PC Games for the Perpetually Dizzy
April 13, 2020 4:51 PM Subscribe
Wow, there have been a lot of "what game should I play now that coronavirus..." questions here lately. Here's another one. Help me game too!
I have been dealing with bouts of vertigo for most of my adult life. I get visual migraines easily and nothing - NOTHING - makes it worse than watching chaotic graphics on a screen. I listen to movies more than I watch them. Anything with shaky-cam will make me nauseated. I watched a friend play Katamari Damacy for about three minutes before I had to lay down on her living room floor and nearly threw up. It's frustrating but it's easy to manage: I just don't watch stuff that makes me dizzy.
So for those reasons I'm REALLY picky about games. Any game with first person perspective/over the shoulder/most 3-D is out. Anything that has shifting perspectives is out. Anything with wild graphics is out. I can handle birds-eye perspective so long as it's not constantly shifting, and of course most 2-D stuff is fine. Despite wanting simpler graphics, I'm interested in playing games that have some depth. I like dungeon crawlers and I enjoy rpg/sim style games. Abstract is okay but I'm getting antsy for something I can really dig into.
I loved Stardew Valley. It's easy on the eyes, it's got depth, it's got the dungeon-crawler aspect. I've played it through several times (and modded it to death) so I'm done with it for now. I enjoyed Terraria but wished that there was more interaction with the NPCs or at least more of a story. I enjoyed Moonlighter but it ended too abruptly. I wouldn't mind more Moonlighter. Cattails is fine visually but the gameplay is too dull. I loved SimCity and the Sims back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and I like games that are machine/world-builders but I still like to have a story. My favorite game ever was the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I will probably take a week off of work to play Witchbrook when it is released.
So...is there anything out there that meets my picky criteria?
* 2-D/Bird's Eye/side-scroller perspective
* Non-chaotic colors and graphics. I cannot stress enough how three minutes of Katamari Damacy nearly ended me.
* Made for adults: I want visually clean and simple, not something that was made to entertain children. I love cute stuff - really - but most Cute Animal games don't really appeal to me.
* I guess I'll say "brighter side of life" topics? I keep seeing Graveyard Keeper pop up as an option, but the subject matter sounds a bit bleak for these Plague-y times. Maybe up to a 7 on a scale in which The Sound of Music is a 1 and Cormac McCarthy's the Road is a 10. Anyone who has Graveyard Keeper experience want to chime in on what it's really like?
* Although I LOVED Stardew Valley, it was the story/characters/dungeon-crawling/visual calmness that I liked...I really didn't care much about farming. Whenever I search for "Games Like Stardew Valley" I get a bunch of farming games. They're okay...but not what I'm looking for.
* Strategy games are okaaayyy (like Civilization etc) but they've got to be light-ish. I hate getting bogged down in having to care for dozens of things. Too much like real life.
* PC only (I guess I still have my Super Nintendo too...)
* Available on Steam preferred
Help me, Metafilter. There has to be something out there for me.
I have been dealing with bouts of vertigo for most of my adult life. I get visual migraines easily and nothing - NOTHING - makes it worse than watching chaotic graphics on a screen. I listen to movies more than I watch them. Anything with shaky-cam will make me nauseated. I watched a friend play Katamari Damacy for about three minutes before I had to lay down on her living room floor and nearly threw up. It's frustrating but it's easy to manage: I just don't watch stuff that makes me dizzy.
So for those reasons I'm REALLY picky about games. Any game with first person perspective/over the shoulder/most 3-D is out. Anything that has shifting perspectives is out. Anything with wild graphics is out. I can handle birds-eye perspective so long as it's not constantly shifting, and of course most 2-D stuff is fine. Despite wanting simpler graphics, I'm interested in playing games that have some depth. I like dungeon crawlers and I enjoy rpg/sim style games. Abstract is okay but I'm getting antsy for something I can really dig into.
I loved Stardew Valley. It's easy on the eyes, it's got depth, it's got the dungeon-crawler aspect. I've played it through several times (and modded it to death) so I'm done with it for now. I enjoyed Terraria but wished that there was more interaction with the NPCs or at least more of a story. I enjoyed Moonlighter but it ended too abruptly. I wouldn't mind more Moonlighter. Cattails is fine visually but the gameplay is too dull. I loved SimCity and the Sims back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and I like games that are machine/world-builders but I still like to have a story. My favorite game ever was the Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. I will probably take a week off of work to play Witchbrook when it is released.
So...is there anything out there that meets my picky criteria?
* 2-D/Bird's Eye/side-scroller perspective
* Non-chaotic colors and graphics. I cannot stress enough how three minutes of Katamari Damacy nearly ended me.
