So I tried to write a post about our lives and I deleted it because everything seems to be sucking right now. I’ve vented to Jeaniene Frost yesterday and told her that I haven’t written anything for a while, and she said, “I can’t imagine why. Your life is so zen, like a little green leaf floating on a gentle breeze.”
So instead let’s talk about things we do to escape the reality. I’ve been playing Empyrion again, but I got to the point where I made a ridiculously awesome base and now i don’t know what to do with myself, as raiding the little alien forts doesn’t seem to be exciting.
I’ve also come to the conclusion that my favorite type of game would be a cross between Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and some sort of survival game, where I can kill stuff and build stuff. So basically I want the new Skyrim. Give me new Skyrim, people.
So my question to you today is what are you playing?
Hope things get better. I read to escape☺. Never really gamed except for Ms. Pacman.
+1
I am playing all the old assassins creed games on ps3 and sims 4. I used to play Guild Wars 2 all the time but my guild kinda died off and it just became to hard to do alone all the time.
GW2 is great, I used to play all the time too! Unfortunately the only computer I have is an old laptop now, so I haven’t been able to play in years. I miss it! It is definitely more fun with people you know, though, especially (I assume) with some of the new more difficult content…
I’m really interested in everyone’s response because my husband and I aren’t much into computer games either. However, we spent 7.5 hours at the hospital Sunday while he got two pints of radiated blood for his MDS (bone marrow cancer) and he was bored out of his mind just watching movies. When he goes in for his bone marrow transplant in two months, he’ll be there three to five months, depending on how it goes. So I’m thinking there has to be some computer game(s) that might interest him. He’s a builder and a problem solver but also has a bit of Viking in him.
There’s a medieval engineering game called Medieval Engineers – sandbox game that you harvest, mine and build stuff in.
Skyrim if he likes RPGs as it’s the medieval Viking part of the series of those games. A lot of exploring, fighting, some harvesting, draugr and dragons and a little bit of building if he has the homestead? DLC.
Both are on Steam (pc)
My favorite game is Diablo 3. The diablo series lore is great and the gameplay is actually quite addictive.
I also spend quite a lot of time in Minecraft but I end up with the same problem you mentioned. Spend time raiding mansions and staving off pillager attacks. Build incredible fancy base. Get bored with combat and bored with construction.
Then there’s guilty mindless gaming like slither.io where I can spend an hour or more just endlessly trying to top the leaderboards while listening to audiobooks.
Is it even gaming if it’s just satisfying the need to do multiple things at once to stave off boredom?
I’ve just discovered League of Legends: Team Tactics, which is less stressy than their base game. I like watching that, but get stressed out trying to play it. Team Tactics is easier on me.
Other than that, I like building stuff in Planet Coaster and in Cities: Sky Lines. I was given Tropico for my birthday a while back and it’s fun, but I can’t just zone out and play that for hours like I can the other ones.
I know it won’t make you feel better right now, but it’s something to hang on to at least: it will get better. It has to.
I’ve been hooked on ravenhill for almost 8 months now. It’s ridiculous.
I used to be heavy into league of legends but I hated getting bullied by the young kids when I didn’t play the game to their liking. I now play a ton of heroes of the storm. A LOT less stressful and the game mechanics, while similar, are much easier than league. Also there are super funny animation shorts on YouTube from carbot that are hilarious when you play the game.
I tend to blissfully ignore other players. As it’s all 1v1, that’s pretty easy to do in this mode. In base mode or aram, not so much, no… But that’s when you just mute people and block them afterwards…
Divinity-Original Sin 2. It’s clearly made for people like me who want moar Diablo.
Sorry life is sucking.
I play a lot of Clash Royale, which is a highly addictive tower defense game you can download to your phone. If I’m in the mood for mass mayhem, I do Hyrule Warriors, which is a variation of the old Dynasty Warriors game. For first-person shooter, it’s gotta be Halo, though to be fair, I’m really terrible at it. I usually pair up with my sister when I play, and my job is to go out and get shot at while taking the longest amount of time possible to die, while she performs mop up and kills the guys shooting at me. Good times! We actually make a pretty good team (more a testament to her skills than mine) and can wipe the floor with my husband, dad, and brothers. =o)
Have you ever played subnautica?
I think you enjoy it.
Yes! I love this game. I keep getting back to it again and again. It’s an underwater survival game on an alien planet. The world is magnificent and the story is based on many mysteries you will find on this planet.
I bit of Ni No Kuni 2 which is like Studio Ghibili made a game where you build your own kingdom and run around killing stuffs and gathering resources and gathering people for your kingdom so that they make resources.
But also I let out all my blood thirsty squeals of joy for the up coming Borderlands 3. And to prepare, I have been playing the second one all over. Cause seriously it’s like the creators new the demented creatures of my soul and gave them life in game format. First time players, I recommend paying the Mechromancer but also she has the best commentary apart from the Psycho in my opinion. This game will make you want to get a second system so that your partner in crime will want to play with you and commiserate on the commentary and easter eggs that make you gasp in nerdy joy.
Also if you do go with Borderlands, and have a playstation, let me know. I will coop help.
I just finished up my summer Master’s classes, to escape, I have been playing Stardew Valley. Its a really cute game that reminds me of the old Nintendo game Harvest Moon with a hint of Minecraft. So you have farming, fishing, mining, battling, and relationships to navigate. It’s a fun game, nothing stressful, and it keeps me from having to think for a while.
I also love Stardew Valley and play it for an escape! Although I’m very much a “tick off boxes” type person so I can get a little too sucked into the game sometimes. I keep a notebad beside me to make a daily checklist of things to accomplish in game every day. 😀
Beth,
I totally understand! I am in year one -winter. So my goal has been to make as many medium level sprinklers so I won’t have to water crops next season. I am also trying to battle my way to the bottom of the mine. I am playing Stardew Valley on the Nintendo Switch and I find it easier to fish on the the console than on the PC.
Love Stardew valley.
My unwinding games are all sims, but Hubby suggests Conan: Exiles if you might be playing with at least another person.
Does Solitaire on my iPad count? Probably not. Sigh.
I hope things get saner soon.
Heroes of the Storm and Stardew Valley at the moment. World of Warcraft classic when it launches next month. I’m a glutton for punishment.
I go back and forth between Final Fantasy 14 and Mass Effect (the first three). It depends on if I just need to do quests because I had a relatively good day at work or if I need to kill stuff…lol.
Agreed!
Final Fantasy 14 just dropped an expansion so there is tons of new content to do. It also has the house building/apartment decorating thing going on. I love the job system – you can change your character class whenever you want so you can switch play styles on a dime.
Mass Effect is always fun to play – nothing beats saving the galaxy from sentient space machines.
Guild Wars 2. (After years of playing Guild Wars.) You can roam the open world, kill things, quest, level grind, craft, etc. Or you can do what I do: join your world in a vicious battle for territory against other worlds (players). It is outstanding catharsis after a day of idiots on my helpdesk.
Yes!! Working on skyscale for my second account so far. 😛
Currently playing Gems of War, which is a Match-3 game that’s got more layers to it than I have managed to figure out thus far. Available on multiple platforms, free to play, in-game purchases available if you are impatient. More info here: https://gemsofwar.com/
Ooh, I play GoW too!! For a “simple” Match-3 game, it is way complicated and has kept me busy for over a year and a half. Lots of leveling, by the makers of the original Puzzle Quest, I believe. Your 4 member team fights another AI controlled team. And you can join a Guild and work with others toward mutual goals. Happy playing!!
Are you playing on Xbox by chance?
I play Destiny 2. Not so much building things as just searching for things and shooting enemies. I found out in another game that if I build things and someone tears it down, it upsets me in real life soooo, I just don’t go there. LOL. The lore an story line are very engaging and action feels good. The skyboxes are beautiful and the music es grand. What more can you ask. 🙂
My only break from reality is reading your books and others from similar writers. I spead a lot of time on a computer and just want to stop staring at a screen when I want to veg. Give me the printed word of your worlds and let my imagination paint it.
I’ve been playing all of the Assassin’s Creed games that I’ve bought on Steam summer sales over the years but hadn’t gotten to yet. I’m currently waiting sort of patiently for Wolfenstein Youngblood and Borderlands 3 to launch.
I play Pokemon Go and Words with Friends. The PoGo keeps my body active. The WWF keeps my mind active.
At number 466 Koroks (out of 900) in Breath of the Wild. Good way to zone out.
Don’t Starve! It’s a paper doll type world that looks adorable, but survival is hard.
totally second this game!
I’m not big on severe blood games. I have been playing Merge Dragon and doing it on 3 different Kindles at 3 different levels. It’s relaxing because I can stop at any time.
I play SIMS4, because I love building houses and basically I sit there and build cute houses after working my SIMS to the bone to afford building the houses.
I almost always have painters.
I have Elder Scrolls Online, but I have to cripple my computer to play it which makes it hard to want to get involved with it because it seems wrong to have to cripple my computer to be able to play the game.
I sometimes play Everquest with my husband.
