Favourite Games for My Mental Health (2023)
It’s been a good number of years since I updated my favourite games for supporting my mental health. My last update featured games like Astroneer and Stardew and was focussd on calming stress/anxiety. This list is updated with what I’ve been playing for a variety of different goals depending on how I’m feeling!
Dorfromantik - Relax, unwind, and breathe
In this game you unwind to relaxing spa-like music (which I recommend for studying too) while placing hexagonal tiles. It has a very board game feel to it, and the goal is to try to line up the tiles with matching sides and build an infinite landscape! It’s free-form without much structure but has goals and requires some thinking so it draws you in without taking too much brain power. It’s perfect for when you’re feeling high anxiety or high stress and want to unwind for a 30-minutes. Great one for a morning gaming session too!
2. Vampire Survivors - Distract, Pass Time and Create Controllable Chaos
This one is going to depend on what you need. If you’re already feeling stressed and all over the place this might not be the right one for that moment. This one can quickly turn into complete and utter chaos. You play as a character who has to defeat multiple enemies at ones but what I love about it is that all you have to do is choose the weapons and run around strategically. There’s no actual combat involved. You start a run with one weapon and slowly gain more as you defeat more enemies. It starts off slow and simple but can ramp up really quick. I love this when I’m feeling really low and struggle to engage with things I normally enjoy. Each run can last about 30minutes so it helps pass time on those heavy depression days too.
3. Disney Dreamlight Valley - Relax, Distract and Cater to Your Mood
If you’ve been following me on any socials, this is probably not a surprise at all. I am absolutely obsessed with this game. I’m banking almost 200 hours which is over half of what I’ve banked with Stardew Valley so…you can tell I’m really into this. This game has something for every mood. If you need something that will help distract you from negative thoughts or worries, there are quests that will keep you running around town. Because this game is intended for a wide variety of ages the quests are not hard, so it’s the perfect distraction without being too challenging. If you’re not in the mood for a challenge and you just want chill, you can spend hours running around foraging and farming, and crafting. Spend your time fishing, sell all your fish and buy fun things for your valley or experiment for hours with new recipes! It’s also just so beautiful and magical and nostalgic so when you’re having a hard day it’s just nice to be surrounded by the magic even if it’s virtual. This game is still in early access so they are always adding new content and new adventures!
4. Coral Island - Escape Reality and Refocus
Imagine Stardew Valley but on a Pacific Island with ocean diving, bug catching and magic! Coral Island is so cozy and relaxing with all the farming simulation elements of Stardew Valley and the collection archiving of Animal Crossing. This game takes all the elements of your favourites and combines in into this beautiful Island. My favourite part about this is it puts an environmental lens on your experience. This island is struggling with the after-effects of an oil spill and pollution ruining their beautiful island and ocean. The best part? You can help! Help clean up the ocean, and restore the island to its beauty! This game is great for when you need and escape and need to feel control over something when you feel you’re losing control in life. I love escaping into this place and getting lost in the structure of my farming days! This game is still in early access so they are always adding new content and new adventures!
5. Woodoku: Wind Down Before Bed
So I got this game through Mistplay which is one of those “earn money while you play games” apps. And I have quickly become obsessed. You slot wooden blocks of different shapes in lines or squares. Kind of like a wooden drag and drop Tetris. This game has been a lifesaver with my pre-bedtime routine. I have been struggling a lot with getting to sleep and can’t seem to turn my brain off before 3am. I play this game with my phone on bedtime mode so it’s black and white and it’s the perfect way to focus in on something before I try to go to sleep. It’s mellow enough that I can start to relax and unwind and playing it in bedtime mode means the light doesn’t keep my brain wired. It’s free and keeps me busy at night or on tough days!