Relax and Play: Top 5 Games to Help You De-Stress

If you’re anything like me, nothing beats stress better than a nice, relaxing, chill game. So, if you want to relax and play, read on for my top 5 games to help you de-stress! Of course, this is just my opinion. There are many worthy contenders that didn’t make the list, so please don’t shout at me if your favourite didn’t make it 😅.

So, starting from 5, here are the top 5 games to help you de-stress…

Number 5: De-Stress with Euro Truck Simulator 2

Developer: SCS Software
Release Date: 18th October 2012
Platform: PC (Steam)
Steam Deck: Verified

Overview:

Euro Truck Simulator 2 is a truck driving simulator. Your job is to deliver cargo around Europe to earn money (for those sweet, sweet rides). And of course, XP to unlock more levels and bigger, better delivery contracts (among many other unlockables). The maps are expansive. You can travel across many cities in and around Europe (including the UK). So why not give Newcastle a little visit? 😂.

I’ve never driven a truck in real life (unless you count a Ford Focus estate, which felt like a truck). I can’t, therefore, say for sure whether it’s realistic or not. What I can say, though, is that it is an excellent game to play. Especially when you use a steering wheel and pedal set (This is the one I use). Even without one, it’s still a fantastic game.

Gameplay:

The gameplay is completely immersive. You can choose to complete delivery contracts. This is where you have to deliver cargo from Point A to Point B in a certain amount of time. Or you can decide just to drive and go wherever you want across Europe.

The roads and road networks are real and span literally thousands of miles. You may even spot the odd famous landmark along the way. The replayability of this game is endless. It’s not a game that you can complete, as it’s continuous. Even after you’ve bought every truck and unlocked everything, there are still thousands of miles of Europe to explore.

When you get to that point, you can take advantage of DLC packs. These add new cities, trucks, cargo, and accessories (not an exhaustive list). So there are many, many hours of extra gameplay. However, it’s still a whole lotta fun without spending an extra penny on DLC.

So, what makes this game chill?

For me, driving long-haul (virtually) is a Zen like experience. You don’t have the stress of driving in real life. No one really minds if you break the speed limit. Though, there are speed cameras, and you get fined if you’re not careful. No one cares if you turn the speed limiter off and bomb it down the M25. It’s just nice to kick back, relax and de-stress. This game will help you to de-stress, especially after the recent updates, where they’ve improved graphics and shaders. So why not be surrounded by beautiful countryside, mountain ranges, landmarks, and cities? The possibilities in this game are endless. And do you know what’s even better? It is Steam Deck verified, so if you have a Steam Deck, you can play it wherever you are!

The other standout for this game is the frequent updates! For a 12-year-old game, the updates, releases and DLC options are almost endless. It’s clear that the developers care about this game. In my opinion, those are the types of developers worth supporting.

Game Reception:

Don’t just take my word for it. As of today (according to SteamDB), Euro Truck Simulator 2 has over 775,000 reviews. Over 96% of them are positive! This makes the game one of the best-reviewed, overwhelmingly positive games on Steam! There is also a free downloadable demo to try before you buy. So why not get a feel for the game before committing?

Should you wait for a sale?

As of right now, the game is £16.89 on Steam. Due to the vast amount of content and the huge replayability potential, this price is worth it, in my opinion. The game has been significantly cheaper, though. It has been as low as £1.68 in the past (on the 27th June 2024). So you might be able to get it cheaper in a sale if you can wait. In my experience, it is usually one of the games discounted in most sales.

Number 4: De-Stress with Unpacking

Developer: Witch Beam
Release Date: 2nd November 2021
Platform: PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation
Steam Deck: Verified

Overview:

Unpacking is an adorable little puzzle game where you move houses, unpack your possessions from little cardboard boxes. You then fit them into various rooms in your new home. You move home 8 different times. Also, you get to know the character as well as understand the story a little more as you progress.

Gameplay:

It’s a complete Zen experience, and possibly, one of the most chilled games I’ve had the pleasure of playing. It’s definitely a game that helps you to de-stress! Having said that, some items need to go in specific places. This means that you don’t have full freedom to decorate rooms how you’d like (but you mostly do). But that’s where the puzzle element comes in. There is still a lot of freedom with some items, but everything has to be placed to pass the level.

Aside from the chill gameplay, the story is what sets this apart in my opinion. It’s done in an ever so subtle way. You don’t get any dialogue or told the story, though. You just basically figure this out as you progress through the levels, and it’s really quite something. It grips you, and kind of makes you reflect on your own life. It’s a beautiful and relaxing game that’s just about suitable for all ages. The wide variety of platforms the game is available on, coupled with the simple to learn gameplay and controls, would also make this a hit with the kids.

