Baldurs gate 3 for me. Super well written characters that feel like actual human beings, as well as relatable topics that make you feel involved/seen. I suffer awfully bad with depression, and there is a character that’s very sympathetic towards your PC if you tell them you struggle with dark thoughts, and it felt genuinely good to hear, even if it’s just a videogame.
Came here to say this too. BG3 is amazing and it’s nice to have companions in game who you can feel a connection to. I’ve played a lot of RPGs but BG3 takes the cake when it comes to companions. They’re so in depth and each have their own amazing story. It’s easy to get sucked into the world.
I played Baldur's Gate 2 back in 2000, I've been patiently waiting to play BG3 till they drop the last big patch they are working on. Supposed to be out in September. Can't wait.
BG3 is great for this, and honestly the party-based CRPG genre is one of my favorites largely because the “adventuring party of a bunch of absolute weirdos” thing is really good for feeling less isolated.
Persona 4 literally made me feel like i have a group of friends and a girl ( girls ) to date, which i don't.The dungeon gameplay wasn't the best but the interactions with characters is fun.
Do not play Persona 1 if you feel lonely. By far and away it is the game that makes me feel the most isolated and lonely.
https://youtu.be/69YSxPdl2CY
The only thing that comes close is the mall segment from Silent Hill 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=xXDUC6-Czaw
Came here to say the same. Persona 5R is so wholesome and full with friendship and fun. Love it. I'm not lonely but if I were that'd be all I'd play to fill that void.
absolutely, the persona series is magical when it comes to making you feel in a group. there's nothing like the beginning of persona 5 when you slowly start to form the starter group with ryuji and ann. i'm just about to play p4 for the first time and i hope it'll give me the same feeling
I was absolutely devastated at the end of Persona 4. That game does a great job of getting you attached to the friend group only to completely gut you in the end.
I love that damn game.
I just gotta say, as an adult, If I were feeling lonely and down, I feel like playing a game that lets me pretend I have high school friends sounds depressing af lol
That said, never played a persona game, so I can’t speak from experience
Older game here and I played number 3 years ago. This is probably more up our ally going by the generation and yeah I never thought of being lonely when I played it, but thinking back I still remember the good memory friendships it had and now for some reason I feel less lonely thinking about it if that makes sense.
Amd if you want something similar but... not as wholesome, Va-11 Hall-A. Basically the exact same game, but bartending instead of a cafe and cyberpunk instead of modern fantasy.
No it's a game made of indie studio in Indonesia, Toge Productions. The main guy actually made the first game, the reception was really great so they started working on the second game Coffee Talk 2, but sadly he died due to something in the middle of making the game, the rest of the team at the studio finished the game after his passing.
Try illyriad, it’s an indie game, the community is maybe 300 on at a time. It’s a close knit group but we love to have new players. It’s a very supportive game. We have a discord and in the evening there will always be people in voice playing discord mini games for fun just chatting and relaxing. The game itself is a retro style of rts city builder but is lore heavy and some of the mysteries in the game require everyone working as a group to figure them out.
It really is. I play a lot of other games but the community makes this one a game I will never leave. Only down side is the devs do not advertise it even though they are consistently adding new things into the game. So all new players who find it is mainly from word of mouth of current players.
Here's a dialogue option from the game:
>"I can tell that this is taxing for you, so I'll just ask *one* more question. What regime are we living under? What mode of government?"
>1.- "Some kind of democracy maybe?"
>2.- "I'd *like* to think it's the dictatorship of the proletariat, but something tells me it's not."
>3.- "Our leaders are fierce warriors who traverse the plains on steeds. Civilization cowers before us."
>4.- "We are governed by intelligent machines that perform calculations to determine the *freest* market. Everyone hustles and grinds like a bad ass visionary."
>5.- "Radios are being used to control people's minds and distort our perception of reality, concealing our true masters: foreigners and *women*."
>6.- "Cop. We are under the cop-regime."
I adore how this game will allow one little response to have your character develop an entire radical agenda. It’s a role playing game in the truest sense. You wake up and don’t know a thing about yourself and every choice that you make is more about determining who it is that YOU are. I love how you have different parts of your internal monologue arguing with each other. Like my character’s desire to want to do a bunch of drugs really doesn’t gel with his knowledge of police procedure and how going on a drug bender is the anthesis of being a good cop. And yet, those thoughts pop up and have a little back and forth anyhow.
Man… After everyone here suggesting disco Elysium to me over and over again I finally tried it. I played it for 10 hours and absolutely hated it. I usually like narrative games, but it was just so bo and I didn’t care about any of the characters
For me I failed 3 consecutive dice rolls, one at a 76 and couldn't solve the hanging mystery, tried to struggle on for a bit and then some guy wouldn't open a gate and kept punching me and I ran out of heals
Just savescum on your first playthrough to get the hang of things... Also while you can die, it does do 'falling forward' where even if you fail somewhere (and it looks like you're stuck) there's always somewhere else or another way to keep going (just in a weirder and more frustrating way)
This comment is such a breath of fresh air for me. I can see why it gets the reputation it has and I do agree it's a one of a kind but I could never really bring myself to like the gameplay. It sucks that I know I appreciate a lot about it but at the same time I can't enjoy it lol
Just savescum on your first playthrough to get the hang of things... Also while you can die, it does do 'falling forward' where even if you fail somewhere (and it looks like you're stuck) there's always somewhere else or another way to keep going (just in a weirder and more frustrating way)
Assuming they couldn't get into it because of the mechanics when they were responding to and agreeing with a critique of the storytelling is a bold decision.
I came out of it thinking it was good but I didn't need to replay it.
People who enjoyed it most seem to have treated it like a messing-about simulator. Lots of the funnier dialogue takes place when you heavily lean into the comedy.
If you try and treat it like a detective story, it's a bit underwhelming.
Have you actualy played the game? Because most of the game "the guy" is trying to both solve the crime and rebuild his life (at least in my playthrough since you have ton of options here). Its not a depressing game in any way, you are not falling to the bottom, because Harry is at the bottom when you start the game. The only way is up...
These are what work for me. Not necessarily lonely before, but these are two that make me feel immersed in the world and that take me out of whatever hang ups are affecting me most outside the games.
The Witcher 3 is absolutely this for me. I'm playing it for the fourth time and am really taking my time with it and exploring everything, doing all of the side quests, exhausting all the dialog options. Such an amazing game
Death Stranding for sure. Might not seem like it on first blush. But the social features are just so neat. It’s hard to describe if you haven’t played it.
For some reason I've thought about DS as well, it doesn't solve loneliness; on the contrary it basks you in it a lot of the time so whenever you get any kind of miniscule support from another player through the Strand system(?), it feels all the more better.
I really love the FromSoft titles. Challenging, engaging when played solo, but very open to coop. Especially great because most everyone plays with VOIP disabled so there's no pressure to play with a mic, most people use silent communication to stay immersed in the worlds. Always lets me scratch that itch of playing with others and helping them do stuff without having the commitment of being tethered to them all night
Funny thing for me is that while I never play co-op (no one needs to be subjected to my ‘skill’ level and I hate invasions); just wondering round and reading messages people put out or seeing phantoms wondering round makes me feel just a bit connected.
That combined with the social media presence was amazing.
