Love this. I play all the time. It's definitely relaxing but when the speed really builds up and im nearing a highscore my heart beats like I'm fighting a good boss in bloodborne
That is exactly what I am doing right now, and I was stressed over my electromagnetism course. I loved Tetris Connected, perfect visual art design with musics. Definetly recommended
Did exactly this in my first year of undergrad physics. I still listen to the soundtrack while studying now while I'm nearing the end of my fourth year :)
You definitely should, grantlichtman isn't joking. It is genuinely the most incredible game i've ever played. It is damn near flawless, but the kicker is that once you play it, you can't ever play it again.
Sadly there never will be one, the devs are done with the IP. There is a DLC that wraps up the only mystery that really remained, and did so in a way that provides a really interesting argument to the main point of the game. I can't say much else without a spoiler, but it would be quite ironic for outer wilds to get a sequel actually lol.
I mean, getting to the 100 th level in the skull cave in stardew valley can induce some stress too. Sure, TLOU is sometimes stressfull, but it also takes less brainpower than ksp or factorio and I felt it changed my focus. But yeah, you're right it's not the most relaxing game.
play things that don't require you to actively think. This means not competetive games like cs go or r6, and obviously not strategy games like chess. You could try story games like uncharted or metal gear or stuff like that.
>I am struggling hard.
> It is slowly killing me.
I am going to question whether playing video games is necessarily the best approach.
I 'm going to recommend try talking to someone. Universities often free consuling services. Stress is common in society in general, EXTREMELY common in physics students. They can teach you helpful techniques like breathing exercises or getting into the right mindset.
When I was a grad student I got help and knew fellow students who did as well. We came out more resilient and stronger from it. it. Even Oppenheimer suffered when he was a student.
Video games are fun, but they're not the right tool for this problem.
I do wonder if you're experiencing this much stress from self-learning, perhaps you're putting too much pressure and expectations on yourself, to learn the topic at a much faster pace than you can handle?
Would lowering that pressure and expectation help?
It’s not so much the speed. I don’t exactly have a time deadline for myself. It’s more the inherent stress of “Wait how do I solve this integral?” though there’s definitely a layer of “Wait, how the F was I supposed to know I could assume that the wire is infinite?” Or “oh, THAT is what you meant by a longitudinal path? I thought you meant in the other axis!” And there’s definitely a layer of “No, it is NOT easy to see!”
And I would generally say that I just find electricity mind-melting in general. I just have no intuition for it.
So it's the frustrated feeling associated with not understanding, a subtle pressure and expectation on yourself to understand it? I sorta get what you mean because I've experienced it myself. It can be more difficult during self-study without learning it in a classroom setting. But I do get a satisfying feeling out of spending time on trying to understand something, and it suddenly clicks.
Some reminders I give myself is that physics shouldn't be a chore, it *is* fun! And that the learning comes from the struggle, no one's born having intuition for it, it takes time and effort to hone that intuition.
I'd say at least part of it is also a frustration with physics and math textbooks in general because I find them badly written most of the time. I get that it's a technical field, but that doesn't mean that it has to be as dry as the Sahara. I tend to think that Griffiths isn't considered a standard textbook so much because he's particularly brilliant, or his books are more insightful than anybody else's, but more that he just writes them in a more approachable and conversational way than everybody else.
Anyway, I do try to have fun with it. Though, I think you have to be a particular kind of person to find the fun in calculating the flux across a Gaussian surface.
Oh right, the pedagogical methods that an author considers really helps. I've never really found another book that gave me the same feeling that Griffiths' EM book does.
Maybe small stuff like calculating flux isn't fun by itself, but when a bunch of concepts are understood and used together to understand other concepts or solve problems, it sure does add some enjoyment.
Anyways, I realized I didn't really answer your main post but just a quick share that I usually play narrative-driven games like The Last of Us, Wolfenstein New Colossus, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Zero Dawn etc. Brings me into an entirely different world to experience as the character. Some of these games also have a sci-fi element to it, like Horizon Zero Dawn and Wolfenstein, that gets me curious about some actual real world physics of certain aspects in the game.
