Nowadays I find a lot of games feel like too much work and/or anxiety when I just want to relax for like, 30 minutes to an hour after a long day. On the other hand, the games specifically designed to help you unwind just feel boring imo.
In the past I’ve felt like Outer Wilds scratched this itch, cause the whole experience was engaging but generally relaxed. There was a mystery that kept me hooked and the exploration and movement was fun in and of itself. I also felt like Subnautica filled this role since it was very much at my own pace, with anxiety producing portions which could for the most part be avoided or minimized, and also there was a clear objective to fulfill, get off the planet.
So what games do you play when you just wanna relax?
They could be low level. I certainly remember when a Ruin Guard was a big scary monster that could kill my whole party.
And later when I was playing pretty seriously I still stayed out of Abyss Floor 12 because it wasn’t worth the effort (literally - I never got enough stars to get a reward from it even when I technically defeated it)
There are challenges where you have like 45 seconds to defeat a bunch of creatures to just open a chest. I hate those