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Video and online games have been on the receiving end of much criticism, but they can actually be good for you. Even video games of decades ago were regarded as addictive and therefore sap people of the time, attention, and sometimes even money that could be used for more important concerns. While this might be true in some cases, there are studies that show that relaxing online games are actually helpful in de-stressing as well as learning and developing certain skills.
A number of psychologists and mental health experts have delved into the way computer games affect people who play them. What these studies revealed is that these games offer positive effects in both children and adults alike. Although, experts are quick to note that, like everything else, playing these games should not be carried to the extremes. When used as ‘therapy’ for stress and strain recovery, for instance, these games have been found to be effective in reducing stress and easing fatigue. Even those with violent content (for adults) were helpful in stress reduction.
In the past couple of years, people have taken to gaming for entertainment and stress relief in the midst of lockdowns and pandemic restrictions. The video game industry in the US alone reported earnings of over a hundred billion dollars in 2020. But, there’s no need to be a professional gamer or a ‘marathoner’ blasting through every new release as they are launched. The growing numbers of regular Joes who are just looking for a way to while away a few minutes and de-stress have a whole genre of online games waiting for them to try out and play their stress away.
Relaxing online games from different genres can be played to relax and calm tired minds. A lot of these games are played alone against a computer, although there are some games that offer options to play against other players. Regardless, these low-intensity online games offer players a quick escape from their daily grind and benefit their overall mental health at the same time.
Here are some entertaining and relaxing online games to play to de-stress:
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Solitaire
Solitaire is a classic game that has kept its popularity over the years. It’s simple and it has expanded to an assortment of variations to keep the game interesting and exciting for its players. For some, there’s something quite hypnotic about the way the games are played and how the cards ‘move’ on the table. Klondike is the traditional version of the game and is easy enough to learn and play. Other versions like Spider, Tri-Peaks, and Golf, are more challenging but even beginners can certainly find them enjoyable.
Match 3 Games
These games are easy enough to play as they simply require players to match three ‘items’ in a row to blast them from the screen. Their simplicity ends there are they keep things exciting with varying patterns in each level. Zuma Ball has 10 levels that get more difficult (i.e. the chain of colored balls move faster) with each level up. Zuma Legend has up to 100 levels. Candy House is a match 3 game similar to Candy Crush. The games are made more interesting with special pieces and varying layout designs.
Logic Puzzles
Logic Puzzle games are relaxing even as they stimulate the mind. They are great for keeping the mind sharp and focused. The object of these games is to find logical relationships to solve puzzles. Sudoku is a popular logic puzzle game that’s played online and in real life with pen and paper. To solve each puzzle, the player has to fill in grids with the numbers 1 to 9 without repeating the numbers in a row, in a column, or in each 3×3 grid. Daily 1 to 25 and HexNum are similar to Sudoku where the goal is to place numbers in their correct spaces/arrangement in the provided grids. Loop and Maze are relaxing online games with challenging connect-the-dots puzzles for those who do not like numbers to enjoy.
Hidden Objects Games
For those who are more visual, hidden objects games are a great way to relax and de-stress. Garden Secrets Hidden Objects and The Palace Hotel are traditional games where players have a list of items to look for before their timer runs out. Usually, the timers in these games go shorter as the player levels up. Players also have to complete each level before unlocking the next level.
Word Games
Like Solitaire, a lot of word games have been around for a long time. Crossword puzzles and word search games are fun to play for wordsmiths. There’s also a word version of the popular Sudoku called Wordoku where letters are supposed to be placed on the grids instead of numbers. The finished grid will reveal a word spelled diagonally. For those who like a little bit of a time crunch, Letter Scramble is a fun and entertaining choice.
There’s a lot for everyone to choose from when it comes to video and online games. These games have definitely become the entertainment of choice for many people today. And, that’s not really a bad thing according to psychologists and mental health experts. They are, in fact, some of the best ways to chill out, have fun, and keep the blues away. Go ahead and find free relaxing online games to de-stress and enjoy during your pockets of free time.