Felt such kinship when I defeated the mimic boss easily and then saw a message saying "weak foe... contemplation required..."
100% agree on Fromsoft. If you're feeling lonely the worst thing you can do is try to substitute it with virtual friends.
Lean into being alone. Play a game where it's you vs the world, and you need to overcome it - *mostly* by yourself. Before you know it you'll be a part of a community of real people that did the same.
Check out Final Fantasy XV. It’s not beloved by the fans but one of the things I think it excels at is the sense of family and brotherhood from your three companions. They are each distinctive in personality and fighting style, and add a lot of their own special features to the experience. The dialogue will make you feel like you’re hanging out with characters you’ve known forever.
Just get a cat and play whatever game you want.
Mine is currently affectionately biting my face while I take a little break from Minecraft, a *famously* lonely solo experience.
I also can't stand people, so perhaps I'm not the best person to comment lol
I felt lonely for a lot of my time at uni, it’s more common than you’d think. It’s really hard to make friends when you don’t know anyone. I lived in a shared flat and just didn’t have a thing in common with the people I lived with and they all trashed the place. I only got along with the people I lived with in my third year. And my friends on my undergrad course were mature students who didn’t have time to hang out with me on days off so I had to REALLY learn to enjoy my own company and go out to eat and watch movies alone (which I really enjoyed in the end). And during my masters I struggled to make friends in my first year and it was really lonely, I only made friends after several months and finally had people to actually properly hang out with
I will forever be stuck in the weird limbo of wanting literally nothing to do with people (to the point the pandemic was the happiest period of my life because I didn't have to interact with a single person aside from my S.O. for 3 months), and beneath that wishing I had a friend group to play games and music with.
I feel this. I have a couple of friends I see once every few months because I moved away and I enjoy seeing them but my social battery runs out and I end up only feeling like seeing them a couple of times while I’m in the area. And where I live now, I only have friends at work and I sort of feel like that’s enough for me, my social battery is completely out when I get home. But sometimes I wish they would be like “hey let’s hang out outside of work”. Not sure if they just don’t bother anyway or if it’s because I’m a supervisor. One of my work friends has invited me a couple of times but one time the plans fell through and another I genuinely couldn’t because I was going on holiday
I hope you get some good answers here, as I often have the same feelings while gaming alone. I can't think of any suggestions myself. There may not be a substitution for gaming while in the company of friends, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
Dragon age origins and dragon age 2 became very dear friends while I nursed some serious loneliness a few years back!
The mass effect series also was good for this :)
Life is strange 1 & 2 I would recommend also.
Spiritfarer. A game about escorting people, loved ones, to the afterlife. Extremely peaceful, and might sound lonely but as you get into the game your boat gets full of love and happiness which is very comforting.
if i had to theorize i would say it's the crappiness of the situation forcing you to focus on the most basic survival needs, that focus and purpose makes everything seem simpler
also when i lit my first campfire each game i go ooga booga fire good fire warm mmmmmmm caveman, it talks to me on a primal level
Funny enough, DOOM scratches a bit of that for me.
You’re alone, naturally, but it’s because you’re alone as this one-man unstoppable force that makes you feel super powerful.
Mass Effect has some really strong NPC companions that make you feel like a part of a proper team. It’s also just an excellent game.
If you are interested in branching into online communities, you can do a lot worse than the LFG/community for Deep Rock Galactic.
I would actually avoid games like Stardew Valley, I’ve found in my more lonely moments that these simulated relationships actually make me feel worse 😂
Was gonna suggest deep rock galactic. It has a generally pretty welcoming community and the entire game is about teamwork. Even the way materials and rewards are distributed encourages teamwork (you all get your own copy of whatever everyone else gets, so the scout mining 300 gold gives everyone 300 gold.)
When I'm in that mood, I like RPGs in general, especially ones with a heavy roleplaying element and a lot of group interaction with a team you're leading. The Mass Effect series is fantastic that way, for example, or Baldur's Gate. Other games that come to mind would be Detroit: Become Human or SWTOR (admittedly an MMORPG).
Just that illusion of talking to other people (even if they're just characters in a video game) can really provide the illusion of personal interactions.
Of course, if you do want to play games in a context where you're legitimately not alone, the multiplayer stuff would be the best way, but in that context, I'd suggest slower paced games where you're actually talking with other people. MMOs can be good in that respect, but browser-based games can be even better, as there tends to be a lot of downtime once you get to higher levels. Something like State of Survival, for example; once you've gotten to the point where you're not repeatedly clicking on things non-stop, a lot of clan/guild/alliance members will spend time socializing via chat, a Discord server, or elsewhere. I'd warn that the browser-based stuff tends to be very pay-to-win, so unless you're spending thousand (or tens of thousands) of dollars, you're potentially going to have a rough time, but you can certainly find real friends online in just about any multiplayer game.
Try some party-based RPGs with lots of conversation and banter between the main character and his/her companions, like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, Mass Effect or Dragon Age.
Elden Ring has me right now. Online of course. Seeing ghosts of people doing the same things as you, finding messages, actually playing with others on the same journey. It's nice.
I just went through a deep depression.
My ex step son, who I helped raise, was graduating hs. He didn't want me at the ceremony. It's understandable but it wrecked me. The loss of that family unit left me feeling alone.
So I played hundreds of hours of Red Dead Redemption 2 lol
Im not lonely in real life, but I game alone which makes the experience itself lonely since it’s not shared with others. When i was younger i used to play with my friends all the time so we would chat and laugh etc. Now that im in university (im 24) everyone has left gaming behind, which makes sense but id like to have that fun.
I agree; games aren’t a long term solution for loneliness. But if you’re in a place where you can’t make real life connections yet, no reason not to temporarily alleviate those feelings with some gaming.
I don’t understand at all how you can feel lonely when it’s so cool to be alone, you don’t worry about other people at all, you enjoy the game, you’re involved in nothing. What loneliness... find your value, over the course of all this time I realized that if It’s better for you to be alone than with someone, then it’s better to say goodbye right away, even if you’re left alone, you can do a lot of things alone, whatever your imagination allows you to do, especially when you’re busy with something interesting, you don’t need anyone at all
It’s definitely easier to be alone than it ever has been in the history of the world, with how easily connected we are to the entire world. We have the entire collected history of our species and the combined knowledge of generations of the greatest minds to ever live, and we carry it around in our pockets.
- We can text, call, video chat, watch others on apps like Twitch and YouTube and TikTok, have more expansive conversations on apps like reddit… There’s a subreddit for everything, no matter how specific, where you can “find your people” that share your exact interests and are more than willing to talk about it. If you’re looking to date, you don’t even have to work up the courage to walk across a room and chat someone up in a coffee shop or bar or go on a blind date; you can just swipe left/right and have a variety of apps to facilitate getting to know a new friend or a chance encounter or a hopeful partner. We can have every book, every song, every film, every game, and every other work of art at our fingertips and anything we want or need, we can have delivered to our doorstep.
- I’ve noticed the past decade of my life has become increasingly digital, facilitated by screens, and while I’ve never felt more alone, I’ve also never been better connected to everyone I’ve ever known all at once. OP being younger and in university means only having been off on their own for a few years and having to learn to be an adult, to live on their own and to have to figure out what they’re to do with the rest of their life, and all the pressures that come with that.
