The Zen of Gaming: What games chill us out

4:00 PM on 11.17.2009   |   Colette Bennett

120 comments

When I was younger, I played all sorts of games, but now that I fit into that dubious "gamer over 30" demographic, I've noticed an interesting development: I really like games that chill me out. I guess it could come across as boring to some, but I'm too busy digging it to really care. I mean, I confessed to all of you that I loved Diner Dash, so if you don't think I'm a loser already, you never will.

I chatted with the staff about their favorite chill out games too, and between all of us we came up with a list of games you have to play when you're wiped out, nursing your hangover, or any other time you don't have too much brain power to spend, but still want to game. Hit the jump for our recommendations!

Hexic

There are so many good things about Hexic. Firstly, it's free when you buy your 360 and get your Live Arcade account set up, and you know, free stuff rules. But beyond that, it's just a soothing, easy to play little game that is simply a lot of fun. Your basic match 3 game gets a boost from beautiful HD graphics and music that you can enjoy without having to think too hard. You can really go into the zone with this one. did I mention it's free?

Rez

My love for this game knows no bounds. Famous for being "that game that came with the vibrator", Rez had a lot more to offer than just alternative masturbation opportunities (although the idea it presented that in the first place is kind of freaking incredible). Hurtling through the network and shooting to the tones of music rather than your usual sound effects just makes for a hypnotizing experience, and on top of all that, it's also an incredible game. Talking about it makes me wish I was playing it right now!

Flower

I know, this is like the most obvious choice for this article ever, but I'd be pretty lax if I didn't mention it. Plus, playing this game is a simply beautiful experience. Some people probably couldn't sit with it five minutes, especially if they love high energy action, but for me it was something I could lose myself in if I were in the right mood for it. Few games are so elegant and thoughtful -- it's like the gameplay equivalent of listening to a perfect classical composition.

Tetris

What can I say about Tetris that hasn't been said already? It's gaming perfection. No many how many incarnations of it come out, I want to play them all. Essentially, I always want to go back to that deeply satisfying feeling of fitting blocks together, building them all and letting that one row stay empty until you get the long skinny block and you slam it into place and feel a burst of accomplishment even though you've done it a thousand times before. It makes you feel like you can organize LIFE.

Peggle

The fact I love Peggle kind of embarrassed me at first. I mean, look at it. The unicorn, the goofy gopher, the rainbow. At a glance it looks like something your mom would play at work when her boss wasn't near her cubicle. Except that if you play it, you feel this deep, almost impossible sense of addiction set in almost immediately, and suddenly you can't stop clicking. And when you get Fever and that ridiculous music bounds in, well, you kind of feel like jumping from your chair and air-conducting along with it. Go ahead. Try to deny you've felt the urge to do this.

Diablo II

I know you're thinking: What is Diablo II doing in this list? It's not peaceful, like zen meditation. It's lots of lots of killing, demons running rampant, and lots of dark shit. The thing is though, this is my list, and when I play Diablo II, I go into a wonderful trance state where I click and kill for hours until I've regained my sense of peace. What can I say, it's like a peaceful release for aggression. Diablo II probably kept me from killing a lot of real people. Thanks, Baal and company.

Taiko no Tatsujin

I can't even remember the first time I played Taiko no Tatsujin, or Taiko Drum Master as it's known here in the US. I think I played the DS one first. I was far beyond addicted -- I was obsessed. I played until my fingers were nubs and my face looked like the middle drum in the picture up there. I just couldn't get enough of the combo of Japanese music and rhythm tapping. As you progress in difficulty you eventually unlock Oni mode ("demon mode") which will certainly require your deepest trance state to complete. You'll need to talk to God to have a chance to pass it, in fact.

Geometry Wars

I have a terrible secret to reveal about Geometry Wars. I find it deeply soothing, yes -- to watch other people play it. I personally have not played it that much. However, because of the way it makes me feel to watch other people play it, I felt it had to be included in this list. When I reach for a dual-stick shooter, I usually got for something like I Maed a Game With Zombies In It, but I think I just really like the theme song. No hard feelings, Geometry Wars?

Puzzle Quest

I can't count the number of times I fired this game up and a friend or roommate yelled "DAH DAH DAH DAH DAHHHHHHHH" to make fun of the consistency with which I played it. Maybe it's because it's essentially Bejeweled with role playing elements. Maybe I liked the cheesy story. I don't know what it is. All I know is that an hour or so of Puzzle Quest every night made me a more tranquil person. I bet that's something D3 Publisher didn't hear in the reviews.

PixelJunk Monsters

There are a lot of lovely, trance-inducing games on this list, but for me, none of the others even come close to the perfect zen state I can achieve while playing PixelJunk Monsters. I actually completed the game (with the help of a friend) in all difficulties and then erased the save so I could begin to play it all over again. I'm not sure what higher compliment anyone can give a gaming experience ... but I'm glad I now have PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe on my PSP, because I can access total bliss anytime I want!