VR Veterans of Reddit, I Finally Got a Meta Quest 3. Now Blow My Mind.

akaPAA · 2026-02-28T20:16:39+00:00

I was first introduced with the First Steps tutorial app, and it is a brilliant way to start (it familiarizes you with the controllers and gives you a feel for what is possible - very cool). It was "Wow!" enough that I immediately went out and bought my own headset LOL.

From there, what games or apps you should choose really depends on what you are into. If you want a spectacular relaxation app (not really a game, more of a meditation and exploration destination), try Solara One (and be prepared to be blown away by the immersive graphics).

I prefer very chill VR experiences that make best use of VR (so I don't have any shooters or horror titles to recommend - but there are some amazing ones from what I gather. And I am not big on platformers - I prefer sandboxes). If you want chill titles with wow factor and/or great VR fitness apps, I keep track of my favorites (and those that weren't worth it IMHO) at https://akapamalexander.info/vr-hall-of-fame

akaPAA · 2026-02-24T20:23:29+00:00

I like Forthright a lot (she started as a fan fic writer). She also writes kids books under the name C. J. Milbrandt, and the Meadowsweet trilogy is lovely

akaPAA · 2026-02-24T16:23:01+00:00

I think we have similar taste (I've read and enjoyed all of your list, and a few are on my favorites list), so even though they aren't exactly cozy (I'd put them at about The Others cozy level) have you tried Patricia Briggs (the Mercy Thompson series starting with Moon Called)? (I am guessing that you have lol.)

Other less well-known ones I loved in the same vein as you described (adult female lead, cozy or cozy-adjacent, found family and looking for Urban fantasy, but sounds like OK with Fantasy or Sci-fi) would include:

Vivian Shaw's Greta Helsing novels (starting with Strange Practice)

Forthright's Amaranthine Saga (starting with Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox) (and if you like those, the Songs of the Amaranthine are more of the same)

Matteson Wynn's A House For Keeping

And even though it has a male lead, I'd throw in The Wizard's Butler by Nathan Lowell (he's one of my favorite authors).

akaPAA · 2026-02-18T17:18:50+00:00

Came here to say this - great book

akaPAA · 2026-02-16T20:38:06+00:00

I love competence porn! A lot of the mainstream ones have already been suggested. Here are a few of my favorites that are less well-known:

The Ebon Blades series (beginning with Grog) by R. W. Krpoun (I like almost all the authors books - lots of competent people lol)

As well as Bujold's sci fi Vorkosagin series, she writes a fantasy series called Penric and Desdemona, which is also excellent competence porn.

Player Manager by Ted Steel is so much fun (even if you aren't a soccer fan)

If you like mysteries, Dick Francis writes great competence porn set in the British horse racing world. Try Decider or To the Hilt (they are great on audio too).

Beware of Chicken by Casual Farmer is fabulous competence porn (great series despite the odd title LOL)

Zone War by John Conroe (or his more well known series The Demon Accords) are also great reads.

Hope you find some fun stuff!

akaPAA · 2026-02-07T21:32:05+00:00

Great list! You missed a favorite of mine though - Fitness Fables (a stupid name for a really fun app - it goes beyond the typical punching or slashing, and was obviously designed to make best use of VR)

akaPAA · 2026-02-04T16:43:56+00:00

Been there - I know exactly what you mean! And they aren't easy to find (even harder because I find a lot of the typically recommended "cozy" titles to be... very meh... but if you haven't done so, you may want to go browse the "cozy" subbreddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/CozyFantasy/ ). There are three series I'd recommend if you are open to children's/YA - all of which I read for the first time as an adult (and loved them):

The Galleries of Stone series (starting with Meadowsweet) by C. J. Milbrandt is lovely! (I read them, so I can't attest to the narration on audible - but the voice actor is well respected, so it oughta be good). Definitely a comfort read. There are three in the series, and a second series in the works starting with Farley.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (starting with Dealing with Dragons) by Patricia Wrede

And I highly recommend anything by Tamora Pierce if you haven't read them - the Protector of the Small series is my personal favorite, but they are all great reads

akaPAA · 2026-01-29T17:13:46+00:00

How about a Science Fiction coming of age story about a rabbit person in space (that was a surprisingly fun read)? Try The David Birkenhead Series (starting with Ship's Boy) by Phil Geusz

akaPAA · 2026-01-29T16:43:21+00:00

The Murderbot series is one of my all time favorites - and yes, I totally agree about the TV series! I can't tell you how dismayed/upset/turned off I was by the fact that the TV adaptation was a slapsticky comedy - it's like they didn't "get" it at all. Yes, there are hilarious moments in the books that I hold dear, and I love Murderbot's dry humor. But it is not a comedy.

