Mastodawn

I have a really tough time trying to find games to play when my fatigue is bad. I do have some very laid back games, but those don't always sate the restlessness I end up feeling.

Here is a list of things preventing me from playing certain games when too fatigued:

- Dizziness/vertigo: I always have this. It becomes harder to manage when I am fatigued.
- Photosensitive head pain: harder to manage as well and always present. Flashy effects hurt.
- Brain fog: games with good stories are not his in these moments since focusing on story becomes very mentally teasing.

I've been playing Palia which is great but it's very laid back and doesn't suit those moments when I want a bit more activity from a game.

I wondered if anyone here had suggestions. Sadly first person games are tough when fatigued as are games with heavy story since it's hard to focus. My reflexes are much slower than usual as well.

I would greatly appreciate suggestions.

#disabledGamers #actuallyAutistic #games #gaming #disability #fatigue

Estel Aug 15, 2023

@ashi any particular genres or favorite games you're looking forsomething like?

Estel Aug 15, 2023

@ashi just going off my own interests, when my brain burns out, more arcade-y or run based games feel better. Something like tetris, or mini metro bit those might be too "slow"

Vampire survivors is very addictive and fun, bit it gets very visually hectic even if the gameplay is simple.

Theres more story in Citizen sleeper, but the rpg mechanics are slower paced

I can also always do another run in hades, but that might be too fast,
or platformers... Try yokos island express maybe?

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@EverBeyondReach Vampire Survivors is fun but all the movement on screen becomes too much for vertigo and some of the flashiness is a bit much when the head pain is high. I do have Citizen Sleeper, but I'd like to play that when I am more clear-headed to enjoy the story.

As far as platformers go, I'm rubbish with shaky hands and slow reflexes when fatigued and it's not a genre I seek very often. I played those a bunch when I was a kid, but not so much as an adult.

Estel Aug 15, 2023

@ashi maybe look at Yoko's anyways, its a cute one that is actually more of a pinball game (pinball metroid, with a cuter aesthetic)

Umarangi generation, a very cool photography game with a lot of subtext, but that you can take slow and steady

Loop hero, which is a run based rpg that plays like a tower defense game

Get in the car loser! A lesbian road trip rpg

Dicey dungeons, a fun rouge like that is turn based...

A Short Hike, for a small adventure game

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@EverBeyondReach Thanks for the suggestions by the way!

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@EverBeyondReach I really enjoy fantasy or scifi games, RPGs, action rpgs, survival (sometimes), life sims and things like that. I''m probably forgetting things but I do have pretty broad tastes.

forestine Aug 15, 2023

@ashi i really like ascii-based games like Nethack for when i'm super overstimulated. it's very low sensory, just text. no sound effects or flashing images, and is turn-based, so i can take as long as i need to. but to be clear, i die a lot in that game and don't ever get very far, but the dungeon resets and i try again

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@forestine Unfortunately Nethack isn't going to work for me. I do like that game even though I haven't played in a while. I have had the itch to be somewhat immersed in something where I can see my character doing ... whatever my character is doing. xD

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@forestine And I really appreciate the recommendation.

forestine Aug 15, 2023

@ashi of course! i hope you find the game of your fatigued dreams

Passenger Aug 15, 2023

If you're okay with violence in games, I find that turn-based games like Slay the Spire, Into the Breach and Fights in Tight Spaces suit this really well. You can take them as fast or as slow as you like and they don't have much story to get in the way of the logical reasoning.

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@passenger I am okay with violence in games (as long as gore isn't absurd). Alas, those types of games don't allow me to feel any sort of immersion so I end up staring blankly and losing focus.

Passenger Aug 15, 2023

Okay, that makes sense. I'll have a think.

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@passenger Thank you as well!

Ambient Sponge Aug 15, 2023

@ashi I'm hooked on Dave the Diver. It's as chill as you want it to be. There's no real pressure to advance the story. You do it when you want (or sometimes even by accident!) There's tons to do. It's the best game I've played in ages.

There's occasional boss fights but they're very fair and I say that as someone who HATES boss fights.

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@retrosponge That seems really cool. Restaurant management might be a struggle with brain fog/mental fatigue, but I'm definitely wishlisting this one.

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@retrosponge Thank you for suggesting that by the way. It seems fun.

Ambient Sponge Aug 15, 2023

@ashi It's the first game I've gotten truly hooked on in a very long time.

Lindsay Makes Videos 💔🩹💖Aug 15, 2023

@ashi I've been playing Palia too. It's been nice to see there's a decent accessibility thread on the Discord for discussing these types of issues. My biggest issue is the lack of minimap.