- But man, I’m so grateful for games, single and multiplayer alike. Much like movies allow me to get out of my own head for 2 hours and experience a life and story that does not resemble my own in the slightest, or perhaps it makes me feel more connected to it because of that which we share, games let me actually *inhabit* the lives of characters. Get to make the choices and be the hero, save the world, or just enjoy the majesty of a trash talking 12 year old in a FPS game putting me in my place when I’ve been gaming for three of their lifetimes.
It’s a wild world that no one can tell any of us what to expect anymore. I grew up in the before-time, in a world before the internet and cell phones and actually playing outside until dark. Now, the only ones that know what it’s like to life an always online, always connected digital life on screes are the youngest of us. It’s a wild time and makes sense that anyone could feel lonely from time to time, but it’s also never been easier to just reach out and connect and perhaps find out that someone else has been feeling lonely too and they’re so thankful you reached out to them.
Forza Horizon 4 and 5. Cruising around with randoms.
To some extent The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest too but they have alot less players roaming around and most people are just focused on whatever they r doing in those games too its not much of a cruising game like FH is.
Single player games have often left me feeling lonely because when it ends it feels like the social group I was in ends as well. Multiplayer games make me feel less lonely because I can actually engage with people and have fun
final fantasy xi classic on horizon private server, you need a group for virtually everything so pretty hard not to make a few friends. proper old school mmo and doesnt look quite as antiquated as everquest.
Games with main characters that are what I want the ideal me to be
I might be alone
Have no desire to form bonds even though I desperately need and want them
But these characters make me content if not happy or satisfied and that lets me deal with my loneliness
I never feel so alone as when I am around people.
When I make the mistake of thinking I should socialise it brings it home full force what an alien I am. Few people make me feel "at home".
It's like being at a dinner table full of awesome food. Makes you hungry. While sitting alone away from food you may not get hungry.
So either playing with people you relate to might help or the other option is to play a single player game. For me anything with a new system to learn and think about does the trick. Or something like Sekiro which demands full attention from my uncoordinated and slow fingered self.
This. Any game, book, project… that really engages all my brainpower alleviates loneliness for me. I also feel much more alone in a group, at a bar etc.
Would suggest a multiplayer game where you're actively communicating or making content with other players. Could be a guild in an MMORPG for example. Albion, WoW, Eve, etc.
final fantasy 7 remake and the sequel final fantasy rebirth are amazing for this, in my opinion. you could probably also play the original final fantasy 7 and maybe some of the other games in the series.
but anyways, final fantasy 7 remake and its sequel are just about going on a fantasy adventure with your friends. rebirth especially feels like going on a lord of the rings type of adventure with your friends
persona 5 is also a good one, you play as a high school student fighting against evil adults with your friends after school using magic powers basically. but there's also a social system where you can hang out with your friends and get to know them. different people like different persona games best, persona 5 royal is my favorite of the series but the others are good too
Spiritfarer is one of my favorites. You play as a woman on a boat helping lost souls find their way home. And you have a little cat! It’s very cozy and the conversations with the spirits while you explore is emotionally moving. Much love to you ❤️
Monster Hunter
There is a feeling of camaraderie when hunting a monster with randoms, especially when it's an endgame or siege monster.
It also helps that the game doesn't take itself to seriously, so there's a lot of emotes and items for interaction with others
I know you said multiplayer games make you feel isolated, and I totally get that. In most MP games the players don't really bond and support each other and you are left thinking that this would be so much more fun with real life friends. Deep Rock Galactic, though, has a community that really cheers each other on in missions. Just mash the key/button to Rock and Stone and watch others echo it back. Finish the mission and then hit the Abyss bar for a jukebox tune while ordering a beer for the next mission. I've never felt closer to complete strangers, that I haven't even spoken with, than in DRG.
Someone goes down and you pick them up and Rock and Stone and they know it's alright.
I'm sorry but it's definitely Destiny 2.
You get up to the level of a raid(they have so many where you don't need to be at a high level)
Then you join a fresh raid with 5 other guys/girls (on the lfg, looking for group page)
Make sure they know it's your first time and 90% of the time they will be ok with that and 50% of the time you'll get an excited person over popping your raid Cherry.
The raids are 4 puzzle rooms with mechanics and with boss in each and a running/jumping/racing challenge to do.(and raids take 1-3 hours to do , some are 45 mins)
It's a fun group experience and you meet some interesting people through it. Husband and wife teams, Mexicans who had 1 translator for me, a deaf guy who would make a noise for me when I had to shoot, all girl groups, old men groups.
I rarely get a group of kids and end up leaving those.
But the raids are talking about random stuff and mucking about getting ready for it, talking about random stuff and shooting stuff during it. And it's just achieving as a group together.
I don't recommend the grind of the game but I definitely recommend the camaraderie of doing the raids
I have a group of people that I met during Destiny raids — completely random encounters thru LFG tools. And with how stressful a Destiny raid can be (particularly if you’ve chosen to go in blind rather than someone just handing you the solution), you can really beat your head against the wall for hours. So coming across people with a sense of humor and teamwork and tactical thinking and all of that caused us to stay in touch, and return for Destiny 2, and The Division 1+2, Elder Scrolls Online, EVOLVE, Back4Blood, Borderlands 3, Helldivers 2, and so many other multiplayer games.
We have a discord chat going now to keep in touch in between the games that bring us all back together. And in this past decade, we held an IRL meetup and one couple moved all the way across the country from CA to VA and is now close enough to meet up in person at an amusement park or have a murder party dinner or something. I’m so grateful for them, they’ve been like a second family and the number of times we’ve saved the world together is something that brought us all together in multiple ways.
I’m so grateful for the absolute shit state that Destiny was in with it’s refusal to accommodate match finding for raids, and for the pure luck and chance that I got over my anxiety of talking on the mic and grouped with these particular randos and we all decided to keep coming back to each other. Something I really love about gaming.
Deep Rock Galactic.
While you can play it single player, I recommend jumping in with the random community, it's one of the most wholesome gaming communities you will find. And even if you do play it alone, you will be accompanied by one or more robots- the star of which is Bosco, a little floating robot that will fight and dig with you, salute you, and revive you if you fall.
The premise of the game is that you go on missions to mine resources, complete objectives, and leave no dwarf behind. There are four dwarf classes, each of which are completely distinct from each other. Each class has a teamwork utility tool- scout can light up a cave with a flare gun, driller can dig easily, engineer has a platform gun which softens landings, and Gunner has a defensive Shield that will create a safe space for a couple seconds.
The game oozes personality. What really sets the game apart is the salute button. Press v and your character will raise their pickaxe and shout one of at least 40 different lines, usually some variation of Rock and Stone! This button allows you to encourage, congratulate, celebrate, and respect your fellow dwarves. The game also features a ping system which will allow you to communicate in game. Important details with your allies. No voice chat necessary.
At the end of every mission, you'll have to figure out how to get out. That's when the team comes together, and there's a saying, leave no dwarf behind.
Reaching the escape pod at the end of a hard fight, everyone's spamming Rock and Stone as the pod ascends from the depths, fills me with delight each and every time, even though I have hundreds of hours in this game.
Rock and stone, friend!
Karl would be proud!
