The Case for a Cozy Game Before Bed

I stopped playing intense games at night because they kept me wired. Now my go-to is something like Stack City Tycoon, where I place a few buildings and watch a little town grow.

The appeal is the lack of pressure. No timers, no losing, just a steady rhythm of small satisfying actions. It's the game equivalent of tidying a room, and it winds me down instead of firing me up.

These games also forgive being put down mid-session. You tap for five minutes, get sleepy, and close the app with nothing lost. That's exactly what a bedtime game should do.

If your phone is the last thing you look at before sleep, at least make it something gentle. Your brain will thank you.