Feeling stressed? Here are some short, relaxing games you can finish in one night

We all need to relax sometimes. Whether you're days away from a school exam, recently got married, or got into an argument that ruined your day, there are limitless reasons for sitting back, playing some fun games for a night, and returning to life's usual grind.

Thankfully, there are hundreds of games out there that you can start and play in one night. Here are ten of our top picks for the most chill, relaxing games you can finish in one night to end your day on a high note.

Untitled Goose Game

I'll just say it now: Untitled Goose Game is one of the funniest games I've ever played. Few things are more entertaining than playing as a goose who wants nothing more than to cause chaos in a small town. From honking at random pedestrians to stealing their sandwiches, there's nothing you can't do during its six-hour story. It's even multiplayer if you want a friend to tag along for the ride and double your playtime.

Journey

It's time to go from a goofy, cute game to one of the most stunningly beautiful options on this list with Journey. The game has you, a mysterious and unknown being, exploring the ruins of an abandoned civilization in hopes of reaching a mountain's summit. There are secrets and twists to be found along the way, with the main storyline taking around two to three hours to complete.

Townframe

Townframe is an adorably simplistic puzzle game that lets you recreate scenes using people's memories. As folks around town explain their thoughts and memories to you, you'll use various tools you unlock during your playthrough to recreate a scene of buildings and forests to satisfy their requirements. This one is one of the shortest on this list, clocking in at around an hour and a half to finish, making this a perfect choice if you only have a couple of hours to game and want something short and sweet to play on your PC.

Unpacking

Unpacking is a puzzle game in which you, well, unpack things. Starting in one room, you'll initially unpack a couple of boxes before traveling around your house and beyond to decorate the rest of your living space. With a runtime of about four hours, Unpacking's story is both inspiring and heartwarming, tugging at your heartstrings as you progress.

Minami Lane

Let's get into some strategy, shall we? Minami Lane is a shop management game where you create food recipes, flower bouquets, and more to make money and fill your villagers with joy. Although some management games are complicated when managing your expenses and staff, Minami Lane makes the entire process simple and easy to follow while remaining fun and exciting during its three to four-hour storyline.

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

If there's one thing I truly love, it's helping wildlife. Alba: A Wildlife Adventure follows the tale of Alba, a young girl who arrives on an island in hopes of helping its local wildlife before a rich business owner comes in to transform the island into a resort. It has a short and sweet story, taking around four hours to complete. As a bonus, ustwo games, in collaboration with Ecologi, is planting one tree for every download of Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, letting you make a positive, real-world impact on the environment by playing.

Donut County

We've got a couple more goofy games on this list, with Donut County being one of the strangest and cutest I've ever played. Donut County is a short but entertaining experience involving you, a hole in the ground, swallowing up everything in sight for, well, reasons. There's no grandiose plot or gameplay mechanics at play here, making this an odd yet clever game you can complete in about two hours.

Duck Detective

Speaking of clever games, let's become a detective. Duck Detective is a game series where you, a recently divorced duck who's a little too tired of life, are investigating the disappearance of some salami. Why salami? Who stole it? Why is everyone so tired in this office? These are just a few questions you'll answer as you dive into this short but hilarious story.

The best part? There are two of these games. Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is your introduction to the series, with The Ghost of Glamping acting as a direct sequel. That way, if you finish one in one night and feel like you need more, you have another opportunity to solve some puzzles and see Duck Detective in action.

Loddlenaut

Let's jump back to wildlife preservation for a moment with Loddlenaut. In Loddlenaut, you play as an interstellar custodian who quickly discovers that the ocean is full of trash, oil, and other substances that threaten the lives of local sea life. Your job is to clean it up while saving local axolotl-like creatures from getting swept up in the mess.

This is one of the longer entries on this list, with playthroughs taking anywhere between four and ten hours, depending on how much time you spend looking at your surroundings and interacting with the little fish that swim around. Nonetheless, if you don't mind a longer experience or want something you can finish at night but have some extra replayability, Loddlenaut is a solid choice.

Gris / Neva

Last but certainly not least, we have another of the most visually and musically stunning games on this list. Gris explores a young girl's trauma through adventures into a painted world within her mind, with a ton of symbolism both in her mind's environments and her character design. It's beautiful in every way, with a short but fascinating story that'll immerse you within its first few minutes.

Another worth mentioning is Nomada Studio's most recent entry, Neva. Although the two games follow separate stories, their narrative styles, gameplay lengths, and aesthetics are similar. Neva focuses more on puzzle elements and combat than Gris' music and story depth.

What are your favorite short and sweet games you've played recently? Let us know in the comments below!

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