While some games are popular for their fast-paced, adrenaline-filled, exhilarating play, others are known for the exact opposite. Some games are popular for their success in getting the player to zone out and relax. Not all of these games look like a meditation breathing exercise though, in fact, many games are about taking in new environments or losing yourself in a simple task.
Either way, virtual reality has opened up whole new worlds of experiences for the competitive and casual gamer alike. Whether it's out of the gamer's normal scope of play or not, VR games can offer something for everybody, and taking the relaxing route might just be the best way to have a fun time.
10 Minecraft
Minecraft is the epitome of what a sandbox game is defined by — a free to explore world that the player conquers at their own pace that they may sink an abundance of time into without even knowing it. Now, the time has finally come where the player can almost literally step into the Minecraft world that everyone has grown to love so dearly.
There is something that feels so brand new about being able to walk through the pixelized world in the headset, experiencing it exactly the way Steve would. Even before this level of involvement, players could immerse themselves in this world of infinite possibility, chopping away, building endlessly, and watching the sunrise and set for hours on end in the most cathartic of ways.
9 Deisim
Deisim is a classic top-down God game where the player creates, and destroys, from an unknown point in the sky. An absolute sandbox game, players can expect their plan for "a quick 30-minute game" to turn into a quick just-a-few-more-hours game before they know it.
The world is created from a blank slate and can be grown to full beautiful civilizations with glorious achievements...and can be torn to the grown within mere moments, should the player deem it so. How will the player bring the population out of the stone age? How will they deal with heresy? Only the player may decide the fates of all!
8 Tetris Effect
Captivating gamer's attention and hours since the '80s, Tetris is still as addictive in the 2020s as it was 40 years ago. Now with VR brought into the picture, the player can lose all sense of the physical world surrounding them and get lost in the giant Tetris map before them.
The atmosphere is dark with splashes of bright light as the player succeeds, and the music is easily vibed too which honestly seems to enhance the player's abilities. Thanks to the frame rate being so low for VR headsets, the response is almost real-time in a way that classic Tetris has yet been able to achieve.
7 OrbusVR: Reborn
OrbusVR: Reborn has something to offer any player from fighting to resting, minigames to exploring. Pick up a bow and bring the fight to the baddies, or sit for a spell with a fishing pole to see what may be biting that day.
This game has heavy regard to community play and playing with friends can be the element that tips a simply "relaxing time" to a different type of "fun time." Till the land, brew potions, or just sit around town listening to stories in between fighting spells, whatever the day demands!
6 Gadgeteer
For the tinkerer in everyone, Gadgeteer allows players to endlessly do just that, in the safety of the VR world that won't cause real messes or breaks. What more could a gamer ask for?
After becoming mesmerized by smaller projects, eventually, players will find themselves hours in, creating massive interconnecting works of art. Not the creative type but still want to experience the fun? No problem. There is a library of player-built creations that are sure to keep the viewer occupied for hours. More so than building, this game is about experiencing, free of worry and failure. Now that's something to invest in.
5 Fujii
Fujii is truly an art experience, both through the sounds and visuals, both of which are qued by the player throughout their experience. Restore nature, build a garden, cultivate critters, and aid your mental health along the way.
In this serene journey, the player is mother nature in an intoxicating monochromatic world. The connection between the player, their movements, the hepatic feedback, music, and visuals crafts a perfectly full and rich experience for gamers of any skill or interest level.
4 No Man's Sky
No Man's Sky had a rough launch but has come a very long way since then. After taking (a lot of and sometimes aggressive) player feedback into consideration, the devs continued to work on the game until it was right. Now, with the inclusion of a VR option, players can fully submerge themselves in the world as they have always wanted.
No Man's Sky has been frequently compared to Minecraft with its elements of building, developing, and surviving as well as its incredible sandbox aspect, but in space and with much more of a story. If you were a gamer who passed up on NMS initially due to the negative feedback, there is truly never a better time to experience the fully fleshed out and endless worlds the universe has to offer.
3 Job Simulator
Job Simulator may seem like the worst idea on the surface, but once the player puts on the VR headset and steps into the simulation, they realize how free they can truly be. Sure, gamers can take the traditional route and copy their paperwork, click away on their computers, and the like, or, they can throw a stapler at their boss, eat food from the trash, break their office equipment and role-play the way their daydreams demand.
In a world where robots have taken all the jobs, players can step into a simulation to remember what "jobbing" was like. How each player chooses to handle it is of their own calling.
2 Journey Of The Gods
As a Zelda-reminiscent fighter, Journey of the Gods takes the player through a transition from small-time hero to God-tier savior. Fight against the forces of evil and darkness falling upon the land as the power of the Gods becomes known, effectively upping the ante.
This game is praised for never being repetitive and becoming more and more open the further along the player makes it in the questline. By the end of the game, the experience will have completely opened up leaving the player feeling more powerful than ever. Even without overcoming darkness, simply walking around in this beautifully crafted world is a mental treat.
1 Ghost Giant
An absolutely charming game, Ghost Giant is about the player being, well, a giant ghost, that can only be seen by a little boy. But thankfully, the player is a good ghost/giant who is there to lend the boy and his town a helping hand. A God game of the purest kind, the player has the privilege of a near-fourth wall break where the boy addresses you directly as his friend.
Experience the quaint town and a heartfelt story in a way that has never been done before; perhaps even learning something about courage and friendship along the way.