A lot of people love challenging games or at least titles you can feel accomplishment in. Sometimes, however, you’re just not in the mood for that. This can be for various reasons, but in these cases, you need a game you cansimply chill out in.
Xbox, like all other platforms, has plenty. What quantifies as relaxing is a game that you can play with little to no stress or tension involved in the experience. These games could be played in other nonrelaxing ways, but as long as there’s a significant way to play relaxed, then it will count.
10Trials
The Perfect Warm-Up Game
A series you’re able to pop in every once in a while, play for 30 minutes, and have a blast is Trials. Four of the core instalments are on Xbox, and if you need a game to play while waiting for something to install, Trials is it.
For an experienced player, sometimes, after a long break, you can get a PB on your first attempt replaying a track. Once you are familiar with it, the driving lines will always come back to you. It’s a great relaxing warm-up game to play in short bursts. That is, as long as you don’t attempt the harder tracks.
9Doodle God
Mobilegames are usually relaxingas that’s the type of experience most would prefer on the go. Doodle God was a great early mobile game back in the day and was so successful it reached the console platforms. The core of Doodle God is simply combining elements to make new ones until you get them all.
The smoothness of the controls isn’t as great as it was on mobile, but it’s still pretty decent using both analog sticks. Some people might not prefer this style of game on their big screen TV, but if you don’t mind, this a great game to relax to.
8Peggle
Both Peggle games are amazing relaxing titles that require more thinking than dexterity. With your supply of balls, you must hit every peg on the screen, and then you’ll advance. A lot of the time, you’re just watching where the ball goes, similar to Plinko from The Price Is Right.
It’s a lot of fun and has a decent length for a puzzle game like this. The only part that wasn’t relaxing was playing Peggle 2 with the Kinect. Now, that was a frustrating endeavor, but Series X|S can’t even use that device, so you’re in the clear.
7Mass Effect Trilogy
One Of The Greatest Stories In The Medium
Mass Effectis an interesting case because it’s relaxing if you play a certain way. Sure, if you play on Hard, you will get a more stressful experience, but that isn’t how you make it relaxing. The entire trilogy contains one of the greatest video game stories ever, and it’s a damn good time if youjust play on Easyand take in the story.
Playing that way feels similar to reading a good book, and that’s always a relaxing time. Not just one good book, either, but three big ones. It’s a great, laid-back, relaxing experience that’s refreshing even to hardcore gamers.
6Firewatch
A Game So Good, The Developer Got Bought By Valve
A narrative-focused adventure title,Firewatchtakes place in the great outdoors. After a striking opening, you are a literal fire watcher and have free rein to go anywhere you please. Several areas are gated off, though, until later in the game when you acquire more tools.
With no way to die, an engaging story, and a chill outdoors setting, it’s a very relaxing experience. Just like how real outdoors traversing is. Firewatch was so acclaimed that Valve acquired the developer Campo Santo, and many of its team members ended up working onHalf-Life: Alyx.
5The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
Originally a Half-Life 2 mod,The Stanley Parableis another narrative-focused adventure title. Unlike Firewatch, Stanleyis more comedic-focusedand has a truckload of alternate endings and paths that’ll keep you playing.
The game’s decently funny in the first half, but once you get into the Ultra Deluxe content, the laughs really pick up. The Bucket is quite funny with how the narrator describes it. You can die in Stanley, but those are simply more alternate endings to get, and overall, Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe is another laid-back, chilled experience.
4Minecraft
One Of The Few Games That Works As A Legitimate Sleep Aid
you may argueMinecraftis quite a stressful game, but again, that’s dependent on the game mode. If you play in Creative mode, you can’t be hurt at all, and you can simply build to your heart’s content. It’s incredibly relaxing that way, and so much so that you can use this for other means.
If playing Minecraft VR, it’s so relaxing that it works as a legitimately excellent sleep aid for many. That’s a testament to the relaxing nature of the game, even if you’re not playing in VR.
3Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
TheAce Attorneyfranchise mainly consists of visual novel games, which is funny looking back because nobody called them that when they first released on the DS. The initial three instalments are the best in the series, and they got remastered on most modern platforms, including Xbox.
You’ll have a blast with the great story and characters here, even if it can be nonsensical at times. Most visual novel games are quite relaxing, and so is Ace Attorney. Like Doodle God, though, it might not look great on a big screen TV for some, but for people not bothered, it’s a relaxing good time.
2SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle For Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated
Remasters of sixth-gen licensed games are rare, but one of the few isSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated. It was one of the onlygood licensed kids' gamesin that era and a pretty decent platformer.
Certainly better than the PS2-eraCrash Bandicootgames, that’s for sure. It’s also a very easy platformer, and as such, it’s quite a relaxing game to go through. That is what an easy game will often feel like, after all. Just don’t think the game will be as amazing as you remember, as that will lead to disappointment.
1Shenmue
A 1986 Yokosuka Life Sim
Shenmue 1doesn’t necessarily hold up today, but it was innovative and incredibly game-changing for the time. A core reason for this was how freeform it was. You had objectives but total freedom in where to go, who to talk to, and what you may interact with. You’ll have to engage in this optional content because, at many points, you’ll have to wait.
This could be for stores to open or certain events to begin. you’re able to either wait outside the place or go adventure out and explore. For 80 percent of this game, it’s quite a relaxing experience, and it’s not until the final moments that the action really ramps up. Shenmue 2 is a lot more action-packed, and as such, it’s not a relaxing time like the first one.
