Best MMO that doesn't require combat

Summary

• Star Stables: Collect horses, customize avatars and explore an open world without combat.
• A Tale in the Desert: Build a utopian society through resource management and crafting in ancient Egypt.
• Palia: Enjoy a cozy open-world adventure without combat, an amazing story and an active community.

MMOs can be intimidating spaces to enter for new players. When combat enters the equation, this can raise the pressure even higher: who hasn't seen clips of insane overreactions to missed shots or insufficient heals? Some gamers are looking for social experiences that focus on something other than killing bad guys — after all, video games provide an escape. Sometimes people are looking for a peaceful place to escape to.

Lots of single player games cater to this audience. The rise of the farming simulator after the popularity of indie RPGs Stardew Valley is a significant part of the gaming market these days. What's rarer is a non-combat game with online social features: combat-based games have ruled the MMO scene for years. Still, there are a few titles that pave the way for the cozy non-combat genre.

5 Star Stable

Horse girls Rejoice

• Release date: September 25, 2011
• Platforms: PC, Mobile
• Developer: Star Stable Entertainment AB
• Collect horses
• Customize a rider
• Open world

Collect horses and race, go on quests and dress them up with adorable horse accessories in this horse game from 2011. There is no battle in Star Stable: the only friendly competition on the magical island of Jorvik. There are tons of customization options for both player avatars and their horses with regular updates every month.

This game uses a subscription service, but they allow players to test the waters in a small sample area. There are also tons of items that can be purchased with real-world currency. Regardless, this is the primo horse girl game available (other than Red Dead Redemption 2of course) and requires no weapons or tricks.

4 A story in the desert

Live an ordinary life in ancient Egypt

• Release date: 15 February 2003
• Platforms: PC
• Developer: Desert Nomad Studios
• Resource management
• Crafts
• 2003 graphics

Although the graphics are rather clunky, this MMO based on animal husbandry, crafting and advanced technology has a lot of heart. Players can choose a faction and work with their society to build a utopian society. This game focuses on long-term progress and teamwork and runs on an 18-month cycle. The closest players will experience combat is a card game called “Rite of Command,” which determines discipline.

This game features fishing, beetle breeding, