Journey. Time to relax - 9 games to play if you're tired

Just a few days ago, the iconic Journey had its tenth anniversary. Today, it's hard to believe that anyone has not heard of this title yet, but just in case, it's worth reminding you about it. In fact, it's been a decade since this game was released, but the it hasn't grown old at all; it's still up-to-date, and it doesn't differ in quality from similar, contemporary games, which it inspired. In short: we're dealing with an undeniable pioneer in terms of a relaxing, unforgettable experience.

The gameplay turns out to be extremely simple. We move a small hooded figure. All around us, there is a boundless desert, and somewhere on the horizon, in the distance, looms a high mountain. The goal is clear: reach the summit. Of course, this doesn't mean that the road to this distant place is all that simple. Looking vast and deserted at first sight, the desert turns out to be hiding a whole host of challenging locations to visit, and the closer to a distant mountain we get, the more of these challenges we encounter.

And we do not have to go into this journey alone! A very important feature of Journey is the ability to connect with other players online, to climb together. Interaction with others doesn't disturb the sublime, melancholic atmosphere of the game, constantly enhanced by the musical setting. Communication takes place without any words: there are no conversations and no pop-up chat bubbles. To convey something to others, we can only try to get their attention by the way we move, and making uniform squeaking sounds. Most of all, however, we simply go forward with others – shoulder to shoulder, in silence and a sense of common purpose.

Journey is not a complicated game, it's also not long and you can experience the whole adventure in a single evening without any hustle. So where does its phenomenon come from? Probably from this simplicity and beautiful presentation of the universal motive of striving to achieve a common goal. The simple and universal Journey means that everyone will find something for themselves, and during the leisurely expedition, they will probably stop more than once to admire the views with its silent companions.

1. Journey in our encyclopedia