Why Subnautica is Among My Favorite Games for Relaxing
I am often a high-stress, experiencing individual. I often push myself to my limits to the point of breaking. This is why relaxing games are often at the forefront of what I play, and this includes Subnautica.
Now, keep in mind that this is for the first Subnautica game. I haven’t played Below Zero yet as I want to beat them in chronological order.
I know…I’m slacking a bit.
Lately, though, I’ve just been too busy or easily sidetracked with other things. But since the stress levels are high, it’s time to dive back into it, so to speak.
7 Reasons Subnautica is a Relaxing Game for Me
I have quite a few games that I can fall on depending on various moods. But when it comes time to deal with feeling over-stressed, which is more often than I’d care to admit, Subnautica is among my top 10.
Even if I get too close to reapers or accidentally run into bone sharks, it’s still a relaxing play for the most part.
So, why does Subnautica rank so high for me on the I-need-to-relax scale?
The Sound and Music Score
Perhaps one of the first things you’ll notice about Subnautica is the sound effects and musical score. It is probably one of the best-sounding games I’ve played in quite some time.
And I’m not the only one who thinks so. There are a lot of people online who love the overall ambiance of the game, specifically the sound and music.
The Amazing Night Visuals
Another one of the best effects for Subnautica comes from its color pallet. The game itself looks gorgeous during the daylight gameplay but is taken to a whole new level when it gets nighttime.
The “bioluminescence” of the flora and fauna is simply beautiful and breath-taking. Everything from little peepers swimming past to the plants standing on either of the two islands, the visuals are simply stunning.
Play at a Slow Pace
One quality I find relaxing for any game is the ability to play at your own pace, which Subnautica provides. I’m not often one to speed run through any game, as I usually tend to take in as much as I can experience.
What’s great is that I don’t even have to progress through the story if I just want to relax and explore the underwater landscape.
Building More Bases
I am one of those players who is more likely to build a base of operations than actually progress through a story. And I can admit that I have one saved game in Subnautica where I have six bases scattered in various locations.
With more being planned.
I find it incredibly relaxing to just build. And coming up with new ways to arrange the rooms is always a highlight of my evening.
I am an Explorer!
One of my favorite activities in any open-world game is exploration. I love to see how much I can come across and marvel over the imagination of developers.
There are times when I just hop in the Sea Moth and look for things I’ve never seen before. Of course, there’s only so much you can do within the confines of Subnautica.
It’s not an endless expanse of an underwater world. There are limits to how far and how deep you can go.
I Love Reading the In-Game Content
I find reading the in-game content of Subnautica equally relaxing to the landscape. If I am just looking to unwind, I’ll scan as much as I can just so I can read what the developers included in-game.
And there is actually quite a bit to read. For a $20 game, they sure did flesh it out quite a bit in terms of content.
Keep My Mind Occupied While Crafting
The entire purpose of gaming is to provide a diversion from real life. Subnautica helps with this by making you think when crafting.
Do you have the right resources? Where can you find specific things you need for the recipe? How much titanium do you need to build an entire base?
Crafting easily takes my mind off of daily stressful activities. In reality, I can get pretty involved when building a variety of underwater bases.
Looking Forward to Relaxing with Subnautica this Week
This last month has been especially bad for me in terms of stress. And I am just about done with all of my major projects. I’m looking forward to spending some time in the very near future playing Subnautica.
Though, I do have a habit of starting over games because I forget what I was doing. That’s another symptom of having such high levels of stress.
In either case, Subnautica is easily one of those games I can get lost in for hours while relaxing. And I’m sure I will. Perhaps I’ll turn off the lights, throw on my Corsair headset, and just veg out while building base after base.
Perhaps I’ll even play until I beat it this time. I would love to start on Below Zero.
The point of all this is to show you how the right game can vastly improve your mental state. Whether you’re building an entire world in Minecraft or diving deep into the waters of Subnautica, it’s all about helping you deal with anxiety.
In fact, a lot of therapists will prescribing gaming to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression because of the diversion it provides.
Just make sure you’re not overdoing it and spend more time in the game than you do in real life. It’s easy to create an obsession with gaming.
Personally, I’m too busy for anything to really become an obsession. I can’t pay my mortgage playing Subnautica, unfortunately.
What Games Help You Deflate?
It’s always a good idea to have a few games on hand to help you deal with stress. As long as you’re able to relax, that’s all that really matters.
For me, the underwater world in Subnautica can easily help me unwind after an especially grueling day, week, or even month.
What games do you play to help you de-stress?
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