I read to escape reality. There’s this one author, Ilona Andrews… 😉
Right now we (I play with my hubby) are playing Elderscrolls Online. There is plenty of content for it to be a single player game, but you can also queue for group dungeons (4 people). You can get houses to decorate, pets, do crafting… kill dragons (if you get the full XPac). The story lines are very well done, too. You can easily go from start to 50 in only one zone. And the graphics are beautiful (on the PC – I’ve heard from others that the Xbox graphics aren’t as detailed).
I also have played Jurassic World: Evolution and enjoy wrangling all the dinos and building the pens and such. Not much story line… just organization and making sure you don’t let your dinos kill each other (unless you want to…). It’s kinda fun putting the carnivores together and figuring out which ones won’t kill each other.
Civ VI, but I tend to avoid open conflict when possible… I just build awesome empires, until some stuck up enemy builds all the best stuff and then I have to go conquer her to get it all. In the end it’s always their fault I have to attack…
My escape is reading…reading….and games on iPad 🙂 However, I have 2 boys…the oldest (now 24yr) was heavy into The Forest on the computer. Survival, killing and building was the main focus, if my memory serves me correctly.
Have you tried Okami? You don’t get to build stuff but you run around fighting bad guys and making the world more beautiful. Oh, and you play as a wolf goddess. It’s an old game, but…
Elder Scrolls. Leveling a Necro Tank.
hehe!
Clash of clans.
I got hooked into Wizards Unite. If anything, it’s made sure I go walk at least once a day.
I guess it would depend on whether you like single player or online games with other players? Arc Survival, Rust are online. The Long Dark is single player (but grimish)? Minecraft can be either. (Online or offline.)
I’ve wondered about The Outer Wilds, but I don’t have a system that can play it. Outward also looks sort of interesting. I second Subnautica as a recommendation as well, if you can play in first person. I just watch family play, otherwise I get seasick.
I haven’t played the updated version of No Man’s Sky, but I actually liked the solo exploration in the first release, and reports are that there has been a lot added to the game.
I’ve been playing old games from
My childhood after discovering that my (first generation) Wii can play game cube games
I’ve been sucked into a tablet version of a board game called Evolution, where you try to eat and not get eaten.
Divinity: Original Sin is why we have been playing because we can co-op it. Also, Minecraft for the same reason. I want to dig for diamonds and build awesome houses.
Have you tried a game called Don’t Starve? You are dropped into a world and have to fend off monsters, build and craft and survive. It’s really fun, I highly recommend it.
There is also a game by the same developers (I think) called Oxygen Not Included. But there isn’t any attacking, just surviving and building.
Also Raft, but you just have to survive a shark…
Right now I’m playing The Division 2 with the husband and some friends, but that’s pretty tapped out because endgame is lacking in content. I’ve debated doing another playthrough of The Witcher 3, but really I have too many book/story deadlines right now to risk losing myself in a single player RPG that will suck up vast amounts of my time. So…probably playing nothing until Cyberpunk 2077 lands, although I MIGHT pick up Fire Emblem: Three Houses on the Switch when it comes out.
Sigh
Just player unknown battleground
Otherwise known as “pubg”
Good for teaming up with my friends . I bought myself an x box as a 40th birthday present a few years ago…….
Otherwise searching for a decent book I haven’t read yet?
I play WoW pretty much exclusively, but very casually these days. Too much other stuff (writing, housework, day job, knit group, etc) all piling together at once to give more than a few hours a week to the game. I have a few Steam games I want to play, but the combination of learning curve for the system and aforementioned lack of time kind of nix that.
Oh, i do play Pathfinder every couple weeks. I am the nearly six foot half-orc fighter amongst an entire party of goblins, dwarves, and halflings. ?
I hope life lets up soon!
My kid plays a lot of Minecraft. She loves to build things so she pretty much stays in creative mode all the time!
Civilization – currently working on version VI. It’s a world building game I’ve played off and on for years. It’s turn based, so you don’t have to try to a lot in no time.
You start off with a band of settlers and a warrior with a club. You can only see for 3 hexes in any direction. Once you found your city, you can build a unit – another warrior, a slinger, a scout, or a builder who can farm. Alternatively, your little city can construct a monument, which provides culture and increases the territory you control. After the city gets big enough, you can build a settler to build a new city. But watch out for roaming barbarians or competing countries!
You have to learn everything else, paying for advancement by producing science and culture. Want to irrigate? You need to learn pottery first. Want to mine the copper you can see? Learn to mine. Don’t ask how much you have to learn for computers-
In this version, you win by having more tourists than anyone else, launching a Mars bound space craft, dominating the world’s religion, or conquering all of the world’s capitals.
The only problem I have is forgetting to look at the time, so I forget to go to bed – or feed cats, which never goes well.
Like I say, I’ve played various versions over the years. The animation on the current one is great, but a bit of a data hog and can make it run slow. I am considering if I want to see if I can turn off the animation. My laptop is doing fine, but the desk top has a lot more to render…
Oh god yes give us a new Skyrim!!! I’m still playing Guild Wars 2. Finished Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and just went right back to it. It is my go to game. Fits like a glove, even after almost 7 years of playing.
Don’t Starve Together as always. 🙂
Kill stuff & build stuff? I’d have a look at Satisfactory Game, Astroneer, Subnautica, & if you want serious depth, Kenshi. Also, believe it or not, No Man’s Sky has actually become a pretty darn good survival & building game. Here are links to all those mentioned:
Satisfactory Game:
https://www.satisfactorygame.com/
Astroneer:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/361420/ASTRONEER/
Subnautica:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/264710/Subnautica/
Kenshi:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/233860/Kenshi/
No Man’s Sky:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/275850/No_Mans_Sky/
I just finished Red Dead Redemption 2 and now I am finally playing Uncharted: Lost Legacy (I devoured Uncharted 1 – 4, I do not know why I waited so long with this…) and I will have finished it just in time for Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Yay!)
Destiny 2 on PS4. I love earning loot and shooting aliens.
Fallout 76. Post apocalyptic future world but future as the 1950 thought of the future. You get to build bases, kill ghouls, super mutants, and irradiated fauna that tries to turn you into nummy snacks. It is heavy in satire (very obvious references to McCarthism) and has various geeky easter eggs. There is even a Mire region… Your hunny would probably enjoy it, too. MY hunny got me hooked. I am now a level 86 sniper lol
Much as I hate to admit it, I’m splitting my time between My Time At Portia https://store.steampowered.com/app/666140/My_Time_At_Portia/ and Path of Exile https://store.steampowered.com/app/238960/Path_of_Exile/
I have My Time at Portia, it’s adorable.
The witcher 3, again ?
City of Heroes got revived by community – so I’m back playing the game that developed my alt-ism. Great to be a hero again.
My labor of love is Minecraft. We have built a scale version of Walt Disney World in Minecraft. You can ride the rides, see the shows and explore. You can see all about what we build at https://forums.palace.network/ If you decide to stop by my IGN is Helopoh. Everyone is welcome to come explore.
I went back to Everquest for their 20 year anniversary servers. That was back in April and I am still happily running around in it.
I’ve been obsessing over Wizards Unite this summer. It’s a game on my phone kinda like Pokémon Go but better.
I’ve been playing both this summer, my poor phone battery! XD
Not much of an online gamer. When stressed I fall deeply into rereading favorite books, or I plot how I’m going to improve/change my life. Some people call that daydreaming, I call it constructive use of my imagination. So what if it involves running away to a tropical beach somewhere? It works.
You may want to check out Steam if you don’t already have it. There are a ton of good games on there.
What little time I have for games, I have been playing anthem. The flight and combat feeling is spot on. It will be a while before they get the end game good enough to have a healthy population again.
I Bought an oculus quest to help with stress while i go to school (again) I’m really digging orbus reborn, it’s an mmorpg. But i play Zen puzzle games like moss too. I’m really digging the VR world right now?
Ark: survival? A dinosaur survival game, you harvest stuff & make bases & can tame (or kill) the dinosaurs. There’s an island version/level, a desert and a fantasy-ish one with dragons.
I’m replaying assassin’s creed origins atm (I don’t have Odyssey yet) and a little Witcher 3 since the trailer came out 😀
Also just finished Qube 2. Was free on Xbox gold few months ago. Alien mystery & you do puzzles to explore & follow the storyline.
On my mobile/tablet it’s Harry potter Hogwarts mystery, wizards unite & Pokémon go. I also adore the faraway escape series of games. Puzzle mystery games.
I just want the myst series to be on Xbox!!
Now that the crash bandicoot & spyro are <3
I am back to playing Diablo2 with the expansion pack. I have been playing online on ladder, but have been also checking out the single player game with the gomule and the rune word mod. Gomule allows an unlimmited stash size so I can save everything I find in the game, and also transfer stuff between characters. Rune word mod allows you to build ladder only runewords in single player. I enjoy the ladder seasons but I am getting tired of having my accounts expire when I have not played in a while.
Try Elder Scrolls Online it is very fun and if you like Skyrim this is in the same universe. Also using an Xbox controller makes it easier to play.
I tried it but mostly I am pissy it’s not really TES.
ARK is a pretty good survival game. You die a lot in the beginning but if you stick with it, it, it’s really fun.It has cool dinosaurs (and wyverns) that you can tame and ride also.
My all time favorite games are the dragon age series, has a good story line and your choices count. It has many customization choices too and some cool looking monsters also. The best graphics and story in my opinion is the Dragon Age Inquisition, which is the newest to the series.
