Well, as it must happen with some gamers, sometimes I get overloaded with work or household chores... and without much enthusiasm to finish anything (shame on me).

When this happens, I usually play games that have fixed rounds, alternating each turn with a task. For example: I put the clothes to wash and play one turn, wash the dishes and play another turn, and so on… This helps me to do some tasks without feeling overwhelmed or sad because I am unable to dedicate a lot of time to myself or because I don't take care of my house and other responsibilities (ok, it's weird, but it works).

So… I need very specific games, which have regular time shifts. Like This War of Mine (which was the first game I won here, four years ago) and This is The Police I and II, which divide the shifts into days, where you perform some actions and then end the round.

4x games don’t work, because the initial turns of the game are very fast (since you have little to manage), and the final turns are too long (since you have a million cities, soldiers, workers and enemies to worry about). The ideal is that the turns always have an approximate duration (around 10 minutes, perhaps?).

If you can recommend something that can help me (while I still have fun) I will be very grateful. : )

For those who have not yet had the opportunity to play any of the games I mentioned, click here.

2 years ago*

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You could try Slay the Spire: It is a rogue-lite and each attempt is divided into three acts and you usually die at the end of an act.

If you stop/pause at the end of every act, you can get a reasonably constant duration (~20 minutes IIRC).

2 years ago
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This, love this game.

2 years ago
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I didn't know this one, and it has great reviews!

I added it to my wish list. Thank you, @Neomixer!

2 years ago
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In the same genre I'd recommend Nowhere Prophet.
Just as mentally engaging with a grittier story.

2 years ago
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Thanks for Nowhere Prophet, added to my wishlist! :)

2 years ago
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Me too. : )

2 years ago
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This one, it's one of my favorites, definitely recommend it!

2 years ago
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bump

2 years ago
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I tend to play difficult games with short runs then do the tasks when I die - Enter the Gungeon, Skul: Hero Slayer, Dead Cells.
Maybe that's something you could try.

2 years ago
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Those are called rogue-lites/roguelikes... Yeah, pretty much all of them fit the bill if the variable duration is not a problem.

2 years ago
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Enter the Gungeon reminds me of Relic Hunters. I'll try this one.

Thank you for the tips!

2 years ago
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Be sure to check out Nuclear Throne, too, which is faster and more dynamic, while also fulfilling your needs

2 years ago
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Checked!

Thanks DecadentHamster!

2 years ago
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Maybe some idle game, that runs even if the game is closed?

2 years ago
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Do you refer to clicker games? I tried some time ago, but I got the impression that I wasn't really playing. : |

2 years ago
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Yes and no. There's some games that take time to recharge [Kinda stuff you'll find in mobile games], like Wanderland.

2 years ago
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Ah! I think I now know what you're referring to! Really... it's a smart idea.

2 years ago
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Maybe Minako or something like it? It's very niche but I like it

2 years ago
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Oh! I like simulation+management games. I will leave this one on my wish list (although it is very cheap). : D

Thanks!

2 years ago
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It's like never on sale haha unfortunately. It would have done a lot better I think with a bit more patience etc.
Also I can Into the Breach one mission at a time but it's maybe too long - you would need to look it up - good look though!

2 years ago
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Book of Demons basically lets you decide how big/small each dungeon is, might be similar to what you are looking for

2 years ago
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I'll put it on my wish list. It looks like a mix of Torchlight II and The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (two great games, btw).

Thank you, lordx88w!

2 years ago
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This probably falls under a specific subgenre (Time/Resource Management) of the Management genre.

A fantastic example of this would be Cultist Simulator. It's a game about waiting for and managing timers and for some inexplicable reason, it's absolutely mesmerizing (the music alone is just >chef kiss<). It can get overwhelming though in the late game (since you have to keep track of a bunch of timers and set them off juuust right ; also has the potential to just devour your day if you let it), so another suggestion I can make would be FTL. It's not a Management type of game but there are fixed turns and rounds as you inch ever closer to the final battle and not only can you pause at any time to gather your wits, pausing is the meta.

I think the important thing that separates 4X games and the games you enjoy is that the games you enjoy being able to pause the game. Not in the sense that there are blank spaces where there is little to nothing to do but in the sense that pausing is a mechanic that allows you to stop, take a break, and look around and gather your thoughts, without ever worrying about losing track of things (unlike in 4X's where you absolutely will lose track due to how big and cluttered the maps get lategame). I think you it would help you a lot to look for games that allow you to pause your game as an innate mechanic and then cater your tastes from there.

