After starting work, I feel so tired every day, so I just want to play some casual games. Recently, I’m playing survivor-like games like Vampire Survivors and Darkchaser. They’re simple and fun, but after a while, they get a bit boring. So, I’m looking for other casual game recommendations, preferably single-player games that can be paused at any time, like Plants vs Zombies. Thanks！
Halls of Torment and Brotato are both similar to Vampire Survivors, but better in my opinion. Great art styles and the weapon system in Brotato is really fun.
Casual-wise, story-based games are nice, like Frog Detective, Florence and the like.
I am in a similar situation, I get home tired from work and don’t have much time to myself, I can pick up my steam deck for half an hour or so but not long enough to get very involved with something. I’ve been playing doom 2016, you don’t have to commit much time to it at once. I’m pretty shit at it though.
Sounds like you’re ready for the wonderful universe of TBS games (Turn Based Strategy).
There a soo many sub genres but you can filter the steam shop for turn-based and read reviews and recommendations.
Some personal highlights:
Things can get rough but I play mostly to have thriving communities with social drama. Deaths happen but that’s part of the challenge. Turn down the difficulty and play it like The Sims, it’s surprisingly chill.
It can be. Lower difficulty and phoebe chillax as the storyteller. I highly recommend modding the game. Both the common QOL mods and tweaks to what you don’t like.
I’m going to give a possibly controversial opinion. But my favorite casual game to play is Rogue Legacy.
If you accept that you know you’ll die a lot, it’s a lot less stressful. Outside of that, it’s extremely player friendly. It’s not too complicated. There’s progression. You have runs that end and give you a place to stop. You can turn it off anytime without needing to worry too much about losing progress. It has platforming.
I kind of love the early game. If I see a particularly difficult room, usually it’s a treasure room and you can back out or take the challenge. The two real objectives are get gold or kill a boss.
RL2 feels a lot bigger and more dependent on longer marathon runs and more strategic builds. For me it’s still a lot of fun, but not nearly the same cozy feel. Plus there are other challenges that seem mandatory for progression. Having said that, I have not touched the difficulty sliders.
Satisfactory - Open world Factory builder (my current addiction)
IMO your selections are a weird fit for the term “chill” as they seem to be more action games but the above should have a similar “intense at times, with breaks” vibe i get from yours.
Jumping off Vampire Survivor I highly recommend Halls of Torment! Similar vibe, easier, very satisfying. The aesthetic is very similar to Diablo 1 but with vampire survivor gameplay. I’m in love with it
Slice and dice, a rogurlite played with dice.
Huge amount of modes like “demo mode” that makes each run like 40% shorter.
Not only can a run go by pretty fast they last roughly as long as a vs run.
I like TLOZ:BotW a lot. But I need to say that it is my favorite game so it could not be that relaxing for others.
Forager is also a great casual game.
I cab also genuinely recommend these:
You can’t expect people to understand the acronym of a game you are just introducing :)
Google tells me you mean “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”.
I mean cyberpunk2077 you can by and large pause at any time and you can generally save but there are sometimes where it tells you saving is not allowed. So there are certain points in the story where you can be playing for awhile without a save but its not a super lot. Can be sorta annoying though when you get to them though. Still its not much of the game. Its been awhile but I thought harry potter allowed pausing. Don’t recall it putting me in a difficult position where I could not put it down. Technically elden ring has a hidden pause if you go into a menu in a menu. There are youtube videos on it. Its stressful as heck though as a game. If you quite you are by and large fine to but any enemy that is damage will be at full health when you get back but dead ones will stay dead. Its really not much of an issue except for bosses. I think baldurs gate 3 and starfield allow saving pretty much at any time as well and pause, again its been awhile.
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Halls of Torment and Brotato are both similar to Vampire Survivors, but better in my opinion. Great art styles and the weapon system in Brotato is really fun.
Casual-wise, story-based games are nice, like Frog Detective, Florence and the like.
Enter the Gungeon is another good bullet hell game. Slay the Spire if you like deck building. Both easy to pick up and stop.
Balatro in addition to Slay the Spire, gaming crack (and game of the year).
Gungeon is not casual though, one of the hardest games I’ve played!
Hard as shit and also my favorite musical artist ever
I think Burnout Paradise can be good for this, you can just start the game, drive around, have fun and leave whenever you want.
