EMBRACING TRANQUILITY: "SIMPLER TIMES" - A SERENE ESCAPE IN THE GAMING WORLD

Buried deep among bombastic releases and heart-racing rollercoaster rides that dominate this year’s Summer Game Fest 2023, one game effortlessly stood out as the coziest game of the year so far: Simpler Times. The laidback game’s official announcement at the event has already made it an easy favourite among gamers, especially those who are yearning for a more serene escape from the usual storm of triple-A frenzy games. Simpler Times clearly beats its predecessor by a mile – or, more aptly, by one summer day.

DISCOVER A HAVEN OF PEACE: WHY SIMPLER TIMES CAPTIVATES

At the heart of ‘Simpler Times’ lies its design – which is to say, a game as it works to make you feel at ease. In our distracted age, it is not easy to find a break. Simpler Times is a lush garden of calm among the nettles. It allows us to take a break from the perpetual demands of modern life, to be immersed in an idyll where, once upon a time, one could just go about rebuilding a simple little town. This is not just about escapism. It is about rediscovering something about ourselves we have lost touch with, something about playfulness and simplicity.

THE ESSENCE OF SERENITY: GAMEPLAY THAT SOOTHES THE SOUL

• Reconstitute and Treasure: Rebuilding a broken-down town is key to the joy of ‘Simpler Times’, and the game cultivates players’ creativity and sense of aesthetics through encouraging them to make their town a personal enclave.
• A Wandering Discovery: Offering a relaxed fishing mini-game and an overall incentive to explore most corners of its vibrant, hand-crafted island world, Simpler Times becomes a journey of discovery in its own right – one that inspires a unique sense of quiet contentedness through aimless wandering.
• Build and Bake Your Way to Chill: Another key element besides building – crafting and cooking are also popular because they’re all mindfulness-style activities. These added layers deepen the meditation-like feel of the game, making getting high pleasant, but not without some homeliness and warmth.

WHERE TO FIND YOUR SLICE OF SERENITY

Sanscons is the gift that keeps on giving: ‘Simpler Times’ is out now on PC and consoles for anyone keen to get started. If you’ve ever identified as ‘ameddled’, now is your chance to hit reset. Sanscons is the perfect way to escape – if even for a few hours – the seemingly unavoidable noise and chatter of modern life.

WHY SIMPLER TIMES RESONATES: A CONCLUSION

Ultimately, ‘Simpler Times’ is less of a game and more of a mindfulness exercise – a way of stepping away and being happy in the moment. The game’s bright aesthetics and crime-free gameplay combine to offer a heartening, soothing escape. ‘Simpler Times’ speaks to the present moment of gaming, of bigger stakes and faster paces, and emerges as a necessary counter-narrative to the often hyperkinetic speeds we pursue in our media. It’s wonderful to get out of Dodge via ‘Simpler Times’ and reminds us to enjoy the slow things in life.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF "SENSE" IN SIMPLER TIMES

And the fact that the word ‘sense’ pervades this article is not just a linguistic affectation; it’s an expression of what ‘Simpler Times’ truly means to attempt to induce in its player, engaging all the senses of a player who is being engaged via the visuals of the game, the rhythm of the play, and the overall quietude of the experience. This sensibility is key, as it brings the player closer to the game in a way that turns an act of play into a felt experience of pure relaxation, like a breath of real joy.

The joy of rebuilding, the spirit of discovery, the quietude of crafting, and the comfort of cooking, all come together in Simpler Times – an experience with no peer in gaming, that reminds me how much gaming has the potential to comfort, to heal and to help create places for us to connect with the peace and quiet that sometimes gets lost in the noise of everyday life. For those seeking a healing and soothing haven in-game, Simpler Times is just the right place.