2 years ago*
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I added FTL to my wish list. Thanks, KoRayven!

Cultist Simulator has been on my wish list for some time, and now it probably goes to the top of the queue in the next Steam sales.

Reminds me a little of The Shrouded Isle, that I've tried a few times but never managed to win (I need to try again calmly, to try to find out where I'm going wrong... I found it very difficult).

2 years ago
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So, I got FTL as a gift. I installed and played for a few hours (while doing some other tasks, of course). And... it's really addictive!

But even in the easy way I don't think I managed to get very far in my first three attempts. The game is apparently simple, but it is very challenging. : )

2 years ago
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Glad to hear you're enjoying it! And yes, it's pretty challenging. I've only beaten the final boss a handful of times myself!

2 years ago
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I love both This War of Mine and This is The Police though I can't think of similar games, the closest I can think of is Massive Chalice but the turns sometimes takes more than ten minute. Maybe also Into The Breach and Wilmot's Warehouse.

2 years ago*
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This War of Mine is one of my favorite games in recent years.
I already sent the game as a gift to several friends 😊 and I played This is the Police because Steam suggested it, telling me they were similar.

I've tried Massive Chalice a few times. The visual is very nice and I like turn-based games a lot, but the battles seem a little unfair, and I always ended up losing a soldier no matter how careful I am. 😒 In my last attempt it took me a long time to go through a map, walking a little at a time and leaving the characters' health at maximum, and even so I was ambushed and lost some characters... this in the second or third battle of the game (at beginning). πŸ’€

2 years ago
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Fallen_Enchantress_Legendary_Heroes
Maybe it will be interesting ?

2 years ago
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Ei, este parece bom (apesar de ter cara de demorado). It reminds me a little of Endless Legend.

Thanks, lionheart987!

2 years ago
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Maybe Loop Hero?
It's a bit hard to explain but technically it's a roguelike and you can go into an expedition that lasts a certain loops (like a round?) so when you finish the expedition you could go do some chores and then come back to play

2 years ago
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Thank you, StrawberryCrisis!

I added it to my wish list. The gameplay resembles Guild of Dungeoneering, which is incredibly fun.

2 years ago
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Oh! I just went through the first door of your puzzle! I will try to resolve it throughout the day while I work. ^^

2 years ago
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Good luck!

2 years ago
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Happy factory day!

2 years ago
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Thank you! :D

2 years ago
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Eador series? Would be a bit 4x depends how you want to play it ;)

Disciples series.

The banner Saga series.

Griftlands.

Deleved. a little puzzle platformer

2 years ago*
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I put Griftlands on my wish list. The first two caught my eye a while ago, but I never tried it because of the mixed analyzes... Maybe I should give it a try.

Thank you, Peg4sus!

2 years ago
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I only played Disciples for a very short time so I can't guarantee too much. But Eador was giving me a huge blast. It's kinda similar to Heroes of Might and Magic series if you have tried it before, featuring a content rich universe of its own.

Though you were right. Just like the reviews pointed out, there are some issues with the game. But personally, I never felt like they affected my experience that much ;)

2 years ago
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How about games that let you pause to strategize whenever you like?

Fallout 3
Baldur's Gate 1, 2, 3
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Shadowrun Returns
Xcom 1+2
Trials of Fire

2 years ago
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I don't have the fiber to pause a game like that in the middle! I even tried to use a kitchen timer to limit the time, but I always 'tinged' in the middle of a battle or another important scene! πŸ˜‚

XCOM and Shadowrun work reasonably well, although the battle shifts take a little time (but then I compensate by doing more tasks between one battle and another). Fallout 3 is in my backlog (I want to start when I really have time to enjoy the game, since Fallout II played for a million hours when I was a child, before Steam existed ... maybe it was the game I played the most, when Civilization III side). The others are on my wish list.

Great recommendations, Geosol!

2 years ago
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Maybe Astrologaster if you don't mind interactive fiction. It's like a quack doctor simulator. A series of patients will come to you with their problems, and you choose how to treat them. If you leave sound on, you could listen to the voiced patients while doing housework and come back to make choices whenever.

Another game in a similar choose-your-own-adventure vein is The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker. It's an FMV mystery game.

2 years ago
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Astrologaster looks fun! I had never seen that game.

The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker it's like the Her Story? I played this game simultaneously with a friend, a few years ago, competing to see who would discover the mystery first. 😊

2 years ago
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thanks a lot for choooo choooo!

