Why Sword of the Sea Is the Perfect Game for Mindfulness and Relaxation

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Have you ever wished a video game could feel more like meditation than a challenge? In an era where many games emphasize competition, combat, and constant stimulation, Sword of the Sea by Giant Squid offers something refreshingly different.

Created by Matt Nava, the art director behind Journey and Flower, this atmospheric surfing adventure is more than just entertainment—it’s a meditative experience designed to calm the mind and nurture the soul. By blending fluid movement, minimalist design, and a profound connection to nature, it delivers a zen-like flow state that feels like digital therapy.

Here’s why players and critics alike are calling Sword of the Sea one of the most relaxing games of 2025.

1. The Art of Flow: Movement as Meditation

Sword of the Sea - Mindfulness and Relaxation Game
At its heart, Sword of the Sea is about movement as mindfulness. You play as the Wraith, a resurrected warrior gliding across desert dunes and shimmering oceans on a Hoversword—a hybrid of a surfboard, skateboard, and snowboard.

Unlike traditional extreme sports games, this one emphasizes rhythm and presence:

  • Forgiving Physics: Miss a jump? The game subtly corrects your path so momentum is never broken.

  • Dynamic Terrain: Sand dunes shift like ocean waves, encouraging you to “ride” the environment rather than fight it.

  • Inspired by Nature: Nava drew from snowboarding and scuba diving, aiming to capture that serene, fully-present feeling of being in nature.

This echoes Giant Squid’s earlier titles like Journey and The Pathless, where movement itself becomes a form of storytelling. As Nava told PlayStation Blog:

“It’s about flow state—finding a meditative quality through exploration and connection with nature.”

2. A World Designed for Serenity

Every aspect of Sword of the Sea is crafted for calm immersion, making it one of the best relaxing PS5 games to date:

  • Visual Poetry: Minimalist yet sweeping landscapes shift from golden deserts to glowing oceans. Restoring water transforms barren wastelands into vibrant ecosystems teeming with dolphins, whales, and schools of fish.

  • Auditory Bliss: Austin Wintory’s dynamic score evolves with your movement—gentle when exploring, soaring when restoring the world. Paired with the PS5’s DualSense haptics, every ripple and carve feels alive.

  • No Fail States: No enemies. No timers. No “game over” screens. Even falling into an abyss resets you calmly, ensuring tranquility is never disrupted.

3. Community Voices: Gaming as Stress Relief

The Sword of the Sea community has embraced the game not just as art, but as a form of mindfulness.

  • On Reddit, one player wrote:

    “This game eased my mind, relaxed my shoulders, and reminded me to breathe.”

  • A Steam review called it:

    “Therapeutic… a work of art that relaxes you beyond words.”

  • Critics echo this sentiment. Eurogamer noted:

    “It rewards you neither for playing well nor for just playing, but for playing it right.”

That ability to slip into “flow state” is what makes the game uniquely restorative. Nava himself admits:

“You’ll go in to do some testing, and before you realize it, a half-hour will go by because you were just surfing.”

4. Mindfulness Beyond the Screen

What makes Sword of the Sea special is how its themes resonate beyond gaming:

  • Environmental Hope: Restoring water to deserts becomes a symbolic act of healing—a virtual response to climate anxieties. As one reviewer put it:

    “In a world facing ecological crisis, the game lets you feel like you’re helping, even if it’s virtual.”

  • Reimagining Conflict: The Wraith is a warrior without enemies. Instead of conquest, your sword becomes an instrument of restoration. As Nava explains:

    “What do you do with a sword when there’s nobody left to fight? You find a new identity.”

It’s a subtle but powerful rethinking of what video game heroes can be.

5. Tips for Maximizing Relaxation

Want to get the most out of Sword of the Sea’s calming design? Here are a few simple tips:

  • Play in short sessions—perfect for unwinding after a long day.

  • Use headphones to immerse yourself in Austin Wintory’s masterful score.

  • Explore without rushing—hidden caves, lore stones, and vistas reward curiosity.

  • Turn off notifications or play in a quiet room to enhance immersion.

Conclusion: More Than a Game

Ultimately, Sword of the Sea isn’t just a video game—it’s a digital sanctuary. By prioritizing flow over challenge, serenity over conflict, and beauty over grind, it creates space for mindfulness in gaming that few titles achieve.

As one emotional player shared:

“It reminded me that there can be something after all the darkness.”

In today’s hectic, overstimulated world, that’s a gift worth surfing for. 

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