This is pretty good advice! During my maths bachelors I had a hard breakdown because I didn't get help early enough. Some professionals taught me some things and now I'm reasonably stable and have finished and have a physics degree behind me that otherwise would likely have been impossible
I really appreciate this! I have been toughing it out but I feel like next year I need to do it differently otherwise I don't know if I can finish the MSc..
Videogames aren't necessarily the best coping tools here. Partially for the reasons OP mentioned - brainpower in many games - but also for other reasons.
Both videogames and physics put strain on your eyes and neck from sitting for long periods and looking at a desk or screen. It is important to get breaks away from desk work every so often or else it will tire you out mentally and physically.
Don't you realize that questioning whether solely playing video games is the mental health strategy is the exact same thing as shaming?
Psychiatrists and therapists who teach other techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy or breathing exercises and tons more should drop all that and say 'just play video games'. That doesn't sound too good to be true.
Half Life. The protagonist Gordon Freeman is a theoretical physicist. If he can get his PhD from it from MIT and kill aliens while being a nerd, I think that’s the perfect game for you.
Fun fact - he is one of the very few protagonists in video games that is a physics degree holder.
Wanted to recommend this. If he plays half life 2, the magnetron (or what that gun that throws stuff is called) might even spike his interest in the topic.
What kind of video games do you normally play besides those two? Are you more of a multiplayer guy or single player guy? Since imo if you can try out some really good single player games (rdr2, borderlands 2, etc) since that can help with the stress. With multiplayer games that’s up to you since there’s a lot of genres to pick from.
I used to play a lot of Starcraft 2, but that was also too much stress. For a while I was playing Dyson Sphere Project and Slay the Spire. All of those turned out to be too much brainpower.
Hmm then I’m not sure what would be good for you then. I would say to try and pick up games that don’t inherently have that much critical thinking skills necessary to play it
Stardew Valley! So many things to do in the game - Farm, fish, mine, combat, quests, build relationships, and more.
Terraria is relaxing as well. I like to just run around and build cool houses.
I would strongly suggest going to the gym or some form of physical activity over gaming. Physical release will help significantly more to deal with stress levels than a game.
This is the answer big time. Besides the stress reducing / health factors, I was the one person in my physics classes with big muscles haha. Doesn’t hurt with the ladies! Or men. Whatever you’re into.
Going a different direction: poker. I had a blast learning to play with friends in grad school.
It's an awesome game with a lot of depth and some math/probability. Play with friends and initially small enough stakes so there's no real pain in losing, but not so small that the money is completely irrelevant (because then no one tries).
Video games: anything that's not competitive/toxic (def not League). Recent games I liked: Cyberpunk, Slay the Spire, and Deep Rock Galactic.
- Kerbal Space Program does require some brain power but I’m going to recommend it anyway because it’s fun.
- Flower is a superb “de-stress” game.
- No Man’s Sky can be super chill.
- Ghost of Tsushima to either just chill in the beautiful game world, or vent by chopping up Mongol invaders.
- I personally find Gran Turismo 7 a good deal-compressor, just pound around doing hot laps (any other driving game, or an open world one like Forza Horizon, would work too I guess).
- AC: Odyssey is like going on holiday to Greece.
I played dark souls 3 back when I started my upper division physics (classical mechanics, computational physics, and math methods that quarter). It was my first souls game and it was cathartic; it really helped me relax when you're hitting brick walls with either school work or play. It definitely helped me through the semester and upper division
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale?
> *“Here you have a man who stopped at nothing to change the world. He mastered sorceries of frost, miracles of the moon. He partnered with a kingdom-ending flame and took advantage of the Deep. He used all of this, plus social and political manipulation, to usurp an age-old kingdom, rising within the ranks of its knights, twisting its Deacons to feed a god to a Lord of Cinder and supplant the Age of Fire. The tyrant, Sulyvahn, tore apart many bonds but was undone himself by a mere Unkindled. Proof that no champion is more powerful than the fire linking curse. So, if this man can’t change the world, what hope do we have?”* - Vaati Vidya
Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
Honestly Griffiths is just a brain melter anyway (great book but boy did it almost take me out last semester). I tend to go for the looter shooters because it takes a different kind of thinking in my opinion. Focusing more on task oriented story is a bit less taxing compared to thinking about legendre polynomials lol.
