• Flower

I originally played this when it was released on the PS3, and it still remains one of my favorite games for de-stressing. There are no puzzles to complete or enemies to fight, and you don’t need any kind of gaming skills to enjoy the experience. You are just a petal flowing in the wind spreading flowers. While that may sound incredibly boring to some, just give it a try. The beautiful landscapes that you travel through and heart-touching soundtrack will melt all of your worries away.

• Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns

Developer: Marvelous
Price: $27.99 +
Platforms: 3DS
Estimated Playthrough: 150+ hours

I hope that you still have your 3DS handy, because now is the time to break it out. Story of Seasons is the spiritual successor to the Harvest Moon franchise, aka the best farming simulator series ever. Once again, this kind of game may sound boring, but you won’t be saying that once the addiction sets in. Date, plant crops, raise animals, build, design, forage, craft, I could go on. In Trio of Towns, you are able to visit a lush tropical town, a western desert town, and a peaceful oriental town. With so many activities and places to visit, you may forget why you were stressed in the first place.

• Sky: Children of the Light

Developer: thatgamecompany
Price: Free+
Platforms: iPhone; Coming to Android, Mac, PC, Switch
Estimated Playthrough: 5+ hours

If you notice, I have two games on my list from developer thatgamecompany. They are truly masters of stress-relief. However, there are more game mechanics in Sky: Children of Light. You have the mission of saving the stars, and can do it along with people all over the world. Other players can be seen in real-time throughout and you are able to hold their hands and…fly! The amazing floating mechanics from Flower are here, and soaring through tall clouds and over fields of flowers is surreal. The soundtrack makes you feel like you are at home in the sky, like a carefree bird.

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Developer: Nintendo
Price: $59.99
Platforms: Switch
Estimated Playthrough: Infinite

I have only had New Horizons for about a week, and it is easily one of my favorite games of all time now. It also helps that it is great at relieving stress. You can chat with neighbors, go on a fishing trip, tend to your garden or redecorate. The simplicity of it all is very calming. If you get bored creating your own little adventures, you always have collections and missions to complete. If nothing else, do yourself a favor and at least go listen to a New Horizons playlist on YouTube.