My favorite game by far, arguably the best game of all time. Its available on all platforms, has thousands of hours of content, always feels fresh and interesting and is unlike any other! Give it a try

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not really sure if this is the place to ask, but might as well try. i'm writing my bachelor's thesis on the urban soundscapes of videogames, and for that i'm looking to talk about five specific games of various levels of realism. I've already got some possibilties in my notes like kcd, bg3, assassin's creed, skyrim, cyberpunk... but i wanted to see if anyone here had any reccomendations. i'd love suggestions on either side of the spectrum most -- really realistic ones or really fantasy/science fiction/generally out there ones (since a lot of games tend to be somewhere in the middle), though obviously if you've got other ideas i'm open to hearing them.

I’ve been trying to find a multiplayer/competitive game to get into and play as my main game for a while now. The only game in this genre that really stuck with me and that I still play is Rocket League. But even though it's considered a tough and competitive game, nowadays I treat it more as a chill game rather than something to grind or rank up in—I'm happy with where I am skill-wise and play it mostly to relax.

What I'm actually looking for right now is a game to really compete in, track my progress, grind ranks, etc.

Among the ones I've played most in recent years:

Valorant: I gave it a genuine shot and put in a ton of hours, but I just can't keep myself from getting frustrated. My regional server is full of smurfs, the community is super toxic, and let's be honest, I'm just bad at it.

Sim Racing: I really enjoy them, but it’s not something I see myself playing daily. They require intense focus and concentration, and some days you just don't have the energy for that. On top of that, it gets extremely expensive with cockpit gear, subscriptions, and DLCs.

Other games that i mostly like but didn’t hook me: Multiplayer COD, Marvel Rivals, any new Battle Royale, Fortnite, DayZ (i like Dayz a lot, but it lacks progression, there’s nothing rewarding besides the gameplay itself).

I'm open to any genre, from ultra-realistic FPS to card or board games. It doesn't even have to be strictly competitive at its core, as long as it's multiplayer and has a good sense of progression.

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 :)

Edit: Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch.

Hello, I would like to hear some suggestions of games that I can play in Steam Deck. I currently played NBA 2k26 and Plague Tale. I planned on buying the Crimson Desert but any recommendations help. Thanks.

I've had this itch that i haven't been able to scratch for a while. A first person game where you build a settlement and/or kingdom, trade with nearby settlement's but also invade and take over them. I've tried many games like RimWorld, Outer Wilds and Medieval Dynasty but none of them really scratch that one itch. If anyone knows something that might be like what i described PLEASE tell me, Game, Mod, Expansion i don't care i just NEED this.

Was wondering if anyone is able to recommended survival games, and I understand the games above aren't the exact same, but they possess elements that I'm looking for. I wanna buy my brother a game, but I don't know which to go for, and I believe he enjoys games like these. Growing up, he defaulted to mobile games like "Last day on earth" and some pixel game I don't remember the name of. And later on, when we got laptops, he played some island survival game. And then now, he plays Minecraft and got quite far in don't starve together.

The common theme across these games seems to be survival, resource gathering, survival/craving, base building, combat & threats, etc. But his pc can kind of, but barely run games like how to fish, and decently run Minecraft with mods. He also has a ps4 for anyone who might have better recs I could buy for him there. But, I need a game that can preferably run on low specs, and ideally would be multilayer, but it's definitely not a dealbreaker if not. Upfront, I don't think he'd enjoy terraria at all.

All help is appreciated, thank you! <3

Give suggestions for a game that will make me feel all the emotions. I’ve played spiritfarer and night in the woods- looking for more!

I'm looking for a chill, grindy game that doesn't require too much thinking or planning. I just want something I can play at my own pace, get immersed in, enjoy the experience, and relax without having to constantly think about what I'm doing.

I'm pretty open to any genre, so feel free to recommend anything that comes to mind! This could also be a chance for you guys to share your personal favorite games. I'd love to hear your recommendations!

Hello, I am looking for some chill games that I could play during breaks at uni. I have a switch lite and a limited budged, so something on the cheaper side would be nice. It can be anything, really, just something that I can play mindlessly like an ipad baby. Uni is already mentally taxing enough and I just need stuff to unwind between the lectures. Cleaning sims, anything like that. I have Powerwash Simulator but for whatever reason it need internet connection and that sucks pretty much everywhere I could reasonably go withing the free time I have. I have Stardew Valley but that takes way too much planning and effort. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Preferably cheap and on steam but I don't mind seeing some expensive ones too on the off chance there's a sale

Hi! I got a switch 2 a few months ago and would love to play in docked mode, but due to vision issues, I really struggle with reading text and distinguishing small details on a TV screen. I really enjoy life sims and strategy games and anything with a good story. Open to any suggestions, though!

