A player asks for advice on Reddit, looking for games to take his mind off the death of his mother – the community responds with heart and lots of recommendations.
Life can be pretty tough sometimes. Sooner or later, it probably hits all of us. The loss of a close family member or friend is hard to bear and we look for ways to cope.
On Reddit, someone who is going through exactly that is speaking out. His mother recently passed away and now he is asking the community for advice. What games are the best way to distract yourself in a situation like this?
“Even if it’s just for the moment”
U/majkkali shares his thoughts on the gaming subreddit. His mother recently passed away as a result of cancer.
Games to keep me occupied after death of a loved one
byu/majkkali ingaming
He is actually a passionate gamer, but he is finding it difficult to feel any joy right now. He started Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 when his mother was still in hospital, but couldn’t bring himself to finish it. That’s why he’s now looking for games that will take his mind off things, at least for the moment.
In over a thousand comments Reddit users express their condolences, talk about their own experiences and, of course, have many recommendations that could help with the grieving process. These are some of the suggestions:
- Construction games, such as Factorio, Cities: Skylines and Satisfactory: Managing various factors and strategic thinking require concentration and have a relaxing effect at the same time.
- Minecraft: The many freedoms allow you to give your mind a new task and set your own pace.
- No Man’s Sky: The exploration of a distant universe and the self-determined structure help you find new orientation.
- Role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077: The profound stories and huge, detailed worlds allow players to immerse themselves completely. Loss, pain and identity are also addressed here, which can also help to cope with real grief.
- Stardew Valley: The farming sim can be played slowly, one day at a time. Building something from the ground up can give you a lot of strength. However, you often get mail from a parent in the game, which could reopen the wound.
- Dark Souls: May be very stressful at first glance, but that’s exactly what can help in the eyes of the community. Challenges are accepted and overcome, which can trigger feelings of happiness.
In addition to game suggestions, users share similar experiences they have had, express their sympathy and encourage U/majkkali to take care of himself:
Baldur’s Gate 3 or even Cyberpunk. My father died of cancer in 2021. It’s not so bad now. Time does heal, but it’s still rare that I don’t think about him. I wish you all the best, buddy. Be kind to yourself.
Dark Souls might help with the grieving. There’s a weird string of ‘this game saved me’ stories from the community. Check it out. Each title is a little different, and continuity doesn’t matter much, so just jump in wherever you want. My condolences on your loss.
My condolences. I find games that involve building and planning and offer some degree of creative freedom to be the best (as opposed to games like Cookie Clicker). […] Also, make sure to spend time with friends and family and get out. Take care of yourself during this time.
It’s important to remember that everyone deals with grief differently. Not everyone is helped by throwing themselves into games and not every game is designed to change everyone’s mind equally. As many have mentioned in the thread, it’s also important to maintain real-life contacts and take care of your basic needs.
Nonetheless, this wonderful hobby can help us through difficult times – even if it’s only for a few hours a day.
