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ABZÛ is the closest overall match if you want the contemplative atmosphere and visual storytelling associated with Journey. For movement that feels more active, choose The Pathless; for a broad desert to roam, choose Sable. Each offers a different answer to “what should I play after Sword of the Sea?”—because the appeal of Sword of the Sea is not just its calm mood, but the way surfing-like movement shapes its exploration.
That distinction matters when you are looking for “relaxing exploration games like Journey and ABZÛ.” Some recommendations here are peaceful because they remove combat and pressure. Others are beautiful but add puzzles, danger, time limits, management, or emotional weight. Use the differences below to find the experience you actually want, rather than treating every atmospheric game as interchangeable.
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At a glance
| Name | Best for | Movement and structure | Pressure and social play | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABZÛ | Closest Journey-like atmosphere | Solo underwater exploration; relaxing, atmospheric presentation | Low-pressure visual discovery; single-player | Oct 2026 |
| The Pathless | Fast traversal and action | Open-world movement with eagle-assisted travel, archery, puzzles, spirit hunts, and bosses | More active and demanding; single-player | Oct 2026 |
| Sable | Self-directed desert roaming | Open-world gliding and exploration | Low-pressure, but more puzzle-oriented; single-player | Oct 2026 |
| A Short Hike | A compact, gentle outing | Hiking, climbing, and soaring in a mountainside setting | Very low pressure and playful; single-player | Oct 2026 |
| Flower | Minimal, nature-centered calm | Guide the wind through lush environments | Minimal conventional pressure; single-player | Oct 2026 |
| Outer Wilds | Mystery and discovery | Investigate a changing solar system within a time loop | Hazards, time pressure, and horror-related elements; single-player | Oct 2026 |
| Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition | Emotional storytelling and cozy management | Explore by boat while building, crafting, and caring for spirit friends | Emotionally heavier management; solo or shared/split-screen co-op | Oct 2026 |
The table separates the qualities that are easy to blur together under the word “relaxing.” Atmosphere tells you how a game feels, movement tells you how it feels to inhabit its world, and pressure tells you whether that calm survives puzzles, combat, hazards, or a clock. Social structure matters too: Journey includes single-player and online co-op, while the other games have different solo or local co-op arrangements.
What makes Sword of the Sea different from other relaxing games?
Sword of the Sea is a movement-led adventure, not simply a quiet walk through attractive scenery. In Giant Squid’s description, you ride a Hoversword through the Necropolis, a desolate world whose lost ocean you are trying to restore. The board combines the feel of a snowboard, skateboard, and hoverboard; speed, airtime, tricks, ruins, and exploration are part of its identity.
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That movement is central to the mood. Giant Squid describes the game as blending “the speed and flow of skating games” with the emotional core and exploration associated with the studio’s work, calling it meditative, exhilarating, and introspective. Founder and creative director Matt Nava put it more simply: “At its core, this game is all about surfing.” Those descriptions help explain why a game can be beautiful and contemplative yet still feel exhilarating.
The restorative premise also gives the ride a purpose. You are crossing a shifting landscape while bringing life back to a place that has lost its ocean, so the scenery is not merely a backdrop. Ruins, open spaces, movement lines, and the return of life all support the sense of a world changing as you move through it. A game can therefore match Sword of the Sea in visual calm while missing its essential physical rhythm.
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Which games like Sword of the Sea are closest to Journey?
Start with ABZÛ for a serene, visually led journey, then consider Flower if you want something even more abstract. Both favor atmosphere over conventional adventure systems, but neither reproduces Sword of the Sea’s board-based momentum. They are strongest when you want to slow down and observe rather than chase speed, tricks, or a large checklist of activities.
1. ABZÛ: the closest overall match
ABZÛ is the strongest first choice for players seeking “games like Journey” or “games like ABZÛ”: it is an underwater adventure from Giant Squid and is described as coming from the art director of Journey. Its store listing characterizes it as relaxing, atmospheric, exploration-focused, and single-player. Those links in creative lineage and tone make it a closer match for Journey’s contemplative presentation than a game that merely has a beautiful setting.