* Made for adults: I want visually clean and simple, not something that was made to entertain children. I love cute stuff - really - but most Cute Animal games don't really appeal to me.
* I guess I'll say "brighter side of life" topics? I keep seeing Graveyard Keeper pop up as an option, but the subject matter sounds a bit bleak for these Plague-y times. Maybe up to a 7 on a scale in which The Sound of Music is a 1 and Cormac McCarthy's the Road is a 10. Anyone who has Graveyard Keeper experience want to chime in on what it's really like?
* Although I LOVED Stardew Valley, it was the story/characters/dungeon-crawling/visual calmness that I liked...I really didn't care much about farming. Whenever I search for "Games Like Stardew Valley" I get a bunch of farming games. They're okay...but not what I'm looking for.
* Strategy games are okaaayyy (like Civilization etc) but they've got to be light-ish. I hate getting bogged down in having to care for dozens of things. Too much like real life.
* PC only (I guess I still have my Super Nintendo too...)
* Available on Steam preferred
Help me, Metafilter. There has to be something out there for me.
Untitled Goose Game feels like it hits most of your requests.
posted by ladyriffraff at 5:26 PM on April 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by ladyriffraff at 5:26 PM on April 13, 2020 [3 favorites]
I'm big on puzzle games so these might be too puzzly for you, but I liked them a lot, maybe you will too:
Bridge Constructor Portal
FAR: Lone Sails
Opus Magnum
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 5:39 PM on April 13, 2020
Bridge Constructor Portal
FAR: Lone Sails
Opus Magnum
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 5:39 PM on April 13, 2020
I have the same kinds of issues with video games/movies - vertigo, afterimages, ocular migraines. Here are some that have worked for me, and that I think would also fit all your criteria:
* I think a good 50% of my comments in any given video game rec thread is recommending Ori and the Blind Forest - and now the sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisp. These are visually stunning and complex platformers with an uplifting, sweet story and never give me any visual issues or dizziness.
* Limbo is a super fun puzzle/platform game with super simple but very evocative black-and-white graphics. It's thematically dark, but not in a depressing/upsetting way; sort of a darkly amusing way. My gaming vertigo never even twitches when I play this.
* All the Dragon Age games (Origins, DA2, and Inquisition) - on PC you can adjust your zoom to whatever perspective works best for you, and they're fun games with great plots and characters. Ditto the Mass Effect games, though I find the first ME to be a little too um, graphically primitive? to actually get into it. It's just old. The second and third ME games are modern enough that I never had any visual issues with them.
* I have always found MMOs to be a lot easier on my vertigo than single-player games. So if nothing else, you might want to try something like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV and see if these work for you. The only time I ever run into trouble with these games is when I try to climb up or over something in the game that the game will not allow you up or over. Then I have to go look at something else for a bit while my stomach settles. It's been pretty easy to learn what not to attempt, though, so this is a pretty rare thing.
posted by invincible summer at 5:56 PM on April 13, 2020
* I think a good 50% of my comments in any given video game rec thread is recommending Ori and the Blind Forest - and now the sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisp. These are visually stunning and complex platformers with an uplifting, sweet story and never give me any visual issues or dizziness.
* Limbo is a super fun puzzle/platform game with super simple but very evocative black-and-white graphics. It's thematically dark, but not in a depressing/upsetting way; sort of a darkly amusing way. My gaming vertigo never even twitches when I play this.
* All the Dragon Age games (Origins, DA2, and Inquisition) - on PC you can adjust your zoom to whatever perspective works best for you, and they're fun games with great plots and characters. Ditto the Mass Effect games, though I find the first ME to be a little too um, graphically primitive? to actually get into it. It's just old. The second and third ME games are modern enough that I never had any visual issues with them.
* I have always found MMOs to be a lot easier on my vertigo than single-player games. So if nothing else, you might want to try something like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV and see if these work for you. The only time I ever run into trouble with these games is when I try to climb up or over something in the game that the game will not allow you up or over. Then I have to go look at something else for a bit while my stomach settles. It's been pretty easy to learn what not to attempt, though, so this is a pretty rare thing.
posted by invincible summer at 5:56 PM on April 13, 2020
Seconding Ori and the Blind Forest; cautioning Dragon Age and Mass Effect--they're great, but 3D and battle involves a lot of whipping around (less so in Origins, though) that might make you dizzy.
