Long story short I started watching the Handmaid’s Tale, just finished episode 3 and it’s terribly depressing and too real for me. I’ll keep watching but I need to counter all this negativity.

Hence why I’m looking for some “aftercare” games that will help me cope. Something easy, where I don’t have to think and just follow along good vibes.

I have played the following games, which kind of fit what I’m looking for:

  • a short hike
  • carto
  • frog detective (all 3)
  • islanders
  • helltaker
  • spec ops the line (just kidding)
  • mini metro / motorways
  • dave the diver

Thank you !

  • morgan423@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 day ago

    I recommend Cobalt Core. Super cute characters and story, and very satisfying even after completing the main quest. It and Balatro are currently my standing “twenty minutes on a lunch break” games.

    • rotopenguin@infosec.pubEnglish
      2·
      7 hours ago

      Or, you might want to go to the studio’s original title, Sunshine Heavy Industries. It’s pretty much just building spaceships out of legos.

  • SwordInStone@lemmy.world
    5·
    2 days ago

    Spiritfarer, it’s the most chill game I’ve ever played.

    Oh, yeah and Dredge, one of my favourite games.

  • monotremata@lemmy.caEnglish
    3·
    2 days ago

    I should preface this by saying I don’t actually have a steam deck yet, so I haven’t tested these on there. So I’m only commenting on the games themselves. These are listed as deck “verified” in the steam store, though.

    One I haven’t seen mentioned yet is Yoku’s Island Express. Breezy summer vibes, not much difficulty. It’s kind of a pinball metroidvania.

    Tinykin is another game with a very cozy/low stakes feel. It’s an exploration/collectathon platformer with cute environments made up of household objects.

    Littlewood is a life sim sort of game, kind of like Stardew Valley, but it’s extremely chill. There’s no time limit or anything like that.

    And others have mentioned these, but Toem, Alba, and Donut County are all very good and gentle games too.

    Oh, and Tchia. That one has some dark moments at times, mostly in cutscenes, but when you’re actually playing it’s mostly gentle and island-y.

    Maybe also Wuppo? It’s a strange one. The story and humor and animation are pretty great in that one, but there are some boss fights that can get a little frustrating. It’s mostly a fairly chill platformer, but then it’s got kind of bullet-hell-adjacent bosses. I still really like the game, but it’s not quite as purely relaxing as some of the others here.

    Pikuniku is kind of in the same position as Wuppo, but I liked it a bit less. The humor feels a little more forced or stilted, and the frustrating bits are because the controls are kinda floaty. My niece really liked it when she was 8, though, so it had that going for it.

    Hope this helps! I’ve been looking for this kind of game a lot the past few years

  • Dexterity10@lemmy.world
    2·
    2 days ago

    helltaker

    Awaria is the second game by the same dev. I won’t lie, it is kinda high energy. Enemies chase you in real time around the tile board rather than it being a turn-based puzzle game. But I still find it fun and it has a lot of the same story vibes. Also there is an easy mode if you want a truly chill experience.

  • blomvik@sopuli.xyz
    311·
    3 days ago

    If you like english humor, check out “Thank goodness your here”. Alternatively “Tiny terry’s turbo trip” or “Untitled goose game”.

  • the_crotch
    4·
    2 days ago

    I expected to open this thread and see 30 recommendations for stardew valley but I don’t see any. So stardew valley.

  • Telorand@reddthat.com
    11·
    3 days ago
    • Lost in Play - adorable game about two siblings and their imagined adventure…or is it?
    • Tinykin - platform puzzler collectathon with zero enemies. Just cozy vibes.
    • Freshly Frosted - Want to feel personally encouraged by a soothing narrator while making donut machines?
    • Tiny Glade - make cute castles. That’s it!
    • KeyWe - kiwi mail delivery. Literally.
    • The Were Cleaner - werewolf janitor.
    • Little Inferno - silly game where you burn things to get more things to burn. Also, Sugar Plumps!
    • A Hat in Time - puzzle platformer collectathon that’s cute and creative
    • Dangeresque: The Roomisode Triungulate - silly point and click adventure. Looks like I’m gonna have to jump…!
    • Hidden Through Time - Where’s Waldo but more animated.
    • Thomas Was Alone - platformer where Thomas might not be as alone as he thinks (in a good way).
  • coronach@lemmy.sdf.org
    5·
    3 days ago

    spec ops the line (just kidding)

    I’m imagining someone cozying up with a blanket, a lap kitty, some tea, and the horrors of mankind.

  • Ech@lemm.eeEnglish
    4·
    3 days ago

    Sayonara Wild Hearts. I love that game and often load it up when I’m feeling out of sorts.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      2·
      2 days ago

      Fantastic game that does not get the love it deserves. I think it was on sale for a few bucks recently.

      I have an urge once or twice a year to play through the game again and it makes me cry every time. Just played it last week actually. Still have some of the music stuck in my head.

  • RadDevon@lemmy.zipEnglish
    1·
    2 days ago

    Check out Natsu-Mon: 21st Century Summer Kid. It’s not Deck verified, but it’s platinum on ProtonDB, so it should work. I played it on Linux (albeit not on Deck) with no issue.

    You just get to be a kid in the summer in a small Japanese town. I grieved when it was over because I wouldn’t get to see all the friends I had made anymore or go fishing or hunt treasure or catch bugs…

    So wholesome!