I can’t listen to a podcast or video essays (also post your fav video essays too) and I need something stimulating to focus on but not so much focus as to not be able to comprehend the podcast
EU4 is my go-to podcast game.
Games that dont require much attention, prime example is Subnautica, Terraria, Minecraft, etc…
I like things with heavy grind, like borderlands, or any diablo like game (such as torchlight, path of exile, or last epoch), MMOs are a good call, and Minecraft and Terraria, or any other sandbox or open world game are good calls, only in open world games you might need to pause the podcast if you intend on doing main quests (assuming you are playing for the first time, or interested in following the story again)
Last time I did this it was Stardew Valley, and Terraria before that. Monster Hunter is good for this as well but only if you are gathering or farming something that isn’t too difficult. Old School RuneScape if you are into that kind of thing. Haven’t actually tried it with these ones but I bet OpenRCT2 and Monster Rancher would be great podcast games.
some of the games I’ve played while listening to podcasts have been Portal Revolution, Viewfinder, Spiritfall, Fez, Planet of Lana, The Rogue Prince of Persia, and Selaco
Minecraft
Depends on the game and how familiar I am with its mechanics. When I start a new game I have to feel it out first before I can autopilot while listening to something.
I can mindlessly level characters in WoW Classic (my favorite thing to do, the endgame can be fun but us usually really toxic) because I’ve played WoW off and on for 20 years so I don’t have to give it much thought. Honestly can’t do it without a podcast or audiobook anymore. Also Elden Ring, I “clear the map” of all the smaller dungeons while listening to stuff, but like WoW I love starting fresh characters with a new build and honestly doing it without listening to something is boring.
I also like ARPGs like Diablo 3. Diablo 4 Is more miss than hit these days, but can be fun. Path of Exile never really grabbed me, but I’ll probably give PoE2 a shot soonish. A recent one if found is Wayfinder. Is a wonderful little action RPG that I’ve really enjoyed playing recently. It started development as a live service title but because of some nonsense they retooled it and released it as a fully offline action RPG with tons of collectibles and up to three player coop.
I also like 4x games once I get used to the mechanics. Stuff like Civilization, Age of Wonders, Stellaris, Endless Space & Endless Legend. Usually I’m just doing runs to get specific achievements or try out a silly build idea. I pause whatever I’m listening to sometimes if things get tense and need some micromanagement.
I play Warframe too sometimes, but that’s a bit more dependent on what I’m doing in game. It’s really the only looter shooter that’s ever stuck with me so there aren’t really any other games similar to it I play. Most others are unforgiving but Warframe you can make really tanky builds so if you space out listening to something for a minute it’s not the end of the world.
That all being said I’m lucky, I have a bullshit job where I can play games a lot during the workday so I play a ton of stuff while listening to podcasts and audiobooks.
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Dorfromantik
Minecraft and terraria easily
It was years and years ago last I played but Minecraft used to be my audiobook accompaniment like you’re describing. That and Kerbal Space Program
Favourite game for such a situation: Balatro or Brotato.
Video essays:
The weirdness of Tekken turns into a mini documentary on MMA history.
A lot of Tom Nichols videos are worth checking out.
Literally watching a video right now of the history of Nintendo’s hostility to its fans.
This channel has a bunch of great videos on comic book history.
I found YouTube links in your comment. Here are links to the same videos on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Link 1:
Link 2:
Link 3:
Civ but i need at least 150 mods to keep it interesting
ooh what mods and how do they make it interesting?
