New Study Ranks Animal Crossing: New Horizons As Most Relaxing Game, Surprising No One

I've also found Animal Crossing one of the most stressful games. It's one of the few games you can really 'missing' stuff in as it carries on when you aren't playing.

My vote for the Switch would be for Abzu, but my all-time my relaxing game is Endless Ocean on the Wii

I fell asleep playing animal crossing once, that's how you know it's quarantine! Not a surprising list.

They have obviously not tried to fish for a tuna at the very last day of april.

Pokemon? relaxing? are we talking about the same game? even the easy instalments like X and Y are super stressful to me.

My most relaxing game is Gris.
Most stressful game for me is Dark Souls Remastered. That game literally gave me palpitations, the stakes are high if you die and it demands 100% concentration all the time.

I wouldn’t call Firewatch relaxing, kept me on edge if anything.

I wouldn't call it relaxing because my six year old routinely changes my island's layout.

Slime Rancher definitely deserves to be on this list. You can't not feel relaxed when you're playing it

I would definitely consider Animal Crossing as one of the most relaxing games. I actually totally agree with people saying BOTW is too, I spent hours in that game doing literally nothing and just climbing random stuff.
I spend hours in Sims 4 too, but I actually find Sims kind of stressful... and carpal tunnel inducing.

@Ste Wow, I have actually always wanted to play Endless Ocean! It looked amazing to me as a kid who was obsessed with fish.

@IronMan30 Same. My five-year-old and I just got the terraforming app. Its chaos.

That relaxation slipped away once I realized there can only be one island representative and you can't change it! haha. great game but that part is annoying.

Most relaxing game. Flower on the ps3

Animal Crossing games are certainly quite relaxing after you capture the Bee/Wasp, Tarantula, Scorpion AND the Banded Dragonfly.

I bought two Nintendo 2DS handhelds just for Animal Crossing New Leaf and two towns. I bought a Switch Lite just for AC New Horizons. Love the game.

@ryancraddock Here's another wholesome Animal Crossing story: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/must_see/52503611/coronavirus-virtual-marriage-on-animal-crossing Personally I'm just deeply jealous of that island. I thought I was bossing it putting a fountain outside the townhall. I've got a long way to go!

Abzu and Animal Crossing for sure.

New Horizons is relaxing until you spend 50,000 bells to move a building only to realize that you accidentally planted it one tile off from where you wanted, and then it becomes incredibly stressful.

I think the fact that there isn't anything competitive to this game is what makes it so relaxing, the game is designed to be played at your own pace. It's kinda funny how some people try to be competitive at it though, proves how some people can turn anything into a competition regardless of how non-competitive it is meant to be.

I know I'm in the minority here,
But no Joke, I actually had to stop playing AC:NL because I actually found it to be too stressful.
-That constant overwhelming debt that keeps growing every-time you pay it off.
-The need to 'optimize' and play every day, else you feel like your losing money
-Trying to organize your house the best you can, only to have the Happy home group a only care about arbitrary rules.
-The fact that (if your not creative, like me) the only real thing you can do is earn money to buy more stuff that will just sit around unused.

It's a great game mechanically.
But It's all to much like my real like, I don't need that XD

I can see why some people love the game,
And I really wish I could love it too,

I'd probably like just helping someone work on their island,
But I don't think I could buy the game just for myself, or for just occasional co-op.

@NorseGamerTommy You're right about that! The tuna has been the most elusive fish for me so far. I was searching up until the final few hours.

Yakuza (aka Ryū ga Gotoku) is my favorite stress-relieving game. Beating up thugs and mahjong.

This game is so relaxing, that even the Killager isn't killing anyone.

Animal Crossing was relaxing until I got behind and started experiencing FOMO anxiety. My friends are already terraforming their islands and every time I want to play Animal Crossing I just think about all the bells I have to grind to catch up...

BOTW is immensely relaxing and soothing until I try to raid a high level encampment. The combat is strangely difficult for me, despite growing up with Capcom's action games, and fighting against a group is challenging when enemies don't hold back and attack all at once. More than being just one thing, BOTW contains the entire spectrum of emotions, ranging from melancholy to somber to light-hearted and cheeky, to tense and challenging, all depending on how you choose to play.

@BOBdotEXE I am convinced AC reveals our true selves. I am disorganized in real life. My AC home is the same.

Most relaxing? More like most boring game.. tjats when u kept catching sea bass and black bass

@WreckitRyan i got quite a few tunas while visiting mystery islands. Easier to get at pier on rainy day

It's a good list however GRIS should definitely be on the most relaxing list. Game is a total masterpiece. I connected my soul with the protagonist in that game unlike any other. I was mesmerized by it. If you get a chance to play it, do it alone and with headphones.

I like how BOTW is on the list, but it has one of the most stressful enemies in any game... Have they never heard the battle music before and NOT see an enemy?

To me the most relaxing game I've played is likely Another Code: R, with the prequel being a close second. It's not 100% a chill ride, especially considering that both games end with a gun being pointed but hey. For a truly peaceful game, probably Wii Sports Resort.

The one that's given me the most despair and stress would probably be Panel de pon.

AC would be more relaxing if the same, tedious dialogue stopped. Taking a fossil to the museum is a lesson in frustration.

Outside of that, it’s a joy, especially as it’s my four-year-old daughter’s first game - and we are genuinely having a blast!

@BOBdotEXE I always felt like it was less a debt I owe and more paying for the next upgrade. There’s no interest on it or pressure to pay it off at all. Nook has such a bad rep but I wish my real life mortgage was with him!

If you’re struggling with being creative on your island you should check out some of the stuff people are putting on Twitter and reddit. If nothing else you can just work towards copying the stuff you like : )