November 13 is World Kindness Day, so, to celebrate, GameRevolution is taking a look at some of the best non-violent games. After all, you don’t literally beat people over the head with kindness! Any game with combat, even if it was a small portion of the experience like Minecraft or Stardew Valley, didn’t make the list.
With that in mind, check out 10 great non-violent games.
The Best Non-Violent Games
Mini Metro
Mini Metro is all about creating an efficient rail transit system. Yes, I know that doesn’t exactly scream out “fun,” but give it a shot and you will quickly find yourself enraptured by this strategy game. Available on iOS, Android, PC, and Nintendo Switch, the game winds up being shockingly relaxing in thanks to its colorful interface and simple aesthetic.
Fez
Polytron’s Fez is one most rewarding experience in gaming. The puzzle-platformer features a mysterious world and eventually players have to figure out an in-game language. It’s a difficult title, and one that requires a lot of thinking, but figuring out all of the hidden elements of Phil Fish’s masterpiece make all the work worth it.
Proteus
Proteus is a really neat game created by game designer Ed Key and composer David Kanaga. It’s all meant to be a combined audiovisual experience, as the sound design is integral to what the player sees and is doing. The world of the game is entirely procedurally generated and players can come across various animals such as birds, frogs, and rabbits. There’s no expressed goal, but players can go through various seasons of each individual world. This freedom to do as little or as much as they please within the world helps differentiate it from many titles, and has even inspired debate as to what constitutes a “game.”
Everything
Irish filmmaker David O’Reilly is no stranger to experimental games as his debut into the surreal space was Mountain, a title where players just looked at a procedurally generated mountain, but Everything takes it to the next level. As the name suggests, players are able to control every single object that they see in the game. From animals to trees to the actual planets themselves, there’s no limit to the macro or micro scale that players can explore. The entire game features narration by philosopher Alan Watts, and it’s an incredible experience from start to finish. There is even the option to let the game play by itself, so players can just enjoy it as a trippy animated film or screensaver if they wish.
Nintendogs+Cats
Who doesn’t love pets? Nintendogs+Cats on Nintendo 3DS might have a reputation that it’s just for kids, but it’s an enjoyable experience for anyone. Not only does it allow players to spoil their digital pets, but they can also take part in competitions and unlock plenty of toys for their animals to play with. While the cats can’t go for walks or compete, they’re still just as fun to interact with in your virtual house.
Hohokum
Published by Sony, Hohokum is a gorgeous adventure game with some of the best art seen in gaming. Players control a serpent-like creature called the Long Mover, and they simply fly through the world to interact with it. There are no real goals or objectives in place, rather it’s all about taking in the world and exploring its eccentricities.
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Who wouldn’t want to live in the wonderful world of Animal Crossing? It features adorable animals, plenty of fresh fruit, and relaxation for days. The simple charm of the series has wowed gamers for several console generations and with a Nintendo Switch entry on the way, it won’t be stopping any time soon. There is a fantastic simplicity to the entire experience, and the characters are filled with enjoyable dialogue that makes befriending them never feel like a bother.
The Witness
Few puzzle games wind up being as satisfying as Jonathan Blow’s The Witness. The puzzles are all built into the world itself, and start off deceptively simple. However, they quickly start iterating upon ideas that were introduced and players are given an entire island to figure out. Once everything “clicks” for the player, they’re in for a fantastic ending sequence that makes the many hours well worth it.
Grow Home
While most of Ubisoft’s titles are massive open-world titles with plenty of action, Grow Home is a lackadaisical adventure that stars an adorable robot called BUD. Players get to stumble around using the cute mechanical creature and climb a series of vines as they try to reunite B.U.D. with his space ship (conveniently called M.O.M.). It’s a relaxing and fun adventure that focuses on the simple tactile feeling of climbing rather than any intense combat encounters or enemies.
World of Goo
Tomorrow Corporation has become one of the most promising developers on the indie scene, and World of Goo is what started it all. The brilliant puzzle game is all about using balls of goo to create bridges. These become increasingly complex over time, and there’s an interesting world introduced in the cutscenes that winds up being where the studio’s future games all take place.
