Dear community,

I’m looking for a similar (calm) game like Portal 1/2 or Firewatch that I can play on macOS with a similar vibe. The last time I played a game is years ago, and I wish I had at least once a week a nice single-player game that I can play 1-2 hours. =)

I enjoyed Portal because I had to plan out what I’m doing before I act (without being pressured to act), the atmosphere of the game was legendary and I liked that little robot following me. Firewatch had a calm amazing story, there was no ‘action’ but sometimes that feeling that something could happen. It was a nice exploring game.

Any ideas?

Update: Thank you for your input!

    • MurrayL@lemmy.worldEnglish
      0·
      16 days ago

      Yes to all except Outer Wilds.

      I love OW but it is not a game to recommend to someone who explicitly says they want a game with no time pressure. Time pressure is literally a core mechanic.

      • tatterdemalion@programming.dev
        0·
        16 days ago

        The span of time pressure is so long though you barely even notice it. And because it’s a core mechanic, it’s mostly inconsequential and doesn’t really feel stressful for me.

      • mrvictory1@lemmy.world
        0·
        16 days ago

        I was about to recommend specifically OW because I played in 1-2 hour sessions over many months (not every week). I left the game open with the PC sleeping quite a few times to avoid losing my current run (and each time a blackout happened lol) however I did my fair share of silly stuff and didn’t feel pressured.

  • Melobol@lemmy.ml
    0·
    17 days ago

    You are looking for cozy games or walling simulators.
    Honestly I don’t know what’s on macos, but a quick search: stardew valley, my time on portia (i recommend sandrock if it’s available), slime rancher. For exploration: The Stanley Parable, Life is Strange.

      • s38b35M5@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        17 days ago

        Life is strange was a fun series for me and my SO. We’re glass we played the oldest ones first, too.

        Do you like civilization or other “builder/planner” style games, like Cities Skylines, or Surviving Mars. Raji was kind of fun and laid back, too.

  • Little_mouse@lemmy.ca
    0·
    17 days ago

    A Short Hike

    The Outer Wilds

    Tunic

    Exploration focused games that are pretty calm (for the most part). They are some of my personal favorites. I recommend not looking up much about them (especially Outer Wilds and Tunic. Learning mechanics from gameplay is part of the game for those two). Tunic is probably the most action oriented of the lot, (like old Zelda games) and it leans hard on the puzzle aspect, so if that’s not your favorite then it might not be for you.

      • dbx12@programming.dev
        0·
        15 days ago

        Did you perhaps mistake it for the other wotlds? That is a game which is definitely not chill. For wilds, I can’t say.

      • tatterdemalion@programming.dev
        0·
        16 days ago

        Different strokes. I found it incredibly relaxing to fly around in my spaceship exploring. I can think of one specific planet that’s not very chill, but the rest were.

        Without spoiling too much, maybe the time pressure gets to you? For me it’s long enough that I don’t really feel it for most of the game.

    • hardcoreufo@lemmy.world
      0·
      16 days ago

      Tunic is fantastic, but not that chill. Its kinda “souls-lite” So much dying, though punishment is minimal.

    • caseyweederman@lemmy.ca
      0·
      16 days ago

      Night in the Woods is mostly chill with some spikes of excitement. It is a good match for A Short Hike along multiple axes but I’d recommend caution as it dips into melancholy and mental health issues.

      • Little_mouse@lemmy.ca
        0·
        16 days ago

        yeah, in retrospect, Tunic probably shouldn’t be on this list. I was fondly remembering the puzzles and exploration and less so the souls-like combat challenges.

  • brap@lemmy.world
    0·
    17 days ago

    Viewfinder is good if you want a game where you need to figure out how to get through each level.

  • Iconoclast@feddit.uk
    0·
    17 days ago

    DayZ is 99.5% a calm hiking simulator where you get to enjoy the beautiful scenery and soundscape and 0.5% pure horror.

  • Blubber28@lemmy.world
    0·
    16 days ago

    What Remains of Edith Finch. If you liked Firewatch, you will like this one too. It’s short, roughly 2 hours to complete, and I recommend you do it in a single sitting. And provide some tissues.

    If you like eerie (but not scary) vibes, I also recommend Kentucky Route Zero

    • DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz
      0·
      16 days ago

      I was working as an HVAC installer when I played What Remains of Edith Fitch and I remember being really impressed when you go into the attic of the house and the developers modeled the air handler with all of the flex duct running to each room of the house. There aren’t too many games with that level of detail for something most people playing it wouldn’t even know about lol

    • caseyweederman@lemmy.ca
      0·
      16 days ago

      The Vanishing of Ethan Carter has similar vibes to What Remains of Edith Finch, so if you like that, try this.