As great as it is to always stay up to date on the latest gaming trends and check out new releases, there’s something about getting lost in a comfort game. For me, it’sWorld of Warcraft, but it undoubtedly differs for everyone else.
These are the games that, no matter how old they are, we keep coming back to. We’ve spent hundreds of hours getting lost in their worlds and falling in love with the characters. We can recite every line of dialogue by heart and sometimes even be able to play through the game blindfolded.
Best of all, these games offer a great mix of endless replayability and experiences we never get tired of. So, if you want to get value for money, these are the games you’ll want to dive into.
10The Civilization Series
Civ 4, Civ 6, don’t matter
Sid Meier’s Civilization 6
The phrase “one more turn” is commonplace in theCivilizationfranchise. Fans always say they’ll play just one more turn in a match before finally logging off.
Anyone who’s played a game ofCivunderstands why. It’s not just about being able to drop nuclear bombs as Ghandi. It’s the impressive amount of strategy that goes into a game.
There’s a lot of planning and strategy that goes into each turn. You have to set yourself up for the present while planning your future, all while keeping an eye on every other civilization in the game.
Do you declare as allies and establish trade routes? Or is it worth it to conquer them and plunder their resources? You spend all this time strategizing, only to realize that six hours passed in the blink of an eye.
9Cities: Skylines
The premiere city builder
Cities: Skylines
While theSimCityfranchise sits in exile after the disastrous 2013 game,Cities: Skylineshas happily filled the void.
The 2023 sequel hasn’t met our expectations, but the original 2015 release is still well worth our time.
This is the city builder we had already dreamed of. From starting in our humble origins to creating and managing a full, sprawling metropolis,Cities: Skylines' only flaw is that it consumes all of your free time.
Despite being now ten years old, the game’s mod and community support, as well as substantial DLC offerings, offer an impressive amount of content.
8World of Warcraft
Thousands of hours and counting
World of Warcraft
Twenty years and over 10,000 hours later, I’m still playingWorld of Warcraft.
Over the years, theMMORPGhas continued to adapt to the times, bringing more accessible quality-of-life updates and borrowing elements from the ARPG genre.
Its most recent expansion,The War Within, isn’t perfect, but it offers plenty for fans to see and do, from collecting mounts, transmog costumes, high-quality raids, challenging Mythic+ dungeons, and more.
With player housing on the horizon for the next expansion, we’re ready to sink another 20 years and 10,000 hours intoWorld of Warcraft. Or, if you’re like me, you’re perfectly content reliving the Classic WoW experience.
7Diablo II
Still the best
Speaking of a classicBlizzardexperience,Diablo IIis still going strong despite two sequels, including the recentDiablo IVrelease.
Blizzard capitalized onDiablo II’s popularity in 2012 with the official release ofDiablo II Resurrected, an official remaster of the beloved Action RPG. This means that those of us with hundreds, if not thousands, of hours invested in the game get a chance to fall in love withDiablo IIall over again
Best of all, there weren’t any gameplay updates: it’s just a chance to remaster the game’s graphics and sound. It’s still the game we all know and love, and we’re happy to spend hundreds of hours with it again.
In the eyes of many, this is the peak of the ARPG genre, and it’s a breath of fresh air to see Blizzard keep the core gameplay untouched.
6Baldur’s Gate 3
One playthrough alone is 200+ hours
Baldur’s Gate 3
2023’s best game of the year grabs hold of you and refuses to let go.
Even after spending hundreds of hours in a single playthrough, a seemingly infinite amount of content is still waiting for you.
I’ve had countless friends tell me about the times they discovered something new on their fifth or sixth playthrough, and that’s honestly still just scratching the surface of what’s available in-game.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Developer Shift “Full Attention” To Next Game
Larian Studios will enter a media blackout for the foreseeable future as they work on their next game.
Whether it’s diving into the stories of every party member or replaying and choosing different story and dialogue options,Baldur’s Gate 3is the game we could play until the end of time and never be bored.
5Final Fantasy XIV
Arguably the superior MMORPG
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
I’m someone who normally skips any and all story content in an MMORPG to get straight to the endgame. I live for max-level dungeons and raids.
One reason for this is that the narrative in most MMOs is lacking. That’s not the case withFinal Fantasy XIV, though. Never mind the genre; it has some of the best storytelling in all of gaming.
Best of all,Square Enixhas done a tremendous job rebuilding the game from the ground up following the disastrous launch of the originalFinal Fantasy XIV.
They’ve rebuilt a world worth exploring, and their improvements in quality of life make it much easier to experience different jobs (classes).
4Monster Hunter World
Hunting we will go
Monster Hunter World
Like many,Monster Hunter Worldwas my first introduction to the genre. After playing through it for countless hours, I wondered what I had been missing out on after all these years.
TheMonster Hunterfranchise thrives on delivering an immersive environment that focuses on all aspects of the hunt.
Yes, it’s thrilling to engage in lengthy battles against larger-than-life monsters, but the time spent hunting and tracking them is just as enjoyable.
It offers an excellent balance between researching, investigating, and engaging in these monsters. When a game is non-stop action for hundreds of hours, it can lose its impact. That’s not the case withMonster Hunter World, and I can’t wait forMonster Hunter Wilds.
3Persona 5 Royal
Beneath the mask
Persona 5 Royal
One of the best JRPGs ever made,Persona 5 Royalis the definitive version ofPersona 5.
Yes, you’ll spend well over 100 hours to complete the game, but it’s such an enjoyable experience that you won’t mind playing it a second or even a third time.
Metaphor and Persona 5 Director Likes to Oversee Creative Process “To The End”
Katsuras Hashino, who has worked on Metaphor: ReFantazio and the Persona franchise, reveals his approach to directing a game.
It won’t offer as many branching options asBaldur’s Gate 3, but it’s common not to have time to see and do everything during aPersona 5playthrough. Jumping back in allows you to try out different things.
2Minecraft
Endless Creativity
There’s no denyingMinecraft’simpact on the gaming industry. It helped spawn the popularity of the crafting genre of games.
It’s hard to believe that the game is over a decade old, with many fans having easily spent thousands of hours on it.
Minecraftsucceeds by giving players a bevy of options to experience it as they see fit. It’s not just about crafting but also about the game’s survival mode, hardcore mode, and the dozens of other creative options at your disposal.
The more you spend time withMinecraft, the more you’ll find something new to do, keeping your attention for hundreds of more hours.
1Stardew Valley
Down on the farm
Stardew Valley
Good news forStardew Valleyfans: developer ConcernedApe says he could make content for the game over thenext 50 years.
The constant updates have helped players remain engaged and playStardew Valley. We were already comfortable spending hundreds of hours caring for our farm, but with plenty of new content always coming, it makes it easier to ignore our backlogs.
When it feels like other similar cozy games are lacking in terms of depth,Stardew Valleyis always here for us with something new.