World of Warcraft (Wow) is a great online game with many quests and upgrading. It’s more lighthearted but great at getting your mind off reality for a bit.
Hang In there, things will get better!
Dragon Age Origins has to be in my top 10 games (maybe top 5, but definitely to 10)
7 days to die. This game typically would NOT fall in my wheelhouse because I am not into Zombies or Post Apocalyptic worlds as a general rule, but this game has it all for me. Crafting, building, zombies that are always out to get you and every 7th day, the horde comes for you so you have to spend the other 6 days preparing. You can’t get complacent or the zombies will eat your face. And there’s something quite satisfying about being able to take a club to a zombie and not get in trouble for it.
I’m with Claire…my husband and I have been playing 7 Days to Die for quite some time and we love it. The killing zombies part is fun, but I love to create in this world. We loot and mine for materials and then build or remodel existing houses/structures. It’s on Steam…you should give it a try!
I’ve been happy with Clash of Clans for years, but the way it’s designed you can only play in short bursts.
+1 for Clas of Clans…I don’t spend any money on it, and I’m unaffiliated so I’m stuck at levrl Silver 1. But I love pillaging and the silly hog riders.
I usually read for my escape and I am slowly re listening to the the Edge series, and reading whatever my book club comes up with, so far this summer only on series has really grabbed me and I am waiting for the library to get the final part.
But my husband and kids are gamers. I will ask hubby for suggestions once he gets home, last I looked he was playing Ark and trying to survive.
This summer the big kids( 16 and 12 )are trying to teach the little one (5)some games so he can play on his own. He is now obsessed with Minecraft, all he wants to do is build on creative, we’ve got a month left before school and I think the big ones are tired of Minecraft and regretting their choice to teach him. ???
I’m so sorry you’re in a rough patch – hope everything straightens out very soon.
Going through a bit of a rough patch myself, actually. I doubt this is the type of game that would appeal to you, but I zone out with Plants vs. Zombies 2.
You’ve done Witcher 3, yes? It was a good transition from Skyrim. I’m playing Horizon Zero Dawn right now and enjoying it.
HZD is amazing. I love running to the tops of mountains and taking pictures. Really love that game.
Try stellaris! Its on steam. You can play solo, online or intranet (maybe a you and gordon game?) Basically, its like the Civilization series, but in space, with aliens. You can use a preset alien (or non alien) race, or create your own (TONS of options). Its pretty fun. And you can quasi-customise your ships too. There’s LOTS of building (some you can see, others you can’t). Big, big BIG maps too, and smaller ones. Lots of science/exploration stuff, or all out war if you want too. You can be peaceful, mercantile, warlike, etc. Tons and tons of play options. I thouroughly enjoy it 🙂
Oh, almost forgot. The Talos Principle is an AMAZING game as well, very zen. Puzzle solving with a huge philosophical twist. 10/10 recommend. And the sound track is so darn soothing, i just olay it through my computer sometimes. Super relaxing game and tons of fun.
Sorry to hear that the universe is messing with you. Hope things improve soon!
My game is A Tale in the Desert. It’s a noncombat, social MMORPG, set in ancient Egypt. The first 24 hours of game play is free, so you can check it out and see if you like it before you sink any cash into it. Here’s the website link: https://www.desert-nomad.com/
You are a peasant in ancient Egypt, and you have to learn skills, find supplies, and work with your community to research new technology and complete projects. Some of the basic skills include: gather resources (grass, clay, wood, slate, etc.); build with bricks and stone; farm (flax, vegetables, citrus, various animals and bees); prospect for and mine ores, smelt into metal, and blacksmith a wide range of items; learn to identify wild herbs, eat them fresh for a stat change, or harvest them for use in cooking and chemistry.
Skills build on each other, and you can rise through the ranks from initiate all the way to Oracle. Community is a big part of the game, too. You can form guilds with other players, help each other accomplish goals, and work cooperatively on major projects.
The game runs for 15-18 months, then ends and restarts in a new iteration. Things change. The (huge!) game area remains basically the same, but skills, tests, and landscape can change from Tale to Tale. Currently, we are winding up Tale 8, and Tale 9 is scheduled to start Aug. 30. If you decide you like it, chat with me (sahira) ingame!
My whole family plays games but they are all different and on different platforms. My husband plays a baseball game on his iPad as his relaxation mainly. My oldest loves the Red Dead series and when she is in town she plays Hyrule warriors. Our son plays all sorts of games online and does streaming too, lately he has done some Dungeons and Dragons online. My youngest she has played the Uncharted series plus the bonus content this summer and really enjoyed it. I play slots and word games for escape, when I am not reading. Also everyone but my husband plays Pokémon go.
Good Luck on picking a new game.
I am patiently waiting for the new Vampires: The Masquerade to come out ?
Sadly since Witcher 3 nothing comes close but I am hoping that the new game Cyberpunk 2077 will be on some level close to that awesome game.
Kenshi anyone? Thats my current obsession on Steam. Open world, no set plot. You are not the chosen one… just a random dude with a crapo sword. Recruit a team, build a base, become the ultimate raiders… or nomadic traders… or thieves… tech hunters researching new gear… Pro slavery? Be a slaver! Anti slavery? Destroy the slaver factions and watch the world state update! Huge world, tons of options for how to play. And thats before you dig in to Steam mods.
Don’t Starve Shipwrecked is my current obsession. I’m determined to survive the dry season!
Still playing The Elder Scrolls Online and enjoying it a great deal. ^^
My husband finally convinced me to try “Don’t Starve Together”. Extremely fun survival game but word of warning it will suck you in and you’ll lose hours to it. Hope things get better for you guys soon.
Yes! I would do a lot of somewhat questionable things for new Skyrim.
I’m switching between a couple different games as the mood takes me. Path of Exile – hack-n -slash dungeon crawl (what Diablo III was supposed to be when it came out. )
Divinity Original Sin II – RPG similar to Baulders Gate. I’d say like Skyrim but it’s not as open world.
Conan Exiles – kinda of a build/make stuff, eat stuff, kill stuff game. I have no idea what’s it’s like since this is the first of it’s kind I’ve played.
No Man’s Sky – Space/ planet exploration with very minimal questing. Kinda zen. Build the home/palace/castle/whatever you always dreamed of (within game piece restrictions).
My hubby and I like Civilizations VI. Build a civilization, fight bandits, fight other civs, trade, and now deal with mother nature. It’s not terribly complicated, but it’s not online, and you can determine home a civ can win. Mostly if you have a few hours you can go at it and pause and save and come back which I appreciate having little ones that need me at odd times. But when my husband is away for work we can still play it together
Dear Mr. and Ms. Andrews,
May I recommend Subnautica? It has a moderate plot and being under the ocean is soothing. It’s beautiful and you get to build your bases amongst the scenery. It is available on PC. I may or not have played in class. I also may or may not have read your books in class.
I’m sure you’ve had a tonne of information about migraines thrown at you, but here is more:( I don’t know if Texas has monsoon season but in AZ I go on a beta blocker every summer because the changes in barometric pressure make me want to separate my head from my body. I usually try magnesium sulfate capsules x3 before anything else. Many times it works because some 50% of migraine sufferers have low Mg. At the very least, it won’t hurt. I also have a cubby. It’s walk-in closet that is quiet, dark, and cool. It is a fabulous place to escape to when no one will be quiet and just let me play Animal Crossing.
I hope you and yours have better days. I can’t speak for 100% of your fans, but I can for probably most: Do whatever you need to for you and your pack to be happy and healthy. We will still be here when you come back.
Cordialement,
Cynara
I am finally doing some online gaming with my youngest son. He’s keeping me moving in the game as I figure out that I need to press the correct keys on the keyboard…it’s like I have to tell my fingers to stay in place while I panic? Hmm…if I could convince my fingers to do what I do when touch typing…I guess why I like Borderlands GOTY is that I can die over and over and then leave the game after a couple of hours and I’m relatively unscathed…oh, and the other gaming problem that I’m figuring out is that I need to aim at the enemies when shooting rather than panicking and shooting the ground or the air or, well, pretty much anything that is near the enemies…I don’t think I’m very good but it is satisfying seeing a creature die that is attacking me even if it is my son bailing me out 🙂
I’ve been playing Wizards Unite, Pokémon Go, Harvest Moon on DS( Stardew Valley is based off of this game) and I recently discovered how to use mods(not against the rules) on Stardew Valley
You meant to say Story of Seasons right? Right? I must have sunk a week into Trio of Towns and would not marry until the DLC was released and I could marry the one candidate who was a god.
Check out Rust… you start nekkid with a rock and a torch, it’s kind of post apocalyptic pvp.
Nekkid, hehehe.
If you have Steam and are into survival/horror, 7 Days to Die is a wicked game.
I’m currently re-playing Assassins Creed:Odyssey…as Kassandra…on the Spartan side. ? But I’m anxiously awaiting Wolfenstein: Youngbloods….
I’m back to the good old Thief franchise, a bit of Quake 3 and System Shock 2.
I’m also knitting socks.
Want a pair?
Been going back to old favorites I haven’t played in awhile.. Dragon Age series, Mass Effect Trilogy, Fallout 4. Just waiting for new games, The Outer Worlds, Death Stranding, Cyberpunk 2077 and yes like you a new Elder Scrolls single player.
