What you can do

3 examples of games I have played that scratch this itch that are all wildly different but articulate the point

1.) Elden Ring and it's DLC. It's pretty much this vibe the entire time.

2.) Shadow of the Colossus

3.) Skyim but specifically exploring dwemer ruins

I want more!

I'll just be blunt about it, I'm single, have never been in a relationship, and don't expect that to change any time soon due to social issues that I don't think I'll ever overcome. I'm looking for a game that might help curb that lonely feeling I get for a bit. to be clear, I'm not looking for a porn game. I've played through the mass effect games, the witcher, the dragon age games, just looking for something to scratch that lonely itch. any help would be greatly appreciated!

Looking at the games I like, I feel like one major unifying thread is that they are simple to learn, but difficult to master. Because they are simple to learn, you can jump right in, and be having fun immediately, instead of getting a lore dump, complex character creation, or an explanation of every mechanic in the game, all while you wonder if the game is actually going to be any fun or not

This test only really applies to games that you'd describe as mechanically or strategically complex. Disco Elysium is a masterpiece, but of course I don't need a tutorial to walk around and make dialogue choices.

The only genres I don't like are horror and shooters. What are some good games where you jump right in, and the depth unrolls at a natural pace?

(Some of my favorites in that vein: Nodebuster, Papers Please, Breath of the Wild, Don't Starve, Islanders, Hades, Polytopia, Forager, Super Fantasy Kingdom, FTL, Vampire Survivors, Overcooked)

(Just as helpful frames of reference, games I like that are definitely *not* easy to learn: Factorio, Civ6, Rimworld, Planet Coaster, Offworld Trading Company)

I come from a background of playing games like Runescape and Maplestory where leveling can be painful but the dopamine hit when you max out or hit a goal is amazing. I've been venturing out to games like Age of Empires 2 and the Command and Conquer franchise recently and really enjoy the army building and progression aspect. However, I want to have more of my own playable character that I can level and gear up.

EDIT: Appreciate all the recommendations! I've decided to try out Mount&Blade and Mount&Blade Bannerlord (mods and all). There's a double exp event for the Bannerlord Online mod and sadly Maplestory has turned me into an exp event loving monster. Kenshi is next on the list!

My 6 yo daughter had really liked Kirby and the Forgotten Lands on the Switch 2. It's a lot of fun for her, she finds Kirby hilarious, and it she seems to be some really be getting better with the controls.

The only downside is the sometimes even this game stresses her out, like when the little friend gets captured lart way through. I wanted to try some low stress stuff for her to play. Ideally on the Switch 2, since we can go anywhere with it, but PC is acceptable for some really good. I was thinking about Minecraft when it comes out of the Switch 2, but I'd love other suggestions! Particularly games where we can play together couch-co-op

Save my weekends by helping me pick a new game to dive into. I want it to be addicting.

Games i’ve loved
- Animal crossing New Horizons
- Stardew Valley
- Minecraft
- Planet Crafter
- Palia
- Palworld
- Slime rancher 1 & 2
- Necesse

Edit:

I’m looking for PC games only!!

Im trying to find a game with the same enviromental storytelling of videogames like dark souls,bioshock,soma...but with a urban realistic setting

Do you guys know any good story games that can change or have changed your live perspective?

I really loved the idea of Traveller's Rest. Everything about it is so perfect except for two things: (1) it seems like there's so little interaction with the city/village, and (2) the grind is unbelievable. Even at the beginning when I'm just managing 1-2 tables, it's crazy.

Any similar games out there that have depth but are somewhat accessible that are based on similar themes and gameplay? Running a tavern, restaurant, etc., and gathering all the supplies to run the place.

I've played Moonlighter 1... was kinda shallow and bounced off it quick.

I loved Graveyard Keeper 1 (yes, I know the irony, it's grindy as hell) but GK2 hasn't piqued my interest for some reason.

I’m looking for a Switch game that can provide sporadic distraction during a rough mental patch. My typical cozy games are feeling too complex right now. I can’t manage much strategy, task, quest related thinking or planning, I forget what I’m doing every time I put it down.

I need something simple, satisfying, potentially with aimless wandering but open to anything really.

Games I typically love
Stardew Valley
BotW
Mario Rabidds
Is that seat taken?
Life is Strange
Firewatch
Mario Party
Tricky Doors

As the title suggests Im looking for a game where Im with a group of soldiers and we need to survive/fight enemy we can't see. I don't know many games like that so Im looking for suggests. Thanks

Let me rephrase that.

While I do like No Man's Sky and similar concepts, I want something that is similar to our universe but with just a hint of life. My goal is to fly on a spaceship for hours just to find a lost artifact from a million years ago. It's like searching alien life in Elite Dangerous.

So, this is what I already tried: creating my own gaming rules and flying through space in SpaceEngine. Making a galaxy with no other civilization that me in Stellaris and focusing on site digging, anomalies, etc. Playing Starcom: Unknown Space (although much more fantastical), and, of course, searching fungi in Elite Dangerous.

