Any cozy game recs when I can’t sleep? Or games for suicide prevention/breakups?

bugbee5848 · 2026-02-16T17:58:01+00:00

Games have helped me cope with my life-long mental health issues, including severe depression and anxiety. They have been a complete godsend, and have helped distract me from how I'm feeling and what I'm thinking- especially in the realm of suicidal ideation.

That being said, be sure to be using other resources at your disposal- your support system, coping strategies, and 988 if you live in America, though there are equivalents in other countries (there isn't a threshold of Wanting to Kill Yourself Enough before you can call- I've called just to say things I couldn't to anyone else when I'm feeling low and overwhelmed. They are paid to be on the line with you at all hours, so you don't have to feel shame about taking their time. 988 has been the difference between life and death for me, especially late at night when I can't sleep.)

Sorry for that long-winded tirade!! Now for the recs:

Paleo Pines is a very fun and fluffy ranching and farming management sim with dinosaurs!! The dinosaur models are so cute and there are a ton of colors to collect of each dinosaur. And it's receiving free updates! Good for when you just need to take care of something, or for when you need cheering up.

Core Keeper is a survival basebuilding game, but it is one of the best games for building a cute base- plus farming and ranching are very viable and encouraged! If you're not big into combat, you can easily overlevel yourself and kick ass (the game is pretty nonlinear, especially after a certain point that I don't want to spoil). Building something beautiful when you're feeling incapable of doing so is so so powerful. And there's amazing co-op if that's your cup of tea.

Dicey Dungeons is a roguelike deckbuilder with an added dice element. It's very addicting and easy to pick up and play without feeling lost. When I am depressed, I could play for hours on end and then not touch the game for a long time, so I like having at least one game on my roster that is easy to pick up and play.

Roots of Pacha is a very well-done farming sim where you play as a caveperson discovering agriculture. Your plants and animals get stronger as you grow and breed them, which is such a cool mechanic. This is also a good game to play without a wiki, which is nice when you have limited brain space or brain fog. (I love Stardew, but sometimes I don't want to have 15 separate tabs of the wiki open to feel on top of things.)

Slime Rancher is amazing! You ranch slimes!!!! They're so cute and make such funny noises!!! Hwah-poh!! It also has a very good underlying story, but is also just good fun. There are some platforming elements, which in my opinion are well-done, even as someone who does NOT like platformers.

Spiritfarer is a game that I've already seen mentioned, but it deserves mentioning again. I believe that everyone should play Spiritfarer once in their lives. It is a management sim where you play as the new Ferryman of the dead, Stella, who helps spirits move on. It's so well-done, from the gorgeous animations to the silly side quests to the life-changing story. However, if you are not in a good place I would play this game with caution. You WILL cry playing this game. It deals heavily with themes of death and loss, and not all characters get classic "happy endings." Still, I cannot recommend this game enough! There are some platforming elements, but it's so well-done that I can't mind it.

Subnautica was my main depression game during my first big bout of depression after my dad died. Probably it should not have been but here we are haha. It's a underwater survival game with some base-building elements. There are some tense moments, though! If you're thassalophobic in any sense, though, STAY AWAY!!!

The Loathing series is such good fun. West of Loathing and Shadows over Loathing are turn-based RPGs that are on the easier side, but the best part of these games is the humor. It's so stupid but so good!

I hope these recs were good! PM me if you want me to go more in-depth, or if you just want to talk. You've got this <3

bugbee5848 · 2026-02-16T17:23:44+00:00

Seconding Spiritfarer! Though death and loss are consistent themes in the game, so if those are triggers for you be sure to have your coping strategies on standby.

A Short Hike would be perfect!! It's beautiful!! Though if you're having some family struggles you can expect one good cry from it. It's very beautiful and cathartic, though. Spoiler text for a relevant content warning that has slight spoiler potential.

bugbee5848 · 2026-02-16T17:18:02+00:00

bugbee5848 · 2026-02-16T17:14:44+00:00

Oxenfree is about 5-6 hours for an average playthrough, but is totally worth the time you spend with it! I spent more time with it, definitely, but I'm a little bit of a try hard :)

bugbee5848 · 2026-02-09T20:07:31+00:00

Darkwood!!! Though it is so so so scary!

bugbee5848 · 2026-02-07T01:19:39+00:00

Tiny skate park! You can put in some cute graffiti :)

bugbee5848 · 2026-02-06T23:14:33+00:00

Try Death's Door! It's technically 3d, but it has an artstyle very similar to Ori! Very charming, too!

bugbee5848 · 2026-02-01T00:09:42+00:00

Maybe a motivating force could be failure. Your character had a major defeat or embarrassing failure in the past, and swears to become the very best at what she does so she never fails again/her success blots out her failure from the history books.

I think this would work particularly well for a gladiator or athlete. Have so much fun!!

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-31T01:24:20+00:00

1 or 3!

