August 15 is National Relaxation Day and it’s a good reminder that it is always helpful to take a break and relax. After all, it’s easy to burn out no matter what you’re doing — be it performing a brand new dance or visiting combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants. One of the ways that I (and many others) like to unwind after a long work day is by playing video games.
That said, when I’m trying to relax I don’t want to play a stressful strategy game or a fast-paced shooter. Instead, I want to be immersed in a wonderful world, let go of everything and just go on a wonderful ride. To help you do the same, I’ve compiled 10 of the most relaxing PS4 games.
I hope you enjoyed my list of 10 of the most relaxing PS4 games. All of these games offer up fun, stress-free experiences. That said, these aren’t the only PlayStation 4 games that can be played to unwind, so some relaxing titles didn’t make the final list.
That’s why I want to know what games you like to play to relax. Let me know in the comments below what they are, and how you’ll be spending your National Relaxation Day!
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Relaxing PS4 Games
Most Relaxing PS4 Games
ABZÛ
ABZÛ is the first game from indie developer Giant Squid, and it shows that the studio is one to watch. They've created a gorgeous experience that takes players to the wondrous depths of the sea. It also allows gamers to go at their own pace, and there is even a meditation mode where you can just watch fish swim around the idealized environments.
Entwined
Sony's smallest first-party development studio, PixelOpus, had an impressive debut effort. Their downloadable title, Entwined , was released during E3 and was met with praise by those who jumped in. The gorgeous PS4 game tells a story of a bird and a fish that are in love but must be separated. Players have to control the two souls with each analog stick, and bring them together so their love can blossom.
Flower
ThatGameCompany has put out some visually stunning games, but Flower might just be the most impressive. Players tilt their DualShock 4 controller in order to steer around a singular flower as it brings life back to the environment and turns a withering environment into a thriving one. It's a game players can lose hours to by just exploring its levels.
Grow Home
There are no time limits or lives to worry about in Grow Home . Instead, players just control an adorable robot named BUD and have him climb a beautiful world filled with plants. The lack of direction is refreshing, and it's one of the more open platformers ever released despite its small scale.
Hohokum
Hohokum is a wonderful interactive playground of art. Honeyslug's game doesn't give the player any direction, and instead allows for them to learn for themselves by exploring. Players control a colorful serpent who can interact with objects, and just take in the wild scenes they are in. It's a trippy experience, and one that is perfectly mellow.
Journey
Journey is one heck of a gaming accomplishment. From its inventive use of online cooperative play that creates a bond between players to its minimalist design, everything builds to something that is greater than the sum of its parts. It's also an amazing experience to just take in and enjoy the ride (or the journey — if I was going to be super cheesy).
Minecraft
Minecraft gives players a sandbox and allows them to create their own world. That amount of freedom is staggering, and it's incredible what creative gamers can do with it. Just relax and create whatever you want. There's no restrictions here.
Peggle 2
The most played game on my Xbox One was Peggle 2 . That isn't a dig at the console's game library, just that Peggle 2 is a fantastic game and was one of its best exclusives. Thankfully, Popcap's phenomenal puzzle game is now on PS4, so everyone can enjoy it. It has charming music, a lot of lovable characters and is a relaxing game — well, whenever you don't miss the one final peg you need.
Pure Pool
One of the ways I love to relax in real life is by playing pool with friends. That isn't always possible, though, but thankfully Pure Pool provides a darn good digital alternative. Pool may be competitive, but there isn't anything stressful about playing light-hearted matches with buddies.
Tearaway Unfolded
Poor Tearaway . Media Molecule's best game wasn't able to find much of an audience on Vita, and Tearaway Unfolded didn't fare especially well on PS4 either. Regardless, they've made one of the prettiest and most chill games ever. From creating adorable crowns for a squirrel to wear to playing the role of the Sun, there's all sort of interesting ways to interact with Tearaway 's great world.