In praise of games that ask nothing of you

There's a quiet counter-movement to the always-escalating, always-demanding mobile game, and I'm fully on board with it. Cosy games — farming sims, gentle adventures — are built to lower your heart rate, not raise it.

Harvest Hollow is my current go-to. There's no fail state worth worrying about, just a rhythm of planting, tending and chatting. The pleasure is in the routine, and in slowly getting to know a town full of small stories.

Hollowroot Journey works differently but hits the same note. No combat, no timers, just wandering a painted valley and solving the occasional soft puzzle. I played it in one calm evening and felt genuinely better afterwards.

If your days are busy, don't underestimate how valuable this kind of game is. Not everything needs to be a challenge. Sometimes you just want somewhere pleasant to be for twenty minutes, and these deliver exactly that.