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Feel-good gamepad single-player games

dock

dock

Game Designer
Verified
Nov 5, 2017
1,366
I'm feeling worn down by the week and I'm in dire need of a new happy and fun and satisfying game. A game with no annoying sticking points that I can play while half asleep.

Some previous feel-good games:

• Katamari Demacy
• Mario Odyssey
• Monster Boy (although the bosses kinda spoiled it)
• Astro Bot Rescue Mission, if I can deal with the hassle of VR

I was hoping Donut County would be this, but the writing didn't click and the levels felt too simple.

What are your recommendations for single player feel good fun stuff? Short is good. Any platform is okay, so long as it works well with gamepad and a sleepy player.

Edit: I tried playing more Diablo 3 last night but the combat felt like a mess and there was a bit too much inventory hassle.
 
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Deleted member 2620

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,491
astro booooot

astro_bot_rescue_missk4kp6.png


sorry, i know being VR it isn't inherently compatible with "half asleep" but it's just so consistently cute and feel-good

edit: i am a fool
 
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OP
OP
dock

dock

Game Designer
Verified
Nov 5, 2017
1,366
Silky said:
Rez Infinite
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I have been playing Rez since Dreamcast but I'm really quite bad at it. I find it pretty punishing if you are not paying full attention, and these days I only play in VR.

Rhythm games are probably not the best option for me.
 
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dock

dock

Game Designer
Verified
Nov 5, 2017
1,366
I enjoyed Tearaway on the Vita. How different in the PS4 version?

Servbot24 said:
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
Yoku's Island Express
Rayman Origins / Legends
Mega Man 11
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Some nice suggestions!

I made the mistake of playing DKCTP co-op on Wii U, and I honestly feel like the levels in that game are overly optimised for speed running. If you want to play slowly or explore the levels the game becomes so much harder. I also hated having to manage the lives or balloons or whatever in the mini-map. IIRC there was some horrible grind for coins to buy items.

Yoku's Island was delightful but my entire time playing was me being completely stuck and unable to navigate around the map. Even the fast travel didn't help, and I often simply couldn't find my way to the next location because it has so many one-way gates and weird pinball branching. I probably can't return to this unless they add some sort of satnav! D:

Rayman was okay on PS3/Wii U.

Mega Man 11... I found myself dying lots in the demo even on easy. :(
 
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dock

dock

Game Designer
Verified
Nov 5, 2017
1,366
OmegaX said:
Oxenfree.
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Oh yeah. Biggest problem with this is that I can't play voice acting driven games while my girlfriend is reading books, which is 90% of my gaming time. I bought it at launch but ducked out. Maybe I should try again with headphones, and a guide probably.
 
OmegaX

OmegaX

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,118
dock said:
Oh yeah. Biggest problem with this is that I can't play voice acting driven games while my girlfriend is reading books, which is 90% of my gaming time. I bought it at launch but ducked out. Maybe I should try again with headphones, and a guide probably.
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Just be warned that the Switch version has horrible loading times, unfortunately. It's still perfectly playable and playing with headphones would help immersion.
I doubt you would need a guide. The game is super easy.
 
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dock

dock

Game Designer
Verified
Nov 5, 2017
1,366
Devil said:
Yoshi's Woolly World.
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Woolly World is an amazing game! My favourite Yoshi game by far. No screaming babies, for starters! I played through the whole game in co-op with my partner. Maybe I should dust off the Wii U and get some more collectables.

I'm hyped for the new Yoshi game!!
 
Acquiescence

Acquiescence

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
10,257
Lake Titicaca
tumblr_o278b6gFNz1ramnmyo1_400.gif


Yo dawg, give Gravity Rush a try. The traversal and kicking soundtrack will put a big smile on your face, plus it has gaming's most joyful and optimistic protagonist to brighten your darkest of days.
 
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dock

dock

Game Designer
Verified
Nov 5, 2017
1,366
Acquiescence said:
Yo dawg, give Gravity Rush a try. The traversal and kicking soundtrack will put a big smile on your face, plus it has gaming's most joyful and optimistic protagonist to brighten your darkest of days.
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Ahh I loved my 6 or so hours with Gravity Rush but I hated the combat, and it kept on piling on more combat. I eventually got bored and stopped.
 
storaføtter

storaføtter

Member
Oct 26, 2017
952
Id recommend the recently released Pikuniku. Pretty charming, fun puzzle platformer with a great sense of humour. Quirky game that is relaxing to play. Got it free through twitch, but available on switch too (cost 10-15 dollars I think).

Edit* I was wrong about platforms. Also maybe more correct to call it a puzzle exploration game than puzzle platformer.
 
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haveheart

haveheart

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,076
storaføtter said:
Id recommend the recently released Pikuniku. Pretty charming, fun puzzle platformer with a great sense of humour. Quirky game that is relaxing to play. Got it free through twitch, but should be available on most platforms (cost 10-15 dollars I think).
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Oh man, I want to play this so badly but I just not on PC. This looks like the perfect couch game. Hope it gets a PS4 release soon.

