27 Nov, 2007

For a time of peace on earth, there’s going to be a lot of stress and killing around this Christmas. Just think about this winter’s biggest games. Whether it’s COD4’s visceral gunfire tearing apart wall and limb alike, the bloody back-stabbing business of the always-hounded Altair, or Kane and Lynch just being plain old sociopathic, the jovial festival of light and wonder really is looking like a quite brutal one this year.

We need a way to combat this, and preferably one which doesn’t use a rocket-propelled grenade to do it. As fun as it is, gaming can be a damn stressful occupation, and it’s only healthy to take time to unwind every so often. Some filthy heathens would misguidedly suggest that we just stop playing for a while but don’t worry, it doesn’t have to come to that.

We’ve rounded up some of the most tranquil and relaxing experiences gaming can provide, to prove that you can get zen in almost any genre (Okay, so there is one rocket launcher in the list) and help you chill out amongst the Christmas bloodshed. So read on, kick back, and mellow out. Depending on which relatives come round, you might need these to survive.