Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

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Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Blackhawk »

The past couple of weeks have been cripplingly stressful, full of canceled plans and broken dreams - and I have bounced off of game after game. I think I need some comfort gaming.

Comfort games aren't games that are necessarily good. They're not games that are easy, or laid back (although they can be.) They're the games that you go back to, time after time, because they feel like home. They're comfortable. You see the NPCs, and you feel like you just walked into a reunion. You know what things are. You know your way around. It's the neighborhood you grew up in, in game form. But mostly, they're the games that you can play when you're in a terrible mood and forget about your worries, the games you can play when you're feeling stressed without wanting to punch the monitor.

I thought about mine quite a bit. I looked at the games I've spent the most time with. I've looked over my master 'finished games' list, going clear back to my first PC game. I ended up with four:

Subnautica
Deus Ex
System Shock 2
The Borderlands series

A few that came close, but didn't quite make the cut:

~World of Warcraft (it's changed too much, and my friends are long gone)
~Thief 1 & 2
~Void Bastards (this one may actually qualify...)
~Elder Scrolls, either Morrowind or Skyrim (they can be such a hassle sometimes)
~Fallout 3+ (for the same reason as Elder Scrolls)

So, what are your comfort games?
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by coopasonic »

XCOM2 and Satisfactory are my comfy place. I'd probably throw Conan Exiles on list as well.

I've spent hundreds of hours in each of them. I mostly know what's going to happen.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by infinitelurker »

I think mine would be Sid Meier's Pirates! I've played it across every system I've ever owned, and I don't even mind the dancing mini game in the latest incarnation. I probably return to it once every few years.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by stimpy »

R&P

Honestly, the games I find myself going to when I just want to chill and play something are Hidden Object games or puzzle games like The Room, etc.
No pressure and can be played in short sessions if necessary. But I usually lose track of time once I'm into the game.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by dbt1949 »

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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Daehawk »

TF2 is my fall back relax game. The others are there for me to be serious about at times. But TF2 is always waiting for a casual shoot'em'up
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Post by Madmarcus »

For years it was a combination of JA2 and Mount and Blade that served that purpose.Now any open world RPG where I can grind against low (but not trivial) threat enemies or do side quests. So basically Skyrim, FO4, and Caves of Qud.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Freyland »

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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Lordnine »

Games with relatively easy repetitive tasks with a sense of progression are my go-to comfort games. Crafting games in general and old school feeling platformers.

Stardew Valley
Subnautica (this one is a bit of a contradiction since it can be both comforting and terrifying depending on where I am in the game)
My Time At Portia
Graveyard Keeper
Minecraft
Slime Ranger
Raft
Basically, all the Mario games.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by dbt1949 »

Oh, another one would be Space Rangers 2.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Daehawk »

dbt1949 wrote: Wed Aug 10, 2022 9:11 pm Oh, another one would be Space Rangers 2.
I haven't thought of that in a while. Used to enjoy those space lanes.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by TheMix »

Probably the closest would be the STALKER or Metro games. I keep waiting for STALKER 2...

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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Jolor »

Grim Dawn fits the bill, at present.
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Post by Skinypupy »

HOMM 3
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by LawBeefaroni »

I downloaded the South Park games with the hope of destressing the last few weeks but haven't had more than a few hours of play time. Ironically, when. I need it the most is when I have almost zero time. I'm looking at 14+ hour days now through Sunday. And those are my days off.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by LordMortis »

Looking for one right now. I'm testing out Darkest Dungeon. I tried Renowned Explorers and Battle Tech. Battle Brothers might be next. It used to be HOMM3 or Dwarf Fortress but hasn't been either for a while. I remember when it used to be Diablo II. Maybe I should go back to Hades and see if it can capture something.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

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Civ V
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Jaddison »

Warhammer 40K Inquisitor
Borderlands 1/2/3 Wonderlands hasn't made the cut yet
Apparently SWOTOR
for a long time it would have been LOTRO but those days are gone
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by raydude »

