For personal reasons I don't like shooters or indeed any game where the goal is to attack or kill anything, however cartoony.
I realize that eliminates a large number of Horizon Worlds games, but of the remaining, what do you think are the most successful games?
Looking for game inspiration.
Stardew valley type games, where you farm and sell crops. There are factory like games, where you collect resources and then have belts and such that move resources to other machines to be processed into something else, allowing you new upgrades and such. Fishing. Role play like just being able to do magic or something, maybe some physics (point wound at object and be able to move it around, or light candle). Recreate an interesting place, one world has a Japanese theme. Zelda shrines (puzzles you try to solve by using certain features, moving things into place, lighting the correct thing).
Thanks! The Zelda shrine type game sounds interesting. Any particular names of examples?
I already have sections of my treasure hunt game that are locked and you need to open by finding a key. I could add opening up other sections by solving a puzzle.
Here is a video that goes over all the shrines in Zelda: Tears of The Kingdom. https://youtu.be/DiSqJAVBiww?si=5qkjRGpdWDzyXKzW
The topic of nonviolent games is very important to me because such projects show that games can be interesting without aggression and fighting. I enjoy games that involve exploration, creativity, puzzles, or social interaction more because they are relaxing and inspiring. Games like Stardew Valley or Journey prove that emotional depth matters more than action sequences. I sometimes look at game mechanics in different genres, even checking designs at https://casinosanalyzer.com/casino-games/live-roulette to understand probability systems and user engagement patterns. These insights help appreciate how nonviolent games create tension through clever design rather than combat. Titles like Unpacking or A Short Hike demonstrate that simple concepts can be incredibly engaging. The gaming industry needs more diversity in genres to reach wider audiences beyond traditional action fans.