What I would say is that the story is a little short. The gameplay is anywhere from around 4–6 hours, depending on your style of play. So for me, there is a question around replayability potential with this one. It’s still a beautiful game to play to kill a few hours nonetheless.

So, what makes this game chill?

I think that the developers have perfectly captured what it’s like to move home and unpack. Though obviously not physically, definitely mentally. It captures the stress, and the awkwardness and the mess of moving home. There’s just something about unpacking (virtually) that feels so comforting and chill. I’m a little bit of a perfectionist, so having things ordered correctly and in their little homes is right up my street. It’s one of those games that you don’t really understand until you play it. I’d also recommend playing this game on PC, as it’s easier to unpack items and place them with a mouse as opposed to a controller (in my opinion).

Game Reception:

According to SteamDB as of today, Unpacking has over 29,000 positive reviews, and is ‘Very Positive’ in over 91% of reviews. It averages a 4.4 on the Xbox store and 4.38 on the PlayStation store. It seems to be a big hit with plenty of people, and there’s a reason for that.

Should you wait for a sale?

If you want my honest opinion here, I’d say yes. As much as the game is fun and chill, it’s very short. Too short in my opinion to pay full price for it. However, it has been as low as £7.74 (on 15th August 2024). Honestly, I’d say that if you can pick this up for £10 or less, it’s worth it all day long. So if you intend to pick this up on Steam, I’d wait until it drops.

If you want to take the plunge on Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo Switch, you can find current prices in the table below.*

Store	Price
Steam	£15.49
Xbox	£16.74 / Free for Game Pass Subscribers
PlayStation	£15.99 / Free for PS Plus Extra Subscribers
Nintendo Switch	£17.99

*Prices correct as of 16th September 2024

Speaking of prices, you can grab Unpacking for just £8.69 (Steam version) using my CD Keys link below at no extra cost to you, it’s a win-win.

Get Unpacking for £8.69

Number 3: De-Stress with Dinkum

Developer: James Bendon (Independent)
Release Date: 14th July 2022
Platform: PC (Steam)
Steam Deck: Playable

Overview:

Dinkum is an excellent game, developed by a completely independent developer (James Bendon). It’s basically Animal Crossing meets Stardew Valley in the Australian outback, but with a bit more danger. It still has the same cutesy vibe, but feels just a little more grown up, and in my opinion, there’s a bit more to do as well. It’s one of the best games to help you de-stress!

Gameplay:

The gameplay itself is quite familiar but unique in its own right. You start off on an Australian outback inspired island. Here you get to craft, farm, decorate, mine, fish, and even go dungeon crawling eventually. The island is full of loot and secrets that you unlock as you progress, and it’s jam packed with different biomes to explore. You can visit tropical eucalyptus forests, scorching deserts and cool billabongs to boot, while battling giant wombats and snappy gators!

Also, you have the ability to have visitors become permanent residents, to upgrade your gear/stats and craft unique items like vehicles, yes vehicles! You can literally drive around the Australian outback in a range of different vehicles, it just adds another level of cool to an already cool game.

When I first bought this game, me and Kirsty literally sunk hours into it on the day of release. What makes this game special for me is definitely the multiplayer aspect. There are very few restrictions and you can actually build and design together. You can pretty much do everything in the game together, and you’re not restricted (though you do have the option to restrict some permissions). It’s really unique, it’s really fun, and I’d strongly recommend giving it a go. My absolute favourite thing to do is use the metal detector to find loot. There’s just something so satisfying about it.

What I would say, however, is that I would recommend installing some Mods. It is grindy as hell, there are mods for things like auto-pickup items and infinite tool durability, as well as things like reducing stamina usage. To be honest, these are pretty crucial and speed the grind up a bit, without taking away from the actual grind, if that makes sense. Though, you do you. If you’d prefer to play the game as intended, you, of course, can do so, but prepared for the grind.

So, what makes this game chill?

So, I will preface this by saying that not every single element of this game is chill. There are some bits (like trawling through the dungeon) which can be a bit on the not so chill side. Especially when you come up against strong exploding bugs that you didn’t expect (so go in prepared).

However, if you avoid that side of things, and just want to farm, fish, explore and decorate your island, then you will find yourself in a state of absolute comfort. It’s cosy, it’s cute, and you can spend a lot of time just wandering around getting lost and taking in the beautiful scenery. For me, it’s almost the perfect game, just let down ever so slightly by the grind. As the developer is also independent, updates can take a little longer, but a lot of love and effort goes into them, so they’re worth the wait.

