I would like to play a calm game

Submitted ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨binaryqueen@programming.dev⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

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?

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Comments

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Davel23@fedia.io ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Surprised no one's suggested Stardew Valley yet.

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- Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  This was my recommendation. It’s as stressful as you want it to be.
  
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  - M0oP0o@mander.xyz ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    FARM HARDER!
    
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- bravesilvernest@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  It can either be chill or (in the caves) a stressful race against the clock to get down levels and fight (in the beginning) :D
  
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Kraiden@piefed.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Games similar to portal: The Talos Principle 1 & 2 Antichamber Superliminal Viewfinder Manifold Garden

Similar to Firewatch: Umurangi Generation Return of the Obra Dinn

Other stuff that might interest you that I haven’t seen already recommended: Journey Abzu Exo One Wytchwood Cairn (tentatively. This game can get stressful) Dinkum Untitled Goose Game A Lego game (Any of them. They all follow the same formula) Flower

No idea if any of those work on Mac though. If you have an intel based mac you can use bootcamp to dual boot windows, and unlock maaaaany games.

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- idunnololz@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Another game thats similar to firewatch imo is “What remains of Edith Finch”
  
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- MeowerMisfit817@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Animal Crossing is another good adition to the list.
  
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  - Griffus@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Absolutely not playable on Mac, though. But other than that, a 10/10 recommendation.
    
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- treadful@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Manifold Garden was great.
  
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twinnie@feddit.uk ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
No Mans Sky is my chill game.

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- FenrirIII@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Sometimes I just build an outpost near animals, sit in my chair, and watch the world turn
  
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Little_mouse@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨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.

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- Crescent@fedinsfw.app ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  The outer wild is NOT chill though.
  
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  - tatterdemalion@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨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.
    
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  - dbx12@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨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.
    
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- hardcoreufo@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Tunic is fantastic, but not that chill. Its kinda “souls-lite” So much dying, though punishment is minimal.
  
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- caseyweederman@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨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.
  
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  - Little_mouse@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨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.
    
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Melobol@lemmy.ml ⁨6⁩ ⁨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.

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- binaryqueen@programming.dev ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  
  The Stanley Parable, Life is Strange.
  
  This is what I’m looking for! :)
  
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  - s38b35M5@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Life is strange was a fun series for me and my SO. We’re glass we played the oldest ones first, too.
    
    OP, 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.
    
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JATtho@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

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

Portal 2 has two community made “Valve Quality” DLCs. “Portal Stories: Mel” and “Portal: Revolution”. Mel seems playable on macOS at least. Revolution is basically a Portal 2 presequel. (It’s also so long I would have payed for it.)

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Azzu@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Suuuuper confused no one mentioned “Tge Witness” yet. Probably the best calm game of our time.

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- treadful@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  I wanted to like that, but I remember it being janky as fuck.
  
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  - grrgyle@slrpnk.net ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    That’s surprising. Maybe we have different interpretations of the word, because I couldn’t find a single thing out of place with that game.
    
    You’ll definitely get stuck at parts, but the feeling of trying a solution and thinking there’s no way it’s this… and then it is that! You go from feeling dumb to smart so fast.
    
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- Alsjemenou@lemy.nl ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  I just came here to suggest this. It’s a great game.
  
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  - sockenklaus@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Yeah but it’s puzzles are hardcore. I really struggled with this.
    
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- Kraiden@piefed.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  The Witness is polarising. People either think it’s incredible, or they think it’s dogshit. There is no in between.
  
  (I am in the latter camp, sorry)
  
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Pencilnoob@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Blue Prince

Chants of Senarr

Outer Wilds

Secrets of Blake Manor
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- MurrayL@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨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 don’t want a game with time pressure.
  
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  - mrvictory1@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨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.
    
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  - Pencilnoob@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    You are correct good thinking
    
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  - tatterdemalion@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨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.
    
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hardcoreufo@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Talos Principal 1 and 2. They are also story based puzzle games. I’m not sure I’d Talos 1 remaster or 2 are on Mac but I’m sure the original one is, which still holds up.

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gilokee@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
A Short Hike! Play as a little bird, climbing a mountain, flying/gliding, talking to quirky characters. Beautiful pixel art. Also Fez.

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- happysplinter@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Loved this game so much! I just wanted more after I finished. I’ll have to look up the studio and see what else they’ve done.
  
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  - pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Yes. I hope we someday get so many sequels to “A Short Hike”!
    
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overcast@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Monument Valley?

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- binaryqueen@programming.dev ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  That would be a game I’d plan on my phone =)
  
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Redacted@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Blue Prince

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HerbalGamer@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
I would recommend Stray but it has some areas where you’re running away from bad things for a bit.

Mostly it’s just exploring and meowing though.

