As a busy mother, a few minutes of peace can be hard to come by. From dropping the kids off at school and preparing dinner, to managing your own career on top of everything else, things can be pretty full on.
Of course, when you do finally get some time to yourself, the question is what to do. You could read or watch one of your favorite shows, but have you ever considered playing a game? Games can be a relaxing way to switch off, and there are so many different types of solo games across separate genres that there will most certainly be something for you.
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In this article, you’ll discover 10 of the best options!
- Stardew Valley
At its core, Stardew Valley is a farming simulator. Your character inherits a farm and must slowly build it up into a fully functional plot, but the biggest element of the game is actually the characters you meet along the way.
The game has a brilliant cast, and while there’s no voice acting, you’ll build relationships and friendships that you genuinely care about.
The game can be played on a variety of different platforms, from mobile to PC, so give it a try!
- Digital Pool
Pool is a pleasant, meditative game in its traditional physical version, but a digital pool game brings a different spin.
With the video game version of pool, all the same strategy applies, except the main focus is perfecting your angles from a bird’s-eye view to construct your shot with more precision. This actually has a great carryover to real-life pool, too, as it teaches you how to line everything up and why certain shots produce the results they do.
- Minecraft
Minecraft isn’t only for kids – the game has a ton of depth to it, and adults all over the world enjoy its calming, relaxing atmosphere.
The beauty of Minecraft is that there are many different ways to play it: you could go for the core survival experience of gathering materials, crafting, and building a progressively impressive shelter, or you could hop straight into creative mode for free rein of the game’s tools to build whatever you like with unlimited resources.
- Sudoku
Sudoku is a great option if you’re looking for something that’ll give your mind a workout. The aim of the game is to fill a 9×9 grid of squares with the numbers 1 through 9 in the correct order: each number can only appear once within a respective 3×3 box.
The game might seem a little difficult at first, but you’ll soon get the hang of things, and once you do, you’ll likely find you won’t be able to pull yourself away!
- Townscaper
Unlike other complex city-building games like Sim City, Townscaper focuses purely on the aesthetics and atmosphere.
The game places you on a simple grid where you click to build houses, towers, pathways, and other infrastructure, giving you the tools to mold the place to your liking any which way you want.
It’s got an addictive rhythm to it that you’re sure to fall for, and you can play the game on Mac, Windows, and Nintendo Switch.
- Jigsaw Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles may be one of the simplest games on this list, but don’t underestimate them. Working on a jigsaw can be a thoroughly soothing experience, and there are positively hundreds available at varying levels of complexity to choose from.
There are also plenty of digital options available if you don’t fancy the hassle of setting up a real one, so take a look online to see what’s around.
- Wordscapes
If you love doing word searches and crossword puzzles, Wordscapes is most definitely for you. This mobile game mixes the two concepts together to make for a fresh take on these classic types of games, and the whole thing is accompanied by stunning natural backdrops.
It’s a great one to go for if you find yourself with only a few minutes to spare, as each game doesn’t take very long, and you’re not under any sort of time limit that might make you feel stressed. The game has been designed from the ground up to be a calming, mindful experience, so check it out if you’re in the mood for that!
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
If you have a Nintendo Switch, you should most definitely check out Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game became incredibly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, and with good reason: it provided people with solace at a time when stress and anxiety were high for everyone, and it enabled people to switch off from what was going on around them for hours at a time.
While you might not have hours to spare, Animal Crossing is a life simulator: you can put in as little or as much time as you want to building relationships with the townsfolk, decking out your house, and terraforming the land.
- No Man’s Sky
For when you have a little more time on your hands, No Man’s Sky is a superb choice. The game was one of the first to take the concept of procedural generation and bring it to the masses: that is to say, the game generates thousands of explorable worlds, each one having a different biome, flora, fauna, terrain, and secrets to discover.
It’s all about delving into the vastness of space. You can truly travel for miles in your spacecraft gathering resources and taking on new challenges, and given the solitary nature of it all and how beautiful the scenery is, it’s a great one for plugging in your headphones with your favorite music, and letting the time melt away.
- Chess
And finally, there’s one of the most popular strategy games of all time, Chess. Chess is, of course, traditionally played with a friend, but there are dozens of free online versions you can play online which either pair you with an AI opponent or another player from across the world.
Chess is a slow, pensive game – great for when you want to switch off and engage your mind in something thoughtful for half an hour or so.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it: 10 great games you could try out when you finally get that moment’s peace you deserve. There are many others beyond those that feature in this list, of course, so keep your eyes peeled on gaming news websites for information on extra games you might enjoy. Have fun!
