Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

If it's a video game it goes here.

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Blackhawk
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Blackhawk »

raydude wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 12:38 pm
Blackhawk wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 10:19 pm I can appreciate that, although I wasn't looking for suggestions. It was just sharing our own individual go-to games purely for the conversation. Sort of like a 'what are your most replayed games', or 'what did you play that had the most emotional impact on you.'

And in this case, I'm not in a gaming funk. I'm in stress mode.
In the interest of discussion then, I find it interesting how you tried to find your comfort game based on the amount of time spent on it. No doubt it works for you, but in my case, it probably doesn't.
I don't! If I did, that list would have included Elder Scrolls, World of Warcraft, and the Fallout series rather than theme being honorable mentions, and it would have included Conan Exiles, Team Fortress 2, Dungeon Defenders, Total War: Warhammer 2, No Man's Sky, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and others. And Void Bastards made honorable mention despite my only having 29 hours in it.

Some of those were addictive, but that doesn't mean that they make me feel 'comfortable'. It's such an elusive concept to describe (and I don't think I've done a good job), as it isn't about being relaxing or laid back, and it isn't about being good or a favorite. It's like imagining cuddling up in your childhood bedroom, or coming home after a long time away. They are games that make you happy just by being in the game, regardless of the details.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Tampa_Gamer »

Interesting category and a very real problem I have experienced in the past where I want to lose myself in a game after a grueling day but cannot find one to get into. Mine do change from time to time depending on my circumstances and available free time, but right now:

7 Days to Die - each of my kids and I have spent several 1,000s of hours in there so now when I am in game and bicycle down a street and see particular "POIs"/locations - I recognize and fondly recall past games when my kids and I spent sleepless nights in that particular location prepping and then battling the zombie hordes until the wee hours or we tried to scavenge the location during the day and ran into some mishap which had us scrambling away in laughter (zombie bears anyone). Good times, even if I do have to log in to our server alone because they are now away at school. With my recent discovery of the Undead Legacy overhaul mod for this one, this one has a lot of life left in it since each new world is random.

Empire - first on my trusted C-64, and now much later (currently Empire Deluxe Combined Edition) in Steam. This wargame served as my go to game in college/grad school that I could pick up/drop as needed in between heavy exam/class schedules. While I have played and enjoyed more detailed wargames since (HOI series and others), this is one where you can easily understand the strategic picture within a few minutes even if you last played a "turn" several months earlier so it is always a comfort and joy just to return a "safe" zone and not think or have to take notes too much.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Blackhawk »

Thinking about it, there is one newer game that may very well make it into this list - Slime Rancher.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by TheMix »

Tampa_Gamer wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:33 pm Empire
Wow. There's a game I forgot existed. What's really odd is, I don't remember playing it. But I know I did. And a LOT. Looking at the Steam page, it seems so familiar, and yet, not familiar at all (possibly because this is newer version than the one I played). Memory is so weird.

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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by raydude »

Tampa_Gamer wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:33 pm Interesting category and a very real problem I have experienced in the past where I want to lose myself in a game after a grueling day but cannot find one to get into. Mine do change from time to time depending on my circumstances and available free time, but right now:

Empire - first on my trusted C-64, and now much later (currently Empire Deluxe Combined Edition) in Steam. This wargame served as my go to game in college/grad school that I could pick up/drop as needed in between heavy exam/class schedules. While I have played and enjoyed more detailed wargames since (HOI series and others), this is one where you can easily understand the strategic picture within a few minutes even if you last played a "turn" several months earlier so it is always a comfort and joy just to return a "safe" zone and not think or have to take notes too much.
OMG Empire! My roommates and I played the heck out of that game in college. We'd play until late at night and inevitably Roam by the B-52s would come on the radio. We heard it so much we dubbed it the Empire theme song. I may have to look this one up. Wow, multiplayer via hot-seat or email. I may have to get this and get my kids to play it with me. This would be a lot simpler to explain than something like Civilization.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Jaymann »

I'm gonna go with Tomb Raider and Baldur's Gate 3.

After playing every TR game, I still go back occasionally and play user created levels.

BG3 is still in early access, but I keep creating parties and seeing how quickly I can get all the best items currently available.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Hrothgar »

Sudy wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 6:34 am For years afterward I watched Trump videos in bed before I went to sleep.
Saved for posterity. :lol:
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Sudy »

They're going to dig this up and misinterpret it when I get famous, aren't they. Permit me to clarify: TrumpSC.

If I watched Donny Trump videos before bed I'd have nightmares.

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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by LordMortis »

Tampa_Gamer wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 1:33 pm (currently Empire Deluxe Combined Edition) in Steam.
Hadn't played this game since I don't know when in the late 80's. Pre-Civ. You made me go look in Steam. $19.99 :shock:
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

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Lots more been added since the original.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by hentzau »

Based on the title, the game that immediately leaped into my head was Stardew Valley. I would put Sid Meier’s Pirates at a close second.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

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http://www.empiresofsteel.com/

Very similar to Empire Delux. Pay what you want.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Carpet_pissr »

Sudy wrote: Fri Aug 12, 2022 8:54 pm They're going to dig this up and misinterpret it when I get famous, aren't they. Permit me to clarify: TrumpSC.

If I watched Donny Trump videos before bed I'd have nightmares.
TrumpSC?! That’s worse! Wtf :P
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Tampa_Gamer »

dbt1949 wrote: Sat Aug 13, 2022 10:51 am http://www.empiresofsteel.com/
Very similar to Empire Delux. Pay what you want.
Looks interesting, thanks for the link dbt
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Isgrimnur »

Baseball/hockey.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Jolor »

Jolor wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:13 am Grim Dawn fits the bill, at present.
I by no means go through a full run of the game when I'm looking to de-stress and play something familiar. I will, however, progress a familiar character, or fire up a new build to play with the skillset and take them as far as The Butcher. Beyond if I feel that I feel that I've stumbled on a good character. Heck. Sometimes I'll fire up the game just so I can name them after a character from a book I'm reading and want to envision a Grim Dark playthrough in the Grim Dawn world.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Madmarcus »

Your mention of Grim Dawn points out something that makes a game a comfort game for me. It has to have some complexity in mechanics but still be something that I can pick up an old save or start over and still grok. If I have to start over and relearn a bunch of keys and rebuild muscle memory it isn't going to be a comfort game.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Dave Allen »

I don't look for comfort in games; excitement, challenge, escape maybe, but not comfort.
My comfort things are sleep, sugar, physical intimacy, binge-watching, listening to music.
All of these comforts are great "shock absorbers", but the greatest comfort in my life comes from being sure that my God Jesus, is totally in love with me.
Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body."[Matt 10:28] God can totally destroy us.

Jesus also said, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”[John 6:40] Eternal life is conditional.

His disciple John wrote, "Whoever has the Son has eternal life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life. [1 John 5:12] Eternal life is optional.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by dbt1949 »

I got no wife or children and I love playing video games and I'm a pagan and Jesus hates my guts.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Madmarcus »

To each his own. Binge watching feels like work to me!
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Dave Allen »

dbt1949 wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:16 pm I got no wife or children and I love playing video games and I'm a pagan and Jesus hates my guts.
You had me at pagan... :wub:
... but after the recent surgeries I've endured, I hate my guts, too.
Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body."[Matt 10:28] God can totally destroy us.

Jesus also said, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”[John 6:40] Eternal life is conditional.

His disciple John wrote, "Whoever has the Son has eternal life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life. [1 John 5:12] Eternal life is optional.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Holman »

My comfort/relaxation game right now is HARDSPACE: SHIPBREAKER.

You do things at your own pace, and slicing/hauling apart a complex spaceship is very gratifying. Even the catastrophic events are no problem, since you can always reincarnate (and because I assume that paying off your starting debt is basically impossible).

Just a good feel.
Much prefer my Nazis Nuremberged.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Unagi »

Holman wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:09 pm My comfort/relaxation game right now is HARDSPACE: SHIPBREAKER.

You do things at your own pace, and slicing/hauling apart a complex spaceship is very gratifying. Even the catastrophic events are no problem, since you can always reincarnate (and because I assume that paying off your starting debt is basically impossible).

Just a good feel.
I’m with you in that too.
They also did a great job with the music.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by rittchard »

I thought of a bunch, the primary ones being Diablo (all), Titan Quest, Last Epoch, Elder Scrolls Online, Skyrim, basically a mash of ARPGs and MMOs.

But then I realized my real Comfort Game, in kind of a bizarre twist, is... League of Legends! Yes, the game known for being toxic as hell is my comfort zone. My gaming guild/group played a lot many many years ago but eventually we stopped. Some time around the beginning of COVID, though, I fired it up again and started playing with a much smaller group, a mix of old friends and younger folks. Since then we've played almost every night for, I guess it's been over TWO YEARS, now. I didn't even realize. Honestly I will be forever grateful because I think this really helped me keep my sanity through the worst of the COVID period, it was basically my primary social interaction for quite a while. In spite of the general populace being filled with a lot of asshats, it's still a ton of fun when you have your own group that gets along so well. Sure we bitch at each other and make mean comments, but it's more like a family bickering than anything else, and more often than not, we are laughing A LOT.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Kraken »

Civilization has been my go-to since before it had numbers after the title. GalCiv3 is another frequent friend. (I never bought GC4 because the reviews here are lukewarm and GC3 still does it for me.)

I recently put a lot of hours into playing Xenonauts, a classic X-Com clone, for the second time and am looking forward to Xenonauts 2.

Having just finished Xenonauts last night I'm between games right now and thinking about having another go with whatever the last version of XCOM2 was. Or maybe I'll try GalCiv4. Or maybe I'll just drop back into yet another game of Civ 6.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Carpet_pissr »

I need to add: any one of the Kingdom Rush games.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by LordMortis »

Just picked up HoMM3 for the first time in I don't know how long. It took me a few hours to remember the game but it feels right now and just sucked away my day. This will hold me for a while.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Archinerd »

Holman wrote: Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:09 pm My comfort/relaxation game right now is HARDSPACE: SHIPBREAKER.

You do things at your own pace, and slicing/hauling apart a complex spaceship is very gratifying. Even the catastrophic events are no problem, since you can always reincarnate (and because I assume that paying off your starting debt is basically impossible).

Just a good feel.
This showed up on Gamepass recently, and I'm really enjoying it. There's been a nagging familiarity in the back of mind as I play though, and I've finally pinned it down. It's basically an orbital recycling bin sorting simulator.
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