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Crescent@fedinsfw.app ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
In addition to these, I would add Superliminal. Do not confuse it with Subliminal, that one is not chill 🤣

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- thermal_shock@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  My kid mentioned subliminal and I was like “oh, I just bought that for you, check your notifications”
  
  Nope, I got superliminal, which is awesome, didn’t even know what subliminal was until he mentioned it. We’re going to go see the backrooms here soon, looks amazing.
  
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btsax@reddthat.com ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Untitled Goose Game

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SorteKanin@feddit.dk ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
The Talos Principle is amazing and the sequel is super good too. Devs recently came out with a remaster of the first game too.

Outer Wilds is a masterpiece, although it’s not completely chill at all times (actually can be scary but only rarely and you can disable that too). But it’s a really really really good game.

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- binaryqueen@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  
  Talos Principle
  
  This. 👍
  
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brap@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Viewfinder is good if you want a game where you need to figure out how to get through each level.

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- binaryqueen@programming.dev ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Amazing! Thank you!
  
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- s38b35M5@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Looks very cool
  
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sockenklaus@sh.itjust.works ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Maybe try GRIS. It’s a 2D platformer journey with amazing presentation.

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xorollo@leminal.space ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Escape Game Simulator - puzzles, no pressure, exploring encouraged.

Crime Scene Cleaner - no stress, but a little spooky, very relaxing

Slime Ramcher - turn off tarrs and explore. Breadcrumb story, great music and sound effects.

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Zinck@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Eastshade is the chilliest game I know. Also great music.

Anything Myst too.

Dorfromantik is also relaxing.

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MousePotatoDoesStuff@piefed.social ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
The Entropy Centre is a largely Portal-inspired game that will require you to plan out what you’re doing even more than Portal. (Note: there are a few chase sequences and a few battle ones that break this pattern.) And there’s a cute robot called E, and your portal-gun-equivalent has an AI too. Basically, it’s Portal but the AIs are friendly.

And then there’s The Talos Principle series, which is even more like what you’re looking for.

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- binaryqueen@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Nice!
  
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  - MousePotatoDoesStuff@piefed.social ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    Glad to help, and I hope you enjoy the games!
    
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gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Hardspace: Shipbreaker in sandbox/unlimited mode

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- InputZero@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Agreed. Without the shift timer the game is almost peaceful.
  
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Sly2@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
I heard Doom is a very peaceful game. You might wanna try that.

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- Avicenna@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  A very calm game in the same genre: Wolfenstein.
  
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- Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  especially myhouse.wad
  
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  - kender242@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    For context
    
    MyHouse.WAD Inside Doom’s Most Terrifying Mod
    
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- thermal_shock@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Or DOOM II
  
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Ludicrous0251@piefed.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Minecraft on easy mode can be a good calm game with friends, let’s you build and explore together without much pressure.

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- grrgyle@slrpnk.net ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Jumping on this to add Hytale if you’re looking for pseudo successor to MC
  
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- Bluefruit@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Not to mention there are plenty of mods that you can add to make it more tuned to how you want it.
  
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psycotica0@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
You could check out “FAR: Lone Sails”. It’s a pretty chill game where you have a machine that you’re sailing/driving through platforming actions to the right. It has cinematic feel and a kind of environmental plot, but I don’t think there’s any way to lose or anything…

And if you like it, there’s a sequel “FAR: Changing Tides” that is very similar, but longer and with a more complicated machine to manage.

I could see people being bored with it, there are “puzzles” but they’re super light, but maintaining the machine scratches something within me.

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Blubber28@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨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

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- DrSteveBrule@mander.xyz ⁨6⁩ ⁨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
  
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- caseyweederman@lemmy.ca ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  The Vanishing of Ethan Carter has similar vibes to What Remains of Edith Finch, so if you like that, try this.
  
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M0oP0o@mander.xyz ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
The first Kerbal Space program?

Timberborn?

Disco Elysium?

If you don’t mind turnbased then a whole bunch of stuff.

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- ramenshaman@lemmy.world ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  
  The first Kerbal Space program?
  
  One of my all-time favorites. Can’t wait for Kitten Space Agency.
  
  Timberborn?
  
  On my Steam wishlist, how is it?
  
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  - M0oP0o@mander.xyz ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
    KSP with mods is one of the all time best. Timberborn is oddly good, kinda chill city builder with beavers but if you don’t balance your growth your beavers will die. Would recommend.
    
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whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Dear Esther, walking sim with great soundtrack

The secret of monkey island, maniac mansion: day of the tentacle, Sam and max hit the road in scummvm, old school Lucas arts adventure comedy games

Kentucky route zero, adventure game making a delivery for an antiques shop with ghosts and bluegrass

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Grail@multiverse.soulism.net ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
Terra Nil. It’s about rehabilitating a devastated ecosystem.

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- binaryqueen@programming.dev ⁨5⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
  Thank you 😍
  
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asdfasdfasdf@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago
I really love Flower

youtu.be/0IS9sGGuvYo?t=0

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