I’ve always admired Genshin Impact from afar. A truly-AAA single player open world game that was also free to play feels right up my alley as a curiosity I wouldn’t be able to help but sink hundreds of hours into. Luckily, something about my chemical makeup prevented Genshin from swallowing me whole. But the announcement of Honkai: Star Rail — or “what if Genshin Impact was turn-based” — fucked me up. Over the years, I’ve become a real freak for turn-based combat, and my first few hours with HSR felt like miHoYo finally getting my number. But the most curious thing started happening every time I sat down to play: I kept falling asleep. 

To be clear: This is a compliment.

HSR joins a very small selection of games whose vibes and world are so beautiful that I can’t help but get lulled into a deep slumber just by playing. And that’s why the game is so low on this list: I have probably only played five to ten hours, but it’s helped me sleep deeply and for that I will admire it from afar like Genshin before it.