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With all the shooting, killing, and general chaos in games these days, sometimes it's nice to play with the simple goal of relaxation.
Believe it or not, some video games can actually lower your blood pressure. Sure, you could attain the same result with yoga or meditation, but why strain yourself when you could be having fun?
The following Zen-like games have no story to ponder, no characters to worry about. Instead, the atmosphere, the music, and the colors and shapes will transport you to a place of tranquillity.
Read on and chill out.
Osmos (PC, Mac, Linux, iOS)
Osmos has received quite a bit of exposure over the last year, particularly as part of the recent Humble Indie Bundle. Gently tapping on either side of your mote (read: bubble) spits out a bit of your mass, but it also propels the mote in the opposite direction. Your only aim is to get bigger, which is done by absorbing motes smaller than you and avoiding those larger. Admittedly Osmos can get pretty difficult, but nothing's stopping you from gliding around one of the simpler levels, absorbing and shrinking to your heart's content.
Zone out on PC, Mac, Linux, iPhone, or iPad.
Zen Bound 2 (PC, Mac, iOS)
The first Zen Bound released on iPhone in 2009. Its sequel went multiplatform and included all of the original's levels as a rather nice bonus. The premise of Zen Bound is simple: swipe and tilt to move a carved wooden object and wrap some painted string around it to paint the object a solid color. As the name implies, the music is very Zen, full of meditative gongs and chimes. Certainly the slowest game of the bunch.
Zone out on PC/Mac or iPhone/iPad.
Shibuya (iPhone)
A favorite of mine on the iPhone. It's a unique twist on the falling shapes genre. Your goal is to match up the colors, planning in advance to try and earn combos. The harder difficulties are nigh impossible, but indulge in one of the easier speed classes and you'll find your grove. The electronica that goes with it, licensed from an EP by Millionyoung, puts your mind at ease. Playing it, your surroundings just melt away.
Zone out on iPhone.
Edge (iOS, PSP)
While this game can get quite hard in later levels, the controls are as simple as swiping to move your cube in a direction. The idea is to collect all of the little yellow cubes in a level and make it to the finish. The abstract block shapes appear so peaceful suspended in space, and the music will calm you down even more. Its beautiful, atmospheric tunes are also available for free.
Zone out on iPhone, iPad, or PSP (Europe and Australia only).
Chime (PC, XBLA)
A Lumines-inspired game for charity that lets you make music by filling the screen with Tetris-like blocks. Bright colors take over your monitor, and the simple task of fitting these blocks together feels so enjoyable. Friends and family may notice you sitting there in a trance-like state, proving that something doesn't need to be complicated to steal your attention.
Share your favorite games to zone out to in the comments below…
Michael Gray writes for Button Masher and Game Console magazine over in a far away land that isn't part of Australia (hint: it's New Zealand). You can follow his endeavors over at his personal blog or Twitter.