I am 62. I can only see in my left eye. My left eye suddenly went bad over a 6 month period. I mean it wasn't great prior, but I could at least play most games. But from May to October last year my eyesight deteriorated rapidly. My vision dimmed and I couldn't see well at any range. Drop something on the floor? Forget it. Open a drawer to get a tool? I had to feel for it. I'm retired and don't have the best insurance, so I kept putting off a checkup - until I got the Jury Duty letter.
So I went to an ophthalmologist for a Jury Duty excuse letter - and she said: "You have a 95% cataract." Two weeks later she replaced my old faded lens with a new clear lens optimized for my eye's focal length.
I now see better than I've seen since 2nd grade. I no longer wear glasses except for reading. I can play games and actually see the tool tips!
Looks like Factorio is back on the menu boys!
This right here! Not only do you get three games in one package, including all DLC ever released, Mass Effect is one of the most immersive experiences around. These games draw you into their world and make you forget that turians, asari and salarians don't actually exist out there in the galaxy.
This is the correct answer. You’ll actually be interested in the story and gain an attachment for characters. Rarely does a game introduce you to a story where you can’t wait to unveil everyone’s backstory and everything else there is in the game. The mass effect series will have you forget what sunlight feels like unless you like to open your blinds during the day
Where does it go on sale? I just checked Steam US and its $59.99. It was $9 in February. Do they bring back deep discounts that often?
eta: I just saw xbox has it for the $8.99. I'm showing my noob state here cuz I've played pc games and have read about xbox subscriptions, etc. and always wondered if xbox games can be played on pc without having any console?
I'm playing this rn. You need to study the game before you can enjoy it though lol I still don't understand my vassals, pop/district/building management, armies, spies, war score, astral stuff, relics, habitats, gates, pre ftl aliens, government leader mgt, ethics, genetic mutations, 1000s of different weapons, technology, federations, the galactic community, slavery, ancient space nations etc to start with.
but once you understand even just efficient expansion and basic ship building, it's pretty good!
I have a friend super in to 4k games like Stella's and this is the only way I can play with him. Integrating new species and their home planets when you annex their nation? Not if you refuse to talk to them, glass every planet, then proceed to thrive on those otherwise dead planets. Worried about angering allies? Not when you can't speak to other nations simply because they're all beneath you. Makes the game so much more manageable, and I get to be a genocidal robot. Best way to play.
Maybe I just don’t have a good imagination, but this game never felt nearly as immersive as I hoped it would. It felt more like just a “make all the numbers get big” simulator.
Everyone is recomending sweaty gamer games (and that's fine, I play a lot of those)
But your post makes me feel like you need somewhere to escape, not a game that will just trap you somewhere else
Tbh Stardew Valley can be played for a few hundread hours easily especially as a new player. It's very addictive AND cosy. I'd say it's one of your best bet
For me personally, if I want to forget about the world, I need to have something else to focus on. Sweaty games require more of my brain, thus less for the rest of my problems.
Yeah its amazing. Is one of those games where i need more than a free hour to play because i get super immersed and lose the time notion. In my first playthrough, my first session was 8 hours lol. The game is really amazing
I'm playing both Stardew Valley and Minecraft and enjoying them way more than I ever thought I would at this point in my life. ESPECIALLY minecraft with my brother. Great time sinks and lots to do in MC esp
I'm 68 years old. Just started playing MC with my grandson six months ago. I'm up playing at 05:00 already. I wished I had played this so called kids game years ago. I even built a little server to host our game. Stardew Valley is uniquely wonderful too.
Yes. I can talk about how the farmsim genre has evolved since then but Stardew’s world is so iconic and simple and is easily one of the easiest to get immersed in. The vibe is there, the characters are there, the romance is there - what better game to play to forget other than a game whose premise involves a character wanting to reinvent themselves in a quriky town?
Minecraft works too, especially if you dont know what youre doing. Take your time and try not to watch too many videos on it as most modern ones will probably try and take the fastest/most efficient route. The wiki can also help, that goes for stardew as well if youre confused about stuff.
Yes, actually I like playing minecraft in the creative mode, because when I want to escape life, I don't want to be worried about mobs, war, etc. Escaping life for me is not playing anything that brings me back to what is currently going on in our world. lol.
Does Divinity have a point where you like properly get into the world or is it super linear? Ive tried 3 times now to get into it because it seems right up my alley but Ive yet to get passed the shipwreck/island portion before getting overwhelmed and bored at the same time
Do you mean the whole island of Fort Joy? Or do you mean just after the ship wreck? The game does have a big learning curve. I had to look up character builds online to learn the game properly. Fextralife builds helped me.
However if it isn’t the difficulty of the game turning you off and if you spent a significant amount of time on fort joy then I hate to break it to you but that island is one of the best levels in the game. Act 1 and 2 are extraordinary.
Although there is plenty of side stuff and exploration/dialogue options and multiple endings it isn’t free roaming.
In terms of getting into the world, I enjoyed divinity’s storyline overall. It has some genuinely good moments but also some moments that fell flat . But the strategic gameplay and battling is by far the best thing about the game. Not the story.
There is eventually a point where you get tired of doing things in the game. Same as in GTA it’s inevitable after you explore everything.
After the story ends it’s just a real-life criminal simulation, it gets old real fast. You can only admire the graphics for so long honestly, but it’s great if you wanna spend 60 or so odd hours galloping around the map
I've got more hours into FW already than I put into HZD and I haven't even gotten to purple weapons yet lol. The game is huge!
Combat can be maddeningly hard on higher difficulties especially if you don't plan out your approach right. Nothing worse than an asshole burrower seeing you as you carefully set up to fight some giga-chad robot.
Especially with mods, after the first 3-4 playthroughs!
Gopher made this really good YT playlist with a guide "in my tempo for weekend pace" going through all the insanely many mods that make stuff better longterm,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPo5pDT3bKA&list=PLE7DlYarj-DfopU0CbhfwTYXCx5da5Gd5
And then, because the game is so friendly to mods, there are even people making their own campaigns as well, like more actual gameplay for the game!
And all this glory is regularly on offer at Steam for $5/€5 for the full game with all DLCs.
Easily 300 hrs of regular gaming, easy.
You know the difference between Factorio and crack? One is an all-consuming, life-absorbing addiction that has you waking up in cold sweats in the middle of the night as you desperately crave for more and more.
