Hey SwitchUp family, what games relax you the most? Check out that relaxing games book here: UK - www.amazon.co.uk/Most-Relaxing-Video-Games/dp/1399041800 US - www.amazon.com/Most-Relaxing-Video-Games/dp/1399041800 Mark and Glen
Depends on the mood sometimes frantic hack n slash games like Hades are cathartic but then cosy chill games like Unpacking can be the balm for ones stressed out mind. The background music of this video is fantastic by the way, what's it from?
I once had a burnout and suffered from massive stress at work. A short hike was my island of peace during this time and really let me switch off. I don't think I can be more grateful to any game than this one.
I had the same experience. I ended up revisiting skirym, for the first time in years. I just did loafs of crafting and found it chilled me out to no end.
The more I grow old, the more I need this kind of games in my life. I think that dedicating a moment for games like these everyday, can actually make me function better. And thanks for the peek at the lego original creations! They are so good 😊 I recently found out that I really like building little lego sets with my daughter, I’m not so good at creating though 😅
Thanks for sharing your LEGO creations! They're really good! My husband and I have LEGO as a hobby too (along with video games and board games). We love building together. It's been a lot of fun as it brings us closer together. It's also been a challenge because he's legally blind. I act as his eyes, helping him with colors and where to put things when we're building a set, and he does the building so he gets to experience that part and gets to "see" things. LEGO has allowed him to see things that he's never seen in real life. Like when we built the Statue of Liberty, he got to see details that he never knew about the statue. It's been a while since we've built our own models, but we have in the past, quite some fun ones, and used to participate in our local LEGO club and put on displays for the public at various shows. Was a lot of fun to share our love of LEGO that way. If you're interested in learning more building techniques, my husband Will writes for The Brick Blogger site and a lot of his articles are called Brick Breakdown where he examines an existing set from LEGO and points out the building techniques you can learn from them.
I play most of these games. I'm a very anxious person, but gaming usually calms me down. Also, the Lego builds at the end are super cool. Reminds me of when my sister and I would build with them. Might take that up again.
Fun hearing where the inspiration for each Lego build came from 🙂 Honourable mention goes to 'A Little to the Left', if you find relaxation in making sure that items are neatly organised aha.
Powerwash Simulator is by far number one for me. With around 700 hours in the game so far, it's the perfect podcast / audiobook / video in the background companion. That said, there are loads of other relaxing games I love on Switch, and I fully expect the new Endless Ocean game to join the list in just a few weeks. Good stuff.
@@mikeuk666 True, although imo that was by far their worst DLC. With as many hours as I have in the game, I had to force myself to finish those levels, and can't see myself replaying them anytime soon. The other DLC levels, though, are quite a bit better. Especially the Tomb Raider and Back to the Future packs. Spongebob wasn't bad either, even for someone who's not super familiar with the show. I look forward to seeing what they put out this year.
@@conductorcammon Surprisingly so. Fwiw, 700 hours is nothing compared to some. I know people with over 1,000 hours in this game. It's one of those games people try out as a joke, then suddenly it's 2 AM and they can't stop playing. Epic DLC crossovers with Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider, Back to the Future, and even Spongebob are pretty fun too.
Wilmot’s Warehouse is one that I saw in the book the deserves mentioning. The game is a must for Type A people that love organizing stuff. My wife plays for hours where she just organizes her goods.
I can't recommend Abzû enough. Such a beautiful, beautiful game. Made me emotional quite a few times. Also, for fans of farming games: Rune Factory! It's literally Harvest Moon in a fantasy world.
My favorite relaxing games at the moment are the Atelier games: low stakes, cute and light-hearted characters, beautiful surroundings to explore and collecting tons of stuff to do alchemy (crafting). There is fighting involved but the difficulty isn’t too bad if you don’t chose a very high difficulty level on purpose. Just finished Sophie 2 and started the Ryza series, stunning relaxing games 😊
great list! I find myself listening to A Great Hike soundtrack a lot. It's happy and engaging, perfect for putting on to brighten the mood, or for when I'm making food. A glorious game too!
The Lego models are great. I especially like the coffee shop. I am in awe of people like you who can take pieces of the different sets and turn them into something else.
I've been playing Untitled Goose Game with my 10 year old. Unfortunately it's not been so relaxing as we have very different ideas about what to do! We both loved Blanc, such a sweet fairly relaxed co-op game.