When I get home I will play Sims 4. Obviously I need to another expansion pack as I am getting bored. Oh, well the base game was free.
I’ve been playing a lot of World of Warcraft lately. They dropped a new content patch for the current expansion and you get to whoop Azsharas’ azz in the new raid. I also play a lot of Minecraft. My current Minecraft obsession is building replicas of Japanese castles and temples…. it’s a hobby that helps push away the gloom.
When away from my computer, I often play picross games on my phone. If you haven’t play those before they are a picture puzzle that kinds works like a cross between sudoku and crossword puzzles. I love sudoku as well as majhong.
I am still trying to finish a game of Stellaris when I have free time. When I just want some mindless time-wasting I play Bejeweled. It’s still fun!
I like the puzzle aspect of Diggy’s Adventure. I do on line jigsaw puzzle to relax also. They take less room and I never need to look on the floor for a missing piece.
For peaceful gaming try Raft. Build a city size raft and swim in the ocean.
Want beautiful graphic world, build, explore, and survive Subnautica
For thrilling survival with mutant tribes and world building try The Forest.
There is always the classic sandbox world building Ark.
Raft: Finished it. Was let down by the ending.
First, thanks for the game recommendations in general. I picked up Witcher 3 and Assassins Creed Odyssey after hearing about them on your blog and loved both. I am actually playing through Zelda Breath of the wild right now on Nintendo Switch. They made it an open world experience where you can run around and do whatever you want, in whatever order, and love that. Lots of puzzles, exploring and fighting.
Playing WoW again, all new characters now since we took a few years away. I miss my Squeaki, Katryna & Kiara but loving my new characters too! Miss seeing you and Gordon on there.
I am a XBOX lady myself.
Destiny2 is my main with Boderlands added.
Not sure if 7 Days to Die is on PC, it is a build a base kill zombie game, it is fun.
Have you tried Don’t Starve Together?
You get to build a base and also defend it.
Kingdom Come Deliverance is a medieval RPG with quite a bit of realism, and Star Citizen is a space flight/FPS that includes mining, cargo transport, combat missions, and more. Star Citizen is still under construction, but what they have so far is fun.
It’s been under construction for like 10 years now. They will never finish it.
Not quite 10 years, but true enough. They have been making more progress recently though. The latest patch includes law enforcement. Kingdom Come is complete, and they’ve been creating new additions to the storyline.
Apogee Crystal Caves from the 1980’s. Again. Still.
I haven’t been playing lately (I’m desperately trying to finish this waist band for my shirt, but I’m a really slow knitter), but my favorite games are Final Fantasy XII (which I had to get the PS4 version because our backwards compatible PS3 died and thus had to start over) and Minecraft.
But my husband has been playing No Man’s Sky a lot lately and loves it – all of it. He also loves playing Skyrim (his second go-to game).
As usual, some Oxygen Not Included, some Stardew Valley, some My Time at Portia and then there are the multiplayer games such as Guild Wars 2, Overwatch, etc…
I also play Assassin’s Creed Odyssey sometimes 😉
I love these reader recommendation requests. I’ve have found new authors and now, new games – bawhaha, can’t wait to check them all out!
June’s Journey is satisfying my need for order while living through the chaos of renovating a 1910 bungalow – for the LAST. THREE. YEARS. Fun, high end, hidden object game (with phenomenal yet devious graphics) with a good story line that allows to you to build out an island one section at a time. Reduces the stress of walking around new appliances and cabinets, purchased last year, that are still in their boxes ::sigh::
Forge of Empires scratches the world building, plundering, competitive gaming itch.
When I get the chance to play, The Sims 4 and Banished; sometimes I’ll play Starters Orders, but that can get old quick so it’s generally played for a few hours a month…maybe. Still a good game, though.
I’ve been doing the Apocalypse challenge on the Sims, which has been great fun! I traded in the ability to use a “wonder Child” (sim that already has a bunch of skills) as a starter for a few lot traits. My initial pair has since grown old and passed, but their three sons and Daughter-In-Law are continuing on.
Work. Bing watching Marvel movies. Listening to stories of Tortall in Audiobooks. Playing Mahjongg 24/7 while my kid has panic attacks and I need to remain calm and in one place. Rereading the Innkeeper series. Baking things. Trying not to kill my porch plants. Writing letters, old-school.
Your post makes me think – have you ever considered making your own game? Your world building/pillaging sounds a lot like Roland’s history, or room building at an Inn.
Else – hang in there! Good thoughts your way.
I’m a console gamer, so I’ve been playing Dragon Quest Builders 2 for the Switch. You crafting, resource management, and stabbing things. It’s pretty fun.
Yep, that’s always what I want. First it was a new Morrowind, then a new Oblivion, now a new Skyrim. Of course AC: Syndicate was fun too… But I didn’t really enjoy running around ancient Egypt for some reason. Right now, I’m replaying Diablo 3…Season 17. My family is humoring me…Until Borderlands 3 comes out in Sept. I really hate that all the local multiplayer games like D3 and Borderlands are 4 player per team only. Now that the girl has a serious boyfriend, we are 5.
Prey if I want to think about it. Path of Exile if I want to kill whole biospheres of creatures. It’s very satisfying if you choose a good build.
Try Rimworld.
It’s like Stardew Valley but instead of a farm you try to build a base on a planet on which you crash landed. My brother and I have been playing it for a week. Super fun, highly addictive.
I’m currently replaying Witcher 3. I really like this game and still get to experience new stuff. I just love it!
lol I was just going to recommend that
Have you tried Arc? You can build a base and stuff and kill and/or tame dinosaurs and other extinct critters. Depending on your choices, you can also raid/battle other players.
We(my husband and I play together) have been playing Witcher 3 for about a year now…we can’t stop, lol! We were equally obsessed with Oblivion and played it over and over again for years, playing other games for short stints snd then returning to it…now Witcher 3 is the one we can’t stop playing.
I spend a significant chunk of my life on computers. Fixing them, telling people how to fix them, checking to be sure people have fixed them, Setting up rojecta to fix them or buy new ones. And yet, when it comes to playing games on them, I don’t… Not because I don’t like computer games but because I ..turn into a teenager when I do. Civilization IV is my downfall. I’ll sit down to play for an hour, and 12 hours later, I’m dehydrated, I smell bad and I really have to pee, and my blood glucose is about 30 and I’m so crabby I’ve broken a controller in half.
That being said, I ***want**** somebody to do a game where you fight historical battles… I want to refight the Battle of Long Island and to fix Washington’s mistake of not scouting the territory. I want to refight Waterloo and have Napoleon commit his reserves earlier. I want the Hessians to have set sentries. I want the damned Minutemen to flank the British, even tho it wasn’t sporting. What if the Iraqi Republican Guard were as good as we feared in the First Gulf War? What if the Germans had taken Paris early in WWI?
I could lose a lot of time on a game like that.
Why not play “Napoleon Total War”? My husband loved it. It starts with his Egyptian campaign. However, there’s a single campaign for Waterloo, too.
One of my ancestors was in the British army fighting Napoleon’s army in Egypt. It still amazes me, 10-ish years after finding out.
Don’t know what system you have, but maybe try Atelier Sophie? Lighthearted game with item making going on. Very addicting in it’s own way, but not so much you can’t put it down to do something else. Personally didn’t like the one after, ymmv.
Fairy Fencer F is real fun too
Oh, both are available on PC (steam) and PS4
So I am currently playing Monster Hunter World waiting for the expansion Iceborn to come out and I think the new Elder scrolls is supposed to come out next year which I hope is as good as Skyrim.
Have you tried Ark: Survival? You get to kill stuff , build bases,and ride dinosaurs; and if you play online you can kill other players as well.
I have MH for PC and can’t figure this game out.
Secret World Legends. Great story.
Ooooh yes! I played the original secret world and adored it.
Eucher
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag or Witcher 3.
Beautiful seas, ship battles and poking people with a dagger or beautiful scenery, acrobatic sword fights and magic.
I play minecraft.
Ok so maybe I’m a bit lame but I play WoW, and have for about 13 years. Ok so I would be playing if my 19 yr old hadn’t trashed my computer. For now I’m just wishing I was playing and catching up on my reading.
I just play WOW. I guess I’m easily distracted. Do what it takes to reach your zen. It will all be ok. 🙂
I definitely first misread that as a video game “where I can kill stuff and build people,” and I was going to suggest a mission to spam whoever makes the Sims. Not sure that’s an effective plan anymore. Maybe some twist on Frankenstein’s laboratory in the midst of a war against the machines with humanity caught in the middle. I dunno.
Don’t play any games…wasn’t even good at them back when Pacman and Frogger were big!! Spending my spare time working on a quilt for the state fair. Fingers crossed.
Actually – edit that….we used to play “real” fantasy games – on a giant tabletop with hand painted figures…kinda like D&D – but with actual miniature figures. Middle Earth was my favorite.
If you haven’t played Fallout 4 yet, that’s EXACTLY what it is. Kill stuff and build. Some of the building material mods are fantastic. My house has a rooftop swimming pool with a waterfall over the side with neon lights playing behind the waterfall. It’s possible that I haven’t finished the main quest — but it’s only been out for a couple/few years!