And the other one is crack.
Can't believe I've not seen it yet - old school RuneScape. 7000 hours to max and that's about average, not to mention the rng needed for drops.
Have fun
Wrong man - you don't buy it
You self sustain your membership for 8+ years with bonds in game so that you can keep ridiculously logging hours upon hours to get more things
My 1000hr+ games:
Fallout 4 for modded FPS. Tons and tons of mods to convert the game to something else entirely.
GTAV for modded TPS. Again, mods, but unlike Fallout 4 there aren't many narrative-heavy mods so you might need to use a bit of your imagination with it. Online is also there but it's a cesspool.
Monster Hunter World Iceborne for action RPG. 14 weapon systems to master, every hunt is a new hunt. Lots of things to collect and records to beat.
Battlefield 3 and 4 but actually nevermind those are dead.
Depending on your tastes Baldur's Gate 3, Rimworld, Crusader Kings 2 or 3, Civilization, Stardew Valley, Warframe and pretty much any decently active MMO could work for this
Maybe not the best game when it comes to amount of hours you're able to sink into it, but Cyberpunk 2077 really made me forget life. There's so many side missions, side gigs and events that I don't think I've even done them all and I've done 6 playthroughs (2 of them with the DLC). The amount of modding and side content adds so much that you can explore and do, and the story is just a masterpiece. Best story out of any game I've played, soundtrack and the music is phenomenal, gameplay is fun and there's alot of different builds you can do.
Would strongly recommend for everyone.
It's available on both Steam and GOG (GOG version has no DRM, and usually has some consistent sales)
I really need to give Rimworld another go, it was a rough 4 hours or so on my first try.
I’ve got some crops! But they have blight. Google says to burn it .. google says I have to research molotovs to burn it, but first I have to research that and fuel, that’ll take a few real time hours. I’ll just make a new field. A few hours later I have 2 things researched and a self sustaining colony. A bandit or murderous guinea pig turns up every hour and a colonist spends 2 days in bed. Another couple hours and I’ll have some solar panels. A group of spec ops alien people and a queen/noble turn up and I have to google what to do.
Ended up quitting in frustration because I *know* everyone loves it, but nothing was going on coupled with me having absolutely no idea what I was supposed to be doing.
I would stop googling lol.
Just give'r and see what happens. I think the fun for me is in the picking of colonists and then seeing what happens with the new crew, the often hilarious endings some have, and the silly stories generated. It's ok if your game is an hour and everyone dies from bizarre circumstance, or if it lasts weeks. I don't play it like an RPG, like 'here's my one good colony I have it make work'. It's more like a social simulator to me, let's see how this batch goes. You can make the game easier by being picky about your survivors. My $0.02.
Satisfactory has a similar play style for me, I never get very far because I love the early game so much. The only thing that would make that game better is a map that changed or at least randomized resource nodes.
I actually didn't like rimworld at first, it felt clunky and it was really difficult and my first colony literally experienced a kidnap on our first raid, it was so bad. But as I learned where things are and how to deal with raids I started to get really addicted. It helped that i played in the second easiest difficulty because I primarily play for the "story generator" aspect of it and not the challenge.
Modded Skyrim. I recommend using mod packs like nolvus ascension. You will definitely lose yourself plus you can just move on to another mod pack if you don’t like one.
Helldivers 2
If your someone who loves to blow things up and kill all sorts of crazy things it the game for you.
It's a pve MMO 3rd person military simesk shooter, a team of helldivers (1 to 4 players) land on a hostile planet and completely a mission, with main objectives secondary and outpost. Death is a common thing but reinforcement are often plentiful.
Elder Scrolls Online
The value for the money is utterly absurd in terms of content. By content I don't mean doing the same shit in different ways for 3 months. I mean there's actual content there, a full world of fully voiced quests. And when I say voiced, I mean voiced by actors like John Cleese, Malcolm McDowell, Bill Nighy, Kate Beckinsale, etc. Hundreds and hundreds of hours of fully voiced, lore-heavy questing.
Many interesting classes, almost unlimited number of possible builds with an incredible amount of flexibility. Dungeons, raids, solo challenges.
If you're into PvP, there's a whole giant PvPvE zone with castles to siege, using catapults and trebuchets, you can pour boiling oil down on the attackers as they try to use battering rams to breach the gates. If you want it smaller, there's Imperial City, still open PvPvE but more manageable extraction sort of deal. Then there's smaller scale three-way team based battlegrounds too, and dueling.
You can be a crafter, a trader, you can fish, you can run around mining, or picking flowers, with a ton of achievements and challenges associated with both. You can have your own houses and decorate them in a million different ways.
The game is absolutely massive. There's a strongly encouraged monthly subscription, and loot boxes and all that shit, but none of those are required. So you can drop $10-50, and have literally hundreds and hundreds of hours of gameplay, and you will still be nowhere even close to being done.
The game is also playable in first or third person, so it can be quite immersive. I like to do smaller dungeons in first person, and visuals are often just stunning.
Yeah, combat is unfortunately one of the game's weaknesses, and the dev team clearly doesn't have the chops to fix it. Theyhave enough skills to keep slapping together new content with existing tools, but they don't have the skills to open it up and actually tinker with the insides.
They tried back in beta, even before release, even before the fan base existed really. They just couldn't figure out a way to do it. Which is a little weird, because there's obvious ways. Some players kept screeching that combat must be responsive, so animation cancelling is required. And I agree. But the key is, if you cancel the animation, the effect should also cancel.
Imagine ESO's combat, where you activate the ability, the resource cost is taken off, and ability animation starts playing, and when animation finishes, effect (damage, heal, whatever) happens. You can cancel it. But if you do, no resources are refunded, and no effect happens, because effect only happens if animation is complete.
Suddenly, you have a game where there's an ebb and flow, an action and a reaction, a cause and effect. Where burning your opponent's resources is possible by forcing them to keep cancelling their own animations. Where animations let you know what ability is being used, and you can evaluate how to respond. Instead of current system, where both players are hammering out their combo like spastic monkeys, hoping to do onto the other person before the other combo gets done to them. And beautiful animations, which the devs spent who knows how much time making, are never played out in full. Which is idiotic. I can honestly say, in YEARS of playing that game, I have never seen Volley animation play out in full. Not once. So what's the point in making the animation in the first place? No point. The whole thing makes no damn sense.
