I'm tired of playing violent games.

[NerdElf]

I've heard of this game, Eternal Garden or something, it's Kinect enabled, it's a rail shooter, but filled with flowers and colourfull enviroments that make you trip.
It's not that violent, most monsters don't even look like monsters, everything is just pure beauty.

 

[MammothBlade]

Oh that's entry level stuff. I almost never play any games that are remotely bloody.

I'm looking for completely non-violent, or almost entirely lacking in violence, hardcore games that are worthy of lots of praise.

Final Fantasy games are very, very violent. So is Okami. So is Super Mario, to be honest.

Well, they're wrong.

This is looking pretty stark. It looks as if the video games industry relies on violence far too much.

There needs to be a lot more hardcore games that are not violent at all.

So you want games in which violence is not the primary solution, or indeed the primary obstacle. That's a whole paradigm shift away from anything in which the mode of gameplay involves fighting. What about games which have alot of tension and crimes, but are not actually physically violent? Phoenix Wright, for example. You fight the villains with investigation and logical deduction.

 

[hazabaza1]

What's that PS3 exclusive game coming out, set in the desert... Journey? That seems okay.

 

[darksuccubus]

oh yeah, Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The game is incredibly scary and as someone here said, you never fight, so technically it's not violent. But if the monster finds you he will slash you to pieces XD

 

[Kikyoo]

If you have a DS you could always download The oregon trail for like 800 points. It's a none violent game, always has been about making a trip to Oregon, rather than killing everything between you and oregon.

 

[Susan Arendt]

The Professor Layton series is outstanding, give Afrika a try if you have a PS3, definitely play Drawn: Dark Flight (just started it last night, and it's stunning), aaaand...lemme think...oh! Emerald City Confidential.

Enjoy!

 

[rosefyre]

Hey does anyone know when the much hushed torchlight 2 is set to be released?
anywhere really.. but main interest is when its out here in Australia

 

[ckam]

Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton are pretty good game series you should take a look at.

 

[darksuccubus]

Well Quantum Conundrum is coming out in early 2012

Really? -_- this is Portal for retarded. I mean, they're not even trying, it's copying everything!

 

[HardkorSB]

I would just like to ad a beginning disclaimer that I am not against violent games. Not that such will stop being from jumping me and arguing against me that I do and that's wrong, given what I've learned from my time here and how defensive people can get.

I do, while I think that all of the pro censorship, "please of think of the children" people out there are idiots. I can agree on one thing, video games do seem to depend on violence too much and too often. There's a lot of violence in movies, too. But they get more variety. It seems like video games are more violent more often than any other media. And while opposing violent video games is stupid, I do think the... ratio could be a little different.

But what I'm looking for is that exception and that smaller part of the ratio. I've been playing video games lately, and to be honest, while I like certain types of violence in video games as much as the next person, especially casting fun magic, that's a pile of fun. I'm getting a little tired of fighting stuff and I would like a break.

And so I was just wondering, other than just sparking a thread about whether violence happens too often or not, or people mentioning non-violent games that they like. I'd also like some help finding some good non-violent games to occupy my time. Because while I do like them, I'm pretty burnt out on them right now.

Try dating sims

 

[stygN]

I know it's been said before, but try Minecraft. Put it on peaceful, and download some mods if you get tired of the vanilla version.

 

[BoredDragon]

Apparently there's a new kirby game coming out in 5 days, so there's that. As for violence in video games, I think people should have the feature to turn off/down the gore and swearing, similar in Gears of War franchise

 

[silvermorning624]

For the ps3, my two main suggestions would have to be echochrome and Flower. After I go a few to many rounds on Team Fortress 2 or Painkiller(both on steam) I love to take a break with these two. Flower has to be one of the most relaxing games I have ever played. And it is not hard to see why, given that you are a collection of flower petals flying in the wind for the duration of the game. There is one level that is kinda tough, but that is all. Echochrome is a unique spatial puzzle platformer. You are a figure doll(think of the mannequins used in art class to draw the human form) that has to catch up to his shadows who are spread out through a M.C. Escher based world. There are tones of levels and a wonderful soundtrack that I personally love even with out the game(though I like the combination of the two). If you are looking any peaceful steam games, I would recommend quite a few. Zen Bound 2(given a selection of carved wooden figures, you must wrap them in chord that in turn paints them), The polynomial(flying through a fractal based environment while listening to you own music and optional shooting ghost-like aliens), The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom(you play the crafty Mr. Winterbottom. He had a need for pie that defies time and space), Lume(very mellow point and click adventure. The art style is something I have never seen in a video game before. The built and shot colorful cardboard sets and characters and filmed almost the whole game.), From Dust (A little more active. You are the spirit of nature and have to help a tribe of natives reclaim the knowledge of their ancestors by building new islands and protecting them from the elements.), Cogs(A wonderful little game where you have to solve steam-punk style puzzles. Really gets your brain working.), and lastly Audiosurf(Again, making use of your own personal collection of music. Gameplay is really a matter of the song you decide to surf. The more mellow the song, the more mellow the track you ride.). I hope you find a game you enjoy.

