The escapism provided by video games is unrivaled. In games, players can truly embody characters and immerse themselves in a virtual existence, exploring and living in other worlds in whatever way they choose. The right game can provide a haven that players scarcely want to leave, preferring instead to nestle in and build a second life. A life in which they can become a multi-millionaire or shoot lightning beams from their hands, but still take it easy and indulge in some pedestrian pastimes.
The best games for this second life allow players to create or personalize their characters, to develop relationships, take up hobbies, and even build themselves a home. At the same time, well-designed worlds, complex character interactions, and various customization capabilities make the experience one that players will want to return to again and again.
7 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Skyrim is a top-line RPG set within a rich fantasy world. The Elder Scrolls series has been running since 1994 but The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has been by far the franchise’s greatest success. Superb graphics and gameplay solidified it as not only one of the greatest fantasy RPGs of all time but as one of the greatest video games of all time.
Skyrim boasts a vast open world that doesn’t sacrifice its aesthetic or character interactions. Players can design their characters, have conversations with hundreds of NPCs, and embark on hundreds of quests, from becoming the Dragonborn Hero to finding a drunk villager’s secret stash of mead. There are many hours of content to get through, and countless forests, settlements, dungeons, and mountain slopes to wander. Players can even marry certain NPCs and buy themselves a house. In the Hearthfire expansion, players can adopt children too, or buy a plot of land to build new homes from scratch.
6 Red Dead Redemption 2
Perhaps one of the best-looking open-world games to date, Red Dead Redemption 2 by Rockstar Games offers unparalleled immersion. It’s won numerous awards for both its story and aesthetic, offering players an opportunity to truly live the free-roaming life of a wandering cowboy. It's GTA V with the slow pace and stunning vistas of the old-timey Wild West.
Not only does Red Dead Redemption 2 have hours of fleshed-out narrative to enjoy, but players can also enjoy hunting, fishing, playing poker, getting a haircut, taking a bath, building a home, or simply wandering the fictitious (but realistic) states of the late 1800s, admiring the breathtaking scenery and detailed communities. So detailed, in fact, that each settlement has its own individual and authentic feel.
5 The Sims
What better game to live out a second life than one where that is the sole objective? In The Sims series, players create characters to live in a home that is also player-created, or at least entirely customizable. Whether these Sims work their way up career ladders to buy each new window or wing of their house, or whether they simply cheat from the get-go and create their dream mansion, The Sims series are some of the best games around for building that bespoke home.
The Sims also has unparalleled character creation, in which players can design everything from the character’s eyebrows to their personal traits and aspirations. Then it’s a simple matter of taking care of each Sim’s needs, from going to the lavatory to becoming CEO. Players can have their Sims form relationships, have children, pick up hobbies, learn skills, order pizza, play practical jokes, and even die. As the name suggests, The Sims truly is a life simulator. But one in which players can live out real-world fantasies and dreams in a matter of hours, fast-forwarding through the boring bits.
4 Stardew Valley
In Stardew Valley, the player creates their character before being invited to start a new life at their granddad’s old farm. A gift for the character (and player) when they feel ‘crushed by the burden of modern life’. It’s promised to be a ‘perfect place to start a new life’. And boy does it deliver.
Developed by one man with relatively simple, retro-pixel graphics, one could be forgiven for thinking Stardew Valley is trivial. However, this heartwarming farm simulator has gamers clocking hundreds, even thousands of hours in-game. Though it was released in 2016, its fan base and popularity continue to grow, with the game continuing to receive overwhelmingly positive reviews. Once a life is set up in Stardew Valley, that sweet farm life can be hard to leave. Players will happily strive to regenerate their grandfather’s farm and turn it into a flourishing business, sowing seeds, whacking weeds, mining for materials, crafting items, and even marrying a townsperson to help around the farm. Who knew hard graft could be so simple, so fun, and so addictive?
3 GTA 5 & GTA Online
Grand Theft Auto V is another open-world game but is more action-adventure than RPG. Players take on the role of three different criminals with separate yet converging stories in Los Santos, which is based on Southern California. In the online component, players can create their own characters and take part in a different story, either alone or alongside other players, building their empires and buying various properties, vehicles, or character customizations. Or they may simply roam the expansive Los Santos map finding and shooting at each other, whilst showing off their flashiest, shiniest cars.
Even within the main game, which has a huge map and great story, players can individualize their character with a wide array of clothing, cosmetic items, and homes to purchase. They can also build relationships and indulge in social activities or hobbies. From hunting to triathlons, tennis to yoga, Los Santos has it all. With so many extracurricular activities to indulge in, players can easily forget the main story entirely. It’s a game in which one could choose not to steal a car at all, and simply lead a pedestrian life that is no less fun.
2 Fallout 4
Fans of Skyrim will notice a lot of similarities between it and Bethesda’s other critically acclaimed open-world RPG series: Fallout. Fallout 4, like Skyrim, immerses players and their created characters in a vast map with countless nooks and crannies to explore. However, thematically Fallout 4 has a completely different feel. It follows Vault 111’s ‘Sole Survivor’, awoken from their cryogenic slumber to make their way across a post-apocalyptic New England, following the nuclear fallout hundreds of years before.
Fallout 4 has a retro-futuristic theme. The in-game artwork has a 1940s/50s aesthetic. Music found on the radio to accompany players through the toxic wastelands and run-down towns is likewise of that era, as well as much of the technology or decaying buildings. But at the same time, laser guns, nuclear-powered armor, and eccentric robot NPCs can be found. As players explore this dilapidated yet enchanting dystopia, they may also form romantic relationships with sidekicks and build ramshackle condos in which to lay their heads at night (complete with machine gun turrets and robot helpers).
1 My Time At Portia
My Time At Portia is an extremely pleasant building and life simulator. Like the best games that draw players in enough to clock many, many hours comfortably living out another life, My Time At Portia allows players to build their own character, form many relationships, and build their own home and workshop. The character, after all, is the son of a famous builder, looking to make their way in Portia after newly arriving.
Something that makes My Time In Portia stand out, is the depth of characters, positive disposition, and unique setting. Developing relationships takes time, but NPCs will become increasingly complex and individual, making it a rewarding endeavor. The setting is a wholesome town built upon post-apocalyptic ruins of the past. This world is one in which humankind is just beginning to resurface and rebuild. It makes for a unique blend of intriguing exploration (of which there’s plenty), life simulation, and then good old resource gathering, crafting, and other fun pastimes.