Transistor is isometric; it's not quite a dungeon-crawler but feels a little like it and it's absolutely gorgeous. Very deep on characters and story, though you might cry at the end. In a good way, though. Also it's $3.99 on Steam right now and it'd be a crime not to buy it. Bastion and Pyre are by the same people, and has the same merits, though Bastion might be a little visually busy for you. I haven't played it yet, but Hades IS explicitly a dungeon-crawler and based on the strength of their previous games I would have NO problem reccomending it sight unseen, though check out the screenshots to see if it'd be too chaotic for you graphics-wise.
Child of Light is fairytale-esque but doesn't come across as childlike to me and seems like it would be up your alley. Moon Hunters is good, but I've only played it with friends so can't attest to if it's as much fun single player. Never Alone (Kisimi Ingitchuna) is a gorgeous sidescroller.
If you're interested in story-based games without action/traditional gameplay, I absolutely recommend Kentucky Route Zero and Oxenfree. Extremely high marks on both characters and story.
posted by brook horse at 6:08 PM on April 13, 2020
Transistor is isometric; it's not quite a dungeon-crawler but feels a little like it and it's absolutely gorgeous. Very deep on characters and story, though you might cry at the end. In a good way, though. Also it's $3.99 on Steam right now and it'd be a crime not to buy it. Bastion and Pyre are by the same people, and has the same merits, though Bastion might be a little visually busy for you. I haven't played it yet, but Hades IS explicitly a dungeon-crawler and based on the strength of their previous games I would have NO problem reccomending it sight unseen, though check out the screenshots to see if it'd be too chaotic for you graphics-wise.
Child of Light is fairytale-esque but doesn't come across as childlike to me and seems like it would be up your alley. Moon Hunters is good, but I've only played it with friends so can't attest to if it's as much fun single player. Never Alone (Kisimi Ingitchuna) is a gorgeous sidescroller.
If you're interested in story-based games without action/traditional gameplay, I absolutely recommend Kentucky Route Zero and Oxenfree. Extremely high marks on both characters and story.
posted by brook horse at 6:08 PM on April 13, 2020
I don't think your criteria are very picky at all; the question is almost too broad! There are a ton of amazing games that meet your criteria. Some that especially spring to mind are:
posted by Syllepsis at 6:25 PM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
- Old or retro CRPGs like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, Disco Elysium, Tyranny, maybe Dragon Age
- Old or retro JRPGs; I would especially recommend Trails in the Sky and its sequels
- Puzzle games, like Baba Is You
posted by Syllepsis at 6:25 PM on April 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Atmospheric, yet almost monochromatic 2D games on Steam:
If you're OK with spooky, Limbo and from the same studio, Inside.
Never Alone
Hitman GO and Lara Croft GO
(There are two dungeon-crawling birdseye Lara Croft Tomb Raider games; Temple of Osiris and Guardian of Light. Watch some sample single player gameplay and see if there's too many colors / too much happening onscreen)
There are three Assassin's Creed 2-d stealth platformer games, all under the AC Chronicles moniker: India, China, Russia. If you wanna get sneaky-stabby.
Spelunky is a real classic. Indiana DigDug.
You might really like Unravel (yarny!) but that studio is fighting with Steam, so you have to get it from them.
Genres of Games you could try:
2D fighting games, for fast-twitch action?
The various titles from Telltale Games titles. They're basically animated Choose Your Own Adventure RPGs?
Have you ever tried one of the Lego games?
posted by bartleby at 6:35 PM on April 13, 2020
If you're OK with spooky, Limbo and from the same studio, Inside.
Never Alone
Hitman GO and Lara Croft GO
(There are two dungeon-crawling birdseye Lara Croft Tomb Raider games; Temple of Osiris and Guardian of Light. Watch some sample single player gameplay and see if there's too many colors / too much happening onscreen)
There are three Assassin's Creed 2-d stealth platformer games, all under the AC Chronicles moniker: India, China, Russia. If you wanna get sneaky-stabby.
Spelunky is a real classic. Indiana DigDug.
You might really like Unravel (yarny!) but that studio is fighting with Steam, so you have to get it from them.
Genres of Games you could try:
2D fighting games, for fast-twitch action?
The various titles from Telltale Games titles. They're basically animated Choose Your Own Adventure RPGs?
