Comfort Food Gaming

Introduction

All of us who game likely play a lot of games. Why? Because there ARE a lot of games. Now I know some of you stick with relatively few games and play those a LOT, so this can apply to you too.

Recently, I’ve returned to Lord of the Rings Online after a short hiatus. I do this regularly with MMOs. I play them hard for a while then take a break due to burnout. After Jumpgate — in which I put thousands of hours over its official lifespan — Lord of the Rings Online is my most-played MMORPG ever.

This got me to thinking, however: I usually don’t return to games. I’m usually a one-and-barely-done kinda guy (because I also rarely finish games. I have gaming ADHD like that). So for me not only sticking with a game is rare, but returning to it over and over again is also rare. This got me to thinking…

What Are My Usual Comfort Food Games?

• Lord of the Rings Online – Already stated, but I wanted to elaborate. While it’s a classic MMO, it’s also VERY soloable, meaning you don’t actually NEED other players to move through the world and have fun. I LOVE this. I basically look at it as a big open RPG with tons to do that just happens to have other people in it.
• Skyrim – I’ve returned to this many times over the last decade, as it’s a blast to rummage through its amazing world. It’s also got my favorite magic system of any Elder Scrolls game, so YOU get a fireball, and YOU get a fireball…
• Freespace 2 – This one should go without saying, but every couple of years I revisit its campaign, which is still one of the best in the business.
• Conquest: Frontier Wars – Every now and then I return to my favorite space RTS of all time. It’s so fun and varied that I never get tired of it.
• Uprising – This mix of tank game and RTS NEVER gets tiresome to me. I’ve played it many times over the years, and will regularly return to conquer a planet or two.

So that’s what I can think of. What about you? What are your comfort food games that you find yourself regularly returning to? I look forward to your lists on the forums, and thank you as always for reading!