When I'm not feeling so great and need a short distraction I find myself returning to Nex Machina. It's the closest thing I've found to Robotron 2084, which I feel is the pinnacle of 80's arcade games, and which I have been waiting patiently for Arcade1Up to release. Anyway, back to Nex Machina. Its a twin stick shooter that ticks all the boxes - it's comfortable, I come back to it time after time, I know all the NPCs (enemies and humans) and I de-stress by getting into my flow. Once I find that flow and go from level to level it's gaming joy.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by NickAragua »

Jaddison wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 8:46 am for a long time it would have been LOTRO but those days are gone
Apparently that's me now - it's such a low-effort, low-thought game that I can just run around back and forth and enjoy the beautiful terrain.
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Post by Anonymous Bosch »

One Finger Death Punch 2:



Simple, mechanically-intensive, yet immensely satisfying in terms of distilled enjoyable gameplay mechanics without any additional cruft getting in the way. Played in short bursts (I rarely play for more than ten minutes at a time), it makes for a terrific way to get yer adrenaline pumping. Because it feels supremely rewarding when it 'clicks,' and you're pulling off flawless runs at ludicrous speeds.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by TheMix »

I might add Dead Island. Since I'm currently running through it for the ... 6th?... time with a friend. The second playthrough with him. There is something really satisfying about whacking zombies.

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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Blackhawk »

Interesting discussion.

Note that the original premise wasn't laid back or relaxing games, or games that make you forget - it's the games you turn to for comfort, like slipping on an old pair of slippers to relax, or stepping into your favorite hangout. It may not be the best or your favorite, but turning to it makes you feel comfortable and at home.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by TheMix »

Yeah. That's why I looked at those games that I've played multiple times, over many years. Games that I still stop and go "hmmm... should I replay this one?" when looking at my large backlog.

I've actually resisted playing any STALKER games in recent years. I'm trying to be good and work on my backlog. But it's still an itch in the background. Somewhat mollified by replaying Metro: Exodus recently. I justified that since I'd only played it once before.

I'd like to add Borderlands 2, but I think with well over 1000 hours in it, that it's unlikely I'll fire it up again in the foreseeable future. Not unless someone else wants to play through it co-op. Then I suspect I'd let my arm be twisted.

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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Skinypupy »

NickAragua wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 9:05 am
Jaddison wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 8:46 am for a long time it would have been LOTRO but those days are gone
Apparently that's me now - it's such a low-effort, low-thought game that I can just run around back and forth and enjoy the beautiful terrain.
That's why I go back to Neverwinter every couple years. It a very mediocre MMO all things considered, but I simply enjoy running around the world.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by raydude »

TheMix wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 10:43 am Yeah. That's why I looked at those games that I've played multiple times, over many years. Games that I still stop and go "hmmm... should I replay this one?" when looking at my large backlog.

I've actually resisted playing any STALKER games in recent years. I'm trying to be good and work on my backlog. But it's still an itch in the background. Somewhat mollified by replaying Metro: Exodus recently. I justified that since I'd only played it once before.

I'd like to add Borderlands 2, but I think with well over 1000 hours in it, that it's unlikely I'll fire it up again in the foreseeable future. Not unless someone else wants to play through it co-op. Then I suspect I'd let my arm be twisted.
For myself, I usually don't replay long single-player games once I've completed the story simply because I remember them being very long and I know how the story ends. That's why long single-player games for me are not comfort games; because once I complete them I probably won't go back. There are several long single-player games that I haven't completed, and I'll go back to them because I'm familiar with and enjoy the setting and characters (Fallout 4, Fallout New Vegas) so in a sense they are comfort games, but only as long as I don't finish them.

There have been a few single-player shorter games that I have replayed. Oxenfree comes to mind. I've played that one through several times, especially after hearing there was an ending that breaks the loop.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by TheMix »

I guess it depends on what you define as "long".

One of the reasons that I still like the STALKER series is that they "only" take around 40 hours. I doubt I'll ever replay the recent Far Cry games, though, because I find that they take much longer. And why I've been putting off a lot of the RPGs on my list. 100+ hours is a lot to commit to.

It's also one of the reasons I've been lamenting the move from FPS to TPS these days. Looking back at games like F.E.A.R., Half-Life, etc. I replayed a lot of those because they typically took 8-12 hours. Something I could do easily over a weekend.