That Eastward DLC!! I could have played that forever I loved it so much!!! Also keep shouting out books guys I do love a good book especially when it’s game related !
I believe the American word you are looking for that means a group of houses together in one area is "neighborhood." Great episode guys... Seeeeeee Yaaaaaaaaaah.
No Man's Sky "No Threats Settings" (all hazards off) is quite zen as well. It truly relaxes me, just moving about space, exploring and discovering stuff.
I'm really glad you mentioned BOTW, it (and TotK) are my go to games to play when I need some down time 😊 And loved to see the Lego builds! Amazing work! I'm not creative enough to build things from scratch, so I stick to the sets. But I'm having fun either way ☺️
Cul-de-sac’s are a group of 3 to 7 houses at the end of road in the middle of suburb neighborhoods, gated communities are a big thing outside major cities.
Skyrim should have been in here You can just fish, become a farmer, build your own house, get money by seling simple potions from plants Plus wha is more relaxing than to watch your Nazeem soul getting sucked into a black soul gem after setting him on fire?
The most relaxing games I have ever played are Endless Ocean and Endless Ocean 2. Could totally zone out and loved every minute of them. I hope that the soon to be released Endless Ocean Luminous is equally as relaxing.
I really enjoy Octopia Eastward dlc. I feel like I don't see many people playing this one much. After seeing so many farming sim videos I figured this one would be everywhere. Great list guys! Enjoyed the video very much.
Great list and more games to add to my wishlist! I would also add "Alba: A wildlife adventure" It is a game I don't see mentioned a lot and has a whole bit of completing animals (mostly birds) list, which is really relaxing to me as a birdwatcher in real life, also a cute story about environment conservation
I would say alot of jrpgs for me are relaxing, xenoblade, atelier ryza, sea of stars. And a shout out to bayonetta origins as well. Not only is it amazing but super chill to play thru
THANK YOU! I'm one of those that had been waiting for this video and it was perfect! My favorite relaxing games on Switch are Animal Crossing, Littlewood, Dredge and Haven Park. Fingers crossed they fix performance on Lake cause I really want to try that one. I enjoy Legos and gotta say that collection is impressive! Well done🎉
I was given a tip in college that may be helpful. I was talking about a laptop I had just bought, and was talking about how I was happy about the features it had for "cheap". It was suggested that I use "affordable" or "low cost", as these have less tendancy to imply low quality. When people hear "cheap", there is a tendancy to think "cheaply made, low quality". But if you say "affordable, high value for the money", it is a more positive connotation.
Zelda BOTW is a very relaxing & satisfying game to me. It is my go to game that makes me feel like I am somewhere else far away from the crappy negative environment I live in. It's my favorite form of escapism. The huge world to explore and the game music helps me to relax much more than any other game. I'm currently replaying the game all over again since I finally bought the DLC extra content. I still have a lot more to do in the game and it's been keeping me happy while playing it.
What an awesome video! I fully understand the cathartic nature of relaxing games, and I was glad I stuck around for the lego! Extremely well thought out and impressive! It makes me want to pick it up and go back to that physicality of relaxing. Top video guys on point as always ❤
Ah the list to watch on a cold winters day with a hot beverage in hand. Been patiently waiting for this one. What I find interesting is what players find "relaxing" there's cosy games like Unpacking with chill music and simple art and design, akin to curling up on a couch under a blanket with a cuppa. However, then there's FromSoftware games and God of War with stressful boss fights, hectic combat and higher grade visuals, akin to beating the snot out of a punching bag. In gaming, relaxation can be found in a variety of genres as unique as the players themselves. Cheers Gents! PS side note: Brotato is getting multiplayer DLC and Another Crab's Treasure is now on the eshop to preorder. Just letting the SwitchUp family know.
Mini Motorways. A chilled puzzle game about building routes between houses and "factories". Has daily challenges. Apparently I've sunk 420 hours into it.
Powerwash Simulator is my go to relaxing game. I have literally fallen asleep playing it and woken up with my switch on my chest and my guy just blasting the same spot for hours. There's zero stress, zero need to be super focused on it, zero pressure (pun intended). The ultimate dad game enjoyment game.
