokemon, feed them foods or etc. We have some of that back kinda with Scarlet and Violet since you can bathe your Pokemon. I just miss being able to pet them, so I basically go back cause I can there. Another one is going back to old games I've played before. Like Xenosaga, I fished out my PS2 just so I could play it again. Sadly Bandi Namco doesn't think it'll make enough for a remake when Xenoblade Chronicles has been a huge hit for Nintendo. smh

I also enjoy some Animal Crossing but I really love New Leaf more for that then New Horizons tbh.

Pokemon games are stress relievers. The game series will definitely lighten the mood of anyone that is feeling down or depressed.

[Nomad]

In 2016, I was hired to write for a Minecraft forum. Until then I had not even heard of the word. Now, Minecraft is one of the best games I play.I never get tired of playing this game. The game gives me everything from entertainment to satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.