The biggest change is the kind of journey you take. Rather than cross a desert on a Hoversword, you descend through an underwater world. The movement and environment are consequently very different, but the appeal is still visual discovery and the feeling of moving through a carefully composed landscape. Underwater space changes your sense of direction and pace: instead of surfing over dunes, you read depth, light, and submerged spaces as the route.
Choose ABZÛ when you want the mood and environmental storytelling; do not choose it expecting surfing, tricks, or a desert pilgrimage. It is a solo experience, so it also suits players who want a private, uninterrupted journey rather than Journey’s option for online co-op. Among the seven recommendations, it is the cleanest answer to “what should I play after Sword of the Sea?” when atmosphere is the deciding factor.
2. Flower: the gentlest, most abstract option
Flower puts nature and motion ahead of a conventional character-driven adventure. You guide the wind through lush environments, with flight, atmosphere, and relaxation at the center. Its minimal structure makes it a good fit for “games with beautiful worlds and no stressful combat” when you want less emphasis on systems, lore, or a defined route.
It is a different kind of serenity from Journey or ABZÛ. Flower is more abstract and less driven by a character’s story or the lore of a world. The appeal comes from shaping motion through living landscapes, not from mastering a board, solving a large set of puzzles, or managing companions. Pick it for a nature-centered mood and simple movement, not for a long, self-directed landscape to traverse.
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Flower is also useful as a test of what you mean by relaxing. If you want the smallest possible amount of conventional game friction, it may be the best fit. If you want a sense of place with explicit world history, ABZÛ is the richer match; if you want momentum and tricks, look elsewhere on this list.
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Which alternative has the best movement and open-world exploration?
The Pathless is the movement-first pick if you are willing to trade some quiet for action. Sable gives you the more self-directed desert roam, while A Short Hike compresses the pleasure of moving through a landscape into a smaller, gentler outing. These three games share an interest in traversal, but their scale and pressure are quite different.
3. The Pathless: faster traversal with more action
The Pathless is another Giant Squid game, so it is a natural follow-up if you want another world from the studio. Its open-world traversal includes eagle-assisted movement, and its soundtrack is by Austin Wintory. It offers a more active rhythm than a purely meditative exploration game, making it the best choice here if the way you move through a world matters more than uninterrupted calm.
That energy comes with a meaningful trade-off: archery, puzzles, corrupted-spirit hunts, and boss battles are part of the adventure. If your priority is “meditative exploration games with great music,” The Pathless may fit the music and movement part of that search, but it is not the least stressful option. Its traversal can feel exhilarating because it asks you to move quickly and engage with threats, not because it removes every obstacle.
Choose it when you want exploration with action rather than a substitute for a quiet ride on the Hoversword. It is still a strong fit for a player who values a large world, a distinctive travel mechanic, and a powerful score. It is a weaker fit if your definition of calm means no combat, no boss encounters, and no reason to stop and solve a problem.
4. Sable: the broadest-feeling desert roam
Sable is the choice for gliding across vast deserts and landscapes at your own pace. It has open-world and exploration framing, and its self-directed structure makes it suited to players who would rather choose where to go than follow a concentrated passage from one set piece to the next.
That freedom distinguishes it from Journey’s more focused pilgrimage and from Sword of the Sea’s movement-led traversal. Sable is also more puzzle-oriented. You are choosing your direction and deciding which parts of the landscape deserve attention, so the pleasure comes from autonomy as much as from scenery. The desert setting makes it the most obvious alternative for someone who wants a broad, sunlit world rather than an underwater or mountainside environment.
Choose it when the desert setting and the chance to chart your own exploration matter most; if you prefer a tightly guided emotional arc or fast board-based flow, its strengths are less directly aligned with what you want. Sable is not a direct replacement for Sword of the Sea’s surfing sensation, but it is the closest option here for a spacious, self-directed desert mood.
5. A Short Hike: a small, low-pressure wander
A Short Hike is a compact alternative built around hiking, climbing, and soaring through a peaceful mountainside setting. Its scale and playful presentation make it a good pick when you want a gentle outing rather than a grand journey. The pleasure is in moving through the landscape, with several ways to travel, rather than in recreating the solemn sweep of Journey.
