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Iyashikei: Japan’s Genre of “Healing Games” (2018)

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Re: Iyashikei: Japan’s Genre of “Healing Games” (2018)

#61

Post by drdeca »

hadem wrote: post #57
munificent wrote: post #44

Minecraft is so open-ended that it can be molded into almost any genre. But the way I play fits entirely within this. I play in survival mode mostly to make the world feel more grounded, but I sleep every night and rarely explore caverns. The game is mostly me building living spaces, mining for supplies, mapping the world, and collecting items. It's really satisfying.

Out of curiosity, what do you mean by "mapping the world"? I haven't played Minecraft in a very long time, but I thought there was a built in map of some sort? I'd like to hear more as it sounds like we have similar play styles!

There is a map item you can make which adds areas to it when you are holding it and in those areas, which depicts other areas as black.

Not sure if filling out these maps is what they meant.

Re: Iyashikei: Japan’s Genre of “Healing Games” (2018)

#64

Post by jrochkind1 »

dragontamer wrote: post #34
jrochkind1 wrote: post #23

These pictures all make me want to play these games REALLY BAD. Anyone know the easiest way for a non-gamer without a console system in the USA to get any of em, that might be figure-out-able for a non-Japanese speaker?

Buy a console. Most of these games are widely available from game stores. Animal Crossing is Nintendo's take on the genre, and is popular right now. For PC gamers, Stardew Valley is English-native, but based on the Harvest Moon series (which is almost certainly Iyashikei). If you dial the stress up a bit, there's Yoshi Woolly world, and a few others of that type. Its more traditional video game with dangers, but its…

Ah, thanks for clarifying that the art shown wasn't from the gameplay. doh!

Re: Iyashikei: Japan’s Genre of “Healing Games” (2018)

#65

Post by noobermin »

zmix wrote: post #62

You don't get healed by kitsch. You get healed by facing the issue and working (out)/fighting hard.

It depends on the situation. It's almost a teenage meme at this point but I don't know how many problems in my professional life (for example, coding problems) that I've solved just stopping work and taking a walk where my mind is free to relax and then approach something anew. Just grinding all day doesn't always work.

Re: Iyashikei: Japan’s Genre of “Healing Games” (2018)

#66

Post by Timpy »

zmix wrote: post #62

You don't get healed by kitsch. You get healed by facing the issue and working (out)/fighting hard.

You've never stopped at an inn to restore your party to full health, o weary traveller? It's hard to learn to swim if you're too busy drowning. There's nothing wrong with enjoying relaxing and aesthetically pleasing mediums before hopping back into the fight.

Re: Iyashikei: Japan’s Genre of “Healing Games” (2018)

#67

Post by ajmurmann »

MaximumMadness wrote: post #26
ajmurmann wrote: post #8

a few pieces of media that fit the bill really well and are available easily in the West: Attack of the Friday Monsters - it's a short 3DS game about children's fantasy merging their small town reality with a TV show Barakamon - anime about a calligrapher who gets banished to a small island in the inland sea and comes to embrace rural life and playing with the local children. (Pictured but not mentioned in the articl…

I keep a copy of Jiro Taniguchi's The Walking Man [0] in my room at all times. It's about slowing down and appreciating the small things in life: the birds, the water, the leaves, the weather. [0] https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Man-Jiro-Taniguchi/dp/8493340...

There is a extended edition for half the price. I assume that's an ok choice?

Re: Iyashikei: Japan’s Genre of “Healing Games” (2018)

#68

Post by livueta »

billfruit wrote: post #4

What might be western games of a similar bent, with a focus on soothing game play: -Stardew Valley -My time at Portia -Euro/American Truck Simulator -Anno series I personally find snooker/pool simulations very soothing.

Weirdly enough, some older MMOs (OSRS, to a lesser extent WoW Classic) fill that need for me. Sometimes, the repetitiveness of really simple grinding (think click tree, click inventory to drop log, click tree) lends itself to falling into a meditative state, especially when you have muscle memory built up for a particular action/click pattern.

Re: Iyashikei: Japan’s Genre of “Healing Games” (2018)

#69

Post by filoleg »

munificent wrote: post #44

Minecraft is so open-ended that it can be molded into almost any genre. But the way I play fits entirely within this. I play in survival mode mostly to make the world feel more grounded, but I sleep every night and rarely explore caverns. The game is mostly me building living spaces, mining for supplies, mapping the world, and collecting items. It's really satisfying.

>I play in survival mode mostly to make the world feel more grounded, but I sleep every night and rarely explore caverns.

I feel like that's what makes it feel so satisfying, engaging, and "real". You sleep every night and do only the "peaceful" world-building kind of things. But even when you sleep, you know there is still a whole world of caverns and action out there happening, even as you are ignoring it, that you can glimpse into and participate in whenever you want. Which is what makes it really engaging and believable, as the world goes on even without your participation.

Imo this is the same effect that makes some movie or book universes feel more "real" (but is achieved in different ways than with videogames, due to the medium itself). Their universes are built in such a way, it makes you believe that the world out there is still going on, even after you turn the TV off or close the book.

Re: Iyashikei: Japan’s Genre of “Healing Games” (2018)

#70

Post by kipchak »

dragontamer wrote: post #37
oknoorap wrote: post #14

Can someone give me list of this genre?

In America at least, the term is mostly used for anime / manga that matches the category. This is the first time I've seen the term applied to video games. Most video games have conflict, and conflict is stress. However, there are many video games that have Iyashikei elements. Even the quintessential "save the world epic" Final Fantasy has Iyashikei elements. With FF-VII Cloud Strife playing video games at the Golden…

I think the Yakuza series might be a good example of a game of the "with some Iyashikei" category, while still having a solid core story and gameplay to lure you in to karaoke and Mahjong.

Also I think Skyrim fits a similar bill, with most of what people enjoy seemingly being the wandering around and taking in the world.

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