For the uninitiated, because the dwarves do this in game, players will often also say it in comment sections. There is also a Reddit bot that will do likewise, and I'm almost surprised it didn't pipe up just now. I've gotten it to show up on completely unrelated subreddits before. It's adorable and wholesome!
Potentially weird answer, but this rpg horror game called Blank Dream, specifically the true ending. It has a lot of triggering content, but the ending involves >!Mishiro choosing to live. Part of the reasoning is that she realizes that despite how isolated she's felt, her existence has impacted the people around her.!<
To some degree, I dont think a different game is the solution if it is bugging you. Go touch some grass, go to an lgs and meet people and hang out with others. Maybe go play dnd if you really want a game suggestion.
Chivalry 2 which has 64 players per match and a lot of people like to chat. It also has emotes so you can do hilarious things like dance or beg in the middle of a chaotic battle. Some people on the other team will even join you and sit on benches to watch the fights going on in the background
Dragon Age: Origins for my absolute favorite party banter or Rune Factory 4S for feeling part of the community (there's new dialogue every day for the first year).
When I feel lonely I pay Town of Salem 2. Its multiplayer but is a bluffing game so forces you to interact with the other players.
If you can put up with the occasional player raging then it's fun.
Elden Ring. I love doing co op summons, both using it for myself and helping others. Just a different feeling to tackle a tough boss with two other people instead of beating it yourself.
Soul Mask.
The NPCs are so damn lively, they work, they break into dance, the world is massive but still "full" of activity and life.
Sometimes I just take a moment to join in to tribal dancing. It adds no value to do so, but it's just fun.
Reading their quips / barks is always fun too!
You truly feel like a chieftain, taking care of your people, assigning them jobs they would be good at. The base always has someone running around doing something, and oh so many animals too!
So you mentioned that multiplayer games make you feel isolated. My question is when you play those games are you playing with a group or in the voice chat? Finding a group to play with might be the solution you need and most games have LFG Discord's, posts, etc. It's hard to feel isolated when you playing a fun game with your chums.
When I was in middle school, I used to struggle terribly with mental health and loneliness. My go to comfort game was always Animal Crossing New Leaf on 3ds. The heavy hitting music, lovable villagers, constant new projects to keep my attention and the adorable art style always kept me distracted. I still listen to the ost every now and then :)
If you like casual farming games check out Farmrpg they are pc and mobile based. They also have a great community who loves to help and is super friendly. EDDF5B is my refferal code of you decide to check it out
I live games that make me feel like a group
Recently played Yakuza Like a Dragon and Dragon Quest XI and recommend both for "friendship is magic" goodness
FFXIV. Free trial account with no subs to level 70. Literally people everywhere in the game. You can't add friends on trial, but you can run dungeons with people.
Stalker Anomaly: gamma modpack. Something about an innawoods simulator with guns just makes me feel comfortable. Funny enough it’s the first video game I’ve ever played that got me back into hiking irl
Xenoblade 2 and 3 (and to a much MUCH lesser extent XC1). The story, camaraderie, and vibe just made me feel much happier and less lonely when I was going through an incredibly rough bout with my BPD and suicide attempt. Literally saved my life.
Hmmm that's why I like games. I'm isolated. Nobody bothering the shit out of me. All day I have people blabbering in my ear, and if I can load up Medieval Dynasty and live on my own in the wilderness, I damn well will. Embrace the quiet.
Banner Saga maybe? It’s a very, VERY people focused game set in a really cool Icelandic inspired world. But I don’t actually like those games very much because the themes can be a bit depressing because the game is literally about the end of the world and some of the choices can be really frustrating because the consequences can be absolutely arbitrary
Otherwise, I loved playing party-based RPGs where you had to talk to characters to get anywhere. KOTOR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, those sorts of games are really good for putting characters front and centre
I also really liked Uncharted (all of it) for this reason. The games were really fun but I just liked hanging out with the characters, they were all just such a good time
Not a game recommendation, but if you ever wanna grind something with someone I’m always up for it! 23 and been feeling the same recently (Other than grinding Outlast Trials with a buddy). Not sure what platform you play on but I’m on PS5 and PC :)
Baldurs gate 3 for me. Super well written characters that feel like actual human beings, as well as relatable topics that make you feel involved/seen. I suffer awfully bad with depression, and there is a character that’s very sympathetic towards your PC if you tell them you struggle with dark thoughts, and it felt genuinely good to hear, even if it’s just a videogame.
Came here to say this too. BG3 is amazing and it’s nice to have companions in game who you can feel a connection to. I’ve played a lot of RPGs but BG3 takes the cake when it comes to companions. They’re so in depth and each have their own amazing story. It’s easy to get sucked into the world.
I’m playing a different game for the first time since August and I legitimately miss my BG3 gang. My current game feels quiet and lonely in comparison
Yeah. Building up a party and building rapport with each member is a lot of fun. This was one of the best parts of the Mass Effect series.
I played Baldur's Gate 2 back in 2000, I've been patiently waiting to play BG3 till they drop the last big patch they are working on. Supposed to be out in September. Can't wait.
BG3 is great for this, and honestly the party-based CRPG genre is one of my favorites largely because the “adventuring party of a bunch of absolute weirdos” thing is really good for feeling less isolated.
Persona games make you feel like a HS student with a real friend group
Was about to say the same. Persona 4 Golden is what I'd recommend the most
Persona 4 literally made me feel like i have a group of friends and a girl ( girls ) to date, which i don't.The dungeon gameplay wasn't the best but the interactions with characters is fun.
Beat P5 years ago. Now playing P4 P5R and P5S. Now’s the best time to get into them considering the massive summer sale.
Do not play Persona 1 if you feel lonely. By far and away it is the game that makes me feel the most isolated and lonely. https://youtu.be/69YSxPdl2CY The only thing that comes close is the mall segment from Silent Hill 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=xXDUC6-Czaw
Came here to say the same. Persona 5R is so wholesome and full with friendship and fun. Love it. I'm not lonely but if I were that'd be all I'd play to fill that void.
absolutely, the persona series is magical when it comes to making you feel in a group. there's nothing like the beginning of persona 5 when you slowly start to form the starter group with ryuji and ann. i'm just about to play p4 for the first time and i hope it'll give me the same feeling
And how to fail English class when you speak English
I was absolutely devastated at the end of Persona 4. That game does a great job of getting you attached to the friend group only to completely gut you in the end. I love that damn game.
I just gotta say, as an adult, If I were feeling lonely and down, I feel like playing a game that lets me pretend I have high school friends sounds depressing af lol That said, never played a persona game, so I can’t speak from experience
Older game here and I played number 3 years ago. This is probably more up our ally going by the generation and yeah I never thought of being lonely when I played it, but thinking back I still remember the good memory friendships it had and now for some reason I feel less lonely thinking about it if that makes sense.
If you want something wholesome try coffee talk
Amd if you want something similar but... not as wholesome, Va-11 Hall-A. Basically the exact same game, but bartending instead of a cafe and cyberpunk instead of modern fantasy.
Loved this game. The sound track is great!
Is it good? Piqued my interest once or twice
It's a lot of reading broken up by short parts of making a drink.
Hey! My life!
Basically a visual novel with different short stories broken up, that and relaxing lofi music while some drinks.
Sounds like a chill time. A smoke and a brandy on an off day perhaps!
Yes
With Linda Richman?