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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Blackhawk »

I find it particularly hard to commit to long games, as my mood shifts too often. A gritty, grim post apocalyptic shooter might sound great right now, but a month from now it will likely be the last sort of thing I'm interested in, while what I'd really like to play is a methodical fantasy RPG. The problem is that if they're 50+ hours, that mood shift usually happens halfway through.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by dbt1949 »

I just thought of another one...........Defense Grid.A tower defense game. Very easy rules and it goes in levels so you can quit any time. Levels last anywhere from 15 minutes to over an our. Very replayable too.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Cylus Maxii »

Assassin's Creed: Black Flag - several playthroughs over the years. Will definitely play again sometime.
Minecraft - no idea why I still load this up every couple of years. Diggy hole I guess?
ARK - this has sucked up way too much time. And its not really fun after you get flying. Still..so many hours and I don't know why really.
Southpark games - I'm with you on these ones.

Oh! And Red Dead Redemption 2 - I can ride around and hunt and fish for hours. Very chill.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Zarathud »

Rimworld - It’s my sci-fi ant farm. Sometimes with actual ants that need to be exterminated.
Borderlands 2/3 - She loots, she scores.
Stellaris - My planets need tending.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Anonymous Bosch »

Blackhawk wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 12:57 pm I find it particularly hard to commit to long games, as my mood shifts too often. A gritty, grim post apocalyptic shooter might sound great right now, but a month from now it will likely be the last sort of thing I'm interested in, while what I'd really like to play is a methodical fantasy RPG. The problem is that if they're 50+ hours, that mood shift usually happens halfway through.
This is partly why I suggested OFDP2. Because with its focus upon pure gameplay mechanics, when played in short bursts I find it provides a comfortable gaming equivalent of espresso coffee. The simplicity of the controls make it easy to sink into a gaming trance, sitting back in your own head while instinct works with experience to perform a hundred little decisions per second with lightning-fast precision. It's also filled with an absurd amount of content, including bonus game modes, unlockable and upgradeable skills, bonus levels, and entire maps filled with levels that aren’t even necessary to beat the game. So YMMV, but it can be a useful way to 'reset' if/when you're in a gaming funk.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Blackhawk »

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.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by jztemple2 »

American Truck Simulator. No great shakes to fire it up after not playing for awhile and easy to get a freight job going. And I can listen to Beatles Radio through the in-game internet player.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by jztemple2 »

I guess I'm not one who has a more complex "comfort game" that's I've played before. I'm really trying to get back into Assassin's Creed Origins, but I've played through it and after a mission or two I start getting that "been there, done that feeling". Same for pretty much every game with a story.

I guess it's for the same reason I could never read the same book twice.

At least in American Truck Simulator I can try to pick a cargo that's different or destinations I haven't seen before.

Right now I'm playing Automobilista 2, which I'll talk more about in its specific thread. It's kind of a comfort game in that I can put in some time without feeling obligated to continue. Also between the dozens of car types and tracks I can mix and match so I don't play the same combination twice.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

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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.
Fair enough. If you're in "stress mode" though, I rarely find gaming to be helpful or productive in that regard. YMMV, but I find getting outside and simply taking a brisk early-morning walk usually provides for a more reliable means of stress-relief.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by jztemple2 »

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Thu Aug 11, 2022 10:44 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.
Fair enough. If you're in "stress mode" though, I rarely find gaming to be helpful or productive in that regard. YMMV, but I find getting outside and simply taking a brisk early-morning walk usually provides for a more reliable means of stress-relief.
It's funny but for me taking a walk outside isn't a good way for me to lower stress since it just gives me more time to ruminate over whatever is stressing me. On the other hand I find gaming more helpful since I tend to lose myself while playing; you can't think about other things if you make yourself concentrate on trying not to get killed in [insert location] while running away from [insert favorite bad guy/guys]
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Sudy »

Most of the games I return to are ones I've never finished. Inevitably I give up again or get distracted. Most of the below I've "beaten". They're very easy to return to due to nostalgia and/or simple, rewarding mechanics.

World of Warcraft - I have little interest in modern WoW, but over its life it's provided me with months of play. Classic brought back so many memories; not all of them good. But it's one of several games in my life that felt truly magical at the beginning and led to addictive behaviour. Some of my favourite memories are playing with OO members during Cataclysm.

Fallout 2 - I've never beaten a Fallout game, but I came closest with this one. I wanted to write a post-apocalyptic novel when I was a teen, and FO1 and 2 were recommended to me by someone. First I think I played the demo for FO2. Even while cash was tight, I bought both from Electronics Boutique. I think FO2 even came in the big box; it was only a year or two after release. A variation on the box art of FO2 was my wallpaper for the longest time. I tried playing FO1 first but quickly switched to FO2. I loved the tactical gameplay, and the environment, and the music. I remember staying up until dawn playing it over Christmas break.

Diablo - Diablo 1 may have played a small role in my giving up on high school and worsening a pattern of avoidant behaviour in my life. I played with my two best friends using a pirated copy. We didn't actually play for long. I played a little Diablo 2 at launch, but mostly got into it a couple years ago. I find its quirks and systems to be somewhat torturous, but the gameplay is a drug and the music is unforgettable. But I've gotten the most mileage out of Diablo 3, warts and all. I enjoyed it at launch, but seasons/adventure mode made it extremely fun.

Civilization - I haven't played for a while, but when Civ grabs hold of me it's like nothing else. I love the stories it creates in my head, and some of them I remember to this day. It really came alive for me with the more tactical battles of Civ5. I usually lose the wind from my sales once I try to get good at it though; high-level play is mostly about manipulating numbers in the sense of the classic "spreadsheet simulator". I wish its systems were less transparent, especially in terms of diplomacy.

Mario Kart (SNES), Super Mario World, other games of my childhood - My nostalgia for them is unmatched. And so many of them are good, sometimes flawless games.

Final Fantasy Tactics - Still haven't beat this bastard. It was the first Final Fantasy game I ever played. I've restarted it numerous times. Very memorable music.

Hearthstone, other online CCGs - I think I'm about done with Hearthstone's main mode, but I think this may be the game I was most excited for in my life. Before I got into the beta I watched Total Biscuit's previews religiously. For years afterward I watched Trump videos in bed before I went to sleep. I played it to death for the first few years, logging in every day. Since then, I've also played significant chunks of Eternal, MTG Arena, and Runeterra. They're addictive, relatively simple once you learn them (well... maybe not MTG), and much easier to pick up and play than a "real game". But eventually I give up on trying to stay current with sets, and the daily quest treadmills and ladder grinding become a mental burden.

Slay the Spire, Roguebook - These games are beautifully designed and provide my favourite kind of brain teaser.

Honourable mention to the original Doom, which I didn't play until a few years ago. But since then it's what I fire up whenever I want some quick, impactful FPS action. I've played many FPSs over the years, but Doom might be the most memorable even 25 years after its release.

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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by Fardaza »

My favorites that push the right buttons are:

Skyrim
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
XCOM2
LOTRO

Used to be Civs and HOMMs. Now not so frequently.

My computer died a week ago. Just got the new one yesterday. First thing I installed after virus protection was Steam. Then Skyrim.
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Re: Comfort Games - What Are Yours?

Post by raydude »

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. Looking at my steam games list, I see that Skyrim tops the list at 179 hours. Perhaps it was my comfort game before I beat it, but knowing how long it took I know I will never go back to it. It will stay there at 179 hours.

Meanwhile, Nex Machina only has 12 hours, but that's because I play it in short bursts. But, I've gone back to it before when I couldn't decide what else to play, or when I wanted to de-stress, or when I have only a short amount of gaming time. And I know I'll go back to it again now, and in the future.

If comfort games are by definition games I would return to again and again, along with the other criteria, then I suppose the games that I have started and not finished would fall into that category. Why else would I return to them, even knowing that I have gotten pretty far along the story before getting distracted by another game? But they would only last as long as they are unfinished. I'm willing to bet that once I beat them, they will be like Skyrim, with # of hours unchanged. Maybe that's good enough for now.
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