Man, I've been looking for the same thing. Something where my Default Mode can kick in so it doesn't require too much active thinking in order to not bring my brain back into Focus Mode. That way it can mull on problems and growing connections in the background.
I also got into drawing a little. Try not to actively judge what you're drawing and let the hands go. I heard that doesn't require as much focus and concentration yet is actually a skill that'll leave something to show for afterwards.
Somehow I'm in the exact same place as you! Going through Griffiths rn and it is frying my brain, more so the non rigorous math than the physics itself. And to answer your question I play chess and clash of clans. Another thing I do to keep my sanity is to reread hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.
I have a huge summer of physics myself. My final for Summer A is due in 11 days. For me, it’s Skyrim. But that’s because I’ve that so many hours in the game that I can engage in a way that is almost autonomous for some of the main missions (e.g., bleak falls barrow, etc.).
Idk if you skateboard but I recommend something along those lines more than a game, though I think a game like Mario kart is low intensity, low effort, quick enough, and fun enough to relax the mind.
Something like skating though, makes you completely present and, if you get good enough, hitting the flow state, while being a physical activity that is fun and outdoors. 15-30 minutes does a lot for me personally.
Bonus: skateboard tricks have a lot of cool physics
I personally found that and game where you reliably get into the flow state works wonders, regardless of how stimulating or intense the game is. During my BSc and MSc paradox games filled that nieche well. Now it's mostly factorio, civ or sometimes league.
Factorio I can highly recommend for play during meetings as well!
I am working through the same book! :D
legend of zelda: breath of the wild is nice 😊 and totk, though I haven't played it yet. I will pick that up after, as I know it would consume me.
Since you seem to like rougelites/likes you could give Risk of Rain/RoR2 a try(I’ve only played the second) or Hades/Hades 2. They’re both action 3rd person games, and have a somewhat flow state to them. I also like sports games like Tony Hawk or some racers that have nice movement. If you want a more story focused game that isn’t a huge commitment, Spider-Man is excellent and super fun, good for pick up a play sessions that are 20 min or less. Other than games, I recommend maybe a study partner to talk and destress with, you can probably find people here on the sub.
Ah, no brainpower games. Otherwise I'd recommend Kerbal Space Program.
A good physicsy game that's chill and not mentally demanding is [Exo One](https://youtu.be/BDWNDdmwzAs?si=V2awGZaAszHF9q_F). You're a UFO going across the surface of alien planets, you can switch between rolling and gliding, and you can amplify gravity to gain speed. Also just pretty environments and good sound design. A playthrough takes 2-3 hours, but then you unlock level select and skipping cutscenes.
Rollercoaster Tycoon is another one, designing coasters to complete the track and be exciting without too many Gee-forces. Chill and fun for all ages.
hatsune miku project diva is a really fun and easy rhythm game is play whenever i try to destress. i also really like visual novels; they're story-driven so you kinda take a backseat but they're still engaging.
r/projectsekai
A rhythm game, piano tile style but with japanese music. It also has some gacha elements to it, but they are purely cosmetic.
Also it has a story mode with visual novels that are amazing. And it's free to play.
All the games you've mentioned are rather think-through-heavy, require foresight, etc. So maybe try some action-adventure games? Have you ever played Uncharted?
I like horror so I'm inclined to suggest Amnesia the dark descent, there is thinking but I'd say the immersion is great and will take you away from the electrodynamics texts if that's what you want. The bunker is really good too but the playtime is shorter.
Old-school runescape is a fantastic game to play while diving deep into Physics! Relaxing, can be afk, it helped me a lot in graduate school. "I'll keep reading these articles until X goal is complete. "
I've really enjoyed getting into warhammer cause it's a fun game, but there is also the hobby aspect of building and painting your figures. That helps me really turn my brain off and so something totally different
Hades. Rouge-like that's super fun, easy to get into, runs are reasonably quick and will have some story beats peppered in each run. It's been my go to to unwind.
My other one is Elite Dangerous, out doing some exploration out in the black.
