10 Calming Mobile Games & Apps to Help You Keep Your Cool
These days, when you pull out your phone and you’ve already exhausted your social media feeds, a calming mobile game might be just the ticket. Whether you’re on the subway, waiting for friends to show up for a dinner date or standing in line at the grocery store, it’s nice to have something quick that occupies your mind and doesn’t take forever to get into.
We’ve rounded up several games that don’t take a ton of deep thought or strategy. They’re just simple games that can calm the mind and entertain your brain in the small pockets of time you might spend playing them. If you’re looking for games to keep you busy in a pinch or to play for a few minutes before bedtime, you’ve come to the right place: scroll through our round-up of calming mobile games to try.
1. Zen Koi 2
Who wouldn’t love watching colorful fish swim peacefully through the water? With the newest installation of the Zen Koi game (Zen Koi 2), you can do just that. This peaceful app offers many new koi patterns to choose from for free, as well as a host of paid-of options. Create your own aqua oasis when you play this calming mobile game.
2. Monument Valley
This mind-bending game of “impossible architecture” boasts stunning colors and simple, yet immersive graphics. Your job is to guide the princess through different castles by lifting and spinning moving parts. It’s simple enough to be calming, yet difficult enough to be engaging.
Download it: Monument Valley for free (with in-app purchases) on either Android or Apple for $3.99
3. Hungry Hearts Diner
For a calming mobile game with a bit of heart, check out Hungry Hearts Diner. This adorable game allows you to play the role of a Japanese grandmother who runs a diner by herself. This full-color game is sweet and engaging; as you feed your customers authentic Japanese cuisine, you’ll learn the stories behind each character.
4. Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is another of the popular simulation games, like Sims or Animal Crossing, that give you the freedom to build your own world exactly the way you like it. But the totally zen-like soundtrack is what landed Stardew Valley on our list of calming mobile games.
5. Perfect Slices
Maybe chopping things into small pieces is tops on your list of ways to calm down. If so, you’ll love the Perfect Slices game. Exactly what it sounds like, this game allows you to chop different objects into small slices, making it one of our favorite calming mobile games.
Download it: Get Perfect Slices for free on Android or Apple.
6. My Oasis
With My Oasis, you can build your own little virtual oasis complete with all types of trees, wildlife, and natural features of your choosing. The game’s cute polygon graphics and simple relaxing gameplay (all you have to do to progress is tap the screen), allow you to escape into a calming digital island.
Unlike other games in this genre, Grand Mountain Adventure lets you explore beautifully realized mountain scenery and complete as many or as few fun challenges as you want. The relaxing music and stunning alpine environments, combined with a “zen” mode that lets you explore without any distractions, makes this game an excellent way to unwind.
Fast Like a Fox is a cute game with an innovative control method. To keep your fox running along on its adventure to rescue the treasures of the golden fox tribe, you tap the back of your device. The faster you tap, the faster the fox runs. This is a simple platform game, but the unique control mode was something I really enjoyed (I’m not going to lie, though, it took me quite a while to get the hang of it). The cool minimalist graphics and neat soundtrack make this game a fun way to relax.
Download it: Get Fast Like a Fox free on Android.
9. I Love Hue
If you love puzzle games, you’ll enjoy I Love Hue. The objective of this calming puzzle-like game is to create harmony by arranging colored tiles into perfect color spectra. As a bonus, this meditative game will more than likely improve your ability to see what colors blend easily.
10. Viridi
Viridi is a gardening simulator that focuses explicitly on succulents. Growing virtual plants might sound like a recipe for incredible boredom. Except that it isn’t—not even close. Developed by gardening enthusiasts, the game not only lets you choose your pots, plants, and environments but also features real plant names and care methods. This game is even a great way to learn more about caring for succulents.