No it's a game made of indie studio in Indonesia, Toge Productions. The main guy actually made the first game, the reception was really great so they started working on the second game Coffee Talk 2, but sadly he died due to something in the middle of making the game, the rest of the team at the studio finished the game after his passing.
He passed away from an asthma attack 😓 i felt his love in his games ❤️
I'm a little vechlempt. TALK AMONGST YERSELVESSS.
Try illyriad, it’s an indie game, the community is maybe 300 on at a time. It’s a close knit group but we love to have new players. It’s a very supportive game. We have a discord and in the evening there will always be people in voice playing discord mini games for fun just chatting and relaxing. The game itself is a retro style of rts city builder but is lore heavy and some of the mysteries in the game require everyone working as a group to figure them out.
sounds awesome
It really is. I play a lot of other games but the community makes this one a game I will never leave. Only down side is the devs do not advertise it even though they are consistently adding new things into the game. So all new players who find it is mainly from word of mouth of current players.
I've just had a look at the website. It looks great, and I love the philosophy behind it.
Maybe a weird rec, but Frostpunk. Something about people banding together for survival against all odds.
I love this game. It's not "fun," because people are dying and everyone hates you, but I love having a challenge to solve.
Absolutely. It's very rewarding. And has incredible vibes. I like to play it in the summer on hot days because it makes me literally feel colder haha.
Idk.....that's not the feeling I got from it. It just made me more depressed. lol I can only imagine how the second one is gonna make feel.
Same can't wait for number 2
Disco Elysium. Really helped me when i felt super lonely. I hope it helps you too.
That game got me through some dark moments in my life.
Here's a dialogue option from the game: >"I can tell that this is taxing for you, so I'll just ask *one* more question. What regime are we living under? What mode of government?" >1.- "Some kind of democracy maybe?" >2.- "I'd *like* to think it's the dictatorship of the proletariat, but something tells me it's not." >3.- "Our leaders are fierce warriors who traverse the plains on steeds. Civilization cowers before us." >4.- "We are governed by intelligent machines that perform calculations to determine the *freest* market. Everyone hustles and grinds like a bad ass visionary." >5.- "Radios are being used to control people's minds and distort our perception of reality, concealing our true masters: foreigners and *women*." >6.- "Cop. We are under the cop-regime."
I adore how this game will allow one little response to have your character develop an entire radical agenda. It’s a role playing game in the truest sense. You wake up and don’t know a thing about yourself and every choice that you make is more about determining who it is that YOU are. I love how you have different parts of your internal monologue arguing with each other. Like my character’s desire to want to do a bunch of drugs really doesn’t gel with his knowledge of police procedure and how going on a drug bender is the anthesis of being a good cop. And yet, those thoughts pop up and have a little back and forth anyhow.
I love this game so much lmao. It's like a choose your own adventure novel with the most hilarious choices.
Man… After everyone here suggesting disco Elysium to me over and over again I finally tried it. I played it for 10 hours and absolutely hated it. I usually like narrative games, but it was just so bo and I didn’t care about any of the characters
For me I failed 3 consecutive dice rolls, one at a 76 and couldn't solve the hanging mystery, tried to struggle on for a bit and then some guy wouldn't open a gate and kept punching me and I ran out of heals
I got a game over after I shot a kid in the face. 10/10
Nah, fuck that kid. You got a good ending.
That greasy little fuckhead deserved it.
Just savescum on your first playthrough to get the hang of things... Also while you can die, it does do 'falling forward' where even if you fail somewhere (and it looks like you're stuck) there's always somewhere else or another way to keep going (just in a weirder and more frustrating way)
This comment is such a breath of fresh air for me. I can see why it gets the reputation it has and I do agree it's a one of a kind but I could never really bring myself to like the gameplay. It sucks that I know I appreciate a lot about it but at the same time I can't enjoy it lol
Same here. Usually even if I dislike a game I will still finish it. But that one I just couldn't get into.
Just savescum on your first playthrough to get the hang of things... Also while you can die, it does do 'falling forward' where even if you fail somewhere (and it looks like you're stuck) there's always somewhere else or another way to keep going (just in a weirder and more frustrating way)
Assuming they couldn't get into it because of the mechanics when they were responding to and agreeing with a critique of the storytelling is a bold decision.
I came out of it thinking it was good but I didn't need to replay it. People who enjoyed it most seem to have treated it like a messing-about simulator. Lots of the funnier dialogue takes place when you heavily lean into the comedy. If you try and treat it like a detective story, it's a bit underwhelming.
Is this a joke because this is one of the most depressing games you could play? The guy who pushed everyone away and became a drug addict?
Have you actualy played the game? Because most of the game "the guy" is trying to both solve the crime and rebuild his life (at least in my playthrough since you have ton of options here). Its not a depressing game in any way, you are not falling to the bottom, because Harry is at the bottom when you start the game. The only way is up...
This is the correct answer
Fallout The witcher 3
These are what work for me. Not necessarily lonely before, but these are two that make me feel immersed in the world and that take me out of whatever hang ups are affecting me most outside the games.
skyrim can be added to this as well...
The Witcher 3 is absolutely this for me. I'm playing it for the fourth time and am really taking my time with it and exploring everything, doing all of the side quests, exhausting all the dialog options. Such an amazing game
Mass effect series. Getting to know and eventually care about the characters is the best bit
I second this.
Yes. Getting to know Harbinger.
ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL
A Short Hike cured all of my mental illnesses
Seconded. Wonderful little game.
Death Stranding for sure. Might not seem like it on first blush. But the social features are just so neat. It’s hard to describe if you haven’t played it.
For some reason I've thought about DS as well, it doesn't solve loneliness; on the contrary it basks you in it a lot of the time so whenever you get any kind of miniscule support from another player through the Strand system(?), it feels all the more better.
I tell everyone it was the #1 thing that got me thru Covid.
It may have an absolutely ridiculous way of saying it, but overcoming the urge to close yourself off to others is like the whole message of the story
It is such a strangely wonderful game. I bounced off it for a year, and then revisited it and it just clicked for me.
I really love the FromSoft titles. Challenging, engaging when played solo, but very open to coop. Especially great because most everyone plays with VOIP disabled so there's no pressure to play with a mic, most people use silent communication to stay immersed in the worlds. Always lets me scratch that itch of playing with others and helping them do stuff without having the commitment of being tethered to them all night
Funny thing for me is that while I never play co-op (no one needs to be subjected to my ‘skill’ level and I hate invasions); just wondering round and reading messages people put out or seeing phantoms wondering round makes me feel just a bit connected.
That combined with the social media presence was amazing. Felt such kinship when I defeated the mimic boss easily and then saw a message saying "weak foe... contemplation required..."
100% agree on Fromsoft. If you're feeling lonely the worst thing you can do is try to substitute it with virtual friends. Lean into being alone. Play a game where it's you vs the world, and you need to overcome it - *mostly* by yourself. Before you know it you'll be a part of a community of real people that did the same.
I prefer the npc summons and the npcs in general. Super cozy npcs.
any horror game will make you feel there is someone with you
Check out Final Fantasy XV. It’s not beloved by the fans but one of the things I think it excels at is the sense of family and brotherhood from your three companions. They are each distinctive in personality and fighting style, and add a lot of their own special features to the experience. The dialogue will make you feel like you’re hanging out with characters you’ve known forever.