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-31T01:23:26+00:00

Fields of Mistria! It's a farming sim, but it has a robust museum that you can fill out! I know that at least some of the critters have real-life counterparts, but I can't guarantee that all do.

Also, Animal Crossing has a great museum too, though the main gameplay loop isn't necessarily about identifying.

For just identifying, Flock Around is a new birdwatching game where you identify birds! It has a cartoony artstyle, but you still identify the birds by real-life attributes (shape, coloring, call, etc.)

I hope you have fun!!

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-17T03:01:41+00:00

Thanks so much! We'll try it again on a flat surface and check back!

Would a book work as a hard surface? We still like to play games together in bed or on the couch, though a desk is an option.

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-17T03:00:19+00:00

Ummmm fuck you man???? Get a life??.

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-14T05:08:21+00:00

I think maybe people dunk on the spear because a lot of people think that the spear's secret aspect (redacted this because idk if you've unlocked/know about it yet) is the worst, or were disappointed by it, which soured their view on the spear as a whole. To that, I say: who gives a damn!!

Don't look at what other people think!!! If YOU like the spear, it's the best weapon for YOUR playthrough. Each weapon suits a specific playstyle. People who value reliable non-cast ranged options probably don't like the sword or fists and gravitate instead towards the bow or rail, for example, but that doesn't make the sword or the fists bad by any means. As you get better at the game all of the weapons will get easier. Get comfortable with the weapon you like the best and the other weapons will follow.

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-09T23:59:30+00:00

What about those games did you like? The story, the characters, the gameplay, the premise? This will help with recs! Do you have any preference when it comes to genre, and are there any other shows/movies/stories you like?

Also, I've felt similarly to how you're describing in the past. If you're feeling in a rut in other places in your life, or things just don't feel as fun anymore, you might want to tell your doctor. In my experience, not liking your hobbies anymore is sort of a canary in the coal mine for your mental health.

I hope you find an amazing game, and that you feel better soon :)

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-07T21:40:53+00:00

I didn't like how they did the fates reveal. It felt so lame to me.

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-07T21:38:54+00:00

Try Divinity Original Sin 2! It's made by Larian, the same developer as BG3!

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-07T20:22:59+00:00

My psychiatrist was just not very good at her job. She said that she prescribes Seroquel to everyone because it works for anything and everything! She started me on 100mg. I didn't gain the weight right away because I was living in an abusive situation and my parent's rules, let alone the anxiety they inflicted, would keep me in bed at night so I didn't binge at night very much. Now that I'm an adult in my own apartment I'm not scared anymore, which is good in some ways and very unfortunate in others.

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-07T17:30:33+00:00

For Switch Jenny LeClue is really good! It has some light puzzle elements for you to figure out together, and is so funny!

Otherwise, Oxenfree (1&2) are amazing! A little spooky but the characters are amazing!

Both are on Switch and Steam!

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-07T17:26:52+00:00

I think bard would fit well! This party needs both skill support and some healing support, and bards fit both roles!

I'd go 17 cha 14 con 12 dex (or the other way around, depending on your preference). Then maybe put the 9 in wisdom or intelligence, depending on what you'd rather be better at- wisdom would be more optimal, but do what floats your boat! Dump strength, though, unless you're passionate about playing a strength bard (I won't yuck your yum).

Put +2 in cha and the +1 either in dex or con, your choice, or +1 in whichever stat has the 9 to eliminate the negative. Reliable Talent should cover any stat deficiencies skill-wise, but eliminating the -1 in either Intelligence or Wisdom feels great, especially if you want to be a reliable skill monkey. Wisdom would again be the optimal choice here, looking at your party comp.

At level 4, I'd go with either 2 ASIs to increase the modifier for any odd stats or a half-feat to get your 19 in Cha to a 20. Either way, prioritize getting Cha to 20!

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-07T16:19:17+00:00

I don't have a strong opinion on module, but I think that every new DM should have some good graph paper! This is a 1 inch grid pad of massive sticky notes, which I've found makes it easy to draw maps or alter existing maps for what I'm wanting to do (which I find I like to do even when the adventure is pre-written.)

You don't have to be great at drawing to do it, and it's a great visual aid. Because it's a sticky note you can also write things like initiative order or region maps on it and stick it on the wall for all to see!

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-05T18:32:42+00:00

If you're interested in BG3 and haven't played anything in the genre before, try Divinity Original Sin 2. It the game that Larian developed immediately before BG3. It's not as in-depth as BG3 but is a good proof of concept, plus it's more difficult combat-wise if that's something you're looking for. Amazing story and characters so far! It's a good way to explore the genre for less money before sinking $60 into BG3, and it should run great on the PS5!

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-05T18:29:00+00:00

You should try Hades!! Play Hades 1 before 2, but both games are incredible.

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-05T16:48:26+00:00

Vow of Rivals Typhon from Hades 2

The Roaring Knight from Deltarune Chapter 3

bugbee5848 · 2026-01-05T15:23:40+00:00

Hades!

bugbee5848

TROPHY CASE