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@lindsaymakesvideos A minimap would definitely be excellent for Palia.

lachlan slowly taming rust Aug 15, 2023

@ashi How about old school roguelikes? ADOM (maybe in ASCII mode), Brogue, Caves of Qud. The old school ones use minimal graphics, are more systems than story (OK - ADOM and Qud aren't good examples there, but NetHack, Angband etc), and importantly are turn based so you can take as long as you need. Brogue has quite simplified controls for a deep RL too

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@lachlan I can't get the feeling of immersion I want from those types of games. Roguelikes are hard for me to get into as well.

lachlan slowly taming rust Aug 15, 2023

@ashi I love them... but I can completely understand that too. They are very systemsy - a friend described my playing Brogue years back as like playing fancy solitaire, which I kinda get.

lachlan slowly taming rust Aug 15, 2023

@ashi (I mean, I'm the same dork who publicly bemoans that there's been no good Railroad Tycoon 3 successor, and likes 18XX board games, so my tastes might lean a little niche)

ashi Aug 15, 2023

@lachlan There are some great niche games out there and it's a shame they don't get more attention.

Diligent Circle 丸 Aug 16, 2023

@ashi What games to play depends on what you like of course, but the criteria you wrote made me think of Endgame: Singularity, a free text-based strategy game. It's technically real-time, but it gives you full control over the passage of time and it generally pauses itself when stuff happens, so it plays more like a turn-based strategy game. It's about helping a self-aware AI escape Earth before humans find and destroy it. Real fun if you're into that sort of thing.

Lena Falkenhagen Aug 16, 2023

@ashi the wandering village is a city builder on the back of a dinosaur.

You can adjust difficulty according to mental state, and it has a very laid back tempo.

No flashing lights, as far as I remember, and next-to no story besides your own emergent gameplay.

Also, hell of a game!

#TheWanderingVillage #StrayFawnStudio

I would suggest #warframe but it could be a bit to hectic / reflex demanding. Also if you want to get into the end game (after like 80h+), you need to dive deeply into the wiki. Some tips: dont go into railjack but focus more onto the normal starchart.

Other suggestions that come to my mind:

- #stardewvalley relaxing, but you'll propbably find it like #palia to be lacking in activities / a clear "goal" or "next step".

- #minecraft ; pretty much the allrounder. Base is a bit lacking on activities, but if you're dont mind to dive into mods & modpacks you'll pretty much can get every combination of realaxing / demanding gameplay you want.

- #terraria and or #starbound ; both incredibly packed games which a ton to discover and to do. terraria tho is a bit more of a wiki game than starbound. With mods you also can tweak quite a lot (atleast in terraria).

- #factorio relaxing (espc if you play it on easy / no attacks from enemies), but you can sink literally thounds of ours. There is always something to be done. If you like the genre but not so the artstyle, maybe #Satisfactory is more youre style.

- kingdom: classic / kingdom: new lands ; a uniqe strategy game thats challenging sometimes.

- for shooters I quite enjoied #thedivision (not 2; havent really played that one). Either you do the story and have a lot to do, or you simply walk through the city, discover places and lore items / collectibles. Only after the story ends its pretty empty imo.

for more jump'n run based gameplay:
- #iconoclasts a good story that's not too deep or complicated. more of a metroidvania style game.

- #lunistice a little indie game thats made in the form of older sonic games

the rpg side:
- #catquest , a little cute game with a very simple story but you have always something to do imo. Sadly it's a bit short. Theres also #catquest2 with co-op but haven't tested that one.

Hope there's something in the list that might interests you. :3

I can talk more about the one I listed if you want some more infos and might have some more but dont wanna overwhelm you x3333

arcaynia Aug 16, 2023

@ashi
At the moment I 'm playing Sun Haven, which is a farming Sim, with a little bit of fighting and mining. I can still play this, when I feel very fatigued and tired. Or while I can't concentrate on too complex stories or don't want too hectic interactions.

However the story and quests are still very rich, yet the game doesn't force you to do quests or deal with game characters. You can just farm, fight and mine on your own while making some progress.

The production and farming can be a bit overwhelming sometimes. But there are some great quality of life mods, which make managing ingredients a lot easier.

If farming games are not your deal, I would suggest turn based games, which don't get too complex. For example: Crown Trick - turn based roguelike, Coromon - RPG maker game, with turn based fights in Pokemon style, Darkest Dungeon - dungeon crawler with crew management, Octopath Traveller - RPG maker game, with turn based group fights

Rim World can be pretty laid back in the early stages as well. It's a community management sim, where you can create your own story. There is a very active community of modders. You can customize the game the way you like it.

If you are looking for something in 3D, I think No Man's Sky can be pretty chill. There are different game modes, if you don't want to care much about survival. And you can stay away from fights, if that's too much action while you're feeling tired.
There are some flashy effects in that game though. However you can adjust the game to avoid most of them, in the settings or by using graphic mods. To reduce the overall saturation or the glowing effect of laser beams for example.

Topaz, fluffy yip

@ashi Edge is a wonderful platformer, though it has some (not overwhelming to us) rainbow flashy effects. I /think/ you can turn some of those off, though.

It's isometric so hopefully wouldn't give you dizziness.