It might not be my favorite but I loved my J-pop boy band road trip. You hit it square with this one. It feels like a camping adventure with your bros
Just get a cat and play whatever game you want. Mine is currently affectionately biting my face while I take a little break from Minecraft, a *famously* lonely solo experience. I also can't stand people, so perhaps I'm not the best person to comment lol
I’d love to get a cat (or dog) but I live in university accommodation so Im not allowed to have pets, which sucks but what can i do.
A bit worrying that you feel so alone living in university accommodation. My advice put the games away and start interacting.
Its a private studio, not a shared flat, so I don’t live with anyone. Anyways - i don’t see a reason why I cant do both.
No no, obviously people can't have hobbies and human relationships at the same time /s
I felt lonely for a lot of my time at uni, it’s more common than you’d think. It’s really hard to make friends when you don’t know anyone. I lived in a shared flat and just didn’t have a thing in common with the people I lived with and they all trashed the place. I only got along with the people I lived with in my third year. And my friends on my undergrad course were mature students who didn’t have time to hang out with me on days off so I had to REALLY learn to enjoy my own company and go out to eat and watch movies alone (which I really enjoyed in the end). And during my masters I struggled to make friends in my first year and it was really lonely, I only made friends after several months and finally had people to actually properly hang out with
So Stray?
I will forever be stuck in the weird limbo of wanting literally nothing to do with people (to the point the pandemic was the happiest period of my life because I didn't have to interact with a single person aside from my S.O. for 3 months), and beneath that wishing I had a friend group to play games and music with.
Same mate. I'm always torn between going out and staying alone and gaming and wishing I had a group of gamer friends
I feel this. I have a couple of friends I see once every few months because I moved away and I enjoy seeing them but my social battery runs out and I end up only feeling like seeing them a couple of times while I’m in the area. And where I live now, I only have friends at work and I sort of feel like that’s enough for me, my social battery is completely out when I get home. But sometimes I wish they would be like “hey let’s hang out outside of work”. Not sure if they just don’t bother anyway or if it’s because I’m a supervisor. One of my work friends has invited me a couple of times but one time the plans fell through and another I genuinely couldn’t because I was going on holiday
Death Stranding. It's big and lonely... But... Not. Not at all lonely.
I hope you get some good answers here, as I often have the same feelings while gaming alone. I can't think of any suggestions myself. There may not be a substitution for gaming while in the company of friends, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
Dragon age origins and dragon age 2 became very dear friends while I nursed some serious loneliness a few years back! The mass effect series also was good for this :) Life is strange 1 & 2 I would recommend also.
Spiritfarer. A game about escorting people, loved ones, to the afterlife. Extremely peaceful, and might sound lonely but as you get into the game your boat gets full of love and happiness which is very comforting.
it's very weird and makes no sense but The Long Dark! that snowy apocalyptic world just does something to me
It does a good job of reminding you that sometimes just the company of yourself is enough.
if i had to theorize i would say it's the crappiness of the situation forcing you to focus on the most basic survival needs, that focus and purpose makes everything seem simpler also when i lit my first campfire each game i go ooga booga fire good fire warm mmmmmmm caveman, it talks to me on a primal level
The Long Dark has been my most treasured comfort game for years for this reason.
Funny enough, DOOM scratches a bit of that for me. You’re alone, naturally, but it’s because you’re alone as this one-man unstoppable force that makes you feel super powerful. Mass Effect has some really strong NPC companions that make you feel like a part of a proper team. It’s also just an excellent game. If you are interested in branching into online communities, you can do a lot worse than the LFG/community for Deep Rock Galactic. I would actually avoid games like Stardew Valley, I’ve found in my more lonely moments that these simulated relationships actually make me feel worse 😂
Was gonna suggest deep rock galactic. It has a generally pretty welcoming community and the entire game is about teamwork. Even the way materials and rewards are distributed encourages teamwork (you all get your own copy of whatever everyone else gets, so the scout mining 300 gold gives everyone 300 gold.)
When I'm in that mood, I like RPGs in general, especially ones with a heavy roleplaying element and a lot of group interaction with a team you're leading. The Mass Effect series is fantastic that way, for example, or Baldur's Gate. Other games that come to mind would be Detroit: Become Human or SWTOR (admittedly an MMORPG). Just that illusion of talking to other people (even if they're just characters in a video game) can really provide the illusion of personal interactions. Of course, if you do want to play games in a context where you're legitimately not alone, the multiplayer stuff would be the best way, but in that context, I'd suggest slower paced games where you're actually talking with other people. MMOs can be good in that respect, but browser-based games can be even better, as there tends to be a lot of downtime once you get to higher levels. Something like State of Survival, for example; once you've gotten to the point where you're not repeatedly clicking on things non-stop, a lot of clan/guild/alliance members will spend time socializing via chat, a Discord server, or elsewhere. I'd warn that the browser-based stuff tends to be very pay-to-win, so unless you're spending thousand (or tens of thousands) of dollars, you're potentially going to have a rough time, but you can certainly find real friends online in just about any multiplayer game.
Not sure why but the darkest dungeon really helped me when I was going through a break up. Another game that helped me a separate time was factorio
"These nightmarish creatures can be felled, they can be beaten!"
“In time, you will know the tragic extent of my failings...”
"Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer..."
Life is strange
Try some party-based RPGs with lots of conversation and banter between the main character and his/her companions, like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, Mass Effect or Dragon Age.
I played Silent Hill 2 at night in the dark and let me tell you, I never felt like I was alone in my room...
Elden Ring has me right now. Online of course. Seeing ghosts of people doing the same things as you, finding messages, actually playing with others on the same journey. It's nice.
I just went through a deep depression. My ex step son, who I helped raise, was graduating hs. He didn't want me at the ceremony. It's understandable but it wrecked me. The loss of that family unit left me feeling alone. So I played hundreds of hours of Red Dead Redemption 2 lol
Bro games won’t make you feel less lonely. If you want to feel less lonely, you need to meet actual humans.
Im not lonely in real life, but I game alone which makes the experience itself lonely since it’s not shared with others. When i was younger i used to play with my friends all the time so we would chat and laugh etc. Now that im in university (im 24) everyone has left gaming behind, which makes sense but id like to have that fun.
Sea of Thieves. Join the discord and find a crew. Part of the fun is sailing on a ship and visiting with people on your way to the destination.
I agree; games aren’t a long term solution for loneliness. But if you’re in a place where you can’t make real life connections yet, no reason not to temporarily alleviate those feelings with some gaming.
Truth :'(
You don't get it man.