Firstly these are for Civ 6
Ok here’s the highlights:
____UI Improvements: Appeal, Loyalty and Prestige (Diplo VP) Font Icons - Leugi Better Builder Charges Tracking - wltk Better Deal Window - gliding Better Espionage Screen - astor Better Loading Screen (UI) - infixo Better Report Screen (UI) - infixo Better Trade Screen - astor Civic and Tech Stop Reminder - Annika Detailed Map Tacks - wltk Detailed Wonder Reminder Enhanced - 榊野木乃实 Enhanced Mod Manager - FinalFreak16 Extended Policy Cards - Aristos Great Person Recruited Notification - Yokuyin More Lenses - astor NotificationClear - 336tarot Quick Deals - wltk Quick Deals - View All Strategic Resources - jboss Quick Start (Linux, Mac, Windows) - Odin Vex Remove Challenge of the Month - Flactine Remove pop-ups - tech/civic & historical moments - Skalozubio Reveal Secret Society Promotions - Fuzzle Right Click Close Leader - PoundedChicken Right Click Close Production - Kornstalx Rihla - Global Rankings - SeelingCat Select Natural Wonders++ - sukritact Sukritact's Civ Selection Screen - sukritact Sukritact's More City and Unit Info Stack - sukritact Sukritact's Simple UI Adjustments - sukritact TCS Pedialite - thecrazyscotsman Great Works Viewer - Glindor //////// ____Gameplay Mods: Real Great People - infixo Great Philosophers - Bearus Aurelius Civilization Conquer Mode - muyyi Green Cities - Districts in Forest - JNR Districts don't Remove Features(Including Natural Wonders) - 黑光_G门 Coastal/Waterfront Specialty Districts - HktkNban 总督立刻上任\Governor immediate assign - 阿列克谢耶维奇 使徒可选择任意升级\Apostle Choose Any Promotions - 阿列克谢耶维奇 【Immigration】Move your population - WindFly Zegangani's: Real Allies - Zegangani Wildlife - Shirotora Kenshin Wetlands - JNR Walled Quarter - blkbutterfly Unique Reworked: Qhapaq Ñan (Inca) - JNR Unique District: Eanna (Sumer) - JNR Unearthed: Artifacts and Relics Expansion - Deliverator23 Truly Abundant Resources - p0kiehl Trainable Religious Units - ChessPro2007 Trade Route Smaller Minimal Duration - D Terrace Farms Boost Feudalism - Sailor Cat Take Over Production Queue - Jewberry TCS Free Walls for City-States - thecrazyscotsman Sukritact's Resources - sukritact Sukritact's Oceans - sukritact Sukritact's Embarkation++ - sukritact Strudeler's Civilization VI Deluxe - Strudeler of the Tart Society Stone rocks! - JNR Start by Wonders - Ophidy Sailor Cat's Upgrades Keep Unique Abilities - Sailor Cat Rush Repair Projects - Zegangani Resourceful 2 - Amatheria Repeat Governor - yamada Removable Resources and Features: Fixificated - Daedalus Real Rivers for Random Maps - Maple_Leaves 枫叶 Prehistoric Wildlife - Deliverator23 Pen's Record Era Score - Pen Pen's Wonder Enhanced - Pen Passable Ice - Sailor Cat Nyguita's More Great People - Nyguita No Obsolete Unique Units - Sailor Cat Natural Wonder Mountain Adjacency - Fuzzle Nationalism Rocks Empires - Boa of the Boaians (ᜊᜓᜀ) Movable Districts - wltk Luxury Resource Variety - p0kiehl Latin American Resources - Leugi Keep Unique Buildings - Fuzzle JUST Canals On Hills - Onii-chan Governors Nationwide - Dazz Aephiex Goody Huts No Faith - +ChAoS Gold Deflation - p0kiehl Gift It To Me - Fampat Flood Barriers Cost Scaling Adjustment - JNR Fisheries++ - p0kiehl Faster Secret Society Discovery - Fuzzle Faster Border Growth - Magma Dragoon Fast Forward AI Turns - Zugaikotsu Extended Eras - p0kiehl Earlier Canals - Grêy Desert Woods and Marshes - Sailor Cat Deforestation: More Gradual and Severe - JNR Decommission Power Plants - JNR Coastline - Rdner Clean Nuclear Power - JNR Carbon Recapture Unlocked by Tech - JNR Capture Unique Improvements - Sejick CIVITAS Resources - p0kiehl Auto build roads with units: Fixificated - Daedalus Ancient Paragons (Great People Pack) - JNR ___Visual Enhancements: Auckland - Pōhutukawa Icon - Kiwifruit Salesbird Better Civilization Colours - janboruta Better Civilization Icons - janboruta City Canal Rework - Rdner City Sprawl Graphics - Hiraeth Colorized Era Score - Plerion Colorized Fog Of War - MiniRagnarok Colorized Historic Moments - MiniRagnarok Enhanced Camera - DahakaMVI Environment Skin: Sid Meier's Civilization V Free Rotation (GS Updated June 2020) - Chrysis Hillier Hills (Colder Tundra Edition) - Deliverator23 Leugi's City Style Pack - Leugi Tsunami Waves - p0kiehl Unique District Icons - Leugi Vibrant Waters (Prettier Water Textures) - p0kiehl [GS] Leugi's City Styles Pack - Leugi ___Other Aesthetic Enhancements/Immersion(?): Terra Mirabilis - chimp Sid Meier's Civilization® V UI + Notifications Sounds - Steffalon Rosetta - Dynamic City Names - SeelingCat Random City Names - p0kiehl Our Sovereign Nation: Quotes - DesertMoonGW Nomina - Dynamic Civ and Leader Names - SeelingCat Mappa Mundi - thecrazyscotsman Left-wing Music - Ophidy Immersive Dialogue - CMDR Sheploo Epithet - Dynamic Leader Titles - SeelingCat Cohort - Dynamic Unit Names - SeelingCatI really really like the overhaul that is Strudeler’s CIV VI deluxe, and enjoy the Dynamic city/leader/unit names from SeelingCat. I run civ on a shite integrated graphics laptop and have to download the mods manually to make sure updates don’t fuck me over b/c I enjoy playing weeks-long ultramarathon games solo with the Extended Eras Mod. I can list some added civs, wonders, nat wonders, and secret societies too, but browse the workshop and find some creators you like, and they should be great.
Just realized that I made this list from an old list, here are a few other essentials:
Railroads by Traders Mountain Tunnels at Steam Power Top Panel Extension Customization VI Coexistence of Districts and Resources (With all resource can be harvest) Actual Sparse Resources Radial Measuring Tool Nut9931's Hellraiser Difficulty MOD Social Mechanics's Happiness Rework What Did I Promise? Notification Log Great Rivers Regional Identities More Beneficial Random Events Phantagonist's Chinese Dynasty Uniques Annex City-States Phantagonist's Chinese City Names Phantagonist's City-States - Silk Road and Beyond Second Unique Infrastructure Sukritact's Urban Identities Savannah C&P: Domestic Trade Bonuses C&P: Naval Trade Protection Triple Natural Wonders Workable 4th Ring Kalendae - Calendar Flavor Mod City states that prohibit expansion Mixed Farms Barbarians Actually Get No Free Techs City Banner Refresh Fix Religion++ More (or Less) Religions YD's Better Civil Engineering Guaranteed Oasis Set individual variables [[NB I don't use this one yet but it looks promising]] National Infrastructure Projects No first messenger of city state EPSTweak for Policies - No removal, no buffs Mistake Era(Future Era Update) Ver 0.95 Ancient Era Diplomatic Policies Enable Wonders On Mountains Science/Culture Overflow Bug Fix Sort Tech and Civic Unlocks Terrain and Feature Adjacent Yields V 0.9 Phantagonist's Slavery and Emancipation Phantagonist's Three Kingdoms Leader Pack Tech Civic Progress PlusFrom these, workable 4th ring is probably the biggest change, along with city states prohibit expansion. I have supplanted the desert woods with the savannah mod for better flavoring, and really like all phantagonist’s mods, especially the china expansions. Top panel expansion is a great UI mod.
Overall it’s lots of cheese but I think they’re fun :) happy to answer any questions
Yes I’ve been waiting for this question, will get back to ya after xmas festivities, promise
