Anxious and Stressed? Here are Some Games that Helped Me.

Tuesday 12 May 2020



I'm not going to lie I'm struggling right now with my anxiety and what's going on with the world, gaming seems to be the only thing that has helped me stay calm which I'm thankful for, I wanted to do a post focused on what I play lately to help me through my anxieties and I'm hoping this will inspire others to share what will help them. Some of the games listed I played before what was going on with the virus but they still very much have helped with calming me down and keeping my mind busy:


Red dead redemption 2 has taken me a while to get through the main story and I regret it took me so long because getting back on my horse buttercup and making my way through the game completing missions gave me a sense of accomplishment, although I've finished the main story I have 2 epilogues to get through which I'm thankful about as it means I have more story to get through before having to play the DLCs. I've always loved western movies and would watch them a lot as a kid, to be honest, I haven't as much in my adult years but playing RDR2 brought back all my old memories and made me want to dive back into the western world all over again. The thing about RDR2 is it's always able to draw you in with not only the incredible surroundings but also the well thought out storyline that takes you on a journey through the main protagonist Arthurs's eyes. The game is set in 1899 and although Arthur works for a gang he in my eyes is very much a better guy than he is made out to be even though he works for a gang. You may get tired of running into trees and the struggle to gallop across the vast map at times but this game is a great way to sit back and experience a western story through a video game.


Of course, I had to include Animal Crossing, not just the latest one (Horizons) but the older ones too just down to the sheer fact that they are great ways to pass time and experience the outdoors in a different way. If you only own a Nintendo DS and don't own a switch yet I recommend you play AC New Leaf and AC Wild World as they're just as good and entertaining, as well as these games there is one called Happy Home Maker which is perfect for those who love designing. You work for Tom Nook designing homes which are to the villager's tastes and likes, it's a very different way of playing AC but one that will keep you busy for a while. The main game I have been playing since launch day is Animal Crossing New Horizons, it has sucked me in so much and I'm having a blast playing with friends and family, I love being able to help others so crafting what they need has been so rewarding for me.




Beat Saber has been a huge game in my life since getting it, I have wanted it ever since I saw the trailer for it a few years ago and  I knew I wanted it as soon as we got the PSVR, the only thing is motion sickness and vertical isn't ideal when playing this, I suffer badly with both of them but I've found keeping my mind focused on one thing in the center whilst playing has helped. Due to my chronic illness, I also go faint so I have to be so careful when playing, too be as safe as I can I step from side to side to stop myself fainting whilst also concentrating on the middle it sounds like a lot of work but helps so much when I'm playing as part of a workout. Unfortunately for PSVR there aren't as many versions as on the Oculus but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it. It's nice to have a game that not only is fun but gets you moving and I feel like Beat Saber achieves that for me.


This game has been a journey for me from the first ones with Max and Chloe to the Current ones with Daniel and Sean, yes I'm talking about Life is Strange, these games are episodic graphic adventure games where you don't have an open world to roam around in, this doesn't take away from the franchise instead adds to it, we get to make multiple choices that can lead us down different roads. I found that once I played through the first episodes of bother Life is Strange 1 & 2 I was hooked on finding out more about the teens and how the stories will end for them, I actually put together a break down of my thoughts on each game/chapter on this blog which you can find HERE. As well as the main games there are comics and 2 short games to play through called Life is Strange Before the storm (ties in with LIS1) and The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit (which ties in with LIS2).


I wasn't sure if I should include this game because it's so big and can take a long time to get through but I love Ni No Kuni 2, I finished it a while back and would love to go back through and get the rest of the trophies but in all honesty, I don't have any patients for it right now but what I can tell you is it's easy to lose yourself in this game. I came obsessed with collecting and helping people within the game and it benefitted me with leveling up faster and unlocking the kingdom I rule over. You play as a young boy called Evan who wants to stop all wars but in order to do so, he needs to make peace with others around the kingdom. It's such a beautiful world to lose yourself in with some cool characters especially the higgledies which are far too adorable for words!



If you fancy playing a zombie game online with mates World War Z is fun, you can change the difficulty and see how far you can push yourself when trying to survive a zombie, the DLC for the game recently came out so I need to update it so I can hop back on the game. The thing I like about WWZ is that it's not too serious and the online players seem very pleasant, the downside to the game for me was I used to get a lot of connection issues but they seem a lot better for me now. There is a range of different characters to choose from I like to mix it up instead of playing with just one character as it can get boring and I wanted to see who worked best for me. 


The Sims 4 is an obvious go-to, I play this on the Mac and once I start playing I can't tear myself away from hours because I'm so engrossed in it. I wasn't as big of a fan of Sims when I was younger as others as I preferred Spyro, Ratchet, and Clank, Pokemon Stadium, and many others but I did play it. I wasn't the best and probably killed more sims than most people but now I'm older I'm a lot better at it. I know there is a version of TS4 on PS4 and Xbox One but personally, I prefer playing with a keyboard and mouse as I feel like I have more control, using a console controller is too tedious for me when it comes to a game like this. I've mentioned before my sister makes CC for the sims and although she hasn't lately I still use the stuff she has made and choose to make my sims look more realistic, also I'm terrible for killing my sims so I spend ages trying to make sure they're very happy.


I'm hoping my mental health improves soon and that life goes back to a new kind of normal where we are a lot less stressed, I'm putting together another post on tv shows I recommend and watch when I'm anxious and stressed, take care everyone. 



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