Distributing video games is an incredibly rewarding place to be. During these uncertain times, we’re very fortunate to be where we are. Of course, like any job, it has its challenges and stressful moments. We’re lucky to have a hardworking team at Genba, but we also think it’s important to look after our mental wellbeing. With Stress Awareness Month upon us, we asked some of our team which games have been helping them wind down…
JAG SINGH, QA LEAD & DIGITAL ADMINISTRATOR
“I’m a big fan of No Man’s Sky for some relaxation. It’s not overly demanding in regard to gameplay, so you can play it at a more leisurely pace. It allows you to feed your curiosity by visiting different planets, providing the perfect escapism – and the graphics are really picturesque. It’s a large landscape too so it’s easy to ‘lose’ yourself, especially as the open-ended format lets you pick and choose how to play.”
LEE HOBBS, SENIOR DIGITAL ANALYST
“I’ve found Planet Zoo by Frontier Developments has been the most relaxing for me to play recently. It puts you in the shoes of a zookeeper, letting you choose what animals to have on display and build the environment they live in. As you’re able to pause the game at any time, you can spend as long as you like making the habitats just perfect, and then relax watching the lions via the Animal Cam mode.
Like Jag, I’ve also enjoyed No Man’s Sky for winding down. For me, it’s because it’s not a stressful space shooter like Elite Dangerous. Instead, you can spend your time exploring some beautiful star systems and planetscapes without a care in the world. The variety in animals and landscapes you can find is astounding since Hello Games updated the game. I have lost hours to it from just wandering the world, looking for new and wonderful creatures.”
BETH CHAPMAN, PR & MARKETING MANAGER
“I’ve recently enjoyed escaping reality with Bandai’s The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan. Perhaps a strange choice for stress relief as its horror element keeps you on edge, but the gratification comes from being able to share gameplay with a friend or partner. I played it with my husband and we both found ourselves getting absorbed in the story together. Its gripping, movie-like world is perfect for immersing yourself in after a busy day at work.”
CONNOR DUKES, JUNIOR COMMERCIAL MANAGER
“Since I was young, I’ve always wanted to lose myself within Ancient Greece. I was intrigued by Spartans, Greek Mythology and Ancient Greek history. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey has allowed me to experience all of those; from exploring the whole of Ancient Greece as a Spartan, to discovering and killing Greek mythological creatures like the Minotaur and Medusa. The real bonus though, was that it helped me with anxiety and personal issues I was having at the time it launched. I was able to lose myself in this gorgeous vast world that seemed like it had no boundaries. The introduction of RPG elements within the story made it feel like it was my own story and I was able to forget about the outside world.”
NICK TSIATINIS, TECHNICAL PROJECT MANAGER
“It has to be SEGA’s Two Point Hospital. How could the humour in this game not be great stress relief? With the dry witted receptionist announcements, the various radio stations with their catchy tunes and the comedy illnesses such as ‘animal magnetism’, it’s always great fun to watch the goings on and lose yourself in the comedy (whilst trying to cure all the patients, of course!).
Cities Skylines is another therapeutic building game. I always find it relaxing zoning the various industries such as commercial, residential and industrial, putting in the road infrastructure and watching your cities develop from nothing to a sprawling metropolis. Once you start playing it’s very easy to lose hours to the game in a single session. Plus, Paradox keeps releasing plenty of paid and free DLC packs to keep things evolving.”
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