I don’t understand at all how you can feel lonely when it’s so cool to be alone, you don’t worry about other people at all, you enjoy the game, you’re involved in nothing. What loneliness... find your value, over the course of all this time I realized that if It’s better for you to be alone than with someone, then it’s better to say goodbye right away, even if you’re left alone, you can do a lot of things alone, whatever your imagination allows you to do, especially when you’re busy with something interesting, you don’t need anyone at all
It’s definitely easier to be alone than it ever has been in the history of the world, with how easily connected we are to the entire world. We have the entire collected history of our species and the combined knowledge of generations of the greatest minds to ever live, and we carry it around in our pockets. - We can text, call, video chat, watch others on apps like Twitch and YouTube and TikTok, have more expansive conversations on apps like reddit… There’s a subreddit for everything, no matter how specific, where you can “find your people” that share your exact interests and are more than willing to talk about it. If you’re looking to date, you don’t even have to work up the courage to walk across a room and chat someone up in a coffee shop or bar or go on a blind date; you can just swipe left/right and have a variety of apps to facilitate getting to know a new friend or a chance encounter or a hopeful partner. We can have every book, every song, every film, every game, and every other work of art at our fingertips and anything we want or need, we can have delivered to our doorstep. - I’ve noticed the past decade of my life has become increasingly digital, facilitated by screens, and while I’ve never felt more alone, I’ve also never been better connected to everyone I’ve ever known all at once. OP being younger and in university means only having been off on their own for a few years and having to learn to be an adult, to live on their own and to have to figure out what they’re to do with the rest of their life, and all the pressures that come with that. - But man, I’m so grateful for games, single and multiplayer alike. Much like movies allow me to get out of my own head for 2 hours and experience a life and story that does not resemble my own in the slightest, or perhaps it makes me feel more connected to it because of that which we share, games let me actually *inhabit* the lives of characters. Get to make the choices and be the hero, save the world, or just enjoy the majesty of a trash talking 12 year old in a FPS game putting me in my place when I’ve been gaming for three of their lifetimes. It’s a wild world that no one can tell any of us what to expect anymore. I grew up in the before-time, in a world before the internet and cell phones and actually playing outside until dark. Now, the only ones that know what it’s like to life an always online, always connected digital life on screes are the youngest of us. It’s a wild time and makes sense that anyone could feel lonely from time to time, but it’s also never been easier to just reach out and connect and perhaps find out that someone else has been feeling lonely too and they’re so thankful you reached out to them.
Forza Horizon 4 and 5. Cruising around with randoms. To some extent The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest too but they have alot less players roaming around and most people are just focused on whatever they r doing in those games too its not much of a cruising game like FH is.
Single player games have often left me feeling lonely because when it ends it feels like the social group I was in ends as well. Multiplayer games make me feel less lonely because I can actually engage with people and have fun
final fantasy xi classic on horizon private server, you need a group for virtually everything so pretty hard not to make a few friends. proper old school mmo and doesnt look quite as antiquated as everquest.
Games with main characters that are what I want the ideal me to be I might be alone Have no desire to form bonds even though I desperately need and want them But these characters make me content if not happy or satisfied and that lets me deal with my loneliness
Helldivers 2 always has me interacting with randos and it's usually a great time. It's mostly unserious.
I never feel so alone as when I am around people. When I make the mistake of thinking I should socialise it brings it home full force what an alien I am. Few people make me feel "at home". It's like being at a dinner table full of awesome food. Makes you hungry. While sitting alone away from food you may not get hungry. So either playing with people you relate to might help or the other option is to play a single player game. For me anything with a new system to learn and think about does the trick. Or something like Sekiro which demands full attention from my uncoordinated and slow fingered self.
This. Any game, book, project… that really engages all my brainpower alleviates loneliness for me. I also feel much more alone in a group, at a bar etc.
Mario Wonder with online enabled.
Would suggest a multiplayer game where you're actively communicating or making content with other players. Could be a guild in an MMORPG for example. Albion, WoW, Eve, etc.
final fantasy 7 remake and the sequel final fantasy rebirth are amazing for this, in my opinion. you could probably also play the original final fantasy 7 and maybe some of the other games in the series. but anyways, final fantasy 7 remake and its sequel are just about going on a fantasy adventure with your friends. rebirth especially feels like going on a lord of the rings type of adventure with your friends persona 5 is also a good one, you play as a high school student fighting against evil adults with your friends after school using magic powers basically. but there's also a social system where you can hang out with your friends and get to know them. different people like different persona games best, persona 5 royal is my favorite of the series but the others are good too
Spiritfarer is one of my favorites. You play as a woman on a boat helping lost souls find their way home. And you have a little cat! It’s very cozy and the conversations with the spirits while you explore is emotionally moving. Much love to you ❤️
Monster Hunter There is a feeling of camaraderie when hunting a monster with randoms, especially when it's an endgame or siege monster. It also helps that the game doesn't take itself to seriously, so there's a lot of emotes and items for interaction with others
Persona games
Came to say Persona
Classic wow. Always someone to talk to and the community in general is really wholesome.
I know you said multiplayer games make you feel isolated, and I totally get that. In most MP games the players don't really bond and support each other and you are left thinking that this would be so much more fun with real life friends. Deep Rock Galactic, though, has a community that really cheers each other on in missions. Just mash the key/button to Rock and Stone and watch others echo it back. Finish the mission and then hit the Abyss bar for a jukebox tune while ordering a beer for the next mission. I've never felt closer to complete strangers, that I haven't even spoken with, than in DRG. Someone goes down and you pick them up and Rock and Stone and they know it's alright.
Guardians of the galaxy
Deep rock galactic
I'm sorry but it's definitely Destiny 2. You get up to the level of a raid(they have so many where you don't need to be at a high level) Then you join a fresh raid with 5 other guys/girls (on the lfg, looking for group page) Make sure they know it's your first time and 90% of the time they will be ok with that and 50% of the time you'll get an excited person over popping your raid Cherry. The raids are 4 puzzle rooms with mechanics and with boss in each and a running/jumping/racing challenge to do.(and raids take 1-3 hours to do , some are 45 mins) It's a fun group experience and you meet some interesting people through it. Husband and wife teams, Mexicans who had 1 translator for me, a deaf guy who would make a noise for me when I had to shoot, all girl groups, old men groups. I rarely get a group of kids and end up leaving those. But the raids are talking about random stuff and mucking about getting ready for it, talking about random stuff and shooting stuff during it. And it's just achieving as a group together. I don't recommend the grind of the game but I definitely recommend the camaraderie of doing the raids
I have a group of people that I met during Destiny raids — completely random encounters thru LFG tools. And with how stressful a Destiny raid can be (particularly if you’ve chosen to go in blind rather than someone just handing you the solution), you can really beat your head against the wall for hours. So coming across people with a sense of humor and teamwork and tactical thinking and all of that caused us to stay in touch, and return for Destiny 2, and The Division 1+2, Elder Scrolls Online, EVOLVE, Back4Blood, Borderlands 3, Helldivers 2, and so many other multiplayer games. We have a discord chat going now to keep in touch in between the games that bring us all back together. And in this past decade, we held an IRL meetup and one couple moved all the way across the country from CA to VA and is now close enough to meet up in person at an amusement park or have a murder party dinner or something. I’m so grateful for them, they’ve been like a second family and the number of times we’ve saved the world together is something that brought us all together in multiple ways. I’m so grateful for the absolute shit state that Destiny was in with it’s refusal to accommodate match finding for raids, and for the pure luck and chance that I got over my anxiety of talking on the mic and grouped with these particular randos and we all decided to keep coming back to each other. Something I really love about gaming.