+1 on fallout 4 for building and killing stuff. I haven’t played the newest fallout (76?) but I believe that has more building than 4
Skip on Fallout 76, they are micro-transactioning it to death.
Wordscapes. Nothing like what you describe or probably enjoy, but wierdly addictive and relaxing.
I do not know a thing about computer games….but on the topic of stress and such….I read a psychology post recently and it basically said “if you smile when you do not feel like it you can trick your brain into thinking it is happy”… so that might help you and your husband. Apparently there is supporting scientific evidence that the ‘fake it til you make it’ thing works….For your daughter who is in pain…can you get her into a hot tub somewhere to try to relax the muscles that are all seized up? I have no idea if that will help or not but if I was in that much pain I would be willing to try it…. good luck!
We’ve been going old-school lately so my 7 year old gets a proper foundation and will have an appreciation of what is out there now as he gets older 🙂 So if you want to come over and play on my vintage Atari 2600, you are welcome! The small one slays me at Frogger, PitFall, Sea Quest and Haunted House, but I can still beat him at Warlord and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Ha!
Currently, I’m playing an app game, Lego Tower. It’s a nothing game. There are no time limits, nothing that needs to be done at a certain time. It’s very relaxing. I just find the occasional lost item, build a new floor, change the design of my Lego figures, stock up the various departments when they runout, and occasionally push the elevator button. The only negative is I’ve upgraded my elevator to the point that it races up and down floors at a speed that makes me a little nauseous if I look at it while it’s moving!
World of Warcraft, Path of Exile, sometimes a little oldschool Civ V if I feel like wandering the world and building a little.
Oooh, have you tried Elder Scrolls Online? It’s brilliant, although I do prefer to play it with the subscription because I like the crafting bag. The player housing is tons of fun.
I’m playing ESO too. Depending on my mood I do quests, housing or pvp. It caters to a lot of playstyles in my opinion.
You were really kind to me when everything in my life went wrong, and lord knows your books have helped me a thousand times over, so I hope everything calms down on your end. Things don’t get perfect instantly, but I would recommend cutting yourself out an hour every week to just be by yourself and do something distracting or calming. Whether you’re exploring a new area of town or locking yourself in a dark room with a glass or two of pinot, don’t forget to cut yourself a bit of slack or how else will you be able to handle anything else going on? Best wishes to you and your family x
Plants vs Zombies 2. I know that’s not what you’re looking for but it’s fun and therapeutic! It’s mostly strategy and castle defense.
Might and Magic: Dark Messiah. Zanzarah. Medieval Total War (original). Rollar Coaster Tycoon. Pharoah. Spellforce. Zoo Tycoon. Morrowind. Oblivion. Skyrim. (Free mods for them.) Tamriel Rebuilt. Skyblivon. Morroblivion. I don’t think Skywind is done yet. But Modding in general is the most fun to me. Some old games… Castle Of The Winds. Exile. Doukutsu (I think it is spelt correctly). Hangaroo. Jardinains.
Skyblivion and Morrowblivion are not done yet either.
Lately I’ve been playing Rimworld it’s awesome! A few pawns get dropped on an outer planet and you have to build a base, find food, and survive. I watched a YouTube playthrough by Pete Complete and haven’t played much else since haha
https://store.steampowered.com/app/294100/RimWorld/
I’m not sure if this would appeal to you or not as most wouldn’t consider it a true computer game but I play a online game called huntandjump.com (hajinc). It’s breeding and showing horses but the colour genetics (apart from some fantasy genes) are true to current knowledge of horse genetics and equine DNA. Has a good community and just appeals to me.
Otherwise I occasionally play a game called Hearthstone where you fight other players using cards. I tend to go in cycles and play intensely for a few months then stop for a bit.
It’s not a computer game, but it’s hella fun: Dominion. And it has a number of expansion packs. Good for 2-4 players. We’re kind of obsessed with it right now. You might give it a shot one day. The nice thing is it’s never the same game, so it’s constantly a new challenge. But it’s pretty easy to learn and play.
I’m playing Pathfinder Kingmaker. You get to kill stuff but build your kingdom. It’s not as good as Skyrim but it fills the gap while waiting for something new to come out.
Well… i still play skyrim… not all the time, but very often. It’s kinda comfort play. And i always find something new.
At the moment i love my new switch. So i play diablo 3 again, but on the go. It’s great.
Not like skyrim, but I am re-playing Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, they just came out with expansion today, also spending way too much time on the beta of BOTA Underlords, a new contender for the auto chess genre.
“DOTA” not a b
I’ve been watching my hubby play Borderlands the pre-sequel (PS4). I can’t play it- makes me motion sick. But it is fun to watch! About all I can handle are the ten thousand versions of LEGO games that are out there. 🙂 And Tetris. LOL
there should be an option to kill the motion blur, that helps me with this problem in games
My husband has been enjoying a construction/survive/explore game called Satisfactory lately. I think the detail that goes into building his factories and supply lines would drive me nuts, but it’s fun to check in and see what epic monstrosity he’s built now. 🙂
I play hearthstone and pokemon go. Both with kid2. Hearthstone is an app and is card based. I like it because you get to see the attacks and magic spells happen and I don’t have to remember what everything dose. And most people know about Pokémon go. I am looking forward to playing it in Alaska next year on my holiday. New Pokémon to catch.
Might have been mentioned already but have you tried some of the Skyrim mods that rework a lot of the game systems to make them better or different? Or there was also a Skyrim mod that was a full game rework, not sure how far that ended up going.
This is all for PC only btw, consoles did get mods for Skyrim, but not nearly as good ones
I am playing Dragonage right now because I am determined to complete all three games but my kid1 has started Divinity and the graphics are fantastic –that is next on my list. I also like the Long Dark. It is set in post some sort of apocalypse current earth environment. I haven’t finished. Kid2 wont play because in order to survive you have to hunt rabbits, deer and kill wolves. There is a disclaimer that the wolves were altered by the events at the beginning of the game because they are aggressive and you have to kill some to survive.
Have you tried Fallout 76? I enjoy it immensely and you can play together
You should try Forest! It’s a survival game where you crash onto an island populated by cannibals. It’s a lot of fun!
I’ve been playing “surviving mars” for a while now, at first my colony died often, but now.. I can almost always keep a colony more or less alive. (look, keep one male and one female alive, and eventually you can re-establish.) and now they’ve bought out an expansion where you can terraform mars..
Considering what you like, Subnautica might well fill the bill.
The Witness, Psychonauts, Steamworld Dig 2. FYI – My favorite types of games are puzzle games where you collect things.
Torchlight and Torchlight 2! There is maybe not as much building as you would like, but there’s fun ways to kill creatures and little side adventures you seem like you’d enjoy. Also, you can do a lot of character customization and pet customization without even getting into the mods. Two words: battle panda. (Or a ferret, or a bulldog, or a badger, or…)
Sorry, I’m not much into games like that but I have read this really cool book twice now. It’s called Sweep of the Blade. I highly recommend it. *S*
Lately DDO and CoH (homecoming servers).
Also play some various first person shooters like Rage, Crysis, Home Front, Call of Duty, Battlefront, Medal of Honor.
Just killing zombies. With plants. And chasing goats. Not the digital kind. Real ones.
I’m a Myst person. I recently bought the new updated editions and am on Myst 4 Revelation. I like finding the clues and solving the puzzles to reveal the story line.
I’m a dinosaur when it comes to games. I tend to get my games at GoG… I’ve been playing Age of Empires since it came out, and I still play the original from time to time.
Most of the time I play Sims 3, though. I just like building stuff and making it pretty. (And then having my werewolf toddlers trash it. LOL!!)
I love GoG.
Ilona was the one who told me about GOG and I was so thankful! Love Children of the Nile on it!
Playing Assassin’s Creed, Odyssey at the moment and killing all the Spartans in Messinia ? Love Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Dragonquest (new one out in September on the Switch) and Animal Crossing (new one due in March, also on the Switch). Just hope any new Elder Scrolls or Fallout aren’t online – I don’t like other people in my fantasy worlds!
Okami HD on Nintendo switch. Lovely scenery, adventure, and you kill weird demons as a nature God in the form of a wolf . Battle with bash move combos using a paint brush to purge evil and restore nature. 49 hrs in and I’m still interested enough to find all the collectibles before the final boss. Venerable Mrs. Orange will now make me cherry dumplings anytime I go by her village using her masterful fighting dumpling technique ?
I’m with you on Okami! It’s impossible to not feel better after playing that game!
If you’re a fan of Skyrim type games, have you looked at Fallout 4?
Made by the same folks, and checks your boxes of building and killing.
The bases you build you can populate with NPCs and defend from raiders.
Just a thought.
As someone else mentioned, I’m currently on the Monster Hunter World kick.
Those huge critters are rather intimidating, even when you’ve got a stupid-sized sword in hand.
Neverwinter. Yes I like the grind, but having a video game based on recent dungeons and dragons campaign modules is very enjoyable
Did you see, they are making the new Baldur’s gate?
I have been playing World of Warcraft since it came out, started playing Overwatch when it was released.
My go to games are minecraft or skyrim. I have played a few other games but wasn’t keen on them for one reason or another.
