On Turning My Brain Off
Sometimes, when I play video games, I want to turn my brain off. I just want to mindlessly play a game without really thinking too hard about it. Something where I can just mash buttons or hold down left click on my mouse and let everything around me explode. Actually, I say that, most days, I just want to turn my brain off and play some games. It’s my way of relaxing after a long day at work.
But the thing is, not every game is compatible with the idea. Most games require some thought. One example of needing thought is while playing Pokemon Violet. Yes, I can somewhat mindlessly just throw out a Pokemon to fight for me, but I still need to keep an eye on my buddy Pokemon. It’s easy for them to hurt themselves and then come running back to me. And Pokemon battles against trainers also require a lot of thought on my end. Knowing what types are super effective requires sitting in the front of my brain for easy access.
Normally though, my go-to when it comes to brainless games is playing Warframe. Not just any part of Warframe though. Low level void fissures are the best. I can so easily just turn my brain off and spray death everywhere with my Ignis. It’s wonderful. And if I play solo, I don’t need to worry about anything at all, meaning I can pause and wander around for a bit. I can also go fishing in the open world areas and just let time fly by as I catch tons of fish. Or robot fish. I tend to avoid Deimos though because, unless you go invisible, everything wants to murder you way more than they do on the Plains of Eidolon or the Orb Vallis.
There are other games that have been recommended to me. My brother plays Destiny 2 and says that doing public events or nightfall strikes can be brain-numbing for him, but I never feel like that. Unlike Warframe, Destiny 2 requires me to do a lot of thinking, especially since I have to actually try to aim. In Warframe, I can spray my Ignis around or fire rocket-powered arrows at various enemies with ease. In Destiny 2, I need to aim and go for headshots, otherwise I’ll just get overwhelmed and die.
Most games are on Destiny 2’s level. I can’t turn my brain off completely. Castle Crashers for example, which I have been playing a lot of lately, requires way more thought since it’s a scrolling beat-em-up, which I’m not particularly good at. But that just needs practice. Overwatch is just as bad, even more so since it’s a PvP game.
Really, Pokemon GO is the most brainless game I can play. Aside from making sure I don’t walk into traffic, I can just wander around and throw balls at cute animals. Sometimes I need to think when playing raids with other people, but overall, Pokemon GO is simple enough to play on autopilot. It’s just throwing balls, which isn’t difficult at all. Unless it’s a troublesome legendary Pokemon. But even then, it’s, again, just throwing Pokeballs. Muscle memory has me covered there.
Are there more mindless games I can play? Almost certainly. Games like Cookie Clicker should be perfect for brainless gameplay, but I feel that those games require turning off too much of my brain. And I don’t want to turn off my brain completely, you know?