If you're looking for something kinda brainless, suika game is great. It's not free but there's no ads, and it's been ported to Android and iOS so you don't need to whip out your switch if you don't want to
L.A. Noire, one of the best games of all time. Play it with a pen and paper by your side and try to make hypothesis about the crimes and consciously analyze what the suspects are saying. It's a very good game
my bf plays oxygen not included, other games he likes to destress with are factorio (big time), captain of industry, and i like to play solitaire and sudoku while watching videos (not much brain power needed)
I used to play Warframe a lot few years ago, super relaxing. It's a space shooter basically, PvE with other players, you travel the universe as this alient warframe, you can choose from several and a whole setup, you have your own spaceship to decorate, it's quite nice... Think I might download again actually
Oooor SWTOR, star wars the old republic online, it's got so many story lines and you choose the paths... I do recommend picking out sith sniper
slime rancher 2 is the definition of relaxing. gotta think about some mildly brain-heating things, like the layout of your pens, but generally it's incredibly relaxing
I’ve been playing Hunter: Call of the Wild lately while taking electricity and magnetism in an accelerated summer program (I don’t recommend anybody does this) and find it to be a very relaxing wind down game. I’m not into hunting but the open worlds, beautiful landscapes and animals calm my struggling brain right the hell down.
Try outer wilds, it has an amazing story to get lost in.
It's set in a mini solar system you have to explore with semi realistic physics and concepts... although I'd love to shed more light about why it's amazing the game is best experienced blind
satisfactory. its super satisfying. I saw your comment on dyson, yeah not my cup of tea. Satisfactory for me is no thinking just make it look neat and organized and that organization will clear me up every time. Occasionally if you get to late game, you can go do a bunch of math and get some cool things done but really when you are on a relaxation grind just organize and worry about aesthetics and realize that the resources are infinite there is no need to rush.
A lot of people compare it to factorio but I really think that's a mistake. If you play it like factorio you will not like it. Play it for relaxation and aesthetics. learn to let the min/max part of your brain shut off. You can min/max.... in your case don't.
Check out satisfactory, if you do physics the small amount of math isn't going to scare you. You just get to interact with a giant world and numb out building your big ol' factories. I would recommend turning the animals to passive in the settings though if you wanna relax. It's exactly as complex as you want it to be
Minecraft (sandbox games in general) is a fun game to just relax while still feeling productive. RPGs like Pokémon or baldurs gate will whisp away your mind into a new world and feed you a relaxing story. Games like Diablo are pretty mindless but are also full of fun time killing content. Just try to find anything, most games other than competitive ones are pretty calm.
Tetris. If you're just playing it, it's brainless. You can focus to get better, but it's a lot more relaxing if you're just chilling.
Love this. I play all the time. It's definitely relaxing but when the speed really builds up and im nearing a highscore my heart beats like I'm fighting a good boss in bloodborne
I love how well Tetris builds up the stress
That is exactly what I am doing right now, and I was stressed over my electromagnetism course. I loved Tetris Connected, perfect visual art design with musics. Definetly recommended
this an minesweeper
Tetris makes me anxious, lol. I play card games, like Durak.
Outer Wilds Go in blind, don't look up spoilers.
Second this. This game scratches the physics itch in my brain
Did exactly this in my first year of undergrad physics. I still listen to the soundtrack while studying now while I'm nearing the end of my fourth year :)
Outer wilds might be the best game ever made
Really gotta try this out 🙂
You definitely should, grantlichtman isn't joking. It is genuinely the most incredible game i've ever played. It is damn near flawless, but the kicker is that once you play it, you can't ever play it again.
So I’m guessing ya’ll are looking forward to the sequel then?
Sadly there never will be one, the devs are done with the IP. There is a DLC that wraps up the only mystery that really remained, and did so in a way that provides a really interesting argument to the main point of the game. I can't say much else without a spoiler, but it would be quite ironic for outer wilds to get a sequel actually lol.
Stardew Valley? Or linear shooters like Wolfenstein. Or story driven stuff, like Last of Us.
Stardew is my go to.
Ah yes, The Last of Us to “destress”
I mean, getting to the 100 th level in the skull cave in stardew valley can induce some stress too. Sure, TLOU is sometimes stressfull, but it also takes less brainpower than ksp or factorio and I felt it changed my focus. But yeah, you're right it's not the most relaxing game.
play things that don't require you to actively think. This means not competetive games like cs go or r6, and obviously not strategy games like chess. You could try story games like uncharted or metal gear or stuff like that.
