I got deeply into this (genre?) when I burned out on a combination of playing big/tough games and the stresses of life. I also enjoyed the pace of Outer Wilds and Subnautica. Some other favourites:

• Supraland 1/2 (low combat, light hearted metroidvania, I loved it)
• Psychonauts 2 (amazing adventure game, big but not hard. I loved collecting everything, it was a great balance)
• Tinykin (similar adventure, a bit like Pikmin, which is also great. Lots of chilled collecting)
• Spiritfarer (lots of freedom, loose plot, not overwhelming)
• Breath of the Wild (do what you want, very nice discovery elements)
• TOEM, A Short Hike, GRIS and Cocoon (light adventure / puzzle games, peaceful but could be boring if you want action)
• Yokus Island Express (lovely metroidvania, chilled gameplay, not overwhelming)
• It Takes two (humour, light combat - played with my young son)
• Unravel 1/2 (easy-ish puzzles)
• Weirdly, I found Sniper Elite 4/5 fairly chill, lots of scoping out areas
• Overcooked 2 (zero stress if you play practice mode a ton before attempting a level. I found it a very zen/flow game)
• Peggle 1/2 (can be frustrating, but is very low stakes and arcadey. Lovely for short sessions)
• Wilmots Warehouse (can be stressful if you take the timer seriously, but I loved all the organising. Very satisfying)
• Vampire Survivors (can get a bit much, but pretty simple and disposable)

There are tons more, I deal with a lot of anxiety!

Some games I was recommended for this purpose that didn’t land for me:

• Powerwash sim / other simulators (these feel like a second job for me. Constant grind and focus on perfection wasn’t helpful)
• Tetris Evolution / Lumines (either gets too fast / hard, or gets boring)
• Stardew / Terraria (in theory these look great, but I find huge sandboxes too overwhelming. Always feels like I should be doing more stuff / doing it better)
• Roguelikes (I like Hades, Dead Cells, etc, but they’re very stressful and frustrating when so much hinges on survival)

Finally, I’d suggest trying a solo board game. More tactile and relaxing alternative to screen time.

I agree with your last bit, and I know plenty of people who are clearly manipulated by their news feeds and targeted advertising, but I’m not one of them. I don’t use ad blockers because it’s a valid revenue mechanism - I have friends who pay their bills through advertising. But I’m blind to them, I’ve never clicked on an advert and actively avoid suggestions.

I’m worried about the societal consequence, but doesn’t that issue need to be addressed by engaging in the politics, not by me using Google less? Data harvesting is unavoidable without huge inconvenience, and life is hard enough.

I feel the same way about climate change - I can reduce, reuse and recycle all I want, but I see my neighbours driving and flying everywhere and filling their bins every week, I probably sacrifice to make zero difference.

I don’t mind one dog in an office, but how does that scale? Even two dogs feels like a bad idea, let alone multiple. I agree that if you have to leave your dog alone for 6hrs, you probably shouldn’t own a dog.

As for restaurants, you can’t be comparing dogs to small humans. It’s more appropriate to compare dogs to other animals - should I be allowed to bring my cat, or an obedient pet rat or snake to a restaurant?

It’s bizarre how dogs have this universal free pass.

Totally agree. I feel bad for this dog, it needs more space and stimulation

Live in a quiet neighborhood and some bellend decides to get a huge German shepherd. Has to build a high fence to ensure the thing doesn’t jump their 6’ garden wall, plus it barks at everything, all day. The kids in the house nextdoor are scared of it, it pulls and barks constantly when out for walks and if it ever got loose, it would cause chaos.

But apparently they’re all soft loving creatures on the inside, and more importantly, said bellend feels like a big man when out for a walk.

More breeds should be muzzled and restricted from residential areas.

I also find the “just look how bad the hands are heh heh heh” thing so dumb … it’s going to learn how to draw hands pretty quickly

This is not news. Stop upvoting Twitter spam, it’s not even vaguely interesting.

And within 12 hours, have forgotten 90%

Absolutely fine to politely ask for a salary range, in my experience. I’ve never found they hide it, but the ranges can be broad.

Blaming young adults and families is unfair. Many institutions need to be held to account for advertising outcomes which don’t materialise for their students.

However long it would take me to find a tank of nitrogen to strap to my face for happy sleep time.

My post apocalypse strategy - and the only way to avoid prolonged suffering - is suicide on day 1.

Turns out that’s not a good dinner party answer.

Unfortunately it seems there are no consequences for the universities, and it’s not hard to make those qualifications seem both alluring and lucrative.

There’s got to be a way to hold them to account for the countless graduates who don’t end up finding industry positions.

I’m probably in an echo chamber. I hope that 2nd application goes well for you.

In my experience, good candidates (including interns/juniors) are still landing the roles. Hiring in tech/design/product is tough because there’s a deluge of applicants who’ve either coasted during the boom, or been sold a lie by an educational institution.

You can spot the ones who apply for 40 jobs a week, and those who’ve used chatGPT a mile off, and they’re usually the worst candidates, with long, bland, unfocused resumes.

LinkedIn is full of my worst ex-colleagues bemoaning the lack of opportunities, like they’re entitled to it.

Please tell me if I’m being unfair. Maybe I should be less cynical.

A shameful culprit IMO was the Kermode and Mayo film review. Two wealthy broadcasters (one extremely wealthy) who left the BBC, created an objectively worse show, half of which immediately went behind a paywall. Then they started voicing atrocious adverts and wingeing that people should pay so they could keep the lights on.

They could easily have experimented with a Patreon, but the arrogance was clear.

The only upside was that I felt no pain in dropping them like a stone, but I do miss the old show and never found a good replacement.

My kids are 3 (girl) and 7 (boy), here are a few low effort things things that would win mine over:

• Let them choose what to watch and properly watch it together, no looking at your phone. Bluey is a great kids show
• Play Uno, Ludo, snakes and ladders, Dobble, snap, etc - you can team up with the 3yo
• Draw pictures together - mine love mazes, monsters, etc. There are loads of good YouTube kids drawing tutorials
• My girl loves anyone who will let her serve a tea party, and my boy loves to tell anyone about Minecraft or Mario games
• Before you go, ask the parents what small token gift you can bring, preferably a treat or a small game you can play together

If you want them to like you, you really just have to get down to their level and show genuine interest, or ask to join in. If that all sounds too much, then maybe it’s not going to happen.

If successful, you might need to gently set some boundaries… But hopefully you form a nice bond with them. You don’t have be an extrovert for kids to like you - I’m a firm introvert, and kids seem to gravitate towards me, like cats.

It doesn’t sound like you messed up your marriage, but aside from that, your wording does not sound like you even want the relationship to survive.

For goodness sake, get financial and legal advice, no matter what you decide. And be careful what you say in regards to finances and accepting blame for things.

As for age, older folk seem to do better than your average middle aged divorced-with-kids…

I know what you mean, but it would depend on my current situation. Assuming I’ve had to find another job with short notice (and I’m still in my probation period) it could be a great opportunity to leverage a massive pay increase, then spend the next year planning a proper move.

I wouldn’t list it as separate employment on my CV, unless I knew it was going to be scrutinised, in which case, it’s easily explained and reflects pretty well - they wanted me back.

Coddling has the negative connotation - to consistently overprotect. Occasional spoiling is an entirely different and good thing.