Kind of a weird shout but I found Road 96 very relaxing. The music was great, the characters had well… character, the story was fairly engaging, but I enjoyed the journey more than the destination. Something about hitchhiking and just seeing where you end up is freeing
I can’t recommend The Touryst strongly enough. I didn’t care for the art style until I gave the game a try and it runs beautifully and looks especially lush on the OLED screen. Pretty sure it’s 60FPS and the resolution holds up well. It’s a great weekend game that you can beat quickly. The story is very light, practically not existent. It’s more about exploring a few little islands, helping some locals with various fun quests and mini games, and solving Zelda like puzzles. There’s a surprising amount of substance with all the different styles of play. It nails a blend of an adventure game with platforming and puzzles. It’s not a big time commitment and the length is just perfect for a mental break. I was so happy when I rolled credits because the game was just such a pleasant surprise and I was shocked I hadn’t heard more about it. Truly had a blast and it was definitely relaxing. Felt like a vacation mentally. There’s a nice level of challenge but I wouldn’t say it’s hard. It’s casual but there’s some parts that will put your skills to the test in a satisfying way. If you don’t buy it right away at least wish list it. Highly recommend! Also highly recommend A Short Hike. It shares some similarities with the Touryst and has a cool graphic style which options to change how it looks - it can look like a DS or N64 style game or you can change it to look smooth if that’s your preference.I like the polygonal DS style look for the nostalgia and charm it adds to the already charming little adventure. It truly is a short hike. The mechanics are solid, intuitive, and it feels great collecting gold feathers to fly higher and farther. The writing has this charming slightly quirky wholesome quality that I’ve seen in other games and it’s done great here. There’s some wholesome and light humor and I think charming really is the best word for A Short Hike. It’s another weekend game you can beat easily and the story is simple - it’s a short hike to the top of a mountain. The real story is the friends you make along the way. Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing are dead ringers - I prefer Stardew Valley personally.
I know that I've become old because "cozy" games have become my favorite genre. Been absolutely in love with Harvest Moon WOA. it's nice to know at worst you'll just collapse and be drug back to your house. 😂
Two farming sims I'd like to recommend to others looking for relaxing games are Ooblets and Immortal Life. Ooblets had very cute graphics and has monster catching and dance battles as well. Immortal Life has an ancient Chinese setting with a cultivation theme (which I believe is a genre of Chinese fantasy), it's very interesting. And the music and ambience is very relaxing. Oh but I just realized it's probably not on Switch, oops 😅 But if anyone has a pc or Steam Deck you should try it out. The Lego section was so nostalgic - I haven't played them since I was a kid, though I never made anything as elaborate as you did here Glenn. I love how you repurposed other sets and did your own thing, they all look amazing!
I spent half the video thinking "I know this song, I love this song, it's in the back of my brain filed away somewhere what is it?!?!" And yes pilotwings 64 menu music... A frequent rental for me but never a buy, what a unique game
Relaxing games are the best. For me, it depends, but I love Tears of the Kingdom, just exploring and discovering everything. Also the new Eastward DLC is a personal fav. And Dave the Diver
My best chillout game so far must be spiritfarer! The little details and attention to detail, just make it ❤ Fantastic lego, the crativity!! You can never be too old for lego! 😊
I bought *ISLANDERS* because I liked what I saw in videos but I grew tired on it so quickly. And I think I even reached a dead end where I couldn't reach the required score to progress. So maybe that's what drove me away from this game, too. *Sparkle 2 EVO* looks like fl0w. A couple of more honorable mentions would be: - Golfclub Wasteland/Nostalgia - The Last Campfire - OMNO - The Gardens Between - FAR - The Swordbreaker games - Firewatch
Stateside we would call a group of houses built together a “development” or a “housing development”. This is because they are usually built by one company that buys the land, divides it and then builds homes for sale. Usually the homes have a similar style or there may be some rules for how owners customize or maintain their houses to maintain consistency though the development. These tend to be in the suburbs, essentially creating the suburban communities, but there are developments in cities as well that include a plan for some commercial use space mixed in, but it is planned. Estate in the US will mean either a large house/property owned by an individual or it means the overall holdings, such as house/vehicles/land (often used when someone dies e.g. estate tax, estate planning). Thanks for the fun video or for sharing the great Lego sets!