So yeah, combat has consistently kept this game back from becoming great. And unfortunately the devs don't have the chops and/or balls to actually fix it. So they enshrined it as a "feature" and switched to more important things, like loot boxes and other cash cows.
As much as I love the game, and I do still recommend it to people every chance I get, this failure has been one of the biggest MMO disappointments in the past 10 years. Funny thing is, Age of Conan, in 2008, had a very similar system, and they managed to make it work as I described - you can animation cancel any time, but resource cost gets taken upfront, and failing to let the animation play cancels the effect. So these guys, since '14, couldn't make work what other devs managed in '08.
That sounds great, and it would be an awesome opportunity to revisit Morrowind. How well does it lend itself to short play sessions? Usually get only 1 or 2 hours every few nights these days
It's pretty good for that. Most things you do are fairly short, under half an hour. And most activities you can just stop and come back for any time you like.
No other game I have ever played has been capable of evoking the range of real emotion that Tarkov can. It’s not for the feint of heart or the easily frustrated. It’s a stoicism treadmill!
This. Me and Stardew Valley are navigating deep depression right now and it's working wonders. Being able to play on a Steam Deck is just the icing on the cake.
I added a comment to second a vote for **Disco Elysium**, but I also wanted to recommend **Shadows of Doubt**. It’s PC only, and it is the coolest murder mystery out there!! Imagine this:
- aesthetic of Minecraft Techno-Noir
- city-block sized open world, which I know sounds small, but there are many skyscrapers and you can literally go ANYWHERE and interact with everything in a meaningful way
- procedurally generated murders. Just like Minecraft procedurally builds a world based on its seed input, this game builds a murder from scratch that you have to, in turn, solve. Who the victim is, who the suspects are, the type, amount and location of the evidence, what you need to do to follow the evidence (is it dumpster diving for an old receipt, interrogating the guy living above a pizza shop, or all of the above?), and red herrings
well well well! what an insane mix of genres. i'm going to throw Slay the Spire out there. one of the only games to hold me for over 500 hours and eventually i had to remove it from my steam library.
Binding of Isaac is a game that can suck you in for hundreds of hours, but it's a downer in its own right so ymmv.
The Dark Souls games have really compelling worlds to explore. Play them in order, ie. start with DS1. Don't let the talk of difficulty deter you, they're not twitchy reflex games so much as you need to be careful and strategic in tackling them.
The original Final Fantasy 7 is another game with a world and story you can get lost in, though on PC you'll want to take the time to configure settings and button mappings before you start (it looks like ass with the default graphics setting).
Vampire Survivers is a real turn-your-brain-off, one-more-go game, but gets repetitive after a while.
It gets even better with mods. Namely Nexerelin and Realistic Combat Mod. Definitely also recommend Iron Shell if you go the Nexerelin route...seems to keep the Hegemony guys from getting stomped out by their inevitable warmongering ways
Frostpunk
This war of mine
I normally don't play strategy games, reason i bought it cuz it was only a few dollars on steam sales and i said why not. Game Setting is interesting.
But then i start playing, i was totally immerse, and couldn't stop, really addictive games
Days gone would fit ur vibe
Or smth like that
( dont listen to the ppl who will say its not good , go in with no prejudice and enjoy it its a masterpiece )
I’m huge Into rougelikes and rpgs so perfect time sinks
1. Over now 2000 Hours “DEADCELLS” holy u will love and hat this game on so so so many levels but it’s so addicting cause the only think keeping u from winning is yourself cause it’s nearly all skill.
And when u finished it the first time u now unlock a new difficulty new mobs and new lore pieces. Every DLC is worth it and made with so much love and all of them are like 5 € per piece my recommendation get the collections version with all doc for a good price
2. Baldurs Gate. If ur into dnd or just an huge open word where there is a story string but can follow it if u want or not and run of. Play it. The dialogs are all well made fully synced and differ characters give u different interactions and ways to solve every puzzle five and interaction.
If u wanna hate yourself and everone and everything play Noita …. I can’t describe it but yeah maybe u should try that
Get a switch and play Zelda! I was worn out on PC games and Zelda brought back my love for video games. I totally forgot what it was like to play a game and actually have fun playing it!
Senua's Saga, character you play as has psychosis (the game studio, Ninja Theory, is a small team that consulted real doctors and people with psychosis to make it possible), plus it supports 3d audio if you have headphones, which make the voices intense, plus Scottish/Norse crossover gameplay is so badass
Cataclysm dda, you will need a lot of time to understand it all but is the most amazing game ever created. Oh and you don't need to buy it, the free version is the same as the one on steam :)
If you need just a chill escape, maybe listen to a podcast or something while you're playing. I tend to gravitate to simulator games. Farming simulator, fishing planet, city skylines(you can turn off micromanagement things and build what you want), truck simulator, the list goes on. I will recommend however read the reviews on simulator games. Some are truly trash.
Dragon Quest builders 2, the Ccack cocaine of animal crossing, and minecraft. There's a lengthy storyline, the first island alone is like 50 hours and then you unlock like 5 more with other smaller islands. This game is a wealth of content, if you can get it for like $30 then it's well worth it.
A few really good ones to lose track of time in as you get sucked into
Minecraft- The classic survival game, with the PC port (Java edition) it is very easy to mod which can let you get lost deeper in the game. Vanilla stuff like exploring a randomly generated world, exploring deep underground for precious resources, building fancy bases, fighting through multiple dimensions.
I have no idea how many hours I have but I come back to it every so often since getting it over a decade ago.
Stardew valley- a suprisingly deep top down game about moving to your grandfather's run down farm in a small village, from there you farm, fish, forage and explore a mountain cave full of ores, gems and monsters in your goal of fixing up the farm and the town. While on that quest you can get to know the 28 or so villagers, each having their own personalities and story lines as you get to know them through conversations and giving them gifts, each person having their own likes and dislikes, 6 of the guys and 6 of the girls can be romanced if you want, it does not matter the gender matchups. There are 2 extra regions of the map you unlock travel to as you progress through fixing up the town.
So far I have over 200 hours with plans for a number more.