May I suggest “Subnautica” to you. It’s a survival game with build elements and lots of exploration. Plus it’s absolutely stunning. If I could enable God mode to stop freaking out when shit happens I would play it more. I personally like the exploration and building aspects of games without the risk of death thank you
Unfortunately I haven’t had much time to play games lately. I work 6 to 8 shifts a fortnight and study 6 days a fortnight. So my free time is spent desperately trying to get chores done.
I hope everything sorts itself out for you soon.
I second subnautica. I didn’t play it personally but really enjoyed watching my husband play it. The world was amazing and I loved the survival aspect of it. The story was interesting and they have dlc coming in the fall that takes place in the “arctic” of the alien world.
It’s not actually a DLC, it’s a standalone game called subnautica:below zero
I have played through 4 times. 🙂
Hehehe, my 6 yr old wants me to teach him how to play video games. So I busted out my old ps2 this week and started up kingdom hearts 1. He is hooked! It’s an rpg where they mix final fantasy characters with the disney characters and worlds. I can’t wait until we unlock the ability to build our own gummi ships, hes going to love it. 🙂 my 2 yr old watches us play and says to me “uh oh king Mickey gone!” That’s right we gotta go find him. ?
Ok, totally with you on the sucky part. I’ve been trying to find a dang car for my Completely brilliant but completely clueless child. She didn’t get her license till she was 22 because she argued too much about the laws thinking they were just suggestions. So I can’t take and giving her my car anymore, I love my car. so I’ve been searching and searching and searching and I live on Long Island right now and everything is Rusty dealerships are nasty individuals are clueless. I am from Colorado but let me say this with a southern accent “my daddy did not raise it idiot he raised a girl who knew the inside from the outside of the car“. My daughter, the opposite. I’m going nuts. Finally today after looking at one more car the game I’m playing a single malt very expensive scotch which I haven’t finished because I’m writing this post and did not want to sound crazy. Let me just repeat, really good single malt scotch. I am a delicate feminine flower that’s a lovely example of womanhood raising two girls alone after a close escape of a marriage. But I know my cars, I know my motorcycles, I know my cigars, and I damn well know my single malt scotch. However I too am open for game suggestions, or car suggestions. In fact car suggestions. In exchange I will suggest one of the best single malt scotches ever. Maybe even two depending on peat tolerance. I hope, Ilona, that your weeks become better and better. Чтобы столы ломались от изобилия, а кровати от любви – Chtoby stoly lomalis ot izobiliya, a krovati ot lyubvi. Vodka feh.
Did I mention I don’t really drink at all?
Mela, I got my car at auction. It was 10 years old, owned by the city so it had regular maintenance. Nine years later and I’m still happy with it.
Drawbacks; I had to pay cash, that day.
Still would recommend it! Might want to look for a local auction. Mine had pictures of a lot of the cars, and was held once a month.
–Rose
We got our last car from Hertz. They sell their rental cars before they get too many miles on them, and you know the cars have had regular maintenance. Plus, if the car isn’t near you, for a fee they will transport it to you.
Have you looked at the Subaru Forester? Anything from 2013 onward with a CVT.
What was your single malt scotch suggestion?
I second the Subaru with all the safety features. We just got one and it is Awesome!
I don’t play many games, but I will put on an audio book and knit. I call it therapy!
Hope it gets better!
Okay, I have to chirp in. I recently got a new Suburu Impreza (hatchback*). It’s mostly base, but I read the stats on their Eyesight adaptive cruise control and collision detection, etc. etc. Sounded useful, so I went for it. (The older version reduces claims by over 30%? )
I’ve generally bought older cars so the whole thing has been a new experience, but I love mine. The adaptive cruise control is hilarious, but also really useful. It made driving from Cleveland to Chapel Hill so much less exhausting… I haven’t really put the collision detection to the test, though it’s entertaining to have it nudge at me to get me to stay in the lane – generally, if I’m leaving a lane, there’s a reason, but it’s easy to work with. I do have a friend who got used to relying on similar features in her Tesla, and got into an accident, and I’ve heard that’s been a problem more generally, though I don’t have numbers on it. I’m not sure buying a shiny new car with these features for an unlaunched young adult who might not be paying attention anyway is the best move? …still, the integration with my smartphone features, the voice commands, the nice grippy AWD – I adore it.
* It’s just me most of the time, and it’s largely my going to the woods or mountains car, hence the Suburu – though I’m biking a lot less because whoa, shoulders are not a thing on the roads here – so this was the balance between tiny and efficient and good traction and an extended cab pickup truck. ?♀️
Carvana. We had an absolutely excellent experience with them… far above Carmax. Or the used dealerships. Highly recommend.
I feel like you mentioned playing this, but Horizon Zero Dawn. You don’t even need to feel the assassin’s creed guilt when you go hunting because there’s no blood/skinning sequences.
I was so going to say this one!!!
Did you play Fallout 3 or Fallout 4? It’s a lot like Skyrim except in a post-apocalyptic world (I think even some of the same background music as Skyrim). The alien (Mothership Zeta) add on for Fallout 3 was incredible to play through. The alien victim recordings were genius. Lots of great story content.
Also – bonus, there’s a cookbook. My son and I have had lots of fun making treats such as: Nuka cola, Fancy Lad Snack Cakes, and Radscorpion en Croute – all delicious.
I own that! I’ve made the Nuka Cola and the Nuka Cola Cherry. I was highly suspicious of both, but they were delicious.
Played both. 🙂 I have a love hate relationship with fallout 4. Love the environments and the building, hate the storyline and all the characters. Except for the doggie.
I don’t play video games unfortunately so I can’t give any suggestions there. However if you also like old school arcade games I can suggest this* and some others that this company puts out.
* https://www.walmart.com/ip/My-Arcade-Pac-Mac-Pocket-Player/958267278
ACO all the way lately, not that I have much time.
On and off I play also Minecraft for the building and exploration (I dont play it on online servers).
Civilization V, I know they have the VI now but I take a while to upgrade.
Sims 3, tried the 4 but wasnt as good.
An olde that I routinely come back to is Theme Hospital, still holds up and so wish someone would design a remake.
Has been done it is called Two Point Hospital.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Point_Hospital
I have this. It’s ok.
Hi, I am actually posting on a previous blog post. Hope that is ok. I know your kid is dealing with severe headaches. My sister was getting daily migraines. She tried the new preventative medicine Aimovig and the headaches stopped almost completely. I was at lunch with a friend last week, and she said the same happened for her sister-in-law. I don’t know if this is helpful but I thought it could not hurt to mention it.
Fall out 4 has both of those things
I really wish that they would put out a new Skyrim.
I am playing Rise of Kingdoms, it is extremely well crafted to get you to spend $ for everything. “But it’s only $.99 – $99.99.
I do PS4 so it’s not the same as PC but I liked Styx Master of Shadows. No world building and kinda quick, but it keeps the mind busy and off life for a bit. PS4’s best game is Horizon Zero Dawn! ACO is the best so far and I want what’s next.
I’m playing Stardew Valley but I think I purchased it because of a review you gave. Still, there’s that, and there’s a new one out soon (I think) that’s pirate based, copies a lot of SDV.
I also play Torchlight and Torchlight 2, and they just started an MMO.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/41500/Torchlight/
https://www.torchlightfrontiers.com/en/about/
https://www.runicgames.com/torchlight/
Out household plays Guild Wars 2. Lots of exploration, and a great community. Wonderful art, and lots of little things to find. If we want to go a bit more mind-numbing, time management or match 3 games are the go-tos.
maybe https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1919560960/peace-island-demo
Well, I am back playing Jade Empire – one of my fav games of all time (mostly because of the twists). I have played it both on the console and the PC. I also play Guild Wars 2 occasionally, and my husband has been playing Witcher 3 (which is fantastic).
If you want to go for old school RPG, Beamdog has rereleased a whole bunch of older games (Neverwinter Nights and the Like). Not sure that any of these will be to your taste…
Ha… I forgot about GW2. I love that too! 🙂
It’s a little pricey but Ark: Survival is sorta that category. Total survival game with making stone weapons and thatch shelter. Eventually getting better weapons and building materials. All the while having to kill dinosaurs (mostly avoiding them in the beginning).
I was going to suggest this one. I wasn’t sure it was still around. My husband used to play it all the time, and our oldest who is 10 loved training dinosaurs as pets/transport.
+1 to this but beware of the utter frustration that is caused by being spawncamped by a T-rex for half a hour. It can happen.
Yes, that was my experience with it. Exactly.
I’ve been playing Breath of the Wild on the Switch. It’s a glorious
adventure exploration game that allows you to solve puzzles, kill bad guys, cook, ride your horse, build a house all at your own pace. It’s not quite Skyrim (you only get one house) but it’s really awesomely similar (better?). I’m also playing Rocket League on the PC and it’s exhilarating and fun if you like cars and soccer – this game combines both into one game. Finally, when I want to switch it up I started playing Ghost of a Tale (PC), a clever action RPG where you play as a little minstrel mouse trying to rescue his wife. You can’t kill anyone, and you progress by solving puzzles, sneaking past opponents and outwitting them. So far it’s very fun and adorable.
The Flame in the Flood (https://store.steampowered.com/app/318600/The_Flame_in_the_Flood/).