Have you ever tried one of the Lego games?
posted by bartleby at 6:35 PM on April 13, 2020
My Time at Portia reminded me a lot of Stardew Valley minus a lot of the farming. Not sure if it bumps up against some of your requirements though - I didn't play it much because life got in the way.
posted by Mizu at 7:01 PM on April 13, 2020
posted by Mizu at 7:01 PM on April 13, 2020
seconding limbo and inside
Also seconding oxenfree and Kentucky route zero. Though there is one side game in kentucky route zero that is kinda dizzying, it's called the entertainment, and you can just skip that one. You control the camera, but i think that they wanted to mimic the feeling of being very drunk, because the controls are very swoopy and drifty. The rest of kentucky route zero is fantastic though.
also look at Night in the Woods
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:55 PM on April 13, 2020
Also seconding oxenfree and Kentucky route zero. Though there is one side game in kentucky route zero that is kinda dizzying, it's called the entertainment, and you can just skip that one. You control the camera, but i think that they wanted to mimic the feeling of being very drunk, because the controls are very swoopy and drifty. The rest of kentucky route zero is fantastic though.
also look at Night in the Woods
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:55 PM on April 13, 2020
How do you feel about adventure games? I confess I come to every game question with the initial instinct "can I tell this person to play Monkey Island 2," but I think it might really suit here. There's a bunch of old LucasArts games on Steam and they're all masterpieces and I believe some of them can be switched to the old, shitty graphics (I'm not sure about on Steam but this has been true on other platforms) which being lower-fidelity might be even less likely to overwhelm.
posted by babelfish at 9:20 PM on April 13, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by babelfish at 9:20 PM on April 13, 2020 [4 favorites]
Slay the Spire is terribly addictive. The graphics are a bit gloomy, but it's all about advancing through a randomized dungeon and building card combos you use to defeat enemies. My wife and brother have each easily put in 400 hours!
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 11:14 PM on April 13, 2020
posted by Earl the Polliwog at 11:14 PM on April 13, 2020
I really love Don't Starve. It's a quirky, atmospheric roguelike about trying to survive in a creepy magical wilderness that plays more like a simulation game — although it's a bit dungeon crawl-y, like Terraria, since it is a roguelike.
It's 2D, not visually chaotic, with pretty unified colour schemes and the ability to zoom in/out and switch the angles. (I get migraines from everything and I'm OK with it.)
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 2:43 AM on April 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
It's 2D, not visually chaotic, with pretty unified colour schemes and the ability to zoom in/out and switch the angles. (I get migraines from everything and I'm OK with it.)
posted by fire, water, earth, air at 2:43 AM on April 14, 2020 [1 favorite]
You might like the strategy / resource game Miss Management, if it's not too much like real life.
posted by paduasoy at 3:27 AM on April 14, 2020
posted by paduasoy at 3:27 AM on April 14, 2020
I highly recommend the game Machinarium (and honestly, all of the games from Amanita Design).
Point and click puzzle solver! You're a robot trying to save your robot girlfriend from the bad guys! Visually stunning and sweet and funny. There's an in-game hint system too if you get stuck.
posted by Twicketface at 7:15 AM on April 14, 2020
Point and click puzzle solver! You're a robot trying to save your robot girlfriend from the bad guys! Visually stunning and sweet and funny. There's an in-game hint system too if you get stuck.
posted by Twicketface at 7:15 AM on April 14, 2020
I came to recommend Don't Starve as well. You might also like Oxygen Not Included, a more city-building type of game from the same developer. The gameplay and artistic style are great for both games. I've spent hundreds of hours on each of them on steam and really enjoy them (I also played a lot of stardew valley, and have problems physically tolerating 3D games).
posted by randomnity at 11:23 AM on April 14, 2020
posted by randomnity at 11:23 AM on April 14, 2020
I hear that Animal Crossing: New Horizons is kind of big right now. :-D (If you have a Nintendo Switch...)
Also, Stardew Valley was originally conceived as an improvement over the Harvest Moon games. They might be worth a play.
I'd also recommend Donut County. Especially pay attention to the dialogue, and read the Trashopedia. It's enough laughs to be worth the price of admnission.
posted by Citrus at 8:43 PM on April 14, 2020
Also, Stardew Valley was originally conceived as an improvement over the Harvest Moon games. They might be worth a play.
I'd also recommend Donut County. Especially pay attention to the dialogue, and read the Trashopedia. It's enough laughs to be worth the price of admnission.
posted by Citrus at 8:43 PM on April 14, 2020
Braid is a side-scroller that looks like a pastoral painting version of Super Mario Brothers and has the soundtrack of a Renaissance fair. It’s mostly pretty languid in pace and you can’t die, so in one sense it’s quite relaxing. But the main mechanic is manipulating the flow of time in various ways, which can get brain-twisting.
posted by ejs at 11:35 AM on April 18, 2020
posted by ejs at 11:35 AM on April 18, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
World's Dawn is a Stardew Valley type game (well I would say stardew valley is a harvest moon-type)
You could get an emulator and play the Rune Factorys or the Harvest Moons.
Undertale might suit
Heroes of Might & Magic III?
posted by euphoria066 at 5:10 PM on April 13, 2020