I gotta nominate one of my favorite 3DS games that has a decent Switch port: Rune Factory 3! Compared to Stardew, it is a little more focused on adventuring than on farming, but it's a lot of fun!
I have been playing Kingdom Come Deliverance (again) ever since it released on Switch, and just riding around the countryside is very relaxing too. The forests, the fields, the little hamlets, I love them all. And then a group of bandits try ambushing me, and the relaxing stops 😂 I have about half the games in this video, and I want the other half ❤😂
@@SwitchUpYt I couldn’t find the link in the description but I was able to find it on Amazon. It looks like it releases next month so it’s been added to a wish list! Thanks for highlighting it.
Loved that little extra at the end with the Lego buildings. I’ve built a few of the boxed Lego buildings like the American Diner but never been brave enough to build my own. Seeing what you’ve designed yourself and the way you repurposed the HP set was both entertaining and inspirational. ❤
Palia is another one I very much recommend for relaxing games. The wife and I play it of a night before bed to wind down. (2 switches, doesn’t have splitscreen)
Thanks for sharing your models Glen, very detailed, awesome stuff! I can see how that would be very relaxing once you find your way through the first one and get all the mistakes out of the way!
A new release with a little more action is Animal Well. Metroidvania focused more on puzzle platforming. Awesome puzzles and best to go in blind and figure out on your own.
Glen! I'm a little late to this video so I doubt you'll see this but that was very cool seeing your lego mocs. I especially enjoyed the pub and souvenir shop. If you ever feel like showing and talking more about lego in other videos I'd watch every one. It's one of my hobbies too but I'm one who always builds by instructions.. I've always wanted to try and make up my own but never know where to start! The fact you've only been doing it sort of recently gives me some motivation. I would even be interested in hearing some tips! Very cool though, thanks for sharing!
What a lovely surprise. That book you are showing at the start looks very interesting. Good book recommendations from my goto "find a cheap good deal in the eshop" channel was not expected, but very welcome! Thanks chaps.
I found Abzu so relaxing I almost fell asleep during my time playing it. That’s not to say it was boring, I loved it. It just had that mesmerising effect on me. Almost hypnotic.
Really want anyone looking to relax to consider the Faircroft's Antiques series. It's a really light story and mostly 'hidden object' scenes set to chill music. I played them while lying on the couch and got into some kind of relaxed flow state. Really chill way to end the day.
Lovely list! And what a treat at the end :D I love the creativity and reigniting your creative passions with Lego :D I'm sure you have inspired a few viewers with this little tour. Keep up the solid work guys! Seeeeee Yaaaaaaaa
Loved the video. Very happy to see the Lego segment. Some day I hope to be as competent with the bricks as you are. I have only just rekindled my love for Lego and am slowly easing back into that world.
LEGO! LEGO! LEGO! Really like the color-scheme of everything, having tiles on the floors also improves the builds massively (why doesn't Lego do that with their modulars?). Keep us updated on the pub please! And if it wasn't obvious, big Lego-fan here, currently working on turning the Friends botanical garden into a modular.
Your Lego builds are great! Thanks for showing them in depth at the end. My son (he's 4) and I visit my father and do Lego free building on Saturday mornings. Nothing like this, but it's so fun.
Yes my first scream would be ABZÜ, wylde flowers, unpacking, hungry shark, beacon pines, agent a, storyteller, red lantern, cat quest 1 and 2, goose game, fortnite Lego, forager, a short hike, miitopia!, night in the woods, steam prison, the longing (I listen to audiobooks while I played this one) What I think could also be maybe relaxing games, but I haven't tried them yet (they are on my backlog) almost gone, the garden between, aka, the stillness of the wind, my universe, down in Bermuda, let's build a zoo, arise, red wings, alba, Lil gator, tchia. Maybe more but that's just from the top of my head while watching start of the video.
How ironic this video happens to drop during my most stressful work week? Good selections here and your LEGO model building is beyond impressive. Recently I've been playing R&C Going Commando on PS2 which brought me back to a time when gaming was much simpler and fun. SSX3 was also my relax game oddly enough because of the serenity of the soundtrack and the courses. Not to say I haven't gotten a few relax games on Switch mind you: there's Subnautica and No Mans Sky, My Time at Portia, Lost in Random (which is like playing a Tim Burton film), Dredge, Potion Permit, Sparkle 2, Spyro, and Crash Bandicoot.