Game Reception:

The game is generally received well, but has been reviewed way less than some others on this list. Currently, according to SteamDB there are over 19,500 positive reviews and, just under 92% of these are positive, making this game fall into the ‘Very Positive’ category.

Should you wait for a sale?

Personally, I feel there is enough content in this game to justify paying full price for it. It’s currently available on Steam for £14.99. Bear in mind, though, that the game is still in early access. I think the fact that this game is developed by one person is an even bigger reason to buy this at the list price. Though, it has been cheaper previously (£10.49 on 27th June 2024), so if you can wait, you might be able to pick it up for a fiver less.

If you’re interested in buying it, have a look at the store page on Steam here.

Number 2: De-Stress with House Flipper

Developer: Frozen District/Empyrean
Release Date: 17th May 2018
Platform: PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation
Steam Deck: Verified

Overview:

Where do I even start with this game? I fell in love with this game as soon as I first downloaded it. It took me a long time to realise it was actually a thing, and I instantly regretted not buying it sooner. I’ve bought it on Xbox (where I’ve unlocked all achievements) and on Steam, and currently working on getting through all the achievements there too. I’m quite literally obsessed with this game!

House Flipper basically allows you to renovate and decorate houses, and then sell them (flip them) for profit, or just keep them in your property portfolio. The official blurb says, “House Flipper is a unique chance to become a one-man renovation crew. Buy, repair, and remodel devastated houses. Give them a second life and sell them at a profit!” Take it from me, House Flipper is the perfect game to play to de-stress.

Gameplay:

So, there are a few different ways in which you can play this game. You can complete missions which range from clearing dirt and rubbish to fully renovating houses. Fixing broken installations and pretty much everything in between. This allows you to earn some money so you can buy properties and fix them up. If you buy the Garden DLC (which of course I had to), you get extra missions/contracts to earn even more and also decorate and renovate gardens. You also unlock things like lawnmowers and stuff, so if there was one DLC I’d recommend buying, it’s the garden one.

House Flipper is a straightforward game to master, the controls are pretty simple to understand, and the game offers hours and hours of entertainment and pretty endless replayability. Once your missions/contracts run out, you can just keep buying, selling and renovating until your heart’s content!

You can clean up mess, get rid of rubbish, be a pest exterminator, knock down walls, paint, fit plug sockets, air conditioning units, install bathtubs, showers, and even washing machines, you name it, the game has got it. You can also decorate with furniture and accessories, and you have complete freedom of where you want things to go. It’s the ultimate sandbox game, especially in terms of interior decoration. However, you aren’t able to build external walls or do much on the outside apart from paint and fix cracks etc., so that side of things is a bit of a let-down.

There are also many DLC packs available for this game, though some are better than others. There’s a whole load of free one’s too, which you can try out. They usually add new items and locations to the game (similar to the Sims I guess). The pet DLC is cute, and it allows you to buy a pet, but the interaction is a little awkward. There’s also a farm DLC which I haven’t tried yet, but I will one day. I would also maybe suggest using Mods, just for the sake of adding new items, there are thousands to choose from on the Steam Workshop. So why not add a fancy car to that garage?

Game Reception:

According to SteamDB, House Flipper has over 83,000 positive reviews, and falls into the ‘Very Positive’ category with over 92% of all reviews being positive. On Xbox, it has a rating of 4/5. On the PlayStation store, it’s rated at 4.38/5. So don’t just take my word for it, those numbers speak for themselves.

Should you wait for a sale?

I strongly believe that this game is worth the asking price. It has huge amounts of content, and the replayability is almost endless. It’s one of those games you can just come back to again and again. Not only that, but it draws you in, and for me, it hasn’t let me go yet. So yes, it’s absolutely worth buying. Having said that, the price of the game has been as low as £2.09 on Steam in the past (on the 4th October 2023). Have a look at the table below for current prices.*

Store	Price
Steam	£20.99
Xbox	£17.99 / Free for Game Pass Subscribers
PlayStation	£19.99
Nintendo Switch	£22.49

*Prices correct as of 16th September 2024

Number 1: De-Stress with Supermarket Simulator

Developer: Nokta Games
Release Date: 20th February 2024
Platform: PC (Steam)
Steam Deck: Playable

Overview:

I honestly can’t believe that this game wasn’t created sooner, like where have you been all of my life? This is hands down the best simulator game that I’ve ever played. I know that might be a bit strong, but this game, in my opinion, is perfect. Though it’s not perfectly polished, and it has it’s fair share of issues and bugs, that still doesn’t stop it from being the first five-star game on this list.