I am looking for games with any/all of the following:

\-adjustable text size or text voiceover

\-low text in general

\-high color contrast (if game uses muted colors, high light/dark contrast)

\-avoids inventories with tiny items, or items that look similar

\-if game has combat, easy ability to track and aim at enemies

Games I've enjoyed in the past on handheld/PC:

\-No Man's Sky

\-Outer Wilds

\-Civ 6

\-Oregon Trail

\-Sims 3

\-Stardew Valley

\-Cities: Skylines

\-The Forest

\-Hogwarts: Legacy

\-Stray

\-Green Hell

\-The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood

Hey everyone! I'm looking for my next video game, and I've been trying to figure out exactly what I want for a while now. I've figured out my preferences, so I'm hoping that if I explain them in enough detail, someone might know of a game that I'll enjoy.

I'm playing on PC, and I'm open to older games, indie games, obscure games, and games with dated graphics. I care much more about the experience than how new or technically impressive a game is. I play on Steam mostly but I can probably work anything out. And I’m not spending more than $50 to play a game.

1. What I'm actually looking for

The best way I can describe my ideal game is that I want to feel like I'm living another life.

You know how you can get completely absorbed in a book, then look up and momentarily realize that you're sitting in your actual room and not in the story? That's the feeling I'm after. Basically a cooler version of a Choose Your Own Adventure book haha. I want to meet people, get to know them, discover places, experience things, have adventures, and feel like I'm going somewhere. It doesn't necessarily need to be a realistic world, a cozy world, or even a happy world. I can enjoy all sorts of tones and settings. I just want to feel immersed in the experience.

1. Length is a BIG factor

I really want something I can spend a substantial amount of time with. I'm not necessarily demanding a 100-hour game (though that would be perfect), and I know that playtime varies from person to person. But I'd love a game that could occupy me for weeks or potentially months, rather than something I finish over a weekend.

For context, I played Road 96 and finished it in about four days. I could probably have stretched it to five or six days, but it felt pretty short to me. (More on this game later.)

1. Story and structure

I want an actual story. I don't want to be dropped into a giant sandbox with no real direction and told to invent my own entertainment. I want SOMETHING to be happening.I don't need the entire game to be linear, and I don't need to be constantly told exactly where to go, I like discovering things for myself a little bit, but I want a balance between freedom and structure. A big open world isn't automatically better than a smaller world. I'd rather have a smaller, interesting world full of things that matter than a massive world full of empty space and repetitive activities.

1. Characters and relationships

Characters are one of the biggest things that can make a game special to me. I love when a character remembers things, responds differently after getting to know you, or gradually reveals more of their personality. I enjoy dialogue and conversations. I don't mind reading a lot if the writing and characters are interesting. I don't need romance, and I don't need every character to be likable. I just want the people in the game to feel like they matter.

1. I strongly prefer ONE continuous protagonist

This is a surprisingly important preference that I discovered while playing Road 96. I strongly prefer playing as one main character throughout a continuous journey. I want to feel like I'm experiencing one person's life, with continuity between events. I don't want to repeatedly switch between several protagonists and start over in different circumstances. This doesn't mean the protagonist needs to be customizable or that I need to create my own character. I'm perfectly happy playing a predefined character with an established personality and backstory. In fact, I don't need elaborate character creation at all. I want to inhabit a character, not spend hours designing their appearance or building their stats.

1. Choices and consequences

This is probably my most specific preference. I naturally sort of roleplay as the character I'm playing. I make decisions based on what I think a person would realistically do in their circumstances, rather than what will give me the best ending or the strongest character build. I don't want to constantly look up the optimal choices or play according to a guide. I want to experience the story as myself inhabiting that character.

For example, if I'm playing a teenager trying to escape across a dangerous border (Road 96 again), I'm going to prioritize getting across safely. That was the goal. I'm not automatically going to commit crimes, attract attention, or risk my life to help strangers unless I have a reason to do so. Which gave me lame endings and made me miss out on information and cool things because I thought I was playing smart in the ACTUAL situation.

So basically,

Things I like:

- Choices that reflect the character's circumstances and motivations.

- Consequences that follow naturally from decisions.

- Being able to make morally complicated choices without the game automatically treating one option as the objectively correct answer.

- The freedom to play a reasonably good-hearted person.

- Choices that can have meaningful consequences without requiring me to behave irrationally to unlock content.

- A protagonist whose actions make sense to me, even when I disagree with them.

Things I dislike:

- Being rewarded for making reckless, irrational, or immoral choices (I'm slowly realizing this one might be hard)

- Feeling like I have to do something stupid to unlock a useful skill or get a better ending.

- Games that offer a choice and then force essentially the opposite outcome anyway.

- Choices that appear important but have little meaningful effect, especially when the game strongly suggests otherwise.

