Summary
There really is nothing quite like engaging in a little me-time with a nice, relaxing hobby. Tend to a small home garden, paint a lovely picture, or perhaps head to the putting green for a round of golf. All of these are great ways to de-stress and unwind… but what if they weren’t?
Now, thanks to the magic of video games, you too can experience what it’s like to watch your favorite relaxing activities transform into surprisinglyintense gameplay.Of the many games that flip the concept of relaxation on its head, these are the ones that surprised us the most.
8Pumpkin Panic
A Whole New Kind Of Garden Warfare
Pumpkin Panic is a delightful littlefarming simwhere you tend to a small garden and experience the satisfaction of raising plants on a small, manageable scale. It’s alsoa survival horror game.
In this considerably un-cozy take on the cozy genre’s favorite gameplay trope, you’ll need to manage a farm while fending off some truly nightmarish creatures, all in an effort to keep your garden alive. If you’re tired of the same old same old, and want to add some kick to your next farming sim, give this short indie gem a try. We promise it’s more intense than it looks.
7Dredge
Gone Fishing
Fishing is relaxing for some, and downright boring for others, but inDredge, this popular worldwide activity hides a gamebrimming with atmosphere,cosmic terror, and at times, heart-pounding intensity.
After waking up with amnesia in the port town of Greater Marrow, the mayor offers you a loaner vessel so long as you make sure to pay him back once your fishing business takes off. If you’re careful, and you heed the townsfolk’s warnings, you’ll enjoy a nice relaxing time fishing and organizing your hull. Ignore them and brave the dark, however, and you’ll quickly find there’s more to this fishing game than meets the eye.
6Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy
Hardcore Hiking With A Laid-Back Narrator
“Take a nice relaxing hike” they said. “Touch grass,” they said. Well, we did take a hike, with narrator Bennett Foddy along for the ride, and it was pretty much the exact opposite of a relaxing experience.
If you somehow haven’t played Bennett Foddy’s spiritual successor to Sexy Hiking, we recommend making sure before you begin this journey that you know your limits and know how to calm down. Getting Over It is ateeth-grindingly stressful experiencefraught withpunishing obstacles, and if we had to say it simply: Getting Over It does for nature hikes what Jaws probably did for going swimming.
Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t at least mention Bennett Foddy’s other frustrating game about basic movement: QWOP, but seeing as how QWOP’s visuals imply a track meet or professional sport rather than a relaxing walk, we opted out of putting it on this list as a main entry.
5Greener Grass Awaits
Horror Is Par For The Course
Golfing might not be the most relaxing hobby to begin with if you’re especially bad at it like some of us are, but Greener Grass Awaits takes the inherent necessity of looking at the ball and being very precise and calculated aboutyour swings in golfand combines it with threats that only move when you aren’t looking at them to create a golfing horror experience that is out of this world.
Seriously, this is one of the mostcreative horror gameswe’ve played in a very long time, and trust us, the longer it goes, the more intense it gets. We won’t spoil any of the late-game surprises here, but trust us, this one is worth seeing through to the end.
4Death Palette
Paint Her If You Dare
Coloring can be a nice way tounwind and get a little relaxationin, as can any creative activity really. But in this indie survival horror game, coloring outside the lines isn’t just frowned upon; it’s downright deadly.
Trapped in an escape room type situation, you’ll need to multitask between taking care of a very sassy haunted portrait and trying to find a way to escape before your artistic shortcomings inevitably lead to a gruesome demise. You’ll need tostay sharp and think on your toes, but above all else, you’ll need to paint the picture properly if you want to find a way out of this place.
3Uno DX
The Dramatic RPG That Never Left Japan
Yes, there’s really a hyper-dramatic Uno RPG for the PlayStation 1, and yes, it’s just as wacky and intense as you’d expect from a game with that kind of premise. Uno DX is genuinely a treat when it gets going, and though the language barrier and lack of modern availability make it less accessible than most, those who can experience the Uno RPG are in for something truly unique.
If you thought playing Uno with a group of friends was intense, imagine going up againstanime-styleUno champions who are willing to stake it all on the match, and know that whatever you think that might be like, the actual game is probably still just a little wilder than that.
2Overcooked 2
Baker Of Friendships, Maker Of Bread
Having some friends over and cooking a humble dish can be a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the evening, unless you’re trying to do it in the chaotic cooking party gameOvercooked 2, in which case it is the single most stressful experience you will ever have, bar none. Trust us, there are very few screams that are louderthan those of your friendsafter they’ve made a minor mistake in Overcooked 2.
Of course, that doesn’t mean the game isn’t a blast to play. Overcooked 2 is a party favorite for a reason, and it comes highly recommended by us. Just make sure you play it with a close group of friends, or you might end up ending a few friendships before the night is over.
1Dustforce
Sweep Like You Mean It
Dustforce transforms one of the most relaxing (if tedious) pastimesinto an epic platformerwith an emphasis on speedrunning and parkour. Sweep, mop, and clean your way through a tightly designed sidescroller with a presentation as clean as you’d expect from a game that’s ultimately about getting some cleaning done.
Genuinely one ofthe best 2D action platformerswe’ve ever played, we can’t recommend this game enough for its high-speed gameplay and satisfying presentation. Give it a try if you haven’t already.
