cozy games that give meditative vibes
celebrate world meditation day with these 10 relaxing games 🧘🏾
meditation was a survival tactic during my early years. i clearly remember sitting in my childhood bedroom and discovering “my happy room.”
when i was left to myself — which let’s be honest, was quite often - i learned how to sit in my own silence. like most only children,1 i found ways to entertain myself, and one of those ways was sitting in a room of my mind’s making.
over time, i decorated the space with memorabilia of my existence that felt calming and wholly me — chaotically stacked books everywhere, posters of my favorite artists, art i made that got destroyed for one reason or another, and collages made from magazines covering the walls.
after years of being told my thoughts and memories were not real or true in the ways i remembered them, i found a place to hide my truths.
slowly, my happy room became a sanctuary for when i felt forgotten and abandoned, which, yes, happened quite often. in my happy room, i listened to music,2 played word games, detailed characters for the short stories i was writing or would write,3 and rewrote scenes of my favorite books [my versions were better, i promise].
on the inside, i was creating a world that was colorful and allowing my thoughts and curiosities to flow. on the outside, i was sitting in silence, minding my own business.
i naturally learned contemplative and visualization meditation, and still, years later, when teachers, religious texts, and guides told me to embrace meditation, i struggled. the idea of sitting with my thoughts felt like a trick [a scary one, in fact]. by that point, my happy room was not fun.
the world seeped in and, when i wasn’t looking, the forgotten and abandoned space became a graveyard-turned-playground for the demons that kept me up at night.4
it took practice and an ungodly amount of patience, but i eventually found my way back to the internal stillness that once felt like my only friend in the world.
ironically, the idea of meditation came up recently and i had to accept that it’s not a practice for all in the way it has been for me. i’ve studied variations of the practices and have called it more than one name, including prayer. however, i do believe that whatever meditation looks and feels like to you, follow what works. don’t allow the concept to shock you away from the benefits of hearing your own voice.
anyway. happy world meditation day. and on to the meditative cozy games.
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jusant by don’t nod
keywords: otherworldy, forgotten civilization, mystical, self-paced, exploration, soothing, zen, fantastical
steam | xbox x|s | epic games | playstation 5
my thoughts: i deeply enjoyed jusant. the climbing, soothing lofi, and breathtaking visuals invoked a strong sense of calm. as we know, don’t nod does not disappoint.
monument valley series by ustwo
keywords: surreal, fantastical, mysterious, optical illusions, zen, puzzles, sacred geometry, self-discovery, exploration, poetic, ethereal
thoughts: i honestly cannot explain how much this game means to me. play all three and catch up because they’re now doing seasons after monument valley iii and i am currently waiting for the perfect day to zone out and into the latest update. if you take anything from this list, this is the game.
pine: a story of loss by made-up games + fellow traveller
keywords: grief, nostalgia, emotional, puzzles, story-driven, mini-games, love, tabletop-inspired rpg
thoughts: on my “currently playing” list and my heart 🥹
botany manor by balloon studios + whitethorn games
keywords: first-person, time piece, puzzles, strategy, lofi, adventure, mystery, feminism, scientific
steam | xbox x|s | nintendo switch
thoughts: on my “currently playing” list and the level of calm this game gave me not only soothed my brain, but gave me goosebumps from its beauty. lovelovelove.
summerhouse by friedemann allmenröder, published with future friends games
keywords: creativity, building, nostalgia, relaxation, atmospheric
thoughts: on my “downloaded” list waiting to be played, but just look at it. vibes.
the longing by studio seufz
keywords: idle, adventure, point-and-click, slow-paced, dark ambient, exploration, folklore-inspired, dungeon synth music, escapism
steam | nintendo switch | ios, google play
thoughts: on my “did not finish” list, but after contemplation, i got what i needed out of the game. come back for my essay on this one. i have deeper thoughts.
good pizza, great pizza by tapblaze
keywords: resource management, funny, simulation, role-playing
steam | nintendo switch | ios, google play
thoughts: the perfect zone-out game, and the customers are too hilarious.
unpacking by witch beam
keywords: calming, story-driven, decorating, zen, satisfying
steam | xbox x|s | nintendo switch | playstation 5 | ios, google play
thoughts: “a perfect game that needs another installment.” this is the review from every person who’s played it. we need to make a petition or something.
while waiting by optillusion
keywords: transformative, exploration, acceptance, adventure, patience, thought-provoking, narrative
thoughts: on my “downloaded” list. i feel i’ll do better with this than i did with the longing, but same concept from what i know.
inbento by afterburn
keywords: puzzle, food-themed, text-less, cats, strategy, tricky mechanics, japanese aesthetics
steam | xbox x|s | nintendo switch | ios, google play
thoughts: “currently playing” and i love these puzzles. relaxing, but still challenging enough that it scratches the right strategy itch in my brain.