Combat-driven games dominate the industry. Over the years, though, there’s been a growth in titles that leave violence behind. These games discard the combat system in favor of exploration mechanics and narrative storytelling. They wow you with their creativity and emotional depth, and introduce innovative mechanics that more than compensate for the lack of action.
This list highlights puzzle games and exploration sims designed for individuals who dislike combat. These are relaxing games you can complete while being carefree of hostile encounters. So, having said that, here are seven of the best pacifist games with little to no combat.
Blue Prince
The protagonist’s deceased uncle leaves them a mansion. However, they must first find the hidden 46th room in the mansion to lay claim to it. But that’s easier said than done because the mansion is ever-changing. Each day, you’ll enter the mansion. Whenever you try to enter a room, you’ll be presented with three choices of procedurally generated rooms to choose from. Each room is then placed on the map overlay’s grid. You’ll have to smartly choose a room, then place another room, and then another that ultimately constructs a path to the hidden 46th room.
Blue Prince is a puzzle game with roguelike elements. It’s a little confusing to explain, but Blue Prince incorporates resource management and strategy together. It challenges the player to think two steps ahead and devise a layout of rooms that ends at the 46th room. Most of the time, you’ll end up creating a dead end and fail. The day then starts over, and you have to construct from scratch. However, each room spills new lore and visually pleasing sights. What’s more surprising than the gameplay is the fact that Blue Prince was only made by a single developer over eight years. Blue Prince is a brain teaser, that’s for sure, but it gets really satisfying once you start creating layouts. And best of all, there’s no violence, only pure strategy.
Balatro
Now speaking of games developed by a sole person, Balatro is another famous example. It’s a roguelike deck-building game based primarily on how poker is played. Though not exactly like poker, because a lot of fun mechanics in the game can completely alter the rules. You first form poker hands and then are supposed to score a set number of points. As you keep winning, you’ll add special effect Joker cards to your deck. They will provide you with passive effects and can even change the rules of the game to your favor. This includes things like preventing your death if you don’t meet the required score or supplying you with more playing cards.
Sometimes, rounds will have stipulations that will restrict your strategy. In a situation like this, you’ll have to change your playstyle. But once you beat all eight rounds, you win the run and can continue in endless mode. Balatro breathes new life into classic poker. Its constantly changing rules make each run different, forcing you to take a new approach. Balatro is a deck builder that will not only impress card game enthusiasts but also those who are tired of mindless combat and searching for a new addictive style of gameplay.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons has heavy narrative storytelling. Two brothers set out in search of a cure for their father’s illness. You control each brother using the left and right analog sticks and take them through different territories in a magical land. The older brother is stronger and can do the heavy lifting, while the younger brother is slim and can cross narrow gaps. Controlling both brothers, you solve intricate puzzles and progress the story.
Of course, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons can be completed without throwing a single punch. There is no combat, just pure puzzle solving. But more than that, nearly all of the game, you’ll be sitting back and watching the narrative unfold. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons has a lot to offer, from stunning visuals to memorable NPCs. However, its heartwarming narrative should be the reason you pick up the controller.
A Short Hike
Don’t let those pixelated, cute graphics deceive you. A Short Hike’s short hike can become a pretty annoying hike if you wander aimlessly in its open world. The goal is simple: to help Claire the bird reach Hawk Peak to get phone reception. Claire can jump, run, fly, and swim. Using these movement mechanics, you need to find at least seven of the twenty golden feathers hidden across the map.
While the overarching goal is straightforward, A Short Hike’s true appeal lies in its eye candy presentation and small yet full-of-life open world. There are plenty of NPCs with hilarious dialogue placed throughout. Plenty of mini-games like fishing and volleyball, as well as many fun side quests, are present. A Short Hike is a short and sweet adventure game. It may not have any satisfying combat, but its gorgeous art style and jolly quests will give you the best time of your life.
The Outer Wilds
The Outer Wilds is exactly what you need if you have recently developed an allergy to beat ‘em ups and fighting games. In The Outer Wilds, you explore a planetary system while stuck in a time loop of 22 minutes. Once that timer runs out, a star goes supernova and causes the loop to begin again. During the 22-minute interval, you can hop into your spaceship and quickly travel between planets. Each loop, you’ll direct yourself to discover new alien ruins and figure out the cause of the loop, while also trying to understand why everything is happening.
The Outer Wilds is an exceptionally made 3D adventure game. Given how you are supposed to play it, you’d expect it to have a small scope. However, it’s quite the opposite since there’s an entire planetary system available to explore at your fingertips. The world is a colossal puzzle, and you are responsible for putting the pieces together. Good luck!
Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 is an open-world game with many layers. Foremost, it’s a complicated traversal simulator where you navigate difficult terrain and deliver cargo. Mountains, rivers, and supernatural creatures are among the many obstacles you’ll need to overcome to reach your destination. But that’s not all. Death Stranding 2 has cutting-edge graphics and a full-fledged narrative. Multiplayer and construction elements are present too, as well as vehicles you can ride on roads you have built.
Death Stranding 2 is a sandbox where you need to travel intelligently. And as you do so, you’ll be introduced to wondrous sights and puzzling situations. Something to note is that there are hostile scenarios in the game. However, they are entirely avoidable if you use stealth. Even boss fights can be skipped. But while Death Stranding 2 has combat, it’s not a central aspect, and it is too easy. It’s so easy that you’ll probably never die in-game, and in comparison, traversing terrain feels more difficult.
Journey
Journey is an indie adventure game with environmental storytelling. Players have to explore a desert and work their way through it to reach a mountain. The player character can jump, float, and use a chime to influence the environment around them. Since the desert is vast, innumerable puzzles are scattered throughout it.
There is also a multiplayer aspect to Journey. As you navigate the desert, you’ll come across silhouettes. These are other players, and they may assist you on your journey. However, you can’t text or communicate with each other in any way. You can only express yourself through actions. In Journey, you’re a tiny traveller crossing a massive strip of desert. The world around you is gigantic. It makes you feel small, but that adds tenfold to the wonder of exploration. If exploration and puzzle-solving sound like fun, then Journey is one of the best pacifist games you can play.
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