One of the few things everyone can agree on is that breakups suck. Romance is complicated, and even the most amicable split can be emotionally exhausting. Breakups are draining at best, and emotionally devastating at worst. Especially during this time of the year, when so many people are celebrating love, dealing with a romantic split is never easy.
They say playing Tetris can help the brain process traumatic events, and while it’s a great way to keep your thoughts from spiraling, sometimes you need something a little more immersive to get your mind off your ex, all the crappy things they did, and the fact that they refuse to give back your PlayStation 5.
Whether the spark fizzled out or blew up in your face, here are some games to help you get through the heartbreak.
When you just want to be someone else for a while
Red Dead Redemption 2
In Red Dead Redemption 2, you are no longer a heartbroken gamer living in the 2020s. You are a badass cowboy named Arthur Morgan. The year is 1899, and the West isn’t as wild as it once was. Cowboys are a dying breed, and you must protect your gang of fellow outlaws from dangers both internal and external.
The game tells a phenomenal story that’s so immersive, I somehow dumped eight hours into the game in a single session the first time I booted it up. Rockstar does an excellent job of putting you into Arthur’s headspace, and there is absolutely no shortage of stuff to do. Aside from following the main questline, you can also go hunting or fishing, pick up bounties, lasso your way to riches, and try to solve seemingly endless mysteries.
Red Dead Redemption 2 also features some of the most life-like NPCs I’ve ever seen in a game. They each have a unique schedule, will react to your honor status, and many will remember your previous actions. They get up, have breakfast, go to work, and care for their families in different ways at different times, and as strange as it might sound, Red Dead Redemption 2 is a great game for people-watching.
Just make sure you stay away from any NPCs who appear to have a cough…
Cyberpunk 2077
Similar to Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk 2077 sees you walking a mile in the shoes of someone who is Not You, although you can tweak the appearance and personal background of the game’s protagonist, V. V has a complicated past and an even more complicated present, which makes it easy to take your mind off your own romantic woes — V has plenty of woes of their own to handle. Some of those woes are best handled by going to a shady human chopshop to get a pair of Mantis Blades installed in your forearms and shredding enemies left and right. Other problems are best handled with care, like a potential romance with Judy, who is one of my favorite romance companions of all time.
Whether you play Cyberpunk for the combat, the story, or a combination of both, Night City is a beautiful, enthralling world that’s easy to get lost in. Better still, it’s a world that’s easy to find yourself in. The core of the game’s story is all about identity, reinventing oneself, and facing inner demons. If you’ve ever lost pieces of yourself due to your attachment to another person, you’ll likely find Cyberpunk 2077 both fun to play and surprisingly cathartic.
When you want a sense of control
Stardew Valley
In addition to being a generally relaxing experience, Stardew Valley is a great post-breakup game because it gives you something that, unlike your ex, you can actually fix: Pelican Town and all the people within it. From helping save the town from the encroaching corporate rot of JojaMart (unless you’re doing a pro-Joja playthrough, in which case no wonder you’re single) to rebuilding your grandfather’s farm and, eventually, helping the residents of the town with their various personal challenges, Stardew Valley is all about starting over fresh. Solo dev ConcernedApe‘s whimsical, pixielated town is full of strange plants to grow and friendships to cultivate.
Stardew‘s marriage candidates are all pretty easy to please — shower them in their weird gift preferences and you’ll be married with kids in no time. Of course, whether or not you choose to pursue romance is up to you. But you can always play house with the game’s resident sewer spirit, Krobus, if you’re not feeling up to traditional romance.
The Sims 4
In The Sims 4, you can be — or build — whoever or whatever you want. One of the crummiest parts of going through a breakup is loss of control. Things didn’t turn out how you expected them to. With the Sims, you can build a character who has a life you aspire to (or one you’d never want in a million years). Either way, control is yours, and The Sims allows you to tell whatever story you want. Bring two Sims together, assign them a messy relationship dynamic, and play out a dramatic breakup with the Lovestruck DLC pack. Or have them build a healthy relationship without jealousy and resentment. Create a polyamorous couple. Create a single Sim whose goal isn’t romance at all, but a successful career and fulfilling hobbies. Create an Alien-Sim and mind-control your neighbors. The possibilities are endless.
Whether or not you build your ex in Create-A-Sim and then delete all the pool ladders is between you and Grim, though.
When you want romance
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 is just as immersive and enticing as Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Witcher 3, but what makes it stand out is its many romanceable companion characters. From the dramatic, clever, tragic Astarion to the instantly lovable (but equally tragic) Karlach, Baldur’s Gate 3‘s romances go deep, subverting overused tropes and giving players a wide range of personalities to potentially form a bond with. (And hey, some of them are even down for a threesome, foursome, or fivesome!)
If you’re currently going through that post-breakup stage where you feel too “damaged” for love, I highly recommend taking Baldur’s Gate 3 for a spin and doing a Dark Urge playthrough. The Dark Urge is basically the standard player-character — you can customize everything about them, including class, race, and appearance — but with a unique backstory. That backstory is a horrific one that the Dark Urge can’t remember, but as you progress through the game, you can uncover your past and give into The Urge, or resist it. Resisting The Urge while romancing a companion character leads to a bloodsoaked-yet-beautiful story of redemption, second chances, and new beginnings.
Date Everything!
People, in many ways, kind of suck. Dating definitely sucks — dating apps are a hellscape, and it can be hard to meet people in real life. But what if you didn’t have to leave your house to meet people in real life? What if your toaster was a sexy guitar player? What if your vacuum cleaner was a hunky guy named Henry Hoove? What if your D20 was a nerdy hottie voiced by Matt Mercer?
These are the questions Date Everything! dares to ask and bravely answer, allowing you to romance the various objects in your home, who become humanized versions of themselves when you interact with them. Of course, these interactions can go south, but you have to try pretty hard to upset your household appliances. And anyone who knows what’s good for them knows it’s not a good idea to get on their toilet’s bad side.
When they cheated
Doom
Doesn’t really matter if you’re playing the original, the 2016 remake, or Doom: Eternal, Doom is and always has been a pleasantly straightforward way to just shoot at demons and turn your brain off. That’s not an insult to the game — quite the opposite. Sometimes, when things are rough, your brain needs a break. Doom games provide fun that doesn’t require a lot of focus beyond aiming.
It’s also a great way to take out your anger, provided your ex hasn’t stolen your damn PS5.
Powerwash Simulator
Now that you’ve gotten the anger out of your system, it’s time to calm down. Seriously, relax. Let the oddly satisfying, peaceful rhythm of this game wash away your stress. Become one with the power-washer. There is nothing but you and the concrete. Revel in the weirdly comforting sequel. And then go play some co-op titles with your friends.
(It gets better. I got the Playstation back eventually.)