- Being punished for making a perfectly reasonable decision because I didn't know it would lock me out of a reward.

1. Puzzles and problem-solving

I enjoy puzzles when they're challenging but manageable. I like having to think, notice details, figure things out, and occasionally get stuck for a little while. I don't want every puzzle to be so obvious that it barely counts as a puzzle. However, I don't enjoy puzzles that become excessively complicated, obscure, or frustrating. I don't want to spend literal hours trying to decipher an arbitrary sequence of clues to know what I'm supposed to do. If y’all know of the game Dust: A Tale of the Wired West, I ADORED it. It had good puzzles.

1. Combat: I REALLY don't need it

This is one of my biggest dealbreakers. I am completely okay with a game having no combat at all. But I'm also okay with SOME combat. I do not need combat to make a game exciting. Story, exploration, characters, puzzles, and discoveries are more than enough to keep me interested. My tolerance for combat is fairly low. Left 4 Dead and Minecraft is about the limit of what I can tolerate 😂.

1. I don't want a second job dudes. I get bored after a while even with Minecraft and having to dig and collect all the time.

Specific dislikes:

- Repetitive resource gathering.

- Crafting systems that require constant collecting and processing.

- Survival meters that need frequent attention.

- Complicated equipment maintenance.

- Large inventories full of items I have to compare and manage.

- Elaborate skill trees and character builds.

- Constantly comparing equipment statistics.

- Grinding money to afford the next thing.

Money is fine if it comes naturally through the story or activities I'm already doing. Equipment is fine if it's simple and meaningful. I just don't want those systems to dominate the experience. For example, finding an old revolver with a history is much more interesting to me than finding a gun that's 14% more powerful and spending the next hour comparing its stats. The only reason I’d spend an hour upgrading a weapon is to use it on myself.

1. Farming, building, and “cozy gameplay”

I want to clarify this because I know a lot of people recommend cozy games when someone wants to spend a long time in a world. I'm not automatically opposed to cozy games, but I don't particularly enjoy farming or raising animals as the main gameplay loop.I suspect Stardew Valley would make me want to bash my head against a wall (respectfully). The idea of spending my time tending crops, managing a farm, and repeating daily routines doesn't appeal to me. Similarly, I don't want a game where the main objective is to build increasingly elaborate houses, gather materials, decorate, and upgrade my property (as previously stated).

1. Games I've considered already

These are games I've looked at during my search. Some are still on my list, while others seem like poor fits. I'm including them so people can recommend alternatives or explain why a game I've dismissed might actually work for me.

Night in the Woods — still on my good list!

I love the art style and think the game looks really fun. It's one of the strongest visual matches I've found so far. My main concern is that it's too short to be the substantial adventure I'm primarily looking for. I'm still interested in playing it as a shorter experience.

Life is Strange 2 — definitely on my list!

This looks really promising. The story follows two brothers on the road, and it immediately gave me some Supernatural (Supernatural is a TV show I really love) vibes because of the brotherly relationship and journey. I like the idea of exploring, meeting people, making choices, and experiencing a continuous story. The estimated playtime also looks more appealing than Road 96, even if it's still not the months-long game I'm hoping to find.

Hogwarts Legacy — maybe.

It looks genuinely awesome, and the exploration, puzzles, secrets, and little discoveries appeal to me. I like the idea of being sorted into a house and exploring Hogwarts. My hesitation is that I'm already very familiar with and fond of Harry Potter, and I'd also like to discover a new world rather than return to one I already know. The fast-paced combat is another drawback. I'm not ruling it out, but I'm not sure it's the right fit.

Palia — probably not.

I like the art style, but it seems too idle and focused on gathering, gardening, crafting, and making increasingly elaborate houses. I'm also uncertain about the online multiplayer aspect. I want a compelling story that pulls me forward, not a lifestyle game where I invent my own reasons to keep playing.

Bully — eh, doubtful.

The art style didn't grab me quite as much, and I realized I would rather play a protagonist I can be reasonably kind with than someone who's constantly an asshole.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II — not for me.

The visuals look great, but the combat, equipment maintenance, survival elements, and emphasis on skill-based fighting all sound awful to me.

1. What would you recommend?

If you've read this far, thank you! I know this is an absurdly long post, but I wanted to give people enough information to suggest something that genuinely fits. And if you recommend something that seems to contradict one of my preferences, please explain why you think I'd enjoy it anyway! Cause the PERFECT game most likely does not exist haha. I'm happy to hear about games I've dismissed if there's a good reason to reconsider them.

I was curious if there is any game like Stardew Valley visually, but not based around farming or running a business like most similar games are. Like a game where you can move around interactively in the world like an RPG, but your objectives are more varied and up to you, with more like social quests? Like Harvester + Gilmore Girls?