This isn't coop only, right?
 
theaface

theaface

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,149
A Boy and His Blob
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Mario + Rabbids
Guacamelee and Guacamelee 2
Rayman Legends
The LEGO games

I'd also add Celeste as a surprise outlier - the challenging gameplay and excellent writing come together to make something that feels extremely rewarding.
 
Teeth

Teeth

Member
Nov 4, 2017
3,932
I feel like a lot of modern open world games fit decently into this category. Just wander around, thump some bad guys, check some boxes, fill some meters, gain some XP. Put on a podcast and drift away. Hunt some robots in Horizon, clear out some camps in Assassin's Creed, complete some MGS5 side missions, clear out some Far Cry outposts. That sort of thing.

But usually I only feel that way once I'm 10 hours in and have a good grasp of the overall mechanics.

Otherwise, it's just playing though something I know like the back of my hand for the umpteenth time, like Super Mario World or Contra 3.
 
storaføtter

storaføtter

Member
Oct 26, 2017
952
haveheart said:
Oh man, I want to play this so badly but I just not on PC. This looks like the perfect couch game. Hope it gets a PS4 release soon.

This isn't coop only, right?
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I havent even tried the coop yet. So it is not coop only.
Sorry, I thought it was released on more than Switch and PC.
 
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dock

dock

Game Designer
Verified
Nov 5, 2017
1,366
Teeth said:
I feel like a lot of modern open world games fit decently into this category. Just wander around, thump some bad guys, check some boxes, fill some meters, gain some XP. Put on a podcast and drift away. Hunt some robots in Horizon, clear out some camps in Assassin's Creed, complete some MGS5 side missions, clear out some Far Cry outposts. That sort of thing.
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I think you're right once you get past the first 10 hours or so. I've never been able to enjoy any of the Ubisoft games and Horizon's battles seem too much like real soldier stuff (lots of HUD going on). I loved MGS5 so much though, and BotW is probably my favourite game ever. I just wish I could Fulton animals in Hyrule.
 
CaptainUnderpants

CaptainUnderpants

Member
Oct 25, 2017
853
For me, the best stress relief games are always Musou games. You run around like a madman literally sweeping away everyone and anyone who gets in your path. Feels amazing to clean up the battlefield.

Dynasty Warriors 8 XL and Samurai Warriors 4 are my recommendations.
 
Teeth

Teeth

Member
Nov 4, 2017
3,932
dock said:
I think you're right once you get past the first 10 hours or so. I've never been able to enjoy any of the Ubisoft games and Horizon's battles seem too much like real soldier stuff (lots of HUD going on). I loved MGS5 so much though, and BotW is probably my favourite game ever. I just wish I could Fulton animals in Hyrule.
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Crackdown? Grab some agility orbs. It's still free if you have an Xbox.
 
Servbot24

Servbot24

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
43,052
If you have access, play Mega Man Legends 1 and 2. Two of the most charming games ever.
 
silentrob32

silentrob32

Member
Nov 1, 2017
76
dock said:
Which recent Lego games have decent single player? They always seem mostly designed around co-op.
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Personally I really like Lego City Undercover, I feel it was more made with single player in mind and just like GTA you can go off the beaten path if you get bored of missions and soak up some collectibles. You can normally pick it up pretty cheap as well, which is always a bonus.
 
Devil

Devil

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,653
dock said:
Woolly World is an amazing game! My favourite Yoshi game by far. No screaming babies, for starters! I played through the whole game in co-op with my partner. Maybe I should dust off the Wii U and get some more collectables.

I'm hyped for the new Yoshi game!!
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I agree. The new Yoshi is also the first Switch game my wife is excited for because we can complete it together just like Woolly World.

And I also tried to be clever because the game was literally developed by "Good-Feel", lol.
 
JustaBigOleGoof

JustaBigOleGoof

Member
Dec 31, 2018
313
dock said:
I'm feeling worn down by the week and I'm in dire need of a new happy and fun and satisfying game. A game with no annoying sticking points that I can play while half asleep.

Some previous feel-good games:

• Katamari Demacy
• Mario Odyssey
• Monster Boy (although the bosses kinda spoiled it)
• Astro Bot Rescue Mission, if I can deal with the hassle of VR

I was hoping Donut County would be this, but the writing didn't click and the levels felt too simple.

What are your recommendations for single player feel good fun stuff? Short is good. Any platform is okay, so long as it works well with gamepad and a sleepy player.

Edit: I tried playing more Diablo 3 last night but the combat felt like a mess and there was a bit too much inventory hassle.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
You could try Fe. Its can be kind of glitchy and confusing, but the atmosphere and soundtrack are perfect for if you're half asleep.
 
ghibli99

ghibli99

Member
Oct 27, 2017
17,689
I'm quite enjoying Wandersong as a game I like to play before going to bed. Some puzzle/platform/timing elements, but the characters, look, and writing are so charming that I can't help but smile while playing it. Some serious, relatable issues get touched on too. Pretty long as well; I was expecting it to just be a few hours, but it's gone on for a while now.
 
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