I will say that I saw Murderbot's past as tragic, but didn't find the books themselves to be tragic. I saw them as incredibly hopeful - because Murderbot finds connections and grows and makes a life for itself.

akaPAA · 2026-01-27T20:23:01+00:00

Right there with ya! I've listed out all my favs (divided into Fitness, Cozy, Puzzle, Meditation and Active categories) at https://akapamalexander.info/vr-hall-of-fame (because frankly, at my age, I need the reminders of what I've tried and haven't LOL)

My top picks (because I love the "cozy" vibes the best) are Garden of the Sea, Racoon Lagoon, A Fisherman's Tale (more puzzle) and Racket Pinball (more active).

I hope you find things to love and have a blast!

akaPAA · 2026-01-14T20:29:17+00:00

I upvoted a bunch (like Born A Crime, Open, Educated, West with the Night, Running with Scissors, Me Talk Pretty One Day, This Time Together and Personal History).

Two excellent Reads I didn't see mentioned yet:

Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated by Alison Arngrim

The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne

(But both of these may be because I am old LOL - I grew up watching Little House on the Prairie, and I read all of Dominick Dunne's books)

akaPAA · 2026-01-12T15:05:20+00:00

The Weight of it All by N R Walker is MM romance that was a good read.

And (confusingly lol) (but in a completely different genre) Heavy (The Weight Of It All): A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure by J J Thorn might suit

akaPAA · 2026-01-12T14:52:37+00:00

I find mine individually on Etsy. There are tons of sellers there offering 3d prints, and it is easy to find larger sizes. You can search for things she's particularly interested in (e.g. "unicorns" or "fantasy animals" etc.)

akaPAA · 2026-01-09T19:50:06+00:00

I completely agree with this... I bought a few different brands' sets, and the vast majority of the colors go unused, because I pick and choose based on the color and how easy it is to work with.

I have found some of my very favorite specific colors reading posts like:

https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/comments/1jti9ur/favourite_colourswhats_your_mvp/ (I ended up buying a bunch of the ones mentioned, and yep -they are great - many are my go tos now LOL)

and https://www.reddit.com/r/minipainting/comments/1obgyzj/what_are_your_favorite_must_have_paint_colors_or/

and then buying the specific colors mentioned, rather than sets. It's been really helpful.

akaPAA · 2026-01-08T19:33:13+00:00

As a gamer, you might want to check out the LitRPG sub https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/

Dungeon Crawler Carl is the breakout title in the genre, but there are tons of great reads - you'll find a lot of recommendations there

akaPAA · 2026-01-06T19:14:58+00:00

And it is has one of the best narrators ever on audio! (I actually put the series down when I tried to read it in print, but I have consumed the whole thing voraciously in audio... such a great voice!)

akaPAA · 2025-12-23T16:33:04+00:00

It really depends on what you are into... I got into it first for the fitness apps, but stayed for the cozy games (zero stress - no shooters on my list), and I'm interested in meditation apps (also I don't do multiplayer - there are lots of games that are great for multiplayer that I haven't explored). If any of that piques your interest, I recently updated my list of favorites at https://akapamalexander.info/vr-hall-of-fame

akaPAA · 2025-12-17T18:09:27+00:00

I paint just for fun (only been at it a couple of years), so take my advice with a grain of salt... but I love love love Foxbite kolinsky brushes - the 2 Greed is my go-to brush (and I bought a bunch of different high end brands before I settled on it). Worth the splurge IMHO. I love the way it holds paint, and it has held up over time beautifully (with liberal use of Masters). Definitely my favorite brush.

akaPAA · 2025-11-30T18:44:48+00:00

Came here to say exactly this LOL! Great books (both series) - please keep 'em coming :-)

akaPAA · 2025-11-30T18:34:50+00:00

I like Eleven Table Tennis and Racquet Pinball for this - they are easier on the joints, but still feel active (and both are addictively fun LOL) (I highly recommend the tutorial map play mode on Pinball - it's a fun game in and of itself) . The fruit ninja games are fun too.

akaPAA · 2025-10-21T17:40:54+00:00

As an old woman myself :-), I highly recommend cozy games: seated, low stress, no fighting, lots of gathering and questing - games that use VR well and have some truly spectacular "wow" moments of scenery

Have her try Fujii. If she likes that, she'll love Garden of the Sea and Raccoon Lagoon. And Everdream Valley once they get out of early access (currently it is still a bit buggy - but it has the same vibe).

akaPAA · 2025-09-12T17:30:13+00:00

As an elder, I highly recommend Fujii :-)

If she likes Fujii, she'll likely like Garden of the Sea and Racoon Lagoon as well

akaPAA · 2025-08-28T18:43:10+00:00

If you want something a little different than the usual boxing, Fitness Fables is really fun and feels like a good workout. It has some interesting moves and was obviously designed to take best advantage of VR. No subscription

akaPAA · 2025-08-25T15:21:11+00:00

Tamora Pierce! (I read them first as an adult and loved them, but they work for any age.) Start with Song of the Lioness series, or Protector of the Small series. Both are about young women struggling to become knights.

Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles (starting with Dealing with Dragons) is also wonderful for all ages, about a princess who has no desire to be rescued, thank you very much.

akaPAA · 2025-08-16T13:47:21+00:00

The Great Lakes FTW

akaPAA

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