1. Viridi
How to play: Grow and care for a pot of succulents in real time. Since they’re a little easier to tend than plants in real life, it’s less stress, less mess, and way more love since you can whip out your plant babies any time you have your phone on you.
Perfect for: When you’re waiting for the Wi-Fi to kick back in after your show stops mid-stream.
2. Two Dots
How to play: It's connect the dots, but with points, power-ups, and spunky music. With the option to opt out of a timer, you can take each game as fast or as slow as you like to adventure through each playfully designed level stress-free.
Perfect for: When your train is heavily delayed because of construction. Again.
3. Zen Koi
How to play: Soothing music, calming water effects...if you're not careful, this game will lull you right off to sleep. Raise and breed beautifully patterned fish and nurture them as they grow in size and beauty. If you do a great job, you might even help some of them become dragons.
Perfect for: When you're at a party with only acquaintances and you're not warmed up enough to introduce yourself to anyone.
4. Fluid Monkey
How to play: There's nothing wrong with doing something mindless, especially when it involves the calming powers of water. Give your brain a break by trailing your fingers through misty pools of liquid. You can swirl colors together, bounce water spheres, or just watch the water lazily stream across your screen.
Perfect for: When you call customer service to ask a single question and they put you on hold for 45 minutes.
Price: Free on Android, not available on iOS
5. Auralux
How to play: Fight for control of the stars in what has to be the most tranquil warfare strategy game to ever come to mobile. As you command beautiful spheres of light through the reaches of outer space, your ships will mesmerize you as they pulsate and flicker to the beat of the music.
Perfect for: When bae won't text you back.
6. Prune
How to play: Quiet and meditative, Prune will help you retreat from the stresses of the world as you trim your bonsai tree to whatever shape you desire. With a minimalistic design and simplistic music, all you have to do is swipe your finger to watch excess branches tumble off your phone screen and into the void.
Perfect for: When you're locked out of your apartment and can't get in touch with your landlord.
7. Contre Jour
How to play: Guide a quirky little character named Petit through a serene world as he journeys to save a rose. You'll help Petit by shaping the surreal landscape around him to keep him out of the clutches of danger, all while listening to a relaxing soundtrack.
Perfect for: When you agree to meet your friend for food but you get there 10 minutes early.
8. Atomus HD
How to play: Atomus HD lets you harness the power of kinetic energy by allowing you to guide swirling neon lights with your fingers. Anyone with a fascination with colors, lights, or motion will find this game particularly entrancing.
Perfect for: When the food you ordered is over an hour late and your hanger is about to rage out of control.
9. Spirits
How to play: This charming game reminiscent of Miyazaki allows you to manipulate nature as you guide benevolent spirits to safety. Build plant bridges, dig tunnels, and change the direction of the wind as you lead these whimsical little wisps home.
Perfect for: When you just drank a venti coffee and the line for the bathroom isn't moving.
10. Zen Bound
How to play: Unwind with Zen Bound by methodically wrapping beautifully carved wooden objects with rope. It sounds bizarre, but it's actually a meditative puzzle game where you must figure out how to cover an object with just the given amount of string.
Perfect for: When your roommate jumps in the shower just as you were about to go in.
11. Monument Valley
How to play: In this simple puzzle game, you must guide a princess through increasingly complex M.C. Escher-esque monuments by rotating paths, stairs, and walls. Even when you solve a puzzle, the entrancing colors and stunning design make it hard to leave one level and move on to the next.
Perfect for: When the Pokémon Go servers crash.
12. Eufloria
How to play: Chill out with Eufloria by harnessing resources to grow and nurture life in outer space. The enchanting visuals and simple, easy-to-learn gameplay will help you relax and drift away from everyday stresses on planet Earth.
Perfect for: When you just don't really feel like doing anything else.