When people say video games, the first thing that comes to mind to many is high-intensity first-person shooters or high-speed racing games. Those titles won't help if you play video games to relax and release tension.

Thankfully, game genres aren't limited to adrenaline-filled titles. Some games focus on exploration and discovery, while others concentrate on building and management. If you think both tasks are relaxing, you're in luck. That's because we're listing the eight best exploration and crafting games you can play. Check out our list below.

1. Astroneer

If you're looking for a more casual gameplay experience and simple graphics but still want to have a lot of places to explore, you should look at Astroneer. This title drops you into an Earth-like planet, where you start with nothing but your habitat, a multi-tool, and a landing pad.

Although Astroneer's gameplay is simple and easy to learn, it does take a while to master it. Whether you're planning to take it easy or want to build a complete sprawling base, you should have a pen and paper with you.

2. Captain of Industry

In Captain of Industry, you're the captain of a cargo ship caught in an undisclosed global crisis. After finding shelter on an uninhabited island, you and your crew build infrastructure to mine resources, farm food, and create even more advanced infrastructure. Once your island grows, you can set sail to find people and trade. Eventually, you'll grow big enough to launch a ship to outer space.

You play this early access game from a top-down view, where you manage your small island and grow it into a regional power. There's also a world-map view, where you can explore the rest of the world to find the necessary resources to expand your island further.

3. Don't Starve Together

Don't Starve Together is the multiplayer expansion of the single-player survival game, Don't Starve. In this title, you're dropped into a 2D cartoon world in an alternate reality. Whether you're alone or with other players, you must work to survive in the wilderness.

Explore your environment, find a suitable place to build and farm, and fight other creatures you encounter in the dark world of Don't Starve Together.

4. My Time at Sandrock

If you want to play a light and cheerful exploration and crafting game, you should consider My Time at Sandrock. Although it's set in a post-apocalyptic world, the town you're in already has townpeople with several buildings. The game environment is bright and airy, and you won't feel alone as you help rebuild civilization.

This early access game is perfect if you want to build and explore in a lighthearted and friendly place.

5. No Man's Sky

No Man's Sky brings you back into space, where you build your base from scratch on an uncharted planet. You can explore over 18 quintillion unique planets, so you'll never run out of things to do and record.

The game also lets you play with three other players in crossplay. So even if you're on PC and your other friends are on PlayStation and Xbox, you can still play together and explore the galaxy's vastness.

6. Rust

If you like exploration and building but also want a healthy dose of combat, you should play Rust. This survival game will drop you into a procedurally generated world with nothing on you except a rock and a torch—you don't even have clothes. As you discover resources and unlock technologies, you can eventually build a small building and transform it into a sprawling base.

Although the game has many hazards, like hunger and wild animals, your primary threat is other players. This game encourages players to attack other players and their bases to steal equipment. You should try Rust if you're into battle royale games and survival.

7. Satisfactory

Satisfactory takes you back to space, where you're dropped on an unexplored planet. Your mission is to gather resources, refine materials, and build equipment for an off-planet company called FICSIT. Your first major goal is to build a space elevator, allowing you to send back the machines required by the company.

You'll eventually find yourself with a sprawling factory as you build your base. And, as you develop automation from extraction to refining to construction, you'll soon find yourself with miles and miles of conveyor belts—giving you a satisfactory factory.

8. Subnautica

While most other exploration and crafting games are set on land and in space, this title is unique as it's the only one set primarily in water. You're going to control Ryley Robinson, the only survivor of the crash of the spacecraft Aurora on planet 4546B.

In this game, you must complete tasks to advance the story. As you do your tasks, you'll explore the vast ocean, collect resources, and build tools, vehicles, and bases. You'll also interact with the planet's numerous oceanic and land creatures, some of which are hostile.

If you want a unique take on the survival, exploration, and crafting genre, Subnautica is a title you shouldn't miss.

Start Your Own Age of Discovery

If you want to relax while playing games, you should try these exploration and crafting games. You can take your time with most of these titles and play them as you see fit. Most of all, these exploration games come in their forms and flavors, ensuring there's one for each taste in gaming.

If you like space-based adventures, there's Astroneer and No Man's Sky. You can pick Don't Starve Together if you prefer a game with a darker tone or My Time at Sandrock if you want something lighter. If you prefer more combat, there's Rust, while Satisfactory and Captain of Industry focus on managing your giant production facility. Finally, if you prefer something different, Subnautica will deliver a unique underwater experience.

So, if you're tired of speeding in racing games or being shot at in shooting games, try and relax with any of these exploration and crafting titles. And since these titles typically take a long time to finish (if at all), you're bound to enjoy them for many years.