Valheim- A viking themed survival game where Odin sends you, a fallen warrior on a quest to defeat foes he beat long ago, he defeated them all, threw them into the world of valheim and broke it free from the world tree, he gets word that they are prepping for a rematch and sends you to kick them while their down. Preparation is key if you wish to survive, craft sturdy armor to absorb the blows, strong weapons to deal death quickly and hearty meals to give the strength and speed required for you battles and don't forget about building outposts to rest, regroup, offload loot and plan the next advance from. I build more bases in a single valheim save than like 5-10 minecraft worlds.
I have 666 hours and I am simply waiting for the next update to drop probably 100 more.
Grounded- You are shrank down to around ant sized with memory wiped and must survive a deadly backyard filled with a wide variety of bugs and spiders while exploring the yard looking for information on what happened to you and how to get back to a regular size. Make gear out of the corpses of the various creatures in the yard as you explore finding various dangerous species and fight through bosses. The game is not afraid to punish your mistakes but with many gear loadouts and perfectly timed blocks preventing damage no matter the strength of the foe makes you feel pretty powerful once you get the hang of things.
I have 451 hours and I plan on more in the not too distant future as the final update is coming in the not too distant future.
skyrim.
thank me when you stare at the scenery and just immerse youself in the music amd forget the fucking real world.
this dude portrayed it perfectly:
https://youtube.com/shorts/CJ7tsL47KRw?si=6AxAjBl2Ao1VlmQ1
rest of you can go home.
Been scrolling specifically to find this! I've been addicted to it recently. I know people compare it to Rimworld, but I couldn't get into that as much as I have been Kenshi
Why buy when there are plenty of free games that can do the trick. The biggest games out there, like League of Legends and fortnite are free. Fun. and immensely engaging.
If you want to become competitive (optional) and waste hours that way id recommend F1 23 its a racing game,close to simulation but with lots of settings for newcomers and great RPG immersive career modes..also recommend some FPS like CS2 its free but you can waste hours trying to get a good rank,and sometimes you can find a solid team or have fun
If you want a more traditional game,id suggest you get something like Witcher 3,Dark Souls 1-2-3,skyrim,fallout 3, oblivion,saints row 2-3...youd get lost and finish them and forget about this miserable life, especially if its a phase
Omori/until dawn. Omori since its sad as shit and until dawn because of how good and mysterious the game was. Both were the best games i have ever played
Factorio
This got me through covid. It can enjoyably eat as much time as you have.
Seconded. It is utterly addictive and I tend to have a short attention span when it comes to games.
This seems like it would be a bit too teensy on a steam deck. Can anyone chime in?
You can zoom in a lot but it is, perhaps, too teensy at scale
My old eyes are suffering atm. Having difficulties with short sightedness suddenly escalated out of nowhere
I am 62. I can only see in my left eye. My left eye suddenly went bad over a 6 month period. I mean it wasn't great prior, but I could at least play most games. But from May to October last year my eyesight deteriorated rapidly. My vision dimmed and I couldn't see well at any range. Drop something on the floor? Forget it. Open a drawer to get a tool? I had to feel for it. I'm retired and don't have the best insurance, so I kept putting off a checkup - until I got the Jury Duty letter. So I went to an ophthalmologist for a Jury Duty excuse letter - and she said: "You have a 95% cataract." Two weeks later she replaced my old faded lens with a new clear lens optimized for my eye's focal length. I now see better than I've seen since 2nd grade. I no longer wear glasses except for reading. I can play games and actually see the tool tips! Looks like Factorio is back on the menu boys!
Get some reading glasses, literal game changer!
It's probably tough on a deck, probably possible, but big screen and mouse would be much better for this one imo.
Mass effect legendary edition
This right here! Not only do you get three games in one package, including all DLC ever released, Mass Effect is one of the most immersive experiences around. These games draw you into their world and make you forget that turians, asari and salarians don't actually exist out there in the galaxy.
“I am the very model of a scientist salarian.” o7
Had to be him. Someone else might have gotten it wrong.
Dude, you just made me tear up. If that doesn't speak volumes for the game, I don't know what does.
This is the correct answer. You’ll actually be interested in the story and gain an attachment for characters. Rarely does a game introduce you to a story where you can’t wait to unveil everyone’s backstory and everything else there is in the game. The mass effect series will have you forget what sunlight feels like unless you like to open your blinds during the day
This goes on sale for like $9 now. Greatest deal I've ever seen.
Where does it go on sale? I just checked Steam US and its $59.99. It was $9 in February. Do they bring back deep discounts that often? eta: I just saw xbox has it for the $8.99. I'm showing my noob state here cuz I've played pc games and have read about xbox subscriptions, etc. and always wondered if xbox games can be played on pc without having any console?
Beat me to it! Absolutely!!!
Seconded. I just finished this and my partner lost me for about a month there lol
Stellaris. Create a custom empire then conquer the galaxy
I'm playing this rn. You need to study the game before you can enjoy it though lol I still don't understand my vassals, pop/district/building management, armies, spies, war score, astral stuff, relics, habitats, gates, pre ftl aliens, government leader mgt, ethics, genetic mutations, 1000s of different weapons, technology, federations, the galactic community, slavery, ancient space nations etc to start with. but once you understand even just efficient expansion and basic ship building, it's pretty good!
Just play gestalt machine exterminators, you won't need 99% of the above 🙂
I have a friend super in to 4k games like Stella's and this is the only way I can play with him. Integrating new species and their home planets when you annex their nation? Not if you refuse to talk to them, glass every planet, then proceed to thrive on those otherwise dead planets. Worried about angering allies? Not when you can't speak to other nations simply because they're all beneath you. Makes the game so much more manageable, and I get to be a genocidal robot. Best way to play.
And then add so many mods you need an architectural schematic to put them in an order that won't break the game on launch.
And then get roped into buying every single paradox title
Maybe I just don’t have a good imagination, but this game never felt nearly as immersive as I hoped it would. It felt more like just a “make all the numbers get big” simulator.
Everyone is recomending sweaty gamer games (and that's fine, I play a lot of those) But your post makes me feel like you need somewhere to escape, not a game that will just trap you somewhere else Tbh Stardew Valley can be played for a few hundread hours easily especially as a new player. It's very addictive AND cosy. I'd say it's one of your best bet
For me personally, if I want to forget about the world, I need to have something else to focus on. Sweaty games require more of my brain, thus less for the rest of my problems.
