Your Gaming Playlist: The Best Games to Wind Down with Before Bed

Guest contributor: Tim K.

It’s late, you’re tired, but your brain isn’t quite done. What do you do? We all know the answer: you grab your phone and doomscroll. None of it really helps you to relax, and it certainly doesn’t set you up for a night of restful sleep. But what if there were a better way to wind down? One that replaced aimless digital wandering with a fun, chilled-out experience?

This is where Arkadium comes in. With our extensive curated collection of relaxing games for you to play before bed, you can seriously step up your end-of-day ritual. Best of all, we’ve even curated a cozy Spotify playlist to pair with these chilled-out titles for ultimate relaxation.

But is gaming really a good idea right before bed? Which games are best to try? Read on to learn how you can make your wind-down window better than ever.

Depending on your past experience with games, you might be picturing fast-paced, competitive, and stressful situations that leave you feeling wired afterwards. But in fact, many games are built around smooth visuals, relaxing (yet still stimulating) mechanics, and less intense action. With the right game, you can actually feel more ready for bed, not less.

Research has shown that smaller doses of cognitively stimulating activities, such as games, in the evening can help calm anxious thoughts. Especially when your new before-bed gaming habit replaces doomscrolling, you will notice a more gradual drifting off to sleep versus a long, scatter-brained descent into low-quality slumber.

Casual games are great for the less invested gamer looking for a bit of fun before bed, while puzzle games and memory games give you just a bit of challenge while retaining their calming nature. You may even wake up after a full eight hours with the level half-completed, phone in hand!

We would say this is a common misconception, but in some circumstances, it’s actually true. Yes, longer high-intensity gaming sessions involving all kinds of bright lights, jarring sounds, and competitive play actually can be disruptive to your sleep.

The key to successful before-bed gaming is two-fold: intensity and duration. There’s a big difference, for example, between playing a casual game for 20 minutes and a competitive action title for two hours. Additionally, lowering your screen brightness and/or enabling your device’s night mode can further minimize sleep disruption by reducing blue light exposure.

From pretty puzzlers to word games and casual must-haves, here’s our list of the best games to play before bed for a great night’s sleep:

A delightfully chilled-out 3D tile-matching game, Mahjongg Dimensions blends focused gameplay with calming sound effects and mesmerizingly smooth animations.

For a more linguistically inclined virtual nightcap, we highly recommend Word Wipe. Swipe to your heart’s content as you string letters together to form words at your own pace.

Cyber-tastic neon lighting and low-pressure matching gameplay make Lumeno a stress-free option for those who like stunning visuals.

You know it, you love it. Daily Solitaire might as well be a prescription sleep aid when paired with a cozy cup of chamomile tea.

You may not think of a “shooter” as great for winding down, but the simple mechanics and pretty colors of Arkadium Bubble Shooter make this title surprisingly calming.

There’s no reason to overthink things. Here’s how we recommend setting up your wind-down gaming routine:

When getting ready for bed, switch your device to night mode to reduce the brightness. Then, if you like, pop on a calming playlist.

Next, pick one or two of the above games from Arkadium’s collection, or any other more casual games in our library that you’ve taken a liking to.

Finally, play for 20-30 minutes as you relax and unwind. Don’t worry about leveling up, high scores, or new gear. Simply enjoy the gameplay and let your mind be present in the moment.

We would offer another step, but you’ll probably be asleep by this point. And, after all, that’s the point!

Why 30 minutes, you may be wondering? This is the sweet spot; the gap between achieving full relaxation and entering overstimulation territory.

This is also where casual games really shine. They’re easy to dip into and out of without getting completely lost as you chase achievements and quests.

Most importantly, 30 minutes is just the right amount of time to replace doomscrolling, giving your brain “something else to eat” right before it drifts off to a wonderful night of sleep.

You work hard, and sleep should be a no-compromises item for all of us. If you need a little boost before bed (or instead, the opposite), check out Arkadium’s library of puzzle, memory, and casual games for the ultimate sendoff. If you’re looking for an even broader selection, we’ve got arcade instant classics, trivia games, and much more just waiting for you to try.

Got a go-to game that does the trick for you? Drop your tips and tricks in the comments for the rest of us, eh? Happy snoozing!