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Choose it for a short, low-pressure change of pace. It deliberately feels smaller and more playful than Sword of the Sea, so it is not the pick for a vast desert or an expansive, movement-focused adventure. That small scale is precisely why it works after a demanding game: you can explore a mountainside, climb when you want, and soar without committing to a huge open-world routine.
It is also a good recommendation for players who want exploration without a combat system. Compared with Flower, it offers a more recognizable character and setting; compared with Sable, it gives you less territory and more concentrated charm. The right expectation is a gentle excursion, not a replacement for a sweeping pilgrimage.
What if I want mystery or emotional storytelling instead of pure calm?
Outer Wilds and Spiritfarer are adjacent recommendations, not direct substitutes for Sword of the Sea’s traversal. Outer Wilds leans into investigation and danger; Spiritfarer makes emotional relationships and management central to play. Both can be beautiful and absorbing, but they ask for a different kind of attention.
6. Outer Wilds: discovery with tension and time pressure
Outer Wilds invites you to investigate an open-world solar system caught in a time loop. Locations change over time, making observation and discovery central to its appeal. If what you want is the wonder of uncovering how a strange world works, it is a strong option—and a better fit for mystery than for an uninterruptedly soothing outing.
Its time loop, hazards, and horror-related tags are important caveats. Those elements make it a more demanding recommendation for anyone searching for games with beautiful worlds and no stressful combat. Even when the presentation is spacious and curious, the structure creates urgency: you are learning, testing possibilities, and returning to places as conditions change.
Choose Outer Wilds for curiosity and investigation, not as a guarantee of relaxation. It is the recommendation for a player who wants the discovery side of Sword of the Sea’s ruined landscapes, but is comfortable with uncertainty and pressure. If you want to drift through scenery without worrying about danger or a clock, ABZÛ, Flower, or A Short Hike is safer.
7. Spiritfarer: comfort built around care and management
Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition combines exploration with boat-building, crafting, and caring for spirit friends. Its emotional premise and cozy management systems make it a fit for players who want comfort and character relationships alongside exploration, rather than movement as the main attraction.
That makes it an adjacent pick, not a traversal replacement. The boat and its passengers shape the experience; Sword of the Sea, by contrast, puts the Hoversword and the act of crossing a changing landscape at the center. Spiritfarer asks you to plan, build, gather, and care for others, so its calm is rooted in routine and relationships rather than uninterrupted flow.
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How should I choose between these games?
Decide what you want to carry forward from Sword of the Sea: its atmosphere, its feeling of motion, its open spaces, or its emotional tone. “Relaxing exploration” can describe games that feel very different once movement, pressure, and structure enter the picture.
- For Journey-like atmosphere: choose ABZÛ.
- For serene nature and minimal structure: choose Flower.
- For active traversal from Giant Squid: choose The Pathless, accepting its action and boss encounters.
- For an open desert to explore at your own pace: choose Sable.
- For a short, playful outing: choose A Short Hike.
- For mystery and investigation: choose Outer Wilds, with its time-loop pressure and hazards.
- For cozy management and emotional relationships: choose Spiritfarer.
Compare them by the feeling you want
Atmosphere: ABZÛ and Flower are the clearest serenity-first choices. Sable is spacious and contemplative, while The Pathless is more exhilarating. Outer Wilds is mysterious, and Spiritfarer is emotionally warm but not emotionally weightless.
Movement: Sword of the Sea’s defining verb is surfing. The closest alternatives by physical travel are The Pathless’s fast open-world traversal, Sable’s gliding, A Short Hike’s climbing and soaring, ABZÛ’s underwater movement, and Flower’s wind-driven flight. Spiritfarer is slower and organized around a boat and its onboard activities.
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World structure: Journey offers a concentrated pilgrimage. ABZÛ and Flower emphasize composed sequences and environments. Sable and The Pathless provide broader open-world spaces. A Short Hike is compact, Outer Wilds is an investigative sandbox whose locations change over time, and Spiritfarer connects exploration to a mobile home and management loop.