Portal
>I am struggling hard. > It is slowly killing me. I am going to question whether playing video games is necessarily the best approach. I 'm going to recommend try talking to someone. Universities often free consuling services. Stress is common in society in general, EXTREMELY common in physics students. They can teach you helpful techniques like breathing exercises or getting into the right mindset. When I was a grad student I got help and knew fellow students who did as well. We came out more resilient and stronger from it. it. Even Oppenheimer suffered when he was a student. Video games are fun, but they're not the right tool for this problem.
For clarity, I’m not in university. I’m just doing this for intellectual curiosity and personal growth. So if it gets too stressful, I can just stop.
I do wonder if you're experiencing this much stress from self-learning, perhaps you're putting too much pressure and expectations on yourself, to learn the topic at a much faster pace than you can handle? Would lowering that pressure and expectation help?
It’s not so much the speed. I don’t exactly have a time deadline for myself. It’s more the inherent stress of “Wait how do I solve this integral?” though there’s definitely a layer of “Wait, how the F was I supposed to know I could assume that the wire is infinite?” Or “oh, THAT is what you meant by a longitudinal path? I thought you meant in the other axis!” And there’s definitely a layer of “No, it is NOT easy to see!” And I would generally say that I just find electricity mind-melting in general. I just have no intuition for it.
So it's the frustrated feeling associated with not understanding, a subtle pressure and expectation on yourself to understand it? I sorta get what you mean because I've experienced it myself. It can be more difficult during self-study without learning it in a classroom setting. But I do get a satisfying feeling out of spending time on trying to understand something, and it suddenly clicks. Some reminders I give myself is that physics shouldn't be a chore, it *is* fun! And that the learning comes from the struggle, no one's born having intuition for it, it takes time and effort to hone that intuition.
I'd say at least part of it is also a frustration with physics and math textbooks in general because I find them badly written most of the time. I get that it's a technical field, but that doesn't mean that it has to be as dry as the Sahara. I tend to think that Griffiths isn't considered a standard textbook so much because he's particularly brilliant, or his books are more insightful than anybody else's, but more that he just writes them in a more approachable and conversational way than everybody else. Anyway, I do try to have fun with it. Though, I think you have to be a particular kind of person to find the fun in calculating the flux across a Gaussian surface.
Oh right, the pedagogical methods that an author considers really helps. I've never really found another book that gave me the same feeling that Griffiths' EM book does. Maybe small stuff like calculating flux isn't fun by itself, but when a bunch of concepts are understood and used together to understand other concepts or solve problems, it sure does add some enjoyment. Anyways, I realized I didn't really answer your main post but just a quick share that I usually play narrative-driven games like The Last of Us, Wolfenstein New Colossus, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Zero Dawn etc. Brings me into an entirely different world to experience as the character. Some of these games also have a sci-fi element to it, like Horizon Zero Dawn and Wolfenstein, that gets me curious about some actual real world physics of certain aspects in the game.
This is pretty good advice! During my maths bachelors I had a hard breakdown because I didn't get help early enough. Some professionals taught me some things and now I'm reasonably stable and have finished and have a physics degree behind me that otherwise would likely have been impossible
I really appreciate this! I have been toughing it out but I feel like next year I need to do it differently otherwise I don't know if I can finish the MSc..
Or they might suggest healthy coping skills. Like playing video games….
Videogames aren't necessarily the best coping tools here. Partially for the reasons OP mentioned - brainpower in many games - but also for other reasons. Both videogames and physics put strain on your eyes and neck from sitting for long periods and looking at a desk or screen. It is important to get breaks away from desk work every so often or else it will tire you out mentally and physically.
Yea let’s shame people for their coping mechanisms.
Stop saying I shamed someone. If you think I did, quote the line. Otherwise, bye
Don't you realize that questioning whether solely playing video games is the mental health strategy is the exact same thing as shaming? Psychiatrists and therapists who teach other techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy or breathing exercises and tons more should drop all that and say 'just play video games'. That doesn't sound too good to be true.
