Apr 7

Apr 7 Stay Home, Chill Out #1 - Ollie's Picks

Well, March was… eventful?

…

Ok, so… I’m not going to lie, things are shit right now, shit to the point that listing all the ways they’re shit would be a pointless endeavor where each comma in the list would be a painful reminder of just how many things are bad right now. So instead of talking about that let’s talk about what we’ve been playing to take our minds off of the high-speed slow-motion car crash we’re all living through.

Over the last month, we have all aged about a year every day and it is a miracle, not only that we are holding up through these long days but on occasion doing things too. But sometimes it all gets a little too much and we find ourselves just needing space. That is why we at startmenu decided to put together a list of some of the games that we have been using to get our minds off of things in recent days.

The first list is three games I’ve been playing to take my mind off things and we’ll have more chill recommendations as the days… and weeks go on.

A Short Hike

And only go ’out there’ if you really have to. — And only go *’out there*’ if you really have to.

The day before schools and colleges shut down in Ireland I took a longer than usual walk though Cork City on my way home, curled up in bed for a while and was just sad for a bit. However, that evening I remembered that a few weeks back A Short Hike was the free game on the Epic Games Store and after editing Cee’s review I decided to download it.

This cross between Animal Crossing and a weird, experimental Dreamcast game won the IGF’s Independent Game Award at this year's (online) ceremony and it is not hard to see why. A Short Hike is instantly charming and will only endear itself to you more as you play. Its greatest achievement is its pace, each relatable character interaction, fun and simple new gameplay mechanic and beautiful vista comes right as the last was wearing off with no filler. Leading to an experience which despite only being a handful of hours feels packed with life and emotion. Best of all for a few hours while playing it felt like everything would turn out ok.

Tetris Effect

You know this isn’t a screenshot I took because I would never allow gaps like that at Speed Level 5.

It is no secret that I love Tetris and that I especially love the audio-visual feast that is Tetris Effect. At the moment though it's taken on almost a role in my daily routine. Every day, after being bombarded with despair-inducing news and social media updates, I’ve made sure to carve out 30 minutes or so to let Tesuya Mizuguchi’s synesthesia puzzler hold my attention with no distraction. From the pop anthems blaring to the ambient noise of snow underfoot playing in time with gameplay it has become an absorbing distraction from it all.

Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to)

I cannot describe how much I wish I had a mail deer.

Kind Words started as an experiment last year. In what was more of an interactive experience than a game, you would anonymously send messages to strangers asking for advice, giving advice or just put some positive vibes out there. Amazingly despite the low cost of entry, it has fostered a kind and supportive community which has transformed in the last month into a safe space for people to vent about their worries and feelings, ask for distractions and listen to cool lo-fi beats. Kind Words was a one of a kind enigma of a game but now its something much more, it is a support network when needed it most. I’ve been using it almost daily and for about £4 you should give it a try too.

Those are three games I’ve been using the past few weeks when I’ve gotten overwhelmed. However, it is also worth noting not all chill games are chill games. I’ve also spent my evenings beating the ever-living-snot out of every gangster in Japan in Yakuza 0 and being a gruff, reluctant, do-gooder completing every contract in The Witcher 3 to keep my mind busy too.