 

[Korten12]

Spore?

Spore..? ? I nuked cities in that game, hardly not violent.

 

[EmperorSubcutaneous]

Snip

I generally feel the same way. I'm getting really tired of combat.

I'm personally a big fan of puzzle-adventure games, and I strongly recommend Machinarium; you can pick it up on Steam for pretty cheap. I think I heard you can buy it on PS3 now too, but I'm not sure. It's pretty tough, while also being fun, charming, and creepy-cute. Great soundtrack too.

One of my favorite games of all time is Riven, the second game in the Myst series. If you want a series with mind-twistingly hard puzzles, that also happens to be an old-school classic, check it out. The Steam versions are buggy as hell, though. (Also, I personally think the original Myst is one of the weakest games in the series. It looks bad and is kind of incoherent. Riven is fantastic, though, and Uru Live--free to play online!--is a fun romp.)

And you would probably enjoy Flower, though it tends to feel like a time-waster. Speaking of which, Journey is coming out soon, from the same people. You may want to look into it.

Oooh, Child of Eden and Rez are good ones too. You're technically shooting things in those games, but they're not representative of anything so it's hard to say they're violent. It feels more like hacking a computer program in a 90s movie, while making music.

 

[bluepotatosack]

Snip

And you would probably enjoy Flower, though it tends to feel like a time-waster. Speaking of which, Journey is coming out soon, from the same people. You may want to look into it.

Oh man, I am so looking forward to Journey.


As for the topic at hand, I saw some people bring up point and click adventure games already. A lot of them still do have comedic violence in them to some degree (insult sword fighting) so I'm not sure how you feel about that.

Is it just violence as the gameplay mechanic that you need a break from? I'm wondering how you would feel about something like "Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers".
It's basically a supernatural mystery about a string of murders. So a lot of the set dressing is fairly violent, and the main character is suffering from nightmares, but the gameplay is of the standard point and click adventure variety. Talking to people, grabbing items to solve puzzles, etc.

 

[Jodah]

Civilization is good for a change and to kill time...so much time...You can win without fighting at all and even if you do have to fight its not graphic at all.

 

[DigitalAtlas]

Mario games are kinda cartoony, but still technically kinda violent.

If Mario games are violent, then Charlie Sheen has a sense of respect for women.

Exactly.

Pretty much, Nintendo games. Oh, and Little Big Planet.

There is a difference between violence and combat and Nintendo games have combat, yet lack violence.

But if combat really isn't your thing, look into more platformers and puzzle games. Phoenix Wright and Professor Layton may be right up your ally.

Or you could try tablet games. They are definitely focusing on being whimsical rather than gritty and violent.

 

[BRex21]

I really enjoyed the Sam and Max games from telltale, However they can be a little grating when taken on their own, when you get stuck you may be begging for some simple "point and click" violence.

A week or so ago I played through Deus Ex human revolution without killing anyone.

Really not even the bosses? and in all honesty, i bet you brutalized a lot of people, Adam Jensen really does not understand the silent takedowns beyond "hit it until it stops moving".

If you have a DS you could always download The oregon trail for like 800 points. It's a none violent game, always has been about making a trip to Oregon, rather than killing everything between you and oregon.

Are you sure? I seem to remember more than my share of mass bison extinctions in my travels.

That last bit MAY have contained a little sarcasm, I have been led to believe text does not always convey that.

 

[Spy_Guy]

In any case it is now!
Play it.

Oh, thank you. That's motivating.

You are quite welcome.

While people still die, you're not responsible for any of it.

I actually found it very refreshing to play a game where brutalizing people isn't a side effect of bringing justice.

Somehow, there's something really awesome about solving problems without using violence, so I really see where you're coming from with this thread.