Far better than I originally thought; excellent time-suck.
A very different type of game, but I can’t stop playing Stardew Valley. And Armello. 🙂
Yay for unwinding with games 🙂
I am currently playing a mobile game called Dragalia Lost. There are currently no events so I’m taking the chance to upgrade some “buildings” that give extra stats to heroes. Haven’t touched much of campaign mode either, so I’ll try that while no event’s ongoing.
Hope you find other great games. ?
Addicted to Stardew Valley. It is my go to when I need an escape. I try not to look at this list showing how many hours I have played it.
Played it to death. Married all the different peoples. 🙂
I just started no mans sky and I’m loving it, it was on steam sale for $35. I played a lot of The Forest which is a horror survival game with a mini plot but I mostly like to base build. The forest doesn’t have as pretty bases as yours and No Mans Sky I’m not sure about because I just started playing but other people have made some cool stuff.
+1
I recall uou previously mentioned playing Fallout 4. If you haven’t played all the expansion and DLC material, that might be worth another playthrough. I’ve now played it to death (including all the Creation Club content) and am now just waiting for The Outer Worlds and Cyberpunk 2077 to release (October 2019 and April 2020, respectively). I don’t know if The Outer Worlds will have a building component, but it’s by the creators of the Fallout series, and it looks pretty promising.
*chagrin* I play pokemon go and Harry Potter wizards unite. I travel the world to catch pokemon…
POKEMON GO FTW!!!!! 😀
Kinda parallel topic. School bringing in esports to our sports program becuz parents believe their are scholarships pro opportunities. All other sports have benchmarks for physical levels. Esports doesn’t widely yet. The conflict between say soccer groups and esports is shaping up to be epic. Blerg.
Have the Authorlords tried *The Room* ? It’s an Award-winning single player escape/puzzle game set in the beginnings of the Industrial era…. à la Steampunk Mary Shelley. The story pulls you in, the graphics are phenomenal, and is best played on a tablet for the realistic interface that is super smooth. The best part: Sequels!
I’m playing Terraforming Mars.
I have to play it online because few of my friends are up for playing it with me on a board regularly.
Good luck with finding the right game! And hope rl stuff gets better/sorted out soon!
What is your approach to graphics? ‘Cause a lot of folks ask for highest res 3D stuff, yet there is also a bunch of games that go for that 2D pixelated look and tend to rely more on the storytelling side of things.
As you mentioned minecraft, civilization rebuilding, exploration and desire not to randomly easily die to some monster, I would recommend Aground (it’s in early dev accessible for release next year on stream, but there is a free demo available as well). You crash on an island, and the journey begins. I’ve, uhhh, spent a ridiculous number of hours on this game in the last year, way more thab on anything in the last deacde or so – it’s nice fir escapism and getting some optimism in.
I don’t mind pixel graphics when they are done well like in Stardew Valley or Starbound, but Forager is too pixely for me.
If you liked „AC“and „Skyrim“, you will like „the witcher“ and „Inquisition“. Those get never old ^.^
much simpler, not an graphic masterpiece, no storyline: Arc.
have fun with those
I really like elder scrolls online.
So, I’m a HUGE gamer. I even have a moogle (Final Fantasy) tattooed on my foot, and my two cats, Cid and Lulu are also both named after FF characters. My office is decked out in WoW, League of Legends, and D&D Stuff. My husband actually just surprised me last night with a new LoL Dragon Trainer Tristana figurine that they just re-released. I’ve played/play: World of Warcraft, Diablo 2/3, Portal 1/2, Banished (Ilona, you might like Banished… it’s SUPER hard, but SUPER fun!), Rise of Nations, Starcraft, Final Fantasy, MarioKart, My Life as a King (this is a Wii game, again, Ilona, you might like it), Dokupan (sp?), Metroid, Borderlands 1/2, Dungeons and Dragons (not a computer game, I know, but still a game!), and League of Legends. I’ve also played some other older console games, but I’m mainly a PC gamer. Our big ones we’re playing right now is League of Legends (ARAM, TFT, and I’m learning to Support in SR), and we run a weekly D&D Session using an online program called Roll 20. We have a TON of fun with it, and we’re podcasting it on Twitch and YouTube. 🙂
Playing Divinity with my partner today it’s amazing and the combat plays really nicely and is balanced with the awesome law.
Going on holiday for the first time in a decade and decided that meant I obviously needed a hard copy of Sweep to go with my kindle edition, just in case 😉
*lore haha
I tried to start the new one several times but it just takes so long to get rolling… I wish I could skip the island.
I am playing World of Warcraft, as I have been doing for the last 12 years, because I find relaxing gathering with other 20 or so players twice a week to kill the bosses each patch throws at us; and when I am not busy raiding, I am still enjoying Divinity Original Sin 2, which is really a glorious RPG game.
I hope things will get better
If you haven’t already played them, you may want to try Portal and Portal 2. You don’t get to create stuff, but the puzzles are wonderful and the snark is through the roof. There are also a large number of add-ons and player created content.
My husband swears by Factorio – you gather your resources and build equipment that processes your resources all while protecting yourself from the natives. The mission is to launch a rocket, but you can just build and create and expand endlessly.
I played Factorio. It’s fun but after awhile it get boring.
Have you played Satisfactory? Land on a planet, kill beasties before they get you & build a massive factory.
I know you played Klei’s Oxygen not Included at one point – it’s very close to release now, this month in fact! and has added end game goals, rockets, multiple types of asteroids to start and a ton of new buildings, plants and critters. I’m playing on the testing branch just before release but they just said it was releasing in July so sometime in the next few days!
I have played this but it stresses me out.
ONI now has “no sweat” play mode that is pretty stress free but still gives you all the fun of building out your base and working on a rocket. And if you play on Rime the cold world, it’s even easier.
My family plays Everquest 2. Old game but going pretty strong with lots to do, trade skills, grouping up to run heroic zones or raiding or just solo. Also big decorating community thanks to the many awesome homes available in game. It has something for almost everyone.
Warframes
I like that you can change you type of play just by changing your gear.
My 22-year-old daughter gave me “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” for my birthday in June. I love it. My 20-year-old daughter, who still lives with me, sometimes asks, “So, are you planning to make dinner tonight, or should I fend for myself while you keep playing?”
Sometimes I tell her to order pizza. LOL
Desperately waiting for Borderlands 3!!!!
I started on video games with the first Final Fantasy. It helped me quit smoking because if you stopped to light one up, something crawled up your ass and killed you. Fan of the genre ever since. Can’t wait for the FF7 remake to come out! Currently though, I’m doing JRPG’s. I don’t have the reflexes for FPS’s and I’m too much of an independent for MMORPG’s. I loved Witcher as it was a stand alone environment, but I got out of WOW because the negativity just got to be too much.
Stardew Valley all the way!
Just finished re running BioShock: Infinite and husband wants to do Boarderlands2 together and stream it one twich before 3 comes out. Apparently I’m amusing w/the creative cursing when I play.
I’ve been binging The Long Dark lately. You’re trying to survive winter in Northern Canada after a geomagnetic storm shuts down everything electrical and turns the bears and wolves vicious. You’ve got to scavenge for (or make!) supplies and try and survive the brutal cold. The story mission isn’t finished, with 2 episodes out now, but I enjoy the survival mode option too.
I’ve been replaying Dragon Age Inquisition – I’ve played it so many times, but there are so many relationships to try!
I don’t do games. I binge netflix or re-read an Ilona Andrews book. Since you can’t read the book. This show. Oh my God. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gzZEtiusO4
I’m playing Fable:Anniversary just for the nostalgia effect. I love Bioware games with the character relationships, like Mass Effect, Dragon Age, or even KOTOR. The new(ish) Star Wars MMO Old Republic lets you build a home base, but I didn’t get far. Other then that, I still bring up old Sims games just to build houses. ^_^
Nothing like this game…but I enjoy the Nancy Drew games! I enjoy puzzle games and they give me that boost of childhood nostalgia. Those were the first book series that I can remember loving. I used to try and find 1st editions at garage sales.
We have been playing Runescape for over 10 years. They bring new things to the game almost monthly. So many ways to play the game. Cool for kids and retirees alike.
This is not a video game recommendation, though I have just bought Dragon Quest Builders 2 for my switch and am quite excited to play it.
The recommendation is actually for a Chinese Drama called Oh My General. I’m not sure if you have heard of it or seen it before, but the synopsis is (straight from wikipedia): During the Song Dynasty, Ye Zhao cross dresses to become a general of outstanding ability, receiving a top rank of general. The Empress Dowager constantly worries about Ye Zhao holding too much power and took the opportunity to betroth Ye Zhao to one of the Emperor’s nephews, the no-good Prince of Nanping, Zhao Yujin, who possesses remarkable beauty but is pampered, lazy and spends his time on “useless” artistic pursuits. Thus, the story of the real battle of who will take power in this new household begins.
It’s amazing and the reversal of traditional gender roles is hilarious. The fact they have an Academy Award Winner design their costumes is also a plus.
I second the recommendation on Dragon Quest Builders 2, and the first one (dragon quest builders). Has the look of one of those block builder games but with a story line and goofy people to talk too. Unfortunately its only on Switch or PS4.
