The Chiz

Sit back on the couch.

Relax all of the muscles in your body. Start at your head, and slowly relax down to your feet.

Open your eyes and look at your screen. Observe at the serene underwater view in front of you, and listen to the monotonous tone of the respirator as you breath. You begin to feel a great calm as you watch the aquatic creatures before you as they swim around, oblivious to all of the troubles of the world.

Wii Remote resting comfortably in hand, you gently guide yourself around a tropical lagoon, petting dolphins and observing sea slugs about their daily business.

BANG!

Suddenly, an explosion! You hear a rocket roar past your head and into the wall beside you! Gunshots ring out to your left, and a police siren screams in alarm. People are shouting. Cars are screeching into eachother and the sound of metal tearing into metal takes over the room. Once calm and quiet, your blood is pumping as you react to the chaos.

This seems to be an increasingly common scenario in my house, and admittedly I’m usually the one responsible for the chaotic din that takes over our living room (most likely to my roommates’ dismay, though they haven’t expressed this yet.) Thus is the cost of having two TVs set up in the same room, I suppose, but the audio battle between GTA4 and Endless Ocean got me thinking. Not only did I consider how forgiving my roommates are, but I revisited the idea of the “Relaxation Game”; something I hadn’t really considered since I was at the Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) back in November.

The concept of a relaxing game is a relative novelty, but an interesting one. Consider the fact that video games are generally regarded as leisurely activities, indulged in to relax after a long day at work. I understand that this is by no means the primary reason that people play video games, but it is a significant one and the focus of this type of game. Most games focus around action, adventure, or some other adrenaline-fueled activity. Potentially getting the user wound up and excitable may be fun, but is not always necessary or desired. If I have been concentrating on my work all day, I don’t always want to play a game that will force my undivided concentration or require considerable focus. Sometimes I just want to chill out, as the case may be. Enter the Relaxation Game.

A good name to throw out at this point would be That Game Company. Authoring games such as “fl0w” and “Cloud”, this developer is deeply familiar with the premise of an alternative gameplay experience. Currently in development is a game called “Flower”, which is reportedly designed to instill a feeling of bliss and comfort within it’s users. From what i saw at the MIGS keynote presented by lead developer Kellee Santiago, “Flower” is certainly well on it’s way to achieving that goal. What I found really exciting about the demo footage was how carefully the emotional gaming experience seemed to be crafted, and how organic the audience response was. Even from unplayable footage, a sense of purpose and direction was abundantly clear.

So, what makes a game relaxing? Much of this is relative, but there are a few key factors to consider. First: theme. Obviously shooting and car chases are out, leading to way to something like organic flight, or SCUBA diving as seen in Endless Ocean. Make sure the theme plays out as peacefully as possible, and you’re well on your way to a relaxing experience. Add this this proper ambiance. Soft, cool colours such as light blue and purple seem to be popular for this genre. Keep colour transition smooth to avoid visually shocking the user. Add in soothing and/or relaxing music, and you have the major elements that I’ve observed in a game designed to calm the mind and body.

Sound good? Hell, I’m relaxed just writing about this.

So, my gamer friends, I urge you to try out this subgenre of games. Pick up Endless Ocean for your Wii, or download fl0w from That Game Company. Even something as common as Cabella’s Hunting And Hilariously Indiscriminate Animal Slaughter can be relaxing, provided you focus less on the hunting and more on enjoying being in the virtual forest. I promise that you won’t be disappointed, and you may even be more willing to embrace experimental games as they progress.

Keep gaming.

~The Chiz

P.S. No, I’m not a filthy hippy. I enjoy wantonly shooting an elephant in the face at least as much as the next guy. Probably more.

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