2 years ago
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You are welcome! : D

2 years ago
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Bump!

2 years ago
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2 years ago
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Not OP, but I have anxiety issues, and just feel overwhelmed and curl up when I try to do too many chores at once. Mixing and matching chores and free time lets me stay more focused. People with ADHD or similar disorders may also need similar escape mechanisms

2 years ago
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DecadentHamster touches on an interesting point. And speaking of similar subjects, I have already had the impression that dedicating myself only to tasks is frustrating and useless... after all, what is the point of cleaning the house if it will be all messed up in a short time? and then there is not always time left to dedicate myself to myself without any other concern.

A parenthesis: the only times I really put everything aside to play (even my master's dissertation, my house, everything) is when my sister calls me to play Borderlands. She had (and is still recovering from) depression, and playing together was one way I found to approach and make it clear that I am always on hand when she needs it. Our relationship improved a lot after that (but the biggest credit is from the psychologist, and herself, of course). I love my little sister. ❀️

2 years ago
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2 years ago
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I laughed a lot reading this, but then I cried a little... lied, I'm exaggerating (with crying, not with laughter)

I know, we are just debating these things that are out of our control. Your first comment didn't bother me in any way, and I would like to be able to do all the tasks at once and then be free... but I am not always able to do that.

Whitelisted you when I read your first comment, btw.

2 years ago
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Oh, but I am a piece of shit that has no fiber to pause a game. 😊 I commented in another post that I tried to use a timer to set the game time, but I always end up 'cheating' when I'm in the middle of a battle or an important scene. Eventually It works ... but I end up doing a lot less chores than I should.

Thanks for the list and the other tips, I will try some of these games soon, Kappaking!

2 years ago*
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oh geez i saw spacechem on Kappa's list, and I somehow agree with this choice. :)))
It's the first commercial puzzle game from Zachtronics, and i don't know if it's really "puzzle" in wise of "find the solution", I'd say it's more like "create your solution" game. You can encounter a puzzle, give it some tries to get the basic idea of what's needed, and then go do some choir while thinking of a better solution. I had some A-ha moments for this game while washing dishes, vacumming the house ect.
If you think you're into what I just said then please give it a try, it's a brilliant and f-ing difficult game :D

2 years ago
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Two votes for SpaceChem then. That counts!

2 years ago
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thank for a ride!!
try Satisfactory

2 years ago
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Ah, I've seen this game a few times and I was very interested, but it gave me the impression that it is a game that gets bigger and bigger and more and more complicated. 😡

Well, I don't know if that's right but remember, in a way, like Prison Architect and Banished (great games, btw) where you are increasing your prison or village more and more, continuously, forever... πŸ™ƒ

2 years ago
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When i used to rotate my games, i usually only play boring or difficult games. The rotation is kinda like switch each game between x tries or x hour.

If you want to play difficult games tho, maybe try https://store.steampowered.com/app/211360/Offspring_Fling/

2 years ago
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It`s cute! I like puzzles, I'll try this one!

Thanks, aquatorrent!

2 years ago
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It's more of a precision platformer though, hahah. Anyway, hope you'll like it!

2 years ago
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Bump it up~

2 years ago
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Bump

2 years ago
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Here are some off the top of my head and recent ones:
Roguelike deck builders: Neoverse, Vault of the Void, Hadean Tactics, Across the Obelisk, Neurodeck, Banners of Ruin, Quantum Protocol
Casual party game: knight squad 2
TD: Crypto: Against All Odds - Tower Defense, GemCraft - Frostborn Wrath, gun bots
Strategy: hero among us, battle cruisers, kilta, Raiders! Forsaken Earth
Sim: Hell's High Harmonizers, CyberHive

You can check out some other games in our lists https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35180752-3-point-play/

2 years ago
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Dude, I didn't even know most of these games... Only Banners of Ruin was in my wish list, the others I added now. πŸ˜€

Thanks a lot!

2 years ago
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Bump

2 years ago
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I like your style rurnhani, I do a similar thing.

I think this game will work for you, it is still in early access but is pretty good:
A run through of each level to the boss will take about 10-15 minutes, and about 15-20 minutes on the later levels.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1268810/Doors_of_Insanity/

2 years ago
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Damn! I liked the visual! Thanks, dragon099!

I put it on my wish list now, but I think I'll buy it soon!

2 years ago
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Bump!

2 years ago
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Closed 2 years ago by rurnhani.