I am in a similar situation, I get home tired from work and don’t have much time to myself, I can pick up my steam deck for half an hour or so but not long enough to get very involved with something. I’ve been playing doom 2016, you don’t have to commit much time to it at once. I’m pretty shit at it though.
A great auto-battler released just this year named The Gnorp Apologue!
Your role is relatively passive, but a little time investment is required for progress.
Sounds like you’re ready for the wonderful universe of TBS games (Turn Based Strategy). There a soo many sub genres but you can filter the steam shop for turn-based and read reviews and recommendations. Some personal highlights:
Is Rimworld chill though? It’s been sitting on my waitlist for a while, but I’m still a bit…afraid. Doesn’t each colony ultimately go to shit?
Things can get rough but I play mostly to have thriving communities with social drama. Deaths happen but that’s part of the challenge. Turn down the difficulty and play it like The Sims, it’s surprisingly chill.
I found the game really boring personally. But its a cool game.
There is an end goal apparently. But in my 40+ hrs played, never been able to build a spaceship. So In practice, yea that’s about right.
It can be. Lower difficulty and phoebe chillax as the storyteller. I highly recommend modding the game. Both the common QOL mods and tweaks to what you don’t like.
I’m going to give a possibly controversial opinion. But my favorite casual game to play is Rogue Legacy.
If you accept that you know you’ll die a lot, it’s a lot less stressful. Outside of that, it’s extremely player friendly. It’s not too complicated. There’s progression. You have runs that end and give you a place to stop. You can turn it off anytime without needing to worry too much about losing progress. It has platforming.
I love Rogue Legacy as a casual game. In the early game, it’s decidedly not cozy, due to missing mechanics and how common unwinnable rooms are.
Rogue Legacy 2 fixes these issues, and adds a ton of difficulty sliders, and can be tuned to be fantasticly cozy,
I kind of love the early game. If I see a particularly difficult room, usually it’s a treasure room and you can back out or take the challenge. The two real objectives are get gold or kill a boss.
RL2 feels a lot bigger and more dependent on longer marathon runs and more strategic builds. For me it’s still a lot of fun, but not nearly the same cozy feel. Plus there are other challenges that seem mandatory for progression. Having said that, I have not touched the difficulty sliders.
This is how I learned to like shadowbane and elden ring. Death is just a mechanic.
L4D2. simple and AMAZING arcade zombie shooter. will never be uninstalled from my computers and super cheap.
UFO 50
If you enjoyed arcade or NES style games
UFO50
Casual
NO
Noita - Action 2D platformer
Ale & Tale Tavern - survival food service
Satisfactory - Open world Factory builder (my current addiction)
IMO your selections are a weird fit for the term “chill” as they seem to be more action games but the above should have a similar “intense at times, with breaks” vibe i get from yours.
Jumping off Vampire Survivor I highly recommend Halls of Torment! Similar vibe, easier, very satisfying. The aesthetic is very similar to Diablo 1 but with vampire survivor gameplay. I’m in love with it
One Finger Death Punch 2. You get two buttons & a solid upgrade path for endless kung fu.
Slice and dice, a rogurlite played with dice. Huge amount of modes like “demo mode” that makes each run like 40% shorter.
Not only can a run go by pretty fast they last roughly as long as a vs run.
I like TLOZ:BotW a lot. But I need to say that it is my favorite game so it could not be that relaxing for others. Forager is also a great casual game. I cab also genuinely recommend these:
You can’t expect people to understand the acronym of a game you are just introducing :) Google tells me you mean “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”.
I mean cyberpunk2077 you can by and large pause at any time and you can generally save but there are sometimes where it tells you saving is not allowed. So there are certain points in the story where you can be playing for awhile without a save but its not a super lot. Can be sorta annoying though when you get to them though. Still its not much of the game. Its been awhile but I thought harry potter allowed pausing. Don’t recall it putting me in a difficult position where I could not put it down. Technically elden ring has a hidden pause if you go into a menu in a menu. There are youtube videos on it. Its stressful as heck though as a game. If you quite you are by and large fine to but any enemy that is damage will be at full health when you get back but dead ones will stay dead. Its really not much of an issue except for bosses. I think baldurs gate 3 and starfield allow saving pretty much at any time as well and pause, again its been awhile.