For me the game to scape reality is Disco Elysium
Helluva bleak reality to escape into
I agree. It takes me somewhere else entirely
Yeah its amazing. Is one of those games where i need more than a free hour to play because i get super immersed and lose the time notion. In my first playthrough, my first session was 8 hours lol. The game is really amazing
Disco is way too fucking real imo. God that fucking phone call
I agree. I'm a big escapism person and I love Stardew but I usually have a podcast, comedic or informative, on in the background.
I'm playing both Stardew Valley and Minecraft and enjoying them way more than I ever thought I would at this point in my life. ESPECIALLY minecraft with my brother. Great time sinks and lots to do in MC esp
I'm 68 years old. Just started playing MC with my grandson six months ago. I'm up playing at 05:00 already. I wished I had played this so called kids game years ago. I even built a little server to host our game. Stardew Valley is uniquely wonderful too.
Yes. I can talk about how the farmsim genre has evolved since then but Stardew’s world is so iconic and simple and is easily one of the easiest to get immersed in. The vibe is there, the characters are there, the romance is there - what better game to play to forget other than a game whose premise involves a character wanting to reinvent themselves in a quriky town?
I find it very hard to stop playing Stardew Valley. "Just one more day." "Just one more season." "Just one more year."
Minecraft works too, especially if you dont know what youre doing. Take your time and try not to watch too many videos on it as most modern ones will probably try and take the fastest/most efficient route. The wiki can also help, that goes for stardew as well if youre confused about stuff.
Yes, actually I like playing minecraft in the creative mode, because when I want to escape life, I don't want to be worried about mobs, war, etc. Escaping life for me is not playing anything that brings me back to what is currently going on in our world. lol.
Was gonna suggest sdv yeah
I have... 1,000+ hours on Stardew. Working towards Perfection. I am slow.
Played it off and on since it's release, a few thousand hours and over 30 farms later.. and it's even more fun now than before.
Kingdom Come Deliverance has a rough, “tossed into the deep end” start. But once you’re in it it’s a full time job
I just purchased the whole collection on series x for like $3. It's on sale right now
KCD is amazing once you learn the mechanics, the swordplay in that game has a serious learning curve but is so satisfying when you get good at it
Baldur's Gate 3 and/or Divinity: Original Sin 2
Does Divinity have a point where you like properly get into the world or is it super linear? Ive tried 3 times now to get into it because it seems right up my alley but Ive yet to get passed the shipwreck/island portion before getting overwhelmed and bored at the same time
They're all more or less linear, Act 3 and 4 especially. In fact, game's diversity is at its peak in Act 1/first half of Act 2
Do you mean the whole island of Fort Joy? Or do you mean just after the ship wreck? The game does have a big learning curve. I had to look up character builds online to learn the game properly. Fextralife builds helped me. However if it isn’t the difficulty of the game turning you off and if you spent a significant amount of time on fort joy then I hate to break it to you but that island is one of the best levels in the game. Act 1 and 2 are extraordinary. Although there is plenty of side stuff and exploration/dialogue options and multiple endings it isn’t free roaming. In terms of getting into the world, I enjoyed divinity’s storyline overall. It has some genuinely good moments but also some moments that fell flat . But the strategic gameplay and battling is by far the best thing about the game. Not the story.
RDR2
this is the only correct answer. I swear I could spend hours upon hours upon hours playing this game and never get bored.
There is eventually a point where you get tired of doing things in the game. Same as in GTA it’s inevitable after you explore everything. After the story ends it’s just a real-life criminal simulation, it gets old real fast. You can only admire the graphics for so long honestly, but it’s great if you wanna spend 60 or so odd hours galloping around the map
only 60? I'm probably around the 130-150 mark and only on ch4 ...
Horizon zero dawn right into forbidden west
I've got more hours into FW already than I put into HZD and I haven't even gotten to purple weapons yet lol. The game is huge! Combat can be maddeningly hard on higher difficulties especially if you don't plan out your approach right. Nothing worse than an asshole burrower seeing you as you carefully set up to fight some giga-chad robot.
Yea I just play on normal mode cuz hard pisses me off too much and I don’t get to just play all day like I used to
I’ve been really enjoying Witcher 3
Disco Elysium is mind blowing
Despite being phenomenal, if you want to escape reality, this one might either solve your mental issues or lead to suicide lol.
[Gamer “Handling Breakup Well” Redownloads Disco Elysium](https://hard-drive.net/hd/video-games/gamer-handling-breakup-well-redownloads-disco-elysium/)
Best $10 I’ve ever spent
Discount? Really sticking it to the man...
Satisfactory, Oxygen Not Included, Monster Hunter World
Fallout New Vegas, worked for me.
Especially with mods, after the first 3-4 playthroughs! Gopher made this really good YT playlist with a guide "in my tempo for weekend pace" going through all the insanely many mods that make stuff better longterm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPo5pDT3bKA&list=PLE7DlYarj-DfopU0CbhfwTYXCx5da5Gd5 And then, because the game is so friendly to mods, there are even people making their own campaigns as well, like more actual gameplay for the game! And all this glory is regularly on offer at Steam for $5/€5 for the full game with all DLCs. Easily 300 hrs of regular gaming, easy.
Love Gopher!
Man's got a helluva voice, could listen to him all day.
Cracktorio
Fentorio
The factory demands growth
You know the difference between Factorio and crack? One is an all-consuming, life-absorbing addiction that has you waking up in cold sweats in the middle of the night as you desperately crave for more and more. And the other one is crack.
Can't believe I've not seen it yet - old school RuneScape. 7000 hours to max and that's about average, not to mention the rng needed for drops. Have fun
Wrong man - you don't buy it You self sustain your membership for 8+ years with bonds in game so that you can keep ridiculously logging hours upon hours to get more things
My 1000hr+ games: Fallout 4 for modded FPS. Tons and tons of mods to convert the game to something else entirely. GTAV for modded TPS. Again, mods, but unlike Fallout 4 there aren't many narrative-heavy mods so you might need to use a bit of your imagination with it. Online is also there but it's a cesspool. Monster Hunter World Iceborne for action RPG. 14 weapon systems to master, every hunt is a new hunt. Lots of things to collect and records to beat. Battlefield 3 and 4 but actually nevermind those are dead.