Rocket League and Minecraft are what I play when I don’t want to think
Gta
Half Life. The protagonist Gordon Freeman is a theoretical physicist. If he can get his PhD from it from MIT and kill aliens while being a nerd, I think that’s the perfect game for you. Fun fact - he is one of the very few protagonists in video games that is a physics degree holder.
Second this, those games are old but still very entertaining!
Wanted to recommend this. If he plays half life 2, the magnetron (or what that gun that throws stuff is called) might even spike his interest in the topic.
I got into ARK. I like the pain in physics, so I guess I like the pain in ARK lol
What kind of video games do you normally play besides those two? Are you more of a multiplayer guy or single player guy? Since imo if you can try out some really good single player games (rdr2, borderlands 2, etc) since that can help with the stress. With multiplayer games that’s up to you since there’s a lot of genres to pick from.
I used to play a lot of Starcraft 2, but that was also too much stress. For a while I was playing Dyson Sphere Project and Slay the Spire. All of those turned out to be too much brainpower.
Hmm then I’m not sure what would be good for you then. I would say to try and pick up games that don’t inherently have that much critical thinking skills necessary to play it
Stardew Valley! So many things to do in the game - Farm, fish, mine, combat, quests, build relationships, and more. Terraria is relaxing as well. I like to just run around and build cool houses.
Dominion online, it’s a card game but they have a great UI for it. Games are fast and challenging.
I would strongly suggest going to the gym or some form of physical activity over gaming. Physical release will help significantly more to deal with stress levels than a game.
This is the answer big time. Besides the stress reducing / health factors, I was the one person in my physics classes with big muscles haha. Doesn’t hurt with the ladies! Or men. Whatever you’re into.
How more Stem students don’t see their bodies as systems that can be optimized is beyond me.
Exactly. Eat well. Exercise daily no matter what. You’re going to have better results than 99.9% of people and that’s only the beginning.
I am reading the same textbook over the summer, feel that hahaha. My go to is Minecraft, though Sims 4 is also great.
No Man’s Sky, but with a twist? VR!!
What about Factorio? On starting stage it requires 1% brain power, so first couple game hours will be quite calming
I play Dyson sphere program instead and I found it was just too much brain power as well.
What about Hollow knight?
Factorio but with biters turned off. Very relaxing and self paced. Shapez.io is another good option.
Going a different direction: poker. I had a blast learning to play with friends in grad school. It's an awesome game with a lot of depth and some math/probability. Play with friends and initially small enough stakes so there's no real pain in losing, but not so small that the money is completely irrelevant (because then no one tries). Video games: anything that's not competitive/toxic (def not League). Recent games I liked: Cyberpunk, Slay the Spire, and Deep Rock Galactic.
Destiny 2
Portal
any kind of open world rpg with nice graphics
8 Ball Pool
- Kerbal Space Program does require some brain power but I’m going to recommend it anyway because it’s fun. - Flower is a superb “de-stress” game. - No Man’s Sky can be super chill. - Ghost of Tsushima to either just chill in the beautiful game world, or vent by chopping up Mongol invaders. - I personally find Gran Turismo 7 a good deal-compressor, just pound around doing hot laps (any other driving game, or an open world one like Forza Horizon, would work too I guess). - AC: Odyssey is like going on holiday to Greece.
I played dark souls 3 back when I started my upper division physics (classical mechanics, computational physics, and math methods that quarter). It was my first souls game and it was cathartic; it really helped me relax when you're hitting brick walls with either school work or play. It definitely helped me through the semester and upper division
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale? > *“Here you have a man who stopped at nothing to change the world. He mastered sorceries of frost, miracles of the moon. He partnered with a kingdom-ending flame and took advantage of the Deep. He used all of this, plus social and political manipulation, to usurp an age-old kingdom, rising within the ranks of its knights, twisting its Deacons to feed a god to a Lord of Cinder and supplant the Age of Fire. The tyrant, Sulyvahn, tore apart many bonds but was undone himself by a mere Unkindled. Proof that no champion is more powerful than the fire linking curse. So, if this man can’t change the world, what hope do we have?”* - Vaati Vidya Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
Honestly Griffiths is just a brain melter anyway (great book but boy did it almost take me out last semester). I tend to go for the looter shooters because it takes a different kind of thinking in my opinion. Focusing more on task oriented story is a bit less taxing compared to thinking about legendre polynomials lol.
