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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)

#81

Post by kakuri »

haunter wrote: post #3

>Iyashikei games, shows, and movies are “healing” because they help us celebrate the ordinary parts of everyday life I'm really not sold about the game part. Like Shenmue is pretty much the quintessential ordinary life simulator but I'd not call it a iyashikei. Same with Ni No Kuni and Yokai Watch. Sure for Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon but once battle and fight involved then personally I think it's already anothe…

Subnautica is a wet-your-pants game of sheer terror. However, if you disable damage and aggression you can focus on beautiful and peaceful exploration and building and gardening. A very iyashikei experience for me.

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

#82

Post by ngold »

koonsolo wrote: post #74

I'm making a tool to easily create your own RPG's. In true MVP sense, my old version was missing combat. This didn't stop my users (mainly teenagers) to create their own games, which of course were more or less 'Iyashikei' because of this missing feature. For example one of those games is Baby Quest, where you are a baby that can explore the town ( https://rpgplayground.com/most-played/ ). You can find plenty more of…

That is pretty exciting stuff. Great link.

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

#83

Post by munificent »

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 are map items, but you have to carry them to the region in order for them to get filled in.

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

#84

Post by munificent »

hinkley wrote: post #76
danbolt wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish more AAA games industry designers recognized this about a lot of players.

My read is that he's also treating this as an exploration game, and that at least has some traction in AAA games. I mean people are still playing Skyrim for Pete's sake.

It's only about 10% exploration for me. I rarely venture anywhere without a map.

I have a very bad sense of direction in real life, and that applies to 3D games as well. I don't know if you've ever been lost before, like really lost lost. It is a panic-inducing experience. Most 3D games trigger that same sensation in me and are just totally unfun to play.

When I play Minecraft, I obsessively map the area, and I keep a textfile with coordinates of interesting places I find. Even so, I still spend like 90% of my time right around my main building or in the mine below it.

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

#85

Post by danbolt »

hinkley wrote: post #76
danbolt wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish more AAA games industry designers recognized this about a lot of players.

My read is that he's also treating this as an exploration game, and that at least has some traction in AAA games. I mean people are still playing Skyrim for Pete's sake.

My big takeaway is for game developers (myself included) to expand (but also be critical of!) what "play" looks like for video games.

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

#86

Post by robotmay »

Noos wrote: post #22
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…

A Channel is another healing anime, as is Song of the Sky. Laid-back Camp is probably the most recent and most popular healing anime out there. Welcome to the NHK isn't one, but in the manga the game the two protagonists are working on is a healing/erogame, and the main protagonist goes into length about why he is making it.

Yuri Camp is one of my favourites, it really does capture that wonderful tranquil feeling of being outdoors. And it has introduced me to a number of great new winter foods from Japan too!

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

#87

Post by a_t48 »

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…

For what it's worth, it's near impossible to buy a regular Switch at the moment. You can occassionally get Switch Lites.

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

#88

Post by Igelau »

partomniscient wrote: post #55
hmhrex wrote: post #28

I started playing this game called "It's literally just mowing"[1] and I would say it's in this genre. I've been playing it a little bit each day and have my found my stress level goes down when I do. [1] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/its-literally-just-mowing/id14...

Wow. We're pretty much at: "I wanna go on the"... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g4SCdox_pI

There was another commenter talking about playing GTA and following traffic laws. It's getting kind of worrisome in here.

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

#89

Post by Igelau »

Timpy wrote: post #66
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.

The inn? I just crouch briefly to eat food off the ground.

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

#90

Post by cmehdy »

hex12648430 wrote: post #53
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'll add a few that I enjoy Flying Witch - A witch goes to live in the countryside with her relatives as part of her training. Lovely world-building. Girls' Last Tour - Two girls on a journey through a gigantic post-apocalyptic city. The setting is quite bleak but the story mostly focuses on how the main characters are finding joy in their world. Aria - The daily lives of apprentice gondoliers in Neo-Venezia, a repli…

You might also enjoy YKK (Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou)[0][1], particularly the manga version, which was my introduction to the genre of slice-of-life years before the Aria seasons (which are absolutely lovely and with a great OST indeed)

Also a great guitar cover of Aria's "Rainbow"[2], most satisfying guitar tab I've had the chance to learn too.

[0] https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/YokohamaKaidash...

[1] http://www.mangareader.net/yokohama-kaidashi-kikou

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hZ8uMRmRI0

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