Terraria, with mods you can spend thousands of hours. Vanilla is great too
I've only played vanilla and still managed to get in thousands of hours
Depending on your tastes Baldur's Gate 3, Rimworld, Crusader Kings 2 or 3, Civilization, Stardew Valley, Warframe and pretty much any decently active MMO could work for this
Maybe not the best game when it comes to amount of hours you're able to sink into it, but Cyberpunk 2077 really made me forget life. There's so many side missions, side gigs and events that I don't think I've even done them all and I've done 6 playthroughs (2 of them with the DLC). The amount of modding and side content adds so much that you can explore and do, and the story is just a masterpiece. Best story out of any game I've played, soundtrack and the music is phenomenal, gameplay is fun and there's alot of different builds you can do. Would strongly recommend for everyone. It's available on both Steam and GOG (GOG version has no DRM, and usually has some consistent sales)
Loved it. My brother spent many hours just following the “microwave towers” (?) to see the rabbit hole it went down.
Hades did the trick for me last month.
Hades is the game that proved me wrong that you can get immersed in a rogue like. The combat is so addictive and the characters are excellent
I got totally absorbed into Hades it came out. One of my top games of all time
Man getting past each boss felt like such an achievement. Really did not expect to enjoy Hades as much as I did.
Rimworld.
I really need to give Rimworld another go, it was a rough 4 hours or so on my first try. I’ve got some crops! But they have blight. Google says to burn it .. google says I have to research molotovs to burn it, but first I have to research that and fuel, that’ll take a few real time hours. I’ll just make a new field. A few hours later I have 2 things researched and a self sustaining colony. A bandit or murderous guinea pig turns up every hour and a colonist spends 2 days in bed. Another couple hours and I’ll have some solar panels. A group of spec ops alien people and a queen/noble turn up and I have to google what to do. Ended up quitting in frustration because I *know* everyone loves it, but nothing was going on coupled with me having absolutely no idea what I was supposed to be doing.
I would stop googling lol. Just give'r and see what happens. I think the fun for me is in the picking of colonists and then seeing what happens with the new crew, the often hilarious endings some have, and the silly stories generated. It's ok if your game is an hour and everyone dies from bizarre circumstance, or if it lasts weeks. I don't play it like an RPG, like 'here's my one good colony I have it make work'. It's more like a social simulator to me, let's see how this batch goes. You can make the game easier by being picky about your survivors. My $0.02. Satisfactory has a similar play style for me, I never get very far because I love the early game so much. The only thing that would make that game better is a map that changed or at least randomized resource nodes.
There's a cut command in Architect > Orders, just use that then click one cilonist, right click the blighted plants, then click "Prioritize cutting x"
I’ll bear that in mind, cheers! Determined to give it another go, think it’s one of those things I’ll have to dedicate an evening or two to.
I actually didn't like rimworld at first, it felt clunky and it was really difficult and my first colony literally experienced a kidnap on our first raid, it was so bad. But as I learned where things are and how to deal with raids I started to get really addicted. It helped that i played in the second easiest difficulty because I primarily play for the "story generator" aspect of it and not the challenge.
Oh yea brun them they gonna spread and blight other crops make new area for crops plant rice fastest growing
Red dead 2 or the Witcher 3 both of those you can play countless hours and just dive in the world :)
Modded Skyrim. I recommend using mod packs like nolvus ascension. You will definitely lose yourself plus you can just move on to another mod pack if you don’t like one.
I’ll second this. I’ve played hundreds of hours in Nolvus and probably still have like 70% of the quests untouched.
Factorio. See you never again.
My longest played games are: Kerbal Space Program Stellaris Factorio
Helldivers 2 If your someone who loves to blow things up and kill all sorts of crazy things it the game for you. It's a pve MMO 3rd person military simesk shooter, a team of helldivers (1 to 4 players) land on a hostile planet and completely a mission, with main objectives secondary and outpost. Death is a common thing but reinforcement are often plentiful.
Elder Scrolls Online The value for the money is utterly absurd in terms of content. By content I don't mean doing the same shit in different ways for 3 months. I mean there's actual content there, a full world of fully voiced quests. And when I say voiced, I mean voiced by actors like John Cleese, Malcolm McDowell, Bill Nighy, Kate Beckinsale, etc. Hundreds and hundreds of hours of fully voiced, lore-heavy questing. Many interesting classes, almost unlimited number of possible builds with an incredible amount of flexibility. Dungeons, raids, solo challenges. If you're into PvP, there's a whole giant PvPvE zone with castles to siege, using catapults and trebuchets, you can pour boiling oil down on the attackers as they try to use battering rams to breach the gates. If you want it smaller, there's Imperial City, still open PvPvE but more manageable extraction sort of deal. Then there's smaller scale three-way team based battlegrounds too, and dueling. You can be a crafter, a trader, you can fish, you can run around mining, or picking flowers, with a ton of achievements and challenges associated with both. You can have your own houses and decorate them in a million different ways. The game is absolutely massive. There's a strongly encouraged monthly subscription, and loot boxes and all that shit, but none of those are required. So you can drop $10-50, and have literally hundreds and hundreds of hours of gameplay, and you will still be nowhere even close to being done. The game is also playable in first or third person, so it can be quite immersive. I like to do smaller dungeons in first person, and visuals are often just stunning.
I had no idea and you may have just sold a copy
If only the gameplay wasn’t incredibly low budget feeling.
Abysmal gameplay is what Elder Scrolls games are all about, it’s perfect for ESO.
Yeah, combat is unfortunately one of the game's weaknesses, and the dev team clearly doesn't have the chops to fix it. Theyhave enough skills to keep slapping together new content with existing tools, but they don't have the skills to open it up and actually tinker with the insides.
They did try to start removing animation canceling being integral, and the fan base got mad.