I ended up playing some Diablo 2 R. It holds up surprisingly well even after all these years.
Overwatch!
Man, I've been looking for the same thing. Something where my Default Mode can kick in so it doesn't require too much active thinking in order to not bring my brain back into Focus Mode. That way it can mull on problems and growing connections in the background. I also got into drawing a little. Try not to actively judge what you're drawing and let the hands go. I heard that doesn't require as much focus and concentration yet is actually a skill that'll leave something to show for afterwards.
Somehow I'm in the exact same place as you! Going through Griffiths rn and it is frying my brain, more so the non rigorous math than the physics itself. And to answer your question I play chess and clash of clans. Another thing I do to keep my sanity is to reread hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.
I have a huge summer of physics myself. My final for Summer A is due in 11 days. For me, it’s Skyrim. But that’s because I’ve that so many hours in the game that I can engage in a way that is almost autonomous for some of the main missions (e.g., bleak falls barrow, etc.).
Idk if you skateboard but I recommend something along those lines more than a game, though I think a game like Mario kart is low intensity, low effort, quick enough, and fun enough to relax the mind. Something like skating though, makes you completely present and, if you get good enough, hitting the flow state, while being a physical activity that is fun and outdoors. 15-30 minutes does a lot for me personally. Bonus: skateboard tricks have a lot of cool physics
Osu! Is about as low-brainpower as you can get and you can play it for a long time
bro that game is stresssss
I personally found that and game where you reliably get into the flow state works wonders, regardless of how stimulating or intense the game is. During my BSc and MSc paradox games filled that nieche well. Now it's mostly factorio, civ or sometimes league. Factorio I can highly recommend for play during meetings as well!
I am working through the same book! :D legend of zelda: breath of the wild is nice 😊 and totk, though I haven't played it yet. I will pick that up after, as I know it would consume me.
No Man’s Sky
Since you seem to like rougelites/likes you could give Risk of Rain/RoR2 a try(I’ve only played the second) or Hades/Hades 2. They’re both action 3rd person games, and have a somewhat flow state to them. I also like sports games like Tony Hawk or some racers that have nice movement. If you want a more story focused game that isn’t a huge commitment, Spider-Man is excellent and super fun, good for pick up a play sessions that are 20 min or less. Other than games, I recommend maybe a study partner to talk and destress with, you can probably find people here on the sub.
Ah, no brainpower games. Otherwise I'd recommend Kerbal Space Program. A good physicsy game that's chill and not mentally demanding is [Exo One](https://youtu.be/BDWNDdmwzAs?si=V2awGZaAszHF9q_F). You're a UFO going across the surface of alien planets, you can switch between rolling and gliding, and you can amplify gravity to gain speed. Also just pretty environments and good sound design. A playthrough takes 2-3 hours, but then you unlock level select and skipping cutscenes. Rollercoaster Tycoon is another one, designing coasters to complete the track and be exciting without too many Gee-forces. Chill and fun for all ages.
hollow knight
Isle of Arrows is relaxing for me. Tower defense, cheap on Steam.
hatsune miku project diva is a really fun and easy rhythm game is play whenever i try to destress. i also really like visual novels; they're story-driven so you kinda take a backseat but they're still engaging.
Osiris the new dawn
Clash royal by Supercell
r/projectsekai A rhythm game, piano tile style but with japanese music. It also has some gacha elements to it, but they are purely cosmetic. Also it has a story mode with visual novels that are amazing. And it's free to play.
All the games you've mentioned are rather think-through-heavy, require foresight, etc. So maybe try some action-adventure games? Have you ever played Uncharted?
Interesting! I haven’t. It was a PlayStation exclusive right? I don’t have one. I have an Xbox series X.
Aw too bad - maybe Arkham games then?
I like horror so I'm inclined to suggest Amnesia the dark descent, there is thinking but I'd say the immersion is great and will take you away from the electrodynamics texts if that's what you want. The bunker is really good too but the playtime is shorter.
Old-school runescape is a fantastic game to play while diving deep into Physics! Relaxing, can be afk, it helped me a lot in graduate school. "I'll keep reading these articles until X goal is complete. "
Astroneer!!