On PC, I’ve been trying out the new Subnautica Below Zero (its still in dev but fun so far) and keep going back to RimWorld (which defeats me every time! Seriously folks murderous insanity is not cool, I mean it was one little body i made you cook and eat… ugh.. slackers).
Just picked up Octopath Traveler on PC (Steam sale), its a JPRG with great reviews. Will play it this week sometime after work.
I really love EverQuest II. It is a bit dated, but I love the houses you can obtain in game and the decorating is really fun. The questing and world isn’t that bad either. I am also a heavy GuildWars 2 player. The mounts and world is very expansive. The artwork is lovely and a major part of the game is hunting stuff down, killing and exploration. These are my usual go to’s when my house is burning down around me and I have had to do too much adulting. And if I just really want to mindlessly kill…Diablo III is great for just mass killing and watching the bodies hit the floor. Take care and I hope everything gets better soon!
It’s a little more limited in scope than Stardew, but have you tried World’s Dawn?
Graveyard Keeper is also pretty awesome.
If you’re up for building cities there’s Anno games, the latest one you start with an island, have to level up your people by meeting their needs, and expand to other islands to have the resources to meet more complex needs etc. Also has a campaign which I didn’t play much of since I prefer free building.
Hope you find some great new escape games 🙂 I’m currently painting & weeding in House Flipper!
How about Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare 2?
I’m not a gamer…solitaire is more my speed. That said, several TV series that I’ve rewatched over the years:
Justified
The Closer
Rome
Boston Legal
Orphan Black
Prime Suspect
I’m not playing! I am reading “Sweep of the Blade and taking notes for crying out loud! Taking notes! The entire discussion of Nuan Gee and Maud regarding societal change. Brilliant.
I am completely addicted to Love Nikki on mobile. Been playing for over a year and can’t seem to get bored of it. Would not advise unless you have a very tight grip on your money….
You might like Dragon Quest Builders 2. It’s a perfect blend of Minecraft style building, breath of the wild exploration, and hack and slash rpg quests.
Probably not anyone else’s genre here, but I absolutely fell in love with Yoshi’s Crafted World and Unravel 2 on the switch. Unravel 2 has some surprising things that you wouldn’t realize from the trailer.
I have been playing last day on earth on my phone like it was my job. Not even sure why I enjoy it as much as I do. But I do.
Hate to admit it I’m mildly addicted to Merge Dragons, there is no killing 🙁 you can build bigger things. I personally like tossing the dragons about and building bigger rocks. I’m strange that way. My other time suck escape is Chess, I suck at it, only winning 1 out of every 10 games, I do like the challenge and if I get discouraged I go to a lower level and anillate the computer a few times before it sends me back to a higher level to be bullied again.
I’m envious. I love games but lack the necessary discipline to stop when needed to take care of whatever is most important. So I stay away except for a mindless fish aquarium game. And I have issues with that.
I’m the same way with reading, but one addiction is all I can handle at a time.
Maybe when I retire. Your home base looks awesome!
I lean to that direction as well! Well done keeping it to only the one.
Stellaris and Crusader Kong’s 2. And I played Kingdoms and Castles for a little bit lately.
If you haven’t already tried the Dragon Age series, I would recommend it.
A super-oldie rpg but ‘Vampire Masquerade: Bloodlines’ with the player patch. Love that game.
I had 6 grandkids sleeping over last night, and we play marathon Angry Birds. There’s a movie, tv shows, and several games. I like them because they’re simple, immediate gratification, and most importantly, things Blow Up! My favorite thing.
I am a Runescape fan. I’ve been playing for years. I need a quest based game to keep me involved.
Have you heard about new game Cyberpunk 2077 that will realese in 2020 same developers that created Witcher 3 i’m so hyped about it. You should check it out at realease. For now tho you can play Devil May Cry 5, Final Fantasy XV (rest of the franchise is really good too), Dishonored 1&2, Wolfenstein, God of War (only console :/) for nice story.
New Skyrim vote here, that would be perfect..and another new book like Jennifer Government for something different to read in between rereading my auto buy series.
Actually gaming with my grandkids at the moment so my life has been Kingdom Hearts and Lego Hobbits…a new grown up game would be awesome.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 on the switch is my current addiction. It fits the killing stuff and building stuff requirements though it’s a bit more of a prettier/cuter minecraft like block building game with quests than Skyrim.
You don’t need to have played the first in the series to enjoy the second and I believe it is also available for the PS4 if you don’t have a switch.
I am replaying Skyrim 😀
… but I JUST found out that there are two other possible homestead locations in the Hearthfire add-on. Now I kind of want to start over and try one of those 😐
You don’t need to start over Bat – you can have homesteads in all three locations by doing the relevent quests for the Jarls – though if you have wife/husband/kids, you can only choose to live in one at a time.
When you have multiple homes that fit the requirements (beds for the kids) there are options when talking to your spouse to move the family to a different location.
Gems of War, Diablo III, want to finally start playing The Witcher 3….have Cyberpunk on pre-order…irony…i work in video games but never have time to play.
Lord of the Rings Online. It’s free and they add new content on a regular basis.
I’m not that into games, just cause I have too many hobbies and a reading habit to keep on top of. I’m very fond of Minecraft, though-my kids were addicted, and I thought it was really lame. They got me to play with them and it’s amazingly fun – kinda digital legos with zombies, and things that will blow you up.
Still hanging in on World of Warcraft, Battle for Azeroth. Blizzard will be releasing a vanilla expansion soon (but who knows when, as they’ve been saying soon for quite some time now). I can’t wait to revisit Vanilla… It has been so many years……
I am waiting on that also. I return to WOW periodically but I really miss the days when you had to wait until level 40 to get a mount and the title of ambassador meant something.
I am totally addicted to GW2 although it has been out almost 8 years. Found a new virtual BFF when she told me Ilona Andrews was one of her favie authors. Win-Win. Give GW2 a try!
“she said, “I can’t imagine why. Your life is so zen, like a little green leaf floating on a gentle breeze.”
oooh the sarcasm. It burns. She is funny.
Overwatch – you can make your own custom game, using the workshop function, but I do quick play which is 6 vs 6 teams combating for the objective, usually 8 to 10 minutes long once it starts game play. It has wonderful cinema like lore building in clips you can find on youtube, humongous fan base with fan art, story, animation, music. I like playing the sniper Widowmaker because she is pretty, French, with a tragic backstory, I loved her cinematic ALIVE. Game play is mainly mindless fun where I get to shoot people in the head, yay! Or get shot/blown up/life drained/blown off the side of a cliff/ etc … boo! And respawn. You try to kill them more than they kill you and achieve an objective. If you catch it on sale it’s usually under 20 bucks.
Darkest Dungeon, and a narrative driven browser game called Fallen London that’s very cool and imaginative.
Harvest moon, before the split on localizing publishers, and Story of seasons. I play on DS but am considering getting a switch to play the upcoming games. Farming sims are my jam. I am still on Story of Seasons trio of towns but I keep starting over because I can do this or that better….
Solitaire. I don’t like people. Or games involving them. I am not exactly anti social, and I do wish the best for people, but I don’t have to like them……And are there Ever going to be more books about Erra and Julie?
Are you saying you want a Kate Daniels video game?
I would have recommanded Subnautica but you already played it 🙂
Heaven’s Vault: explore the Nebula and decrypt an ancient language to uncover the Nebula’s history (great atmospheric storytelling, no crafting or killing)
Witcher 3: ++ for people who already recommand it
Return to the Obra Dinn: Solve a mass murder mystery that occured on a ship
I am now addicted to Subnautica.
Conan Exiles, have played that game since the beginning when in EA … survival game where you can build so beautifull palaces !
After a 4 year break, my hubby had talked me back into playing Guild Wars 2. You can craft, but not build, lots of jumping puzzles, raiding, PVE, PVP and WVW. I have also played every Fallout there is and clocked over 500 hours in Skyrim. My go to builders for a quick stress reducer – Prison Architect and Dungeons III.
I’m so sorry for the recent chaos, and hope all resolves successfully *soon*. Thanks for the many hours of wonderful escape in your books!!
Since you’ve constructed such a cool base in Empyrion, I’d like to recommend to No Man’s Sky. I’ve really enjoyed the most recent update (which is probably what the original release should have been). Although the planets can become repetitive after a while and as with many games there is “grinding” to earn enough to upgrade your equipment, there are so many possible threads to investigate I’ve had dozens of hours of fun. You start out with a spacesuit and a broken spaceship and have to figure out how to repair it all. Once you get the basics operational, you can specialize in hunting pirates, exploring the universe, ID-ing planet flora and fauna, hunting creatures, doing missions for and learning about any of four alien races, mining, farming, or building your home world base after you find the perfect planet. Your base can be on land, under water, or on a space freighter. The thing my kids and I have had the most fun with lately is driving the dune-buggy you eventually get for your base.
Take care!!
Ark: Survival Evolved Single Player Mode.
Tameable, breed able dinosaurs, massive open world, resource farming, survival, sandbox fort builder (similar to fallout 4 building) with breathtaking HD, especially when a carnosaurus is chasing you through the dark. The only downfall is that the quests are not exactly obvious, you have to find little notes and clues to even know where to start.
Final Fantasy XIV Shadow Bringer.
Loving it!