"Comfort Food" Games

There are some games I've always found myself gravitating back to or tempted to go back when feeling crummy in some way. They're ones I consider 'comfort food'. It's shifted a bit over the years but ones I've found fall into that are:

Chrono Trigger - doesn't take too long and so familiar and nostalgic. It's like coming home
The Curse of Monkey Island - similar reasons to CT and also funny
Donkey Kong Country - at least before the last two groups of levels that are evil. I used to dread Snow Barrel Blast then I grew to love it and used it as stress relief breaks between homework during college
Trails in the Sky - okay that's a long haul comfort food but I find Sky in particular to be very cozy and just comfortable to play

What are some of your comfort food games?

The first one I think about insinctively would be Super Mario Bros. 3. I was 7-8 years old when it came out and it totally crafted the gamer that I am today. I will sometimes randomly load it up and go through the first world just for fun.

The first one I think about insinctively would be Super Mario Bros. 3. I was 7-8 years old when it came out and it totally crafted the gamer that I am today. I will sometimes randomly load it up and go through the first world just for fun.

That's kinda how I am DKC. I've only finished it once and did so as an adult, but ever since I was a kid it's always been one I just dip into now and then to play some levels and enjoy that great David Wise music.

I kinda suck at Mario but Mario Bros 3 is fun. One I occasionally dip into and fail at for a bit and move on but it's fun

The first one I think about insinctively would be Super Mario Bros. 3. I was 7-8 years old when it came out and it totally crafted the gamer that I am today. I will sometimes randomly load it up and go through the first world just for fun.

I was 7-8 years old when it came out

Were you 7-8 years old when it came out, or when you first played it?

I was 7-8 years old when it came out

Were you 7-8 years old when it came out, or when you first played it?

Both, I guess. My dad imported a Famicom back in the day, which was my first "real" home console. Then he managed to get us SMB3 one full year before the Canadian release. I was VERY popular in school because everybody wanted to see the game since no one else had it. The game came out in Japan in October 88 and I probably got it a few months later. So yeah, probably got the game and first played it in early 89, so I was 8 years old then.

I was 7-8 years old when it came out

Were you 7-8 years old when it came out, or when you first played it?

Quit checking his math! 😜

I don't really turn to any games as "comfort food" but there are a few special ones that I turn to for nostalgic purposes, like the aforementioned Donkey Kong County. Yoshi's Island is another one I like to revisit.

Both, I guess. My dad imported a Famicom back in the day, which was my first "real" home console. Then he managed to get us SMB3 one full year before the Canadian release. I was VERY popular in school because everybody wanted to see the game since no one else had it. The game came out in Japan in October 88 and I probably got it a few months later. So yeah, probably got the game and first played it in early 89, so I was 8 years old then.

I considered this answer but found it unlikely XD Neat to know.

I considered this answer but found it unlikely XD Neat to know.

It was wierd since many people would get those adapters to use Japanese games in North American NES consoles, but for us it was the opposite, we needed an adapter to run NA games on our Famicom, which was a top loader. So the cartridge was really high and "wobbely".

I still have my Japanese CIB SMB3 game by the way...

Diablo III!

I played Fate obsessively when I was a little kid, so games of that genre are some of my favorites. It's so easy to just get lost in the gameplay loop for a couple of hours without having to worry too much about the story. Putting Diablo III on the Switch was a stroke of genius.

For real, Diablo III is the most therapeutic game I've ever played.

Hmm... from time to time I end up going back to play these games, not necessarily because I'm feeling upset or something, but because they are an important part of my life, something as if they had somehow contributed to my development as a person:

Pressure Cooker (Atari 2600)

Phantasy Star (Master System)

Streets of Rage 2 (Mega Drive)

Bust a Groove (Playstation)

Wipeout (Playstation)

Day of Defeat Source (PC)

Lately, Hollow Knight has been my go-to comfort game. Getting immersed in the world of Hallownest always feels so healing after a long work week or a terrible depressive episode.

Diablo III!

I played Fate obsessively when I was a little kid, so games of that genre are some of my favorites. It's so easy to just get lost in the gameplay loop for a couple of hours without having to worry too much about the story. Putting Diablo III on the Switch was a stroke of genius.

For real, Diablo III is the most therapeutic game I've ever played.

