There are days where I know I should do something for myself
and I just… don’t
I tell myself I’ll start later
watch everyone else doing it
and then feel worse because I’m not
It’s not that I don’t care
it just suddenly feels heavier than it should
When everything feels like too much
On those days, I don’t want anything:
- fast
- competitive
- or that needs thinking
I just want something that lets my brain settle
That’s where these come in
🎮 Unpacking
Unpacking is one of my favourites when I feel like this
There’s nothing to read
nothing to rush
nothing asking anything from you
You just… place things
Move objects around
figure out where they go
slowly make a space feel right
And when your brain is tired, that matters more than you think
The soundtrack helps too
it’s quiet, soft, not trying to grab your attention
It just lets you exist for a bit
Quick look
What it is:
A simple puzzle game where you unpack boxes and place items around a home, room by room
Platform:
Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, PC
Type:
Single player
Art style:
Soft pixel art with a warm, minimal feel
Good if you:
Don’t want to read anything, don’t want pressure, and just want something quiet to focus on
🌱 Stardew Valley
Stardew is different, but it hits the same need
You can water your plants
sort your things out
organise your boxes
You don’t have to be “good” at it
you can just potter around
And when everything feels chaotic in your head
doing small, simple things like that
feels grounding
Quick look
What it is:
A farming and life sim where you grow crops, explore, and slowly build your own routine
Platform:
Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, PC, mobile
Type:
Single player (with optional co-op)
Art style:
Pixel art, colourful, slightly busier but still calming
Good if you:
Want something repetitive and grounding, where you can do small tasks without thinking too much
What this is really about
I used to think this meant I was lazy
Like
why can everyone else just get on with things
and I can’t
So I’d:
- start something new instead
- abandon the last thing
- then feel worse about both
It’s a loop
What I’ve realised instead
On those days
I don’t need more discipline
I need something easier to come back to
Something that:
- doesn’t punish me for stopping
- doesn’t expect anything from me
- doesn’t make me feel behind
If this is you
If you’ve been feeling like this
you’re not the only one
sometimes the best thing you can do
is pick something small
and let that be enough
Optional next step
If this felt a bit too familiar
I made a quick quiz that matches you with the kind of rest that actually fits you
Abzu
You’re a diver. You’re in the ocean. No dialogue. No instructions. No decisions. You swim through colour and music and shoals of fish so thick they look like weather. It takes about 90 minutes and asks precisely nothing of you. Therapists recommend it for anxiety. I recommend it for the nights where even choosing what to eat feels like too much.
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Flower
You are the wind. You guide petals through open fields. That is the entire game. No interface, no score, no fail states. Fields bloom as you pass through them. It takes about an hour if you’re not in a rush, which you shouldn’t be, because the whole point is that nothing is waiting for you. One of the most restorative games ever made and I don’t say that lightly.
Available on PC, PlayStation, iOS, and Android.
Hidden Through Time 2
If you’ve got a flicker of curiosity left but nothing else, this will meet you there. Gorgeous illustrated scenes. Hidden objects to find. No timers, no penalties, no pressure. Just the quiet satisfaction of spotting something you nearly missed. It’s the gaming equivalent of a word search in a beautiful book, and sometimes that’s exactly what your brain needs to finally settle.
Available on PC, Nintendo Switch, and Mobile.
None of these will fix anything. They’re not supposed to. They’re for the gap between “I should do something for myself” and actually being able to. That gap is valid. These games fit in it.
if the tiredness underneath is the thing, the kind of tired that sleep doesn’t fix puts a name to it.
If this sounds like you, read this.
