It’s official: reading week is over, and it’s time to fight to maintain the good habits I had time to settle into over the break. Having a couple of days off from work and school renewed my energy. I had better sleep, was more active, and I ate better. While these improvements were great, they wouldn’t have been possible without a rest day, which was ultimately the best day of my week. I had an opportunity to relax guilt-free and reset, and I took it, spending the day in and out of cat naps, eating comfort food, and doing feel-good things. Sometimes when I have a lazy day like this or I’m homesick, I like to seek the comforting nostalgia of a simple computer game and try to find one that fits well with my lazy-day mandate. Games don’t need to be a challenge to be enjoyable, and I find some simple ones surprisingly relaxing while still being entertaining. Here’s a list of a few easily accessible games that will be a fun mental break for your next day off or for a moment of peace and distraction on a hectic day.
Casanova
This adorable side-scrolling game has you playing a little giraffe whose neck you extend by clicking your mouse or tapping on your phone. You walk past a line of giraffes marching the opposite direction as you and stretch your neck to meet them for a kiss whenever you pass! Sweet and simple, try to see how many points you can rack up as you repeat timed rounds. It’s free on desktop and $0.99 on the apple store (does not appear to be available for android).
Link: http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/g3/casanova.htm
Little Alchemy (1 & 2)
Little Alchemy is available on apple and android mobile devices as well as a desktop and serves as an intriguing, easy time killer. You begin with the four basic elements, fire, earth, water, and air, and make different combinations to create more items and materials. As you gain more items, they get more diverse and open more possible combinations, pulling you along the path of creation.
Link: http://littlealchemy.com/ + the app store
Silk: Interactive Generative Art
Silk is less of a game and more of a calming, visual experience. Simply click and drag to brush neon wisps across a black background, using varying options for mirroring and rotational symmetry. To the point, this is a visually satisfying time-killer, perfect for when you’re in the Netflix rabbit hole on your day off and want something simple to busy your hands.
Link: http://weavesilk.com/
Slime Laboratory
Play as a cute ball of slime that needs to change sizes as it makes its escape from the laboratory where it was created. This is an easy-going platform game with a satisfying retro look and serves as a calming distraction when you need a moment to reset. It’s a free online game you can find on multiple websites, and it requires a laptop/computer to play.
Link: Website of your choice (miniclip, coolmathgames, etc.)
Flower
This is the only game on the list that needs to be purchased to be played, and it runs from $4.99 on the Apple store to $7.99 for PC on Steam and is also available on PS4. In this game, you control the wind in order to collect petals from the flowers dispersed throughout a dying field to bring life back to the environment. Each flower emits a sound when you pass it, creating a chiming cascade when you flow through them smoothly. Every petal you collect carries with you, culminating to a visually stunning whirlwind of colour that soothes and inspires. This game is a favourite of mine, and I needed to include it for anyone else who might want to get sucked into it as well.