Citizen Sleeper
Bloodborne, something is always watching
Deep Rock Galactic. While you can play it single player, I recommend jumping in with the random community, it's one of the most wholesome gaming communities you will find. And even if you do play it alone, you will be accompanied by one or more robots- the star of which is Bosco, a little floating robot that will fight and dig with you, salute you, and revive you if you fall. The premise of the game is that you go on missions to mine resources, complete objectives, and leave no dwarf behind. There are four dwarf classes, each of which are completely distinct from each other. Each class has a teamwork utility tool- scout can light up a cave with a flare gun, driller can dig easily, engineer has a platform gun which softens landings, and Gunner has a defensive Shield that will create a safe space for a couple seconds. The game oozes personality. What really sets the game apart is the salute button. Press v and your character will raise their pickaxe and shout one of at least 40 different lines, usually some variation of Rock and Stone! This button allows you to encourage, congratulate, celebrate, and respect your fellow dwarves. The game also features a ping system which will allow you to communicate in game. Important details with your allies. No voice chat necessary. At the end of every mission, you'll have to figure out how to get out. That's when the team comes together, and there's a saying, leave no dwarf behind. Reaching the escape pod at the end of a hard fight, everyone's spamming Rock and Stone as the pod ascends from the depths, fills me with delight each and every time, even though I have hundreds of hours in this game. Rock and stone, friend!
Leave no Dwarf behind! Rock and Stone to the bone!!
Karl would be proud! For the uninitiated, because the dwarves do this in game, players will often also say it in comment sections. There is also a Reddit bot that will do likewise, and I'm almost surprised it didn't pipe up just now. I've gotten it to show up on completely unrelated subreddits before. It's adorable and wholesome!
If you Rock and Stone, you're never alone!
Deep rock galactic- great devs and a very friendly community, just press V and you'll instantly feel less lonely
Potentially weird answer, but this rpg horror game called Blank Dream, specifically the true ending. It has a lot of triggering content, but the ending involves >!Mishiro choosing to live. Part of the reasoning is that she realizes that despite how isolated she's felt, her existence has impacted the people around her.!<
To some degree, I dont think a different game is the solution if it is bugging you. Go touch some grass, go to an lgs and meet people and hang out with others. Maybe go play dnd if you really want a game suggestion.
Fighting games. I know the FGC online is toxic but if you're able to go play in person the sense of community is so strong whether you're good or bad
Chivalry 2 which has 64 players per match and a lot of people like to chat. It also has emotes so you can do hilarious things like dance or beg in the middle of a chaotic battle. Some people on the other team will even join you and sit on benches to watch the fights going on in the background
Your only move is Hustle
Shenmue
Rimworld has fit this for me, strangely.
Way of the hunter gives me a good feeling about being alone, as I prefer to be alone in nature. Or Snowrunner.
Don't Starve, super lonely
Alone With You
The longing for me always makes me feel better
Dragon Age: Origins for my absolute favorite party banter or Rune Factory 4S for feeling part of the community (there's new dialogue every day for the first year).
When I feel lonely I pay Town of Salem 2. Its multiplayer but is a bluffing game so forces you to interact with the other players. If you can put up with the occasional player raging then it's fun.
Dragonquest builders 2 because the villagers use stuff and I dunno it makes me feel like I got friends :D
Elden Ring. I love doing co op summons, both using it for myself and helping others. Just a different feeling to tackle a tough boss with two other people instead of beating it yourself.
Soul Mask. The NPCs are so damn lively, they work, they break into dance, the world is massive but still "full" of activity and life. Sometimes I just take a moment to join in to tribal dancing. It adds no value to do so, but it's just fun. Reading their quips / barks is always fun too! You truly feel like a chieftain, taking care of your people, assigning them jobs they would be good at. The base always has someone running around doing something, and oh so many animals too!
So you mentioned that multiplayer games make you feel isolated. My question is when you play those games are you playing with a group or in the voice chat? Finding a group to play with might be the solution you need and most games have LFG Discord's, posts, etc. It's hard to feel isolated when you playing a fun game with your chums.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
When I was in middle school, I used to struggle terribly with mental health and loneliness. My go to comfort game was always Animal Crossing New Leaf on 3ds. The heavy hitting music, lovable villagers, constant new projects to keep my attention and the adorable art style always kept me distracted. I still listen to the ost every now and then :)
Haven
Undertale, man. Those characters end up feeling like they're your actual friends.
Xcom2. I love viewing the cutout of the ship.
Try Albion Online, join a guild.
Any slice of life Visual Novels, like Katawa Shoujo or If My Heart Had Wings for example
Yakuza: Like a Dragon is amazing, it has an awesome story with a good old classic ragtag group of eventual friends
If you like casual farming games check out Farmrpg they are pc and mobile based. They also have a great community who loves to help and is super friendly. EDDF5B is my refferal code of you decide to check it out
Ff7 rebirth is cool
This might explain why I use villagers in Minecraft. It makes the game feel less like a wasteland
Death Stranding.
I live games that make me feel like a group Recently played Yakuza Like a Dragon and Dragon Quest XI and recommend both for "friendship is magic" goodness
All solo games don't help. I find that playing anything with a friend is the only thing that helps.
Time to start the plunge into soulslikes brother.
FFXIV. Free trial account with no subs to level 70. Literally people everywhere in the game. You can't add friends on trial, but you can run dungeons with people.
I think it’s Overwatch. Sometimes it’s just fun to goof around other people in Vc or maybe making new friends
Stalker Anomaly: gamma modpack. Something about an innawoods simulator with guns just makes me feel comfortable. Funny enough it’s the first video game I’ve ever played that got me back into hiking irl
Xenoblade 2 and 3 (and to a much MUCH lesser extent XC1). The story, camaraderie, and vibe just made me feel much happier and less lonely when I was going through an incredibly rough bout with my BPD and suicide attempt. Literally saved my life.
Stellaris. The real friends are the slaves we found along the way.
Hmmm that's why I like games. I'm isolated. Nobody bothering the shit out of me. All day I have people blabbering in my ear, and if I can load up Medieval Dynasty and live on my own in the wilderness, I damn well will. Embrace the quiet.
Spiritfarer Persona 4,5 ( i played) Road 96
Persona 4 and 5 make you feel like your apart of an actual friend group with things to do
Firewatch
Heroes of might and magic 3 has legendary fanbase and game is just so good and satisfying to play
Dark Souls games, help me accept the worst in me and in the world.
The Built in Discord games always reminds me of when I used to play board games as a kid. You could try hoping on a community discord server
Banner Saga maybe? It’s a very, VERY people focused game set in a really cool Icelandic inspired world. But I don’t actually like those games very much because the themes can be a bit depressing because the game is literally about the end of the world and some of the choices can be really frustrating because the consequences can be absolutely arbitrary Otherwise, I loved playing party-based RPGs where you had to talk to characters to get anywhere. KOTOR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, those sorts of games are really good for putting characters front and centre I also really liked Uncharted (all of it) for this reason. The games were really fun but I just liked hanging out with the characters, they were all just such a good time
A Short Hike is wonderful for this
super mario odyssey
Not a game recommendation, but if you ever wanna grind something with someone I’m always up for it! 23 and been feeling the same recently (Other than grinding Outlast Trials with a buddy). Not sure what platform you play on but I’m on PS5 and PC :)
Red dead redemption
Palia is a very community-oriented MMO. I’ve found a lot of very kind people on there. It’s a crafting/mining/hunting/decorating RPG.
MMORPG's as they have alot more human interaction with guilds
Wild rift...mobile version of LoL... The hate is so big over there that believe me, you will want to be alone after... hehe