A lot of people love challenging games or at least titles you can feel accomplishment in. Sometimes, however, you’re just not in the mood for that. This can be for various reasons, but in these cases, you need a game you can simply chill out in.
8 Most Relaxing Exploration Games
These games are great when you want to unwind and de-stress.
Xbox, like all other platforms, has plenty. What quantifies as relaxing is a game that you can play with little to no stress or tension involved in the experience. These games could be played in other nonrelaxing ways, but as long as there’s a significant way to play relaxed, then it will count.
10 Trials
The Perfect Warm-Up Game
A series you can pop in every once in a while, play for 30 minutes, and have a blast is Trials. Four of the core instalments are on Xbox, and if you need a game to play while waiting for something to install, Trials is it.
For an experienced player, sometimes, after a long break, you can get a PB on your first attempt replaying a track. Once you are familiar with it, the driving lines will always come back to you. It’s a great relaxing warm-up game to play in short bursts. That is, as long as you don’t attempt the harder tracks.
9 Doodle God
Mobile games are usually relaxing as that’s the type of experience most would prefer on the go. Doodle God was a great early mobile game back in the day and was so successful it reached the console platforms. The core of Doodle God is simply combining elements to make new ones until you get them all.
The smoothness of the controls isn’t as great as it was on mobile, but it’s still pretty decent using both analog sticks. Some people might not prefer this style of game on their big screen TV, but if you don’t mind, this a great game to relax to.
8 Peggle
Both Peggle games are amazing relaxing titles that require more thinking than dexterity. With your supply of balls, you must hit every peg on the screen, and then you’ll advance. A lot of the time, you’re just watching where the ball goes, similar to Plinko from The Price Is Right.
It’s a lot of fun and has a decent length for a puzzle game like this. The only part that wasn’t relaxing was playing Peggle 2 with the Kinect. Now, that was a frustrating endeavor, but Series X|S can’t even use that device, so you’re in the clear.
7 Mass Effect Trilogy
One Of The Greatest Stories In The Medium
Mass Effect is an interesting case because it’s relaxing if you play a certain way. Sure, if you play on Hard, you will get a more stressful experience, but that isn’t how you make it relaxing. The entire trilogy contains one of the greatest video game stories ever, and it’s a damn good time if you just play on Easy and take in the story.
20 Most Relaxing Video Game Soundtracks
Sit back, relax, and listen to some chill video game music.
Playing that way feels similar to reading a good book, and that’s always a relaxing time. Not just one good book, either, but three big ones. It’s a great, laid-back, relaxing experience that’s refreshing even to hardcore gamers.
6 Firewatch
A Game So Good, The Developer Got Bought By Valve
A narrative-focused adventure title, Firewatch takes place in the great outdoors. After a striking opening, you are a literal fire watcher and have free rein to go anywhere you please. Several areas are gated off, though, until later in the game when you acquire more tools.
With no way to die, an engaging story, and a chill outdoors setting, it’s a very relaxing experience. Just like how real outdoors traversing is. Firewatch was so acclaimed that Valve acquired the developer Campo Santo, and many of its team members ended up working on Half-Life: Alyx.
5 The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
Originally a Half-Life 2 mod, The Stanley Parable is another narrative-focused adventure title. Unlike Firewatch, Stanley is more comedic-focused and has a truckload of alternate endings and paths that’ll keep you playing.
The game’s decently funny in the first half, but once you get into the Ultra Deluxe content, the laughs really pick up. The Bucket is quite funny with how the narrator describes it. You can die in Stanley, but those are simply more alternate endings to get, and overall, Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is another laid-back, chilled experience.
4 Minecraft
One Of The Few Games That Works As A Legitimate Sleep Aid
You can argue Minecraft is quite a stressful game, but again, that’s dependent on the game mode. If you play in Creative mode, you can’t be hurt at all, and you can simply build to your heart’s content. It’s incredibly relaxing that way, and so much so that you can use this for other means.
If playing Minecraft VR, it’s so relaxing that it works as a legitimately excellent sleep aid for many. That’s a testament to the relaxing nature of the game, even if you’re not playing in VR.
3 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
The Ace Attorney franchise mainly consists of visual novel games, which is funny looking back because nobody called them that when they first released on the DS. The initial three instalments are the best in the series, and they got remastered on most modern platforms, including Xbox.
9 Relaxing Puzzle Games
Do you want to chill out a bit while solving some puzzles? This is the list for you.
You’ll have a blast with the great story and characters here, even if it can be nonsensical at times. Most visual novel games are quite relaxing, and so is Ace Attorney. Like Doodle God, though, it might not look great on a big screen TV for some, but for people not bothered, it’s a relaxing good time.
2 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated
Remasters of sixth-gen licensed games are rare, but one of the few is SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated. It was one of the only good licensed kids’ games in that era and a pretty decent platformer.
Certainly better than the PS2-era Crash Bandicoot games, that’s for sure. It’s also a very easy platformer, and as such, it’s quite a relaxing game to go through. That is what an easy game will often feel like, after all. Just don’t think the game will be as amazing as you remember, as that will lead to disappointment.
1 Shenmue
A 1986 Yokosuka Life Sim
Shenmue 1 doesn’t necessarily hold up today, but it was innovative and incredibly game-changing for the time. A core reason for this was how freeform it was. You had objectives but total freedom in where to go, who to talk to, and what you can interact with. You’ll have to engage in this optional content because, at many points, you’ll have to wait.
This could be for stores to open or certain events to begin. You can either wait outside the place or go adventure out and explore. For 80 percent of this game, it’s quite a relaxing experience, and it’s not until the final moments that the action really ramps up. Shenmue 2 is a lot more action-packed, and as such, it’s not a relaxing time like the first one.
12 Most Relaxing Simulation Games
Sit back, relax, and game.
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