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Question about whether a farming game can actually be too relaxing

I had a talk with my nephew last weekend that totally flipped my thinking. He's 14 and super into fast paced action games, and he said he tried Stardew Valley but got bored because "nothing bad ever happens." At first I laughed it off, but then I realized he kind of has a point. Like, the whole point of these games is low stakes, but maybe we go too far sometimes? I've been playing this one farming sim for 6 months now and I literally have never failed a task or lost a crop to anything. It hit me that maybe a tiny bit of risk or tension would actually make the relaxing moments feel more earned. Has anyone else felt like some cozy games are almost TOO safe to the point where there's no real sense of accomplishment?

3 comments

3 Comments

harperg7610d ago

Think about what "earning" relaxation actually looks like in a game though. Does failing a harvest a few times give you the same cozy feeling when everything goes right, or does it just make you annoyed? I wonder if part of the appeal IS the complete lack of consequence, since so many other parts of life are full of pressure.

miles_young5910d ago

Yeah the "earning" part totally kills the vibe for me too, I just want to chill and dig without thinking about consequences.

the_grace10d agoMost Upvoted

Nah, failing a harvest just makes me wanna try harder and actually feeling that relief when it works is way better than coasting lol.