The premise is simple, you start your own little shop. You buy products, you stock shelves, you work the till, take people’s money, buy more products and rinse and repeat. The official blurb says, “Run your own supermarket. Stock shelves, set prices as you’d like, take payments, hire staff, expand and design your store.”

Gameplay:

The gameplay loop is honestly so addictive. I’ve pretty much played this game almost every day since it first came out, and whether I’ve spent 20 minutes or 6 hours playing, there’s always something to do, always something to unlock, and I haven’t got bored of it yet.

The developer started off as an independent, and ever since they’ve hired more people since the success of the game at launch, so updates are now coming thick and fast, though were slow at the start of the game.

In terms of the actual gameplay. You order products from a PC installed in the shop. Once ordered, the packages are dropped outside the shop. You pick the boxes up, open them and stock the shelves. You then set your prices, and once you’re all sorted, you can click the sign on your shop to open it to the public. Once the day ends, you can start a new day and rinse and repeat. As you progress, you have the option of purchasing things such as product licences, which allow you to stock and buy more products. You can also expand your shop, unlock storage and expand this too. You can also decorate your shop with signs and speakers and, as of the recent update, even working self-checkout tills (those things are wonderful).

Not only that, but you also can hire checkout staff (and/or you can run the till yourself and take card payments and cash and dish out the change), as well as restockers who will pick up your deliveries, stock shelves or store them away for you. You have to pay your staff at the start of the new day, along with rent payments and electricity charges for turning on the lights and running your fridges and freezers.

If you get stuck along the way or want to unlock expansions or products quicker, you do have the option to take out loans too. Though, if you end up going into minus at the end of the day, you’ll be bankrupt and your store will close, and you’ll have to start again. I haven’t even scratched the surface of this game to be honest, there’s so much more I could say, but I would rather not give you every little detail. I’d like you to find out for yourself. 😜

So, what makes this game chill?

To be honest, this is one of those games that you’ll either love or find super boring and switch off immediately. For me, this is the perfect game, it’s literally chill personified. There’s very little that can go wrong, the gameplay loop is fun and interesting and there’s always something to aim for. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, and I like things to be ordered. This game quite literally numbs my mind, and I find myself playing it for hours at a time. It’s chill and then some. If you want an easy game that doesn’t require much thought and gives you a quick win, and helps you to de-stress, then this is for you!

Game Reception:

SteamDB (the go-to for me) states that the game has received more than 46,500 positive reviews, and just over 91% of total reviews are positive. This puts this game in the ‘Very Positive’ category, but it is super close to tipping into ‘Overwhelming Positive’ territory.

Should you wait for a sale?

Even though this game is still in Early Release, I think the current price of £10.99 is absolutely worth it! The game, however, has been a little cheaper in the past (£7.69 on 27th June 2024), so if you like a bargain you might want to wait for a sale, as it may be discounted later on down the line.

If you’re interested in using my CD Keys link (below), you can grab this game now for a little cheaper at no extra cost to you. 😊

Get Supermarket Simulator for £8.99

Bonus: De-Stress with Stardew Valley

Developer: ConcernedApe (Independent)
Release Date: 26th February 2014
Platform: PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, iOS, Android
Steam Deck: Playable

Overview

So unless you’ve been living under a rock, Stardew Valley needs no introduction. I’m not going to delve too much into this one. I wanted to include it here, as no Top 5 chill game list is complete with the addition of this game. If it wasn’t mentioned, I’d probably receive death threats.

This game is probably considered to be the OG chill game. You can farm, explore fight, go dungeon crawling and even get married if you really want to (it’s a bit of a grind to get married though).

This is probably the perfect game for casual gamers, and it’s available on pretty much every gaming platform. I, personally, own it on about 4 different platforms, and I think the majority of the gaming community does too, to be honest.

This game doesn’t need any further explanation, if you play games you’ll have at least heard of this, the franchise is huge! For me, this game is so chill that I can’t play it for more than a couple of hours without literally falling asleep.

So there we have it! My Top 5 games to help you de-stress! Please let me know which one’s you’ll be trying out next.

Thank you

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for sticking with me. I hope you’ve enjoyed my thoughts and ramblings. If your favourite chill game didn’t make the list, please let me know what it is and why you like it so much in the comments below. Please don’t hate me if your favourite didn’t make the list. 😅

Thank you! ❤️