by Shameera Nair Lin
Video games are a great way to unwind and experience places, people and settings without leaving the comfort of your living room. Since the rise of video gaming in the 1970s, video games have become a way of bonding with friends and family, just as much as they have become a way to enjoy time alone. Today, we will be looking at a few relaxing games to spend the evening with!
1. Euro Truck Simulator 2 & American Truck Simulator
You might be wondering: why? However, both Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator are some of the best-selling games on the market right now! Over the last two years, with the closure of international borders, it has become increasingly harder to travel around (and we do not encourage active travel). If you are someone who’s spent a lot of this year wishing you could take that trip to the Balkans, it’s time to get Euro Truck Simulator 2. Playing the role of a truck driver, you make trips and drive your truck around the region. The roads and settings offer a highly accurate simulation of the real experience of driving around. And if you find yourself wishing you’d taken a road trip around the West Coast of the United States, American Truck Simulator will let you do just that. Both games allow you to listen to real radio stations from regions you are driving past, offering a perfect way to take a break throughout the day.
Available on: PC, Mac
2. Firewatch
Set in Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming, this first-person walking simulator will lead you down a journey of exploration as you make decisions and interact with objects that will shape the outcome of the game.
Available on: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Switch, PC, Mac
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda is arguably the most popular video game franchise of all time. Taking a turn from other Zelda games, however, Breath of the Wild is a sprawling, open world adventure that allows you to set your own objectives while enjoying the intensely beautiful graphics offered.
Available on: Wii U, Switch
4. Friday Night Funkin’
For fans of Guitar Hero and rhythm games, this is the one! Featuring an entirely original song catalogue, this arcade-style game pares down gaming to its basics and is open-source, making it free for everyone.
Available on: PC, Mac
Bonus tip: Emulation!
Feeling a bit more adventurous? If you find yourself with a bit of time, try setting up video game console emulation on your computer or Android phone (iOS users: there are ways to set up emulation on your phone too, but it will involve an internet search)! It is a simple process, one that will allow you to experience consoles across gaming generations and revive memories or create new ones. Think the SNES, PS2 and even the Nintendo Switch! This writer has a special place in their heart for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, a 16-bit console released in 1988.
Suggested ways to begin: RetroArch, Dolphin, OpenEmu, PCSX2 and CEMU.
