Rainy Sunday: calm games for a long, slow afternoon

Long afternoons suit games with depth: worlds you can return to, routines you can settle into and places that reward a slow look around. Unlike our ten-minute unwinds, these picks are at their best when you have a few hours and a pot of tea.

Worlds to tend

Stardew Valley starts with an inherited, overgrown farm and a few hand-me-down tools. Its Steam page lists farming, fishing, crafting, festivals and more than thirty villagers with their own schedules, so an afternoon can drift from one small job to another. It is rated PEGI 12 with a Gambling descriptor, and its mines include combat, which is worth knowing if you are sharing it with younger players.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is built around an island that keeps living without you. Nintendo describes seasons changing and residents getting on with their day even when you aren't playing, which makes a rainy afternoon a good time to catch up on decorating, fishing or simply walking around. It is rated PEGI 3.

Places to explore

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure sets you exploring an island and working to protect its wildlife. Its Steam page lists Save Anytime and comfort options including camera comfort and colour alternatives, so it is easy to set up the way you like.

ABZU is an underwater adventure from the art director of Journey and Flower, about the dream of diving among schools of fish. PEGI rates it PEGI 7 with Violence and Fear descriptors, and its own description warns that dangers lurk in the depths, so it isn't completely without tension.

Journey invites you to soar over ruins and glide across sand, alone or in the company of a fellow traveller. As a single, self-contained adventure, it makes a satisfying centrepiece for an afternoon.

Making a long session restful

Long sessions are lovely, but they can slip into a whole day without you noticing. A few gentle habits, in our editorial view:

• Plan breaks around the game's own rhythm. The end of an in-game day in Stardew Valley or a completed area in Alba makes a natural pause.
• Get up every hour or so. Stretch, open a window, make another drink.
• Turn off notifications. Friend pop-ups and promotional alerts pull you out of the mood; our guide to playing without pressure shows where to switch them off.
• Finish before evening. If you plan to play again later, the NHS advice on leaving a screen-free hour before bed still applies. See our guide to games and sleep.

Sharing the afternoon

Two of these picks support playing together. Stardew Valley's Steam page advertises up to eight players online, and Nintendo says up to four people can play Animal Crossing: New Horizons together on one console with extra controllers. Our calm co-op guide has the details.

Choosing between them

If you want a world to come back to for months, choose Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing: New Horizons. If you would rather something with a beginning and an end, Journey is a single, self-contained adventure, while ABZU and Alba are journeys through one place rather than worlds to maintain. Our calm game library lets you compare each one's calm profile side by side.

All facts here come from official store and developer pages and PEGI's database, checked on 3 November 2026.