Pressure: Flower, A Short Hike, and ABZÛ are the safest choices for low-pressure play. Sable adds puzzles without becoming an action game. The Pathless adds archery, spirit hunts, and bosses; Outer Wilds adds hazards and a time loop; Spiritfarer replaces physical danger with resource, crafting, and relationship responsibilities.
Emotional focus: Sword of the Sea combines environmental restoration with introspection. ABZÛ and Flower communicate primarily through place and motion. The Pathless emphasizes adventure and a strong musical journey. Sable centers on independent wandering, Outer Wilds on discovery, and Spiritfarer on care, farewells, and relationships.
Social play: Journey’s listing includes single-player and online co-op. ABZÛ, Sable, A Short Hike, Flower, The Pathless, and Outer Wilds are listed as single-player. Spiritfarer supports single-player and shared or split-screen co-op, so it is the clearest option if playing beside someone is important.
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If you are buying Sword of the Sea for PS5, a DualSense wireless controller is the accessory that has a direct, verified connection to the game: the official PlayStation listing says the adventure supports vibration and trigger effects. That makes a compatible controller a sensible setup consideration, but it should not determine which alternative you choose. Storefront availability, editions, and any subscription catalog inclusion can change, so verify those details for the specific game and region at the time of purchase.
How we picked
The recommendations are ranked by how directly each game answers the search for a Sword of the Sea follow-up: first by shared atmosphere or creative lineage, then by movement and exploration, then by adjacent moods. The distinctions that matter are movement style, world structure, pressure, emotional focus, and whether play is solo or shared—not a blanket label of “relaxing.”
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sword of the Sea a walking simulator?
Not in the usual sense: its defining movement is riding a Hoversword, with speed, airtime, and tricks built into exploration. Giant Squid’s description emphasizes the flow of skating games as well as introspection.
What is the closest game to Journey after Sword of the Sea?
ABZÛ is the closest overall match for Journey-like atmosphere and visual storytelling. It comes from Giant Squid, is associated with Journey’s art direction, and is presented as a relaxing, atmospheric underwater exploration game.
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The Pathless is the strongest movement-first alternative because it combines open-world traversal with fast travel and eagle-assisted movement. It adds archery, puzzles, corrupted-spirit hunts, and boss battles, so it is more active than Sword of the Sea’s meditative side.
Is Sable a relaxing game?
Sable is a low-pressure, self-directed desert exploration game, but it is more puzzle-oriented and open-ended than Journey. Choose it for gliding across broad landscapes and deciding your own route, not for a tightly guided pilgrimage.
Which game is best for a short, gentle session?
A Short Hike is the clearest fit. It is a compact, playful outing built around hiking, climbing, and soaring through a peaceful mountainside setting.
Can I play Journey with someone else?
Journey’s store listing includes online co-op as well as single-player. The other recommendations differ: Spiritfarer lists shared or split-screen co-op, while ABZÛ, Sable, A Short Hike, Flower, The Pathless, and Outer Wilds are listed as single-player.
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The official PlayStation listing for the PS5 edition says it supports DualSense vibration and trigger effects. This confirms those features for that edition, not for other platforms.
Are these games all available on PS5?
The verified platform information here identifies Sword of the Sea as a PS5 game, but does not establish platform availability for every alternative. Check the relevant storefront for the edition you plan to play.
Is Outer Wilds relaxing like ABZÛ?
Only in its sense of wonder. Outer Wilds adds a time loop, hazards, changing locations, and horror-related elements, making it a stronger mystery recommendation than a no-stress exploration game.
Is Spiritfarer a direct Sword of the Sea replacement?
No. Spiritfarer is an adjacent fit centered on boat travel, building, crafting, and caring for spirit friends. Choose it for cozy management and emotional relationships, not for surfing-style traversal.
The Bottom Line
Start with ABZÛ for the closest Journey-like calm, choose The Pathless for faster Giant Squid traversal, and pick Sable for the broadest self-directed desert. Flower and A Short Hike are gentler low-pressure options; Outer Wilds and Spiritfarer are worthwhile only when you specifically want mystery or emotional management alongside exploration.
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