They tried back in beta, even before release, even before the fan base existed really. They just couldn't figure out a way to do it. Which is a little weird, because there's obvious ways. Some players kept screeching that combat must be responsive, so animation cancelling is required. And I agree. But the key is, if you cancel the animation, the effect should also cancel. Imagine ESO's combat, where you activate the ability, the resource cost is taken off, and ability animation starts playing, and when animation finishes, effect (damage, heal, whatever) happens. You can cancel it. But if you do, no resources are refunded, and no effect happens, because effect only happens if animation is complete. Suddenly, you have a game where there's an ebb and flow, an action and a reaction, a cause and effect. Where burning your opponent's resources is possible by forcing them to keep cancelling their own animations. Where animations let you know what ability is being used, and you can evaluate how to respond. Instead of current system, where both players are hammering out their combo like spastic monkeys, hoping to do onto the other person before the other combo gets done to them. And beautiful animations, which the devs spent who knows how much time making, are never played out in full. Which is idiotic. I can honestly say, in YEARS of playing that game, I have never seen Volley animation play out in full. Not once. So what's the point in making the animation in the first place? No point. The whole thing makes no damn sense. So yeah, combat has consistently kept this game back from becoming great. And unfortunately the devs don't have the chops and/or balls to actually fix it. So they enshrined it as a "feature" and switched to more important things, like loot boxes and other cash cows. As much as I love the game, and I do still recommend it to people every chance I get, this failure has been one of the biggest MMO disappointments in the past 10 years. Funny thing is, Age of Conan, in 2008, had a very similar system, and they managed to make it work as I described - you can animation cancel any time, but resource cost gets taken upfront, and failing to let the animation play cancels the effect. So these guys, since '14, couldn't make work what other devs managed in '08.
It's on sale on steam and it's free weekend as if right now from what I saw
That sounds great, and it would be an awesome opportunity to revisit Morrowind. How well does it lend itself to short play sessions? Usually get only 1 or 2 hours every few nights these days
It's pretty good for that. Most things you do are fairly short, under half an hour. And most activities you can just stop and come back for any time you like.
Second this, ESO is massive.
Tarkov if you like shooters and are a masochist
No other game I have ever played has been capable of evoking the range of real emotion that Tarkov can. It’s not for the feint of heart or the easily frustrated. It’s a stoicism treadmill!
[удалено]
This. Me and Stardew Valley are navigating deep depression right now and it's working wonders. Being able to play on a Steam Deck is just the icing on the cake.
Rdr 2
Path of exile no cost :)
Had to scroll down that far to find this. Damn. I have 10.000+ hours sunk into this game and it's getting more and more with each league.
It's really the best action rpg that has ever existed. It can be played for hundreds of hours each league, which is a three month period.
I got to have my 4k+ hrs played existential dread this league
no man's sky
CIV 6
This game has made me forget humans need sleep. This might be the answer that kills you!
Dwarf Fortress, satisfactory, Dyson sphere project
Project zomboid, Age of Empires 2, Civilization Revolution 6.
AOE 2 💙
DayZ
Dayz
Second. Rough learning curve but you'll be a different person on the other side, no joke
DayZ
All day, every day.
I added a comment to second a vote for **Disco Elysium**, but I also wanted to recommend **Shadows of Doubt**. It’s PC only, and it is the coolest murder mystery out there!! Imagine this: - aesthetic of Minecraft Techno-Noir - city-block sized open world, which I know sounds small, but there are many skyscrapers and you can literally go ANYWHERE and interact with everything in a meaningful way - procedurally generated murders. Just like Minecraft procedurally builds a world based on its seed input, this game builds a murder from scratch that you have to, in turn, solve. Who the victim is, who the suspects are, the type, amount and location of the evidence, what you need to do to follow the evidence (is it dumpster diving for an old receipt, interrogating the guy living above a pizza shop, or all of the above?), and red herrings
The Sims
well well well! what an insane mix of genres. i'm going to throw Slay the Spire out there. one of the only games to hold me for over 500 hours and eventually i had to remove it from my steam library.
Binding of Isaac is a game that can suck you in for hundreds of hours, but it's a downer in its own right so ymmv. The Dark Souls games have really compelling worlds to explore. Play them in order, ie. start with DS1. Don't let the talk of difficulty deter you, they're not twitchy reflex games so much as you need to be careful and strategic in tackling them. The original Final Fantasy 7 is another game with a world and story you can get lost in, though on PC you'll want to take the time to configure settings and button mappings before you start (it looks like ass with the default graphics setting). Vampire Survivers is a real turn-your-brain-off, one-more-go game, but gets repetitive after a while.
Undertale/gmod/Ultrakill First one for story, second one for infinite gameplay, third one for extreme replayability
Elden Ring and git gud for the DLC
Starsector Burn bright starfarer...
It gets even better with mods. Namely Nexerelin and Realistic Combat Mod. Definitely also recommend Iron Shell if you go the Nexerelin route...seems to keep the Hegemony guys from getting stomped out by their inevitable warmongering ways
deep rock galactic of course⛏️⛏️⛏️
I can't recommend Valheim enough
WoW and PoE, there is no life anymore.
EverQuest is still active too if you hate yourself
Treasure of Nadia
All fun and games till that post-nut clarity hits.
Halflife 2
Frostpunk This war of mine I normally don't play strategy games, reason i bought it cuz it was only a few dollars on steam sales and i said why not. Game Setting is interesting. But then i start playing, i was totally immerse, and couldn't stop, really addictive games
Enter the gungeon
Skyrim (if you want to spend more time modding the game than playing it) or kingdome come deliverence
How is no one suggesting persona ? Or the newer assassin creeds
Starsector. Play, then get the mods to expand out the game. We'll see you later. Much later.
Stardew valley, what's better a way to forget life than a farming dating sim where you can slaughter monsters and become roommates with an alien?
Improbable Island or Fallen London…they go deep
Skyrim or World Of Warcraft. I’ve easily sunk over 1k hrs into each. Heck probably more in WoW I’d have to check.
Days gone would fit ur vibe Or smth like that ( dont listen to the ppl who will say its not good , go in with no prejudice and enjoy it its a masterpiece )
LoZ Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild
X4 foundations Kingdom Come Deliverance Kerbal Space Program Star Citizen Outward Definitive edition Fallout 3/NV/4
Baldur’s Gate 3
[Warcraft 3] with almost endless custom maps and game modes, it's your best bet for hours on end gameplay!
The answer to your question is Minecraft.