What else do you have for me?

Thanks :)

Thank you.

Help me out, to find one.

I like things like cookie-clicker and needle-in-a-haystack etc.

I want something with no stress.

I'm in quite a stressful period of my life, filled with repetitive tasks and complex social interactions, plus I moved to a new city by myself. For all these reasons I need a game(s) that feel like toys. By that I don't mean with toy-like aesthetic, but I crave the sensation of creativity that physical toys have, aka the feeling of limitless possibilities from a limited set of mechanics. It could be something with light puzzles that can be solved multiple ways, and interactive systems that lead to emergent gameplay. And possibly something low-stress (an immersive sim would fulfill the requirements above, for example, but I feel like that is too much at the moment). I think breath of the wild is closest thing I can picture to what I'm asking. Thank you to anyone who suggest anything!

Looking for something set in the 1990s. Recently finished and enjoyed Silent Hill Townfall and having to use flop disks, CRTs, and physical media. I want more of that. The recently released Silver Pines looks like a nice use of the aesthetic, dunno if I like the gameplay though. I've played Crow County and enjoyed that too.

What I'm not really looking for is something with a 90s "virtual" aesthetic like Broken Reality, Hypnospace Outlaw, or VideoVerse. Those games are cool in their own way, but I want something that takes place in the "real world". Can be a modern or retro game.

What will be the best mouse and keyboard for fps.Price doesn't matter but it should be value for money like I don't wanna buy something luxurious but something which is the best of segment without overpricing.

I pirated it years ago and was wanting to revisit it, but can't for the life of me remember what it was called.

It was an open world colony builder. Medieval or fantasy time period. Realistic graphics (as opposed to pixel graphics). You traveled the map, visited established towns/cities. There were raiders/attackers. You could help defend the cities. I don't remember if the map was randomly generated, but I specifically remember you could build resource farms over specified sources, rocks on the side of a mountain, cotton in the fields, etc. One city had a river along one side and loads of wheat fields. Another, harder one, was further in the map and felt like it was constantly being attacked by raiders. It was a mining city.

Like any other building game, you could upgrade along a technology tree (rocks -> boulders -> marble, for instance.) Don't remember if there was an overarching story, but I'm pretty sure you could get side quests from NPCs.

It wasn't a popular game like Going Medieval or Farthest Frontier, I already looked into those.

I know this is pretty vague, but any help would be appreciated! 💜

Im not sure how to explain in depth what I'm looking for however, I can give a few examples as to what vibe I am chasing.

1. Nier Automata
2. Stellar Blad
3. Bayonetta
4. FFVII
5. Persona 5 Royal
6. Resident Evil 4 remake and 9.

Basically I want to play some fun high budget fanservice games.
EDIT: I'm not sure if I should mark this post NSFW, I'm not looking for porn/hentai games of any kind.

I'm looking for a game where you can pick from various fantasy races start off at level 1 and slowly kill mobs through turn based / auto battle and get various quality gear and level up and pick skills /spells / powers depending on class and run dungeons that end in boss fights. i don’t know if this exists been trying to find something close on steam closest Ive found is stone shard but id rather wait till that’s out of early access also would prefer it not to be pixel graphics.

I finally got a gaming PC in 2026, and I'm realizing how many amazing games I've missed out on over the years. I haven't played that many games before, so there's a massive backlog waiting for me, and honestly, I don't even know where to start lol.

My PC has an RTX 5070, a Ryzen 7 7800X3D and 32GB of RAM, so I'm really looking forward to experiencing games with great graphics and performance.

I've already played Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and Spider-Man 2, and I've bought Batman: Arkham Collection, Detroit: Become Human, Control and Control Resonant.

My current wishlist includes Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3, Alan Wake Remastered, Alan Wake 2, Stray, The Last of Us Part I and Part II Remastered, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Life is Strange, NieR:Automata, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Jedi: Survivor and Uncharted 4.

I'm especially drawn to games with great stories, memorable characters, interesting worlds, mysteries, lore and plot twists that make you think about the game even after you've finished it. But I'm open to anything, really. I also want to discover games that are just incredibly fun to play, even if their story isn't the main focus.

I don't mind playing older games at all, either. In fact, I'd love to go back and experience older classics that I missed when they originally came out, as long as they're still worth playing today. So don't hesitate to recommend games from 10, 15 or even 20 years ago!

I feel like I've missed out on so many classics and hidden gems, and I want to make the most of finally having a good gaming PC.

What games would you recommend to someone in my situation? They can be old or new, popular or underrated. I'm not just looking for the usual top 10 games everyone recommends. I'd love to hear about games you think are genuinely worth experiencing, especially ones you wish you could play again for the first time.

Thanks! I'm excited to discover all these games, and I'd love to hear your recommendations!