Why I (Mostly) Play Easy & Comfy Games These Days

[Jeff]

1. Frustrating difficulty
I very rarely feel a sense of accomplishment when beating a boss on the 50th try or whatever, it's more like phew finally that's done with. Admittedly I'm not great at games, but I also get frustrated easily, so that sorta thing is definitely a con rather than a pro for me. Not necessarily looking for a walk in the park either mind you, just that I'd rather not smash my controllers to pieces

2. Time-consuming complexity
Often it seems like a huge time investment to even learn the game and I have better things to do. Yeah right lol, I'm just not interested in spending hours to learn how game mechanics, characer builds and infinite skill trees work; I'd rather pick up some apples and then go smash a goblin's head in. My memory is terrible so I'll forget half of the complex stuff anyway, besides I'm the type of guy who thinks three moves behind in chess so I'm really bad at highly strategic games to begin with, so I've given up on those

3. Hobbesian world-building
None of the places seem like you'd want to live there and none of their inhabitants are very nice or whimsical or happy, everything's just kinda drab and depressing. Oh so the real world is a shitty place too and people are assholes in general? Yeah tell me something I don't know, I don't really need that in my video games too. I'm a staunch defender of the good times so that shit's gonna be a no from me dog


So to summarize I'm not great at games and have no interest in gittin gud it seems. But also it feels like western games in particular exude western nihilism & individualism and I ain't down with that. I'm being hyperbolical and generalizing of course but whatever mang; frolicking through the land with Sylvando and his merry men in DQXI was one of the most heart-warming moments I've ever experienced in a video game, and I'm sick of blowing people to bits and shit. I wanna feel good and not bad. Wat do u think

[Amis]

Would you like to play some CIV V?

[Jeff]

no u have to think and stuff in it, im talkin animal crossing level of stupidity here

[SenisterDenister]

Valheim is super comfy. Try Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley.

[Jeff]

Heck yeah I put 200 hrs into Valheim last summer, good times. I've been looking into easy-going JRPGs lately after beating DQXI, they're typically pretty easy and more like a nostalgic virtual hug. Plus the nippon design philosophy is more spiritual I guess, they usually have a big-ass mana tree (well I suppose Valheim did too) or you have to save mother earth or some shit like that, instilling faith in humainity instead of some humanity-is-the-devil bullshit. Nothing wrong with that either per se but I've played like a billion of those games already and am I need of some digital xanax atm

[Amis]

I have a server on 7 Days To Die, that's pretty no brainer, build and castle defend.

[SenisterDenister]

One of the most addictive games I've ever played was Into the Breach. Not really comfy, but man it gave me a huge Tetris effect where I was seeing it in my dreams and seeing the grids in stuff. That game tickled my autism just right. For me my comfy genre is turn-based tactical games. Antithetical, I know, given how hard they can be, but they really help me relax and wind down by sucking me in so much. WRPG's can do that for me, too, if they're turn-based.

[Jeff]

Yeah Into The Breach was fucking great. Definitely comfy, maybe partly due to the bite-sized battles and enemy action signalling. ItB is pretty unique I guess but maybe give Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy Tactics a go if you haven't already

[Hyacinth]

Noita is pretty straight forward

[Jeff]

Noita is pretty straight forward

Been playing Atelier Ryza, it's like video game xanax
Picking up flowers and cooking alchemical concoctions and battling monsters with your pals
Combine with a pharmaceutical xanax to relaxx to the maxx and smash buttons because you forgot all the tutorials (the alchemy stuff is pretty intricate)

[Jeff]

a short hike was super chill++


edit: oh wow steam page embeds nice

[Hyacinth]

Yeah its nice with embeds DAC is modern now