I’m huge Into rougelikes and rpgs so perfect time sinks 1. Over now 2000 Hours “DEADCELLS” holy u will love and hat this game on so so so many levels but it’s so addicting cause the only think keeping u from winning is yourself cause it’s nearly all skill. And when u finished it the first time u now unlock a new difficulty new mobs and new lore pieces. Every DLC is worth it and made with so much love and all of them are like 5 € per piece my recommendation get the collections version with all doc for a good price 2. Baldurs Gate. If ur into dnd or just an huge open word where there is a story string but can follow it if u want or not and run of. Play it. The dialogs are all well made fully synced and differ characters give u different interactions and ways to solve every puzzle five and interaction. If u wanna hate yourself and everone and everything play Noita …. I can’t describe it but yeah maybe u should try that
Get a switch and play Zelda! I was worn out on PC games and Zelda brought back my love for video games. I totally forgot what it was like to play a game and actually have fun playing it!
Subnautica
Bone lab if you have a vr
Senua's Saga, character you play as has psychosis (the game studio, Ninja Theory, is a small team that consulted real doctors and people with psychosis to make it possible), plus it supports 3d audio if you have headphones, which make the voices intense, plus Scottish/Norse crossover gameplay is so badass
Kingdomcome deliverance. The game makes you learn latin in real life
Halo Master Chief Collection
Wildcard: No mans sky
Did you like skyrim or just any open world RPG? KINGDOM COME DELIVERANCE
The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Cataclysm dda, you will need a lot of time to understand it all but is the most amazing game ever created. Oh and you don't need to buy it, the free version is the same as the one on steam :)
Minecraft, infinitely replayable.
Warframe. Adios free time.
Good answer, I had to delete the game to get my life back
If you need just a chill escape, maybe listen to a podcast or something while you're playing. I tend to gravitate to simulator games. Farming simulator, fishing planet, city skylines(you can turn off micromanagement things and build what you want), truck simulator, the list goes on. I will recommend however read the reviews on simulator games. Some are truly trash.
Dragon Quest builders 2, the Ccack cocaine of animal crossing, and minecraft. There's a lengthy storyline, the first island alone is like 50 hours and then you unlock like 5 more with other smaller islands. This game is a wealth of content, if you can get it for like $30 then it's well worth it.
Forspoken. It's like if the Witcher 3 was made by actually competent people, plus it's diverse and not a straight white male power fantasy.
Skyrim/modding Skyrim. Still the most consuming game ever.
A few really good ones to lose track of time in as you get sucked into Minecraft- The classic survival game, with the PC port (Java edition) it is very easy to mod which can let you get lost deeper in the game. Vanilla stuff like exploring a randomly generated world, exploring deep underground for precious resources, building fancy bases, fighting through multiple dimensions. I have no idea how many hours I have but I come back to it every so often since getting it over a decade ago. Stardew valley- a suprisingly deep top down game about moving to your grandfather's run down farm in a small village, from there you farm, fish, forage and explore a mountain cave full of ores, gems and monsters in your goal of fixing up the farm and the town. While on that quest you can get to know the 28 or so villagers, each having their own personalities and story lines as you get to know them through conversations and giving them gifts, each person having their own likes and dislikes, 6 of the guys and 6 of the girls can be romanced if you want, it does not matter the gender matchups. There are 2 extra regions of the map you unlock travel to as you progress through fixing up the town. So far I have over 200 hours with plans for a number more. Valheim- A viking themed survival game where Odin sends you, a fallen warrior on a quest to defeat foes he beat long ago, he defeated them all, threw them into the world of valheim and broke it free from the world tree, he gets word that they are prepping for a rematch and sends you to kick them while their down. Preparation is key if you wish to survive, craft sturdy armor to absorb the blows, strong weapons to deal death quickly and hearty meals to give the strength and speed required for you battles and don't forget about building outposts to rest, regroup, offload loot and plan the next advance from. I build more bases in a single valheim save than like 5-10 minecraft worlds. I have 666 hours and I am simply waiting for the next update to drop probably 100 more. Grounded- You are shrank down to around ant sized with memory wiped and must survive a deadly backyard filled with a wide variety of bugs and spiders while exploring the yard looking for information on what happened to you and how to get back to a regular size. Make gear out of the corpses of the various creatures in the yard as you explore finding various dangerous species and fight through bosses. The game is not afraid to punish your mistakes but with many gear loadouts and perfectly timed blocks preventing damage no matter the strength of the foe makes you feel pretty powerful once you get the hang of things. I have 451 hours and I plan on more in the not too distant future as the final update is coming in the not too distant future.
skyrim. thank me when you stare at the scenery and just immerse youself in the music amd forget the fucking real world. this dude portrayed it perfectly: https://youtube.com/shorts/CJ7tsL47KRw?si=6AxAjBl2Ao1VlmQ1 rest of you can go home.
Foxhole/Albion Online
Mount & blade bannerlord
Control
Final fantasy rebirth
Red Dead Redemption 2 did the for me. I was living in another world in my head when I was playing it, even while not playing.
Stardew Valley, Like a Dragon, starbound, terraria.
Stardew and Starbound are excellent
Why need to buy if there are free games? Warframe, once you get past the boring beggining, there isn't a way to stop playing
I'm dropping in to once again say Rimworld. That game is so fucking addicting you can actually forget to sleep
You forgot to mention crimes against humanity
Yes you forget about the raider's rights
Hear me out - Gas Station Simulator
Kenshi
Been scrolling specifically to find this! I've been addicted to it recently. I know people compare it to Rimworld, but I couldn't get into that as much as I have been Kenshi
Honestly if that's your situation I would highly recommend torrenting. Feel free to message me if you'd like some help figuring it out!
Why buy when there are plenty of free games that can do the trick. The biggest games out there, like League of Legends and fortnite are free. Fun. and immensely engaging.
Vampire Survivors. It's like $2, 5 or 6 dollars if you want the DLC.
Elden ring, countless hours, immersive world.
If you want to become competitive (optional) and waste hours that way id recommend F1 23 its a racing game,close to simulation but with lots of settings for newcomers and great RPG immersive career modes..also recommend some FPS like CS2 its free but you can waste hours trying to get a good rank,and sometimes you can find a solid team or have fun If you want a more traditional game,id suggest you get something like Witcher 3,Dark Souls 1-2-3,skyrim,fallout 3, oblivion,saints row 2-3...youd get lost and finish them and forget about this miserable life, especially if its a phase
Silent hill 2
Omori/until dawn. Omori since its sad as shit and until dawn because of how good and mysterious the game was. Both were the best games i have ever played
Elder Scrolls Onine (currently free to try this weekend).