everything happens so much! what can I play?
June 14, 2022 3:10 PM   Subscribe

What are some good recent video games that don't suffer if you are frequently interrupted? I get yanked around a lot, but I'd like to play something absorbing anyway. I know that match-3 games and simple ones like Minesweeper were built for this, but I'm looking for something more absorbing, available for iOS, Switch, or PC. I'd also prefer something that's not a huge memory hog.

Necessarily this excludes anything with an action component aside from minigames that can be postponed. I enjoyed Stardew Valley and ACNH, which are good for this, but I feel like I played them out (although there is some DLC I haven't tried). Other very interruptible games I've enjoyed are Dream Daddy and A Short Hike.
posted by Countess Elena to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (18 answers total) 19 users marked this as a favorite
 
An interruptable game I play on my phone is Alto's Adventure. This game, and its sequel, Alto's Odyssey, are very interruptable. The games have a pause button that you can hit anytime, say, your kids holler "MOM!!!"
posted by cleverevans at 3:41 PM on June 14, 2022 [3 favorites]


Unpacking
posted by hanov3r at 4:02 PM on June 14, 2022 [3 favorites]


Planet Zoo
posted by neushoorn at 4:41 PM on June 14, 2022


The rogue-like (and rogue-lite) genre might be a good fit! They tend to be relatively light on storyline, and because the core gameplay is meant to be replayed over and over multiple times (ie. you will die a lot), there's a built-in amenability to interruptions. Games that I've enjoyed so far include:

Slay the Spire - Recently featured on the blue, each run has you choose one of the four characters to battle your way to the top of the spire with the cards you accumulate with each win. It's turn-based, so you can play as slowly (or fast) as you want, and you can quit at anytime and come back. Gameplay is surprisingly deep with many interesting combinations of cards and relics - I have almost 200 hours in and am still discovering new strategies. Available on all the platforms you are looking at.

Hades - Hack and slash rogue-lite that was wildly popular when it was released. Every run has you trying to escape the 3 levels of Hades with abilities you earn through the run, and you unlock permanent abilities throughout the game as well. I didn't find the gameplay as compelling as Slay the Spire, but the storyline, game art, music and voice acting were all top notch. Caveats are that the game only saves once you clear a room (taking perhaps 2-10 mins), and it's pretty hectic, being a hack and slash. Available on PC and Switch.

FTL: Faster than Light - A pretty old space-themed rogue-light that I nonetheless come back to again and again. Every fight has you captaining a spaceship (populated by aliens/people you collect along the way) against an enemy spaceship. The game is played in real-time, though you can and should pause liberally to reroute energy to the weapons/systems you want to use, so it's not particularly hectic. Available only on PC. Big Star Trek vibes!
posted by seapig at 4:54 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]


VAMPIRE SURVIVORS!!! free web based functional demo, like $5 on steam.
posted by capnsue at 5:22 PM on June 14, 2022 [4 favorites]


Donut County on Switch has some vibes of A Short Hike but is also sort of goofy and a spiritual heir to the Katamari series. It's fun and never all that hard, plays great in 5-10 min chunks.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:33 PM on June 14, 2022 [3 favorites]


I've quite enjoyed What the Golf.

It is only very slightly about golf in case you hate golf, as I do.
posted by gauche at 6:43 PM on June 14, 2022 [3 favorites]


Dicey Dungeons?
posted by credulous at 7:06 PM on June 14, 2022


Think about Townscaper (iOS and PC). It's not a game, but a building app that has a strong following and is highly interruptible.
posted by lhauser at 7:41 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]


Donut County and What the Golf are on Apple Arcade, as is my recommendation: Crashlands. 2D, lots of wandering around and gathering resources. There is combat, but it’s not too difficult to avoid it until you’re geared up for it.

Slay The Spire (iPad) is good. I don’t usually do games that require aiming and timing, but I’m enjoying Hades (switch) , too.

I’m gonna sound like an AppleArcade shill right now, but for the past year my iPad has been my go-to device for unwinding at the end of the day, so having a selection of ad-free games to rotate through has been really lovely. Here’s a list of what I’ve enjoyed that might float your boat:

Card of Darkness
Spire Blast
Cozy Grove
Bloons TD6
Grindstone
posted by itesser at 8:20 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thanks so much, guys!
posted by Countess Elena at 6:59 AM on June 15, 2022


I asked a related question a couple years ago and got some good answers.
posted by benbenson at 11:42 AM on June 15, 2022


On Switch:
Good Job! (there is a level timer but it's largely irrelevant to gameplay, it's only used to grade you when you complete the objectives)
Wilmot's Warehouse (again a timer, but it's a couple of timed rounds then infinite time to organize/catch up)
Diablo 3
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:59 PM on June 15, 2022


https://www.kingdomthegame.com/
posted by tra at 11:19 PM on June 15, 2022


Dorfromantik is a very calm puzzle/strategy game!
posted by KnittedNoodle at 9:51 AM on June 16, 2022 [1 favorite]


I've been working through Linelight on my android phone. It's a bunch of puzzles with no time or life limit. Very soothing.
posted by rouftop at 2:17 PM on June 21, 2022


Super Auto Pets is a popular entry in the autobattler genre, with it's differentiating factor (other than just having adorable animal art) is that its main mode is entirely asynchronous.
posted by isauteikisa at 9:02 AM on June 22, 2022


Myst

heh heh heh
posted by those are my balloons at 9:33 AM on June 23, 2022 [1 favorite]


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