School isn’t easy. Sometimes, we wish we could escape into a fantasy world where there are no worries, no stress, and most importantly, no exams. Alas, we have not advanced that far in technology yet. For now, I guess video games and Netflix will do. Personally, I can spend around five hours on video games and not even feel guilty about it. But, now that we’re “adults” and we have these things called “responsibilities”, we just don’t have all the time in the world to unwind for more than two seconds before we are bombarded with guilt about all the assignments we could be working on instead. These video games I’m about to list are some that I’ve been able to play myself during my busy schedule and has helped me survive through the deadly midterms and assignments.
By the way, all these games (except Pokémon: Art Academy) have multiplayer capabilities. So, you can play with your friends as well! Now sit back, relax, and grab your favourite console.
1. Stardew Valley (Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, and soon… Mobile!)
Stardew Valley is an incredibly fun, and relaxing farming simulator. Your grandpa gives you his farm as his last will, and you move to quiet Stardew Valley. It’s not a super exciting game I must say, but you have no idea how awesome it feels to see your crops flourish and baby animals grow up. It has amazing music and lovable characters. It is not a huge time commitment because one day in Stardew Valley equals 15-minutes real-time. You’ll feel like you accomplished a lot in so little time, and the motivation you get when you see your character living the best life they can, it will surely put a smile on your face. Get it here on Steam!
2. Animal Crossing (Available on many Nintendo platforms, most recent is the 3DS)
Animal Crossing is a community simulator. It is similar to Stardew Valley in a sense that you can talk to your neighbours but is much simpler and more mellow. You play as a new resident in town, and that’s about all there is to the story. You create your own story in Animal Crossing. There are many activities you can do in this game: talking to your animal neighbours, running errands, donating to the museum, decorating your house, fishing, bug catching, and much more! The game runs in real-time, so if you’re whipping out your 3DS at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, it will be 2:00 a.m. in the game as well. It feels nice knowing that the little in-game world corresponds to our actual world. Seasons change with us as well! There’s no set amount of time to play the game, and even if you leave your town unattended for a while, your neighbours will still love you the same. Its mellow vibe truly eases your soul. Get the most recent instalment here!
3. Pokémon (Available on the: GBA, NDS, 3DS)
Pokémon is such a classic game. Does it even need explaining? The nostalgia that you get from seeing your favourite Pokémon is surely enough to make you forget about all your worries. The fun conversations, cute animation, beautiful environment, and story are enough to make you smile. With its save anywhere feature, you can set the game down anytime without worrying about losing your progress. The best part is, there are so many instalments in the Pokémon franchise, so you can basically start anywhere! Pick your poison here!
4. Pokémon: Art Academy (Nintendo 3DS)
Following Pokémon is Pokémon: Art Academy. It’s a cute little drawing game about you guessed it: Pokémon. If you ever saw one of those tiny creatures and thought “Huh, I really want to draw them…” then you have come to the right place! You are enrolled in a prestigious drawing academy. There’s a professor (just like every other game) that teaches you basic drawing techniques that slowly move up to more advanced ones. You even have a rival in the game. The rival is the best part of the game (it’s what pushed me to buy it)! They are confident that their drawings are the best and usually at the end of your art lesson, they show your rival’s drawing. And let’s just say it’s the funniest thing in the world! My sides were hurting after I saw it for the first time, and it made my crummy drawing look way better in comparison. Combined with the relaxing drawing and amazing humour, this will definitely put a smile on your face. It also has the save anytime feature so you can stop mid-lesson to take a break, and come back to where you left off! Get it from the E-shop!
5. Overcooked 1&2 (Available on: PC, Xbox, PS4, and Nintendo Switch)
Okay, so this isn’t exactly a mellow game, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. But it’s still wholesome! In Overcooked, you play as animal and human characters trying to defeat a spaghetti monster by the power of cooking! It’s a fast-paced, time-limit game where every second counts. You play worlds and levels, each one harder than the last. Each new level throws a new challenge at you, for example, cooking on a boat where your kitchen shifts around a lot; or platforms disappearing in a haunted house. You can play it alone, but it’s more fun to play with a friend! The high-pressure environment and hilarious animations make it an extremely fun game to play. It’s totally guilt-free too! Each level only takes around 3-5 minutes to play. My roommate and I would usually stick our heads into each other’s room and say: “I’m tired of studying, let’s play a game.” This is our go-to game usually because we only play 1-2 levels without feeling bad about it. Plus, we often feel a lot better after playing a few levels. Get it on Steam!