Outer Wilds is a masterpiece, but based on this comment about Subnautica, be warned that it also doesn't make clear what you're supposed to do. Unlike Subnautica though, there are no menial tasks to keep up with once you figure it out.

Just don't be afraid to check a walkthrough to give you a boost if you need it (but also don't rely on one, the joy of exploration and discovery is the best part!).

Ooh enjoy! Outer Wilds is one of my favourite things, ever.

Counter-point to ConstableJelly (they're not wrong, play however you enjoy, this is just my opinion) - DO avoid guides even when stuck.

The whole game is about figuring things out, looking at the info you have from different angles, or heading out in brand new directions to see if any new discoveries will tie in with where you're stuck. Looking something up will rob you of that discovery and maybe other ones that tie in to it.

There's a great subreddit for the game that is set up with very specific rules to avoid spoilers. You can ask questions there, and people will expertly nudge you in the right direction based on what you've already discovered and figured out. There are communities here also but I don't think they're set up in quite the same way yet (especially as spoiler tags are not reliable in Lemmy yet across different apps etc)

You can definitely do it without resorting to any of the above, but if you get so stuck you're going to drop the game, I'd say ask in that subreddit. Or, feel free to DM me! I'll help you without ruining anything as best as I can.

I mean, fair enough. If you don't like grind then Subnautica isn't going to be for you. A lot of these grindy games I use as podcast games - I listen to stuff while I'm doing the boring bits, then when shit gets real I pause the sound to focus.

Again, you can get past some of the grind, but if you don't enjoy the process to get to that point it's maybe not worth it. Even once the worst grind is gone... I mean there's still grind. The actual story is pretty fascinating, it's all about conservation and responsible stewardship and working with the ecosystem and not against it. Oh and also you're virtually a slave in a hypercapitalist company town structure.

Anyway, I think Spiritfarer is very bittersweet, although I would consider myself very at peace with the concept of death, so I understand others may feel differently. If you're a big crier it will definitely do that for you. A big theme is letting people go when it's their time. I played it on a week when I was particularly sick and didn't have the energy to do something more active, and it was the perfect thing for that time for me. I personally think it's very wholesome and healing in many ways. The ambience is very soothing, you spend time tending your gardens on the ship and keeping everybody happy whilst you travel. One of the things they sometimes need is hugs. It never feels like a grind imho, but again I'm happy with minecrafty/subnautica type games. I have to admit I haven't finished it, it was very much an experience limited to that time I was sick, which is weird. I'll have to try it again.