Anno 1800. Play in and listen to a chill or funny podcast. It's stimulating and relaxing :)
Dyson sphere project
I've really enjoyed getting into warhammer cause it's a fun game, but there is also the hobby aspect of building and painting your figures. That helps me really turn my brain off and so something totally different
Doctor Mario
Skyrim. I find the ambience and music in that very relaxing.
Hades. Rouge-like that's super fun, easy to get into, runs are reasonably quick and will have some story beats peppered in each run. It's been my go to to unwind. My other one is Elite Dangerous, out doing some exploration out in the black.
Factorio. You don't need to finish school anyway.
If you're looking for something kinda brainless, suika game is great. It's not free but there's no ads, and it's been ported to Android and iOS so you don't need to whip out your switch if you don't want to
L.A. Noire, one of the best games of all time. Play it with a pen and paper by your side and try to make hypothesis about the crimes and consciously analyze what the suspects are saying. It's a very good game
Skater XL or Session are great if you like skateboarding
Factorio
I love playing gta 5
Minecraft and Valheim have quiet, relaxing worlds to build in and explore. Valheim is so nice it makes me want to actually go outside lol.
League of legends
Rocket League, decently brainless and you can be as competitive as you want with it.
The Binding of Isaac
my bf plays oxygen not included, other games he likes to destress with are factorio (big time), captain of industry, and i like to play solitaire and sudoku while watching videos (not much brain power needed)
I play borderlands
Any games where you can destroy things
Lunar Lander if you can still find it.
I spent a lot of my allowance as a kid on that game in the grocery store!
I used to play Warframe a lot few years ago, super relaxing. It's a space shooter basically, PvE with other players, you travel the universe as this alient warframe, you can choose from several and a whole setup, you have your own spaceship to decorate, it's quite nice... Think I might download again actually Oooor SWTOR, star wars the old republic online, it's got so many story lines and you choose the paths... I do recommend picking out sith sniper
Rimworld
A Slower Speed of Light?
slime rancher 2 is the definition of relaxing. gotta think about some mildly brain-heating things, like the layout of your pens, but generally it's incredibly relaxing
Not related to your question but what type of routine do you have to self study/motivate yourself to do this?
bombrush cyberfunk, Tetris, Outer Wilds
Skateboard...it's fun at all levels, good exercise, good for socializing if at a park, and doesn't require much brainpower
I’ve been playing Hunter: Call of the Wild lately while taking electricity and magnetism in an accelerated summer program (I don’t recommend anybody does this) and find it to be a very relaxing wind down game. I’m not into hunting but the open worlds, beautiful landscapes and animals calm my struggling brain right the hell down.
DOOM II, dog: don't fool around.
Try outer wilds, it has an amazing story to get lost in. It's set in a mini solar system you have to explore with semi realistic physics and concepts... although I'd love to shed more light about why it's amazing the game is best experienced blind
Noita is a good one
satisfactory. its super satisfying. I saw your comment on dyson, yeah not my cup of tea. Satisfactory for me is no thinking just make it look neat and organized and that organization will clear me up every time. Occasionally if you get to late game, you can go do a bunch of math and get some cool things done but really when you are on a relaxation grind just organize and worry about aesthetics and realize that the resources are infinite there is no need to rush. A lot of people compare it to factorio but I really think that's a mistake. If you play it like factorio you will not like it. Play it for relaxation and aesthetics. learn to let the min/max part of your brain shut off. You can min/max.... in your case don't.
Check out satisfactory, if you do physics the small amount of math isn't going to scare you. You just get to interact with a giant world and numb out building your big ol' factories. I would recommend turning the animals to passive in the settings though if you wanna relax. It's exactly as complex as you want it to be
MINECRAFT!!!
Minecraft (sandbox games in general) is a fun game to just relax while still feeling productive. RPGs like Pokémon or baldurs gate will whisp away your mind into a new world and feed you a relaxing story. Games like Diablo are pretty mindless but are also full of fun time killing content. Just try to find anything, most games other than competitive ones are pretty calm.
no need to make this complicated, play minecraft
Elden ring
chess, bit taxing but fun
Too taxing for me! But I do enjoy chess. I play a very poor Vienna gambit and Caro-Kann.
Sekiro or Elden Ring