Kanso
How to describe Kanso? Well, you play with your mouse, and you have to draw a line around a shape! Sounds pretty simple right?
This is one of those relaxing, zen like games, where you think everything is all easy and simple, but quickly you realise that things take some skill. This is a “line following” game. Everything is very bright and colourful and really is a joy to play.
As you draw around the shapes, there are “Koi like Daemons”, they kind of look like giant sperms, or perhaps tadpoles, they are on their own little journey, come into contact with them and you will have to start again. As you draw your line, you cannot go backwards, only forwards, but you can speed up or slow down, or even stop, that will allow you to avoid the Daemons, and finish the shape. As you progress through the levels, the shapes become more interesting and there are more Daemons to avoid, some will try to follow you, some will avoid you, some do not care about you. But you must always care about all of them if you want to progress.
– Real player with 0.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Ambient Relaxing Games.
Undergrowth: VR Maze
Experienced on the Oculus Quest 2
You can view my review & gameplay here: https://youtu.be/-Q9Ddui0KVo
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this game. It’s just subpar in almost every aspect. Your normal walking speed is too slow. Performance is pretty bad. The 3D scans are mediocre at best. The ambient sounds are generic. The narration has a poor sound mix. The text signs are low quality. The mini-activities are bad.
What is supposed to be an enjoyable walk with positive vibes while you walk around a green maze surrounded by nature and having museum pieces scattered around, along with some activities, just becomes a generic, poorly optimized experience that is forgettable. You’re more likely to be upset than have good vibes.
– Real player with 1.2 hrs in game
Read More: Best Ambient Relaxing Games.
This is nice and easy. You just sit back and relax. The positive messages helped me (had a rough day), and the laying down under a tree and closing my eyes is nice, especially with the sun.
The statues are nice, and the environment is relaxing. The map is small, but a lot of detail in it. I was able to play this on high settings with a 5700xt.
There are very minor bugs, but it doesn’t affect gameplay; just make sure your resolution isn’t at 3k per eye. I had that issue(my fault).
This isn’t a run and gun game. It’s a relax and don’t think about anything game.
– Real player with 1.1 hrs in game
My Hole is a Mouth of Dirt
‘We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there too.’ - Kirstin Martz
In this surreal psychological horror made in RPGmaker MV, Mole enters a tunnel complex under the premise he is being guided by God to complete a purpose during the ‘Endtimes’. Throughout Mole’s time spent down there we see him seeking out the Voice to direct him and, it is here, we see the mental journey being taken until Mole is finally ‘told’ what he must do by the Voice which is to bring a baby to Him. It is this task that enables Mole to confront struggles & overcome challenges in order to complete this Purpose.
– Real player with 3.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Ambient Indie Games.
I feel physically sick after playing this because of how involved I got and how badly the jumpscares got me, and I think this is worth a shot, however I do have some notes:
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The speed: I get giving a run option would mean rethinking a lot of the chase parts, but it was kind of frustrating in some points.
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The music: I’d never recommend lyrics AND writing you have to read and understand (it’s not accessible for many people), and some of the music felt particularly out of place - in particular, the jukebox was playing something too cheery. It was not bad, just weird.
– Real player with 1.1 hrs in game