College life can be tough, stressful and sometimes just not fun. I am personally one of those people that likes to chill in their room and play video games when I’m bored or stressed. I find that it helps me wind down and relax. I have a few friends who were interested in playing games, maybe for the first time or with me or another friend. So here I compiled some of my top favorite games that I play to help me relax, as well as a fun fact to go with each.
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Chrono Trigger. I figured I would start off strong. This has been argued to be the best role playing game (RPG) ever made so far. This game, though it has fights and boss battles, has amazing storylines and a beautiful soundtrack. You play as Crono, traveling through time with your six other companions, to save the world from being destroyed. This game is relaxing, from the beautiful music and sound effects as well as from the many different personalities of each character you meet. Though it can be on a tiny screen, it is extremely immersive. My fun fact for this game is that this was the first game I ever played. I was so little that my mom would sit with my brother and I while we played and read the dialogue to us.
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The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. This game is a blast from the past for my brother and I. The game was for the Gamecube, and followed Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy’s journey through the wardrobe to the land of Narnia. The graphics aren’t particularly good as it was made so long ago, but they use the music from the films. If you liked the movies or books, you will like this game. Fun fact, my brother and I currently hold the world record for beating this game as a co-op playthrough. Here is the link to the YouTube stream we did: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6dNzW6kKPk
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Harvest Moon DS Cute. If you are looking for a way to relax without any violence, this game is perfect. The Harvest Moon series is very large with many different games. In this one you start off as a little farmer who has a mission to find and rescue all of the Harvest Sprites through your hardwork and prospering farm. You get to interact and build friendships with all of the townsfolk, as well as woo and marry a bachelor. There are quite a few to choose from with many fun activities to do during your game year. Fun fact: This was the only one Harvest Moon game you could play as a girl, up until recently.
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Pokémon. I’m sure you have heard of Pokémon, between Pokémon Go! and the numerous other games out there in the world. Before you turn your nose up to it, let me tell you why I think it is such a great and relaxing game. There are many things that you can do in Pokémon, such as beat all of the most powerful Pokémon trainers (Gym Leaders and Kahunas) or record data on every single Pokémon in the entire game (complete the Pokédex). My favorite part of the game is training each and every Pokémon and bonding with them. They are all so cute with their own quirks and appeals. There is no rush in the game, so you can go at your own pace and do whatever you want in the world. You can play alone or with other people, which is very cool. My fun fact for this game series is that it was always a Christmas tradition that my brother and I would buy each other the newest game for Christmas and open them together on Christmas Eve, which we still do to this day.
Art Academy. This game is extremely relaxing and a great way to spend your free time. The music is beautiful and soothing. This game is less of a video game and more of a way to electronically create art. You can choose from different mediums, from sketching to painting. Create pieces based on the tutorials and “missions” the game gives you or you can download a picture onto your device to create. This is a very different style of game and a lot of fun if you like doing art. Fun fact about this game is that I was addicted for at least a full year. That was the only thing I would do and I made sure to show everyone my little art pieces.