Oh man hitting the right game play loop is the best. While Diablo isn't really for me, other games can grab me with just the right rhythms in their gameplay loops and what was meant to be a fairly short session... isn't haha.

The only thing that comes to mind is ARAM in League of Legends. I'll occasionally jump into a few games when I want to turn my brain off and listen to some music or a podcast. Knowing that those matches don't have any stakes and everyone is on the same page makes for a chill experience pretty consistently.

Bayonetta or Bayonetta 2 always cheers me up.

The Tiny Bang Story - the music and art are like crack to me - I replay this regularly and love every wonderful second of it
Assault Android Cactus - I've played this shooter so much that it feels natural to me and as soon as I pick up the controller, I know I'm in a comfy spot
Quake (any quake) - similarly, I've played so much Quake since I was younger that it just feels like home...
Doom II - purely because hearing those sound effects and music takes me back to being younger and playing Doom with friends on our fancy new 16-bit Sound Blasters!

For me is Half-Life as a series, especially the two main ones, played those like 20 time each more or less. One time played the first one from the beginning to the end in just one day without it being my original intention, I just liked it that much. Every time I play I discover a new little thing that I dind't saw the other times so it never gets boring.

For me, Breath of the Wild has turned into a comfy game I can always go back to. Since I want to 100% thus second run, I'm never short of things to do. And since we are still cooped up at home, exploring the vast lands of Hyrule and inspecting every nook and cranny in search for those koroks has some kind of soothing effect.

Also, last semester I fired up the game each time I was done with a rather intense week, or after an exam, and stuff like that, and it will probably be that way this semester, and I'm really looking forward to it.

When I'm feeling bad, I tend to end up binge-playing grand strategy games. Games like Europa Universais IV or Civilization.

For me, Breath of the Wild has turned into a comfy game I can always go back to. Since I want to 100% thus second run, I'm never short of things to do. And since we are still cooped up at home, exploring the vast lands of Hyrule and inspecting every nook and cranny in search for those koroks has some kind of soothing effect.

Also, last semester I fired up the game each time I was done with a rather intense week, or after an exam, and stuff like that, and it will probably be that way this semester, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Wandering that world is so good. I spent so much time just exploring and glad to know I have it sitting there to jump back in again whenever I feel like it. There were some sessions I decided to not use fast travel and just pick a direction and go and see what pops up (koroks.) ...also times I did have a goal but got utterly distracted so it turned into another exploration fest instead

Tomb Raider I - Played it so often that it's really easy for me. => Low chance of frustration but lots of nostalgia and good memories.
GTA Vice City - Just take a motorcycle and enjoy driving through the world.

Morrowind or Oblivion... I think I made a promise to eventually use every single possible MOD I could find for these games. I especially love using the castle mods and then stealing everything from everyone and hoarding it in my castle because I am a tyrant like that.

The Disgaea series... because Disgaea. I can play the item worlds for hours.

Quake series/Doom series/Halo series/Half-Life series. I like shooters to begin with, but I very often find myself returning to these franchises.

Both Chrono games (Trigger and Cross). Fun fact, I liked Cross better than Trigger.

Zelda. All of them. Yes.

Early Devil May Cry games. I became addicted to getting S ranks in the first two... and then they added SSS rank for 3 and onward and my life was no longer my own.

Mario Party/Kart if I have someone to play with. Unless you play as Toad, then we are enemies and you must die.

Metroid Prime series. I love all of the Metroid games in general, but the Prime series just in general blew me away.

Guilty Gear Games. Probably my overall "favorite" fighting game series.

There are others I am probably forgetting.

Probably Rock Band 4 mainly. It just nice to hit something to a rhythm and get rewarded for it

Max Payne, F.E.A.R., Resident Evil 3 and Parasite Eve II I believe are the games I feel comfortable with the most, having studied them inside out. Then there's the handful of budget shooters I like kicking back to, nothing really specific though. Most of the Call of Duty campaigns are also great for the occasion and I'm sure there is more, but this is all I can think of for the moment.

Super Mario games (platformers) - 3D Worls is my favorite

Chrono Trigger - I absolutely LOVE going through this game over and over

Souls like games - l love the grinding/farming sessions to upgrade my gears and level up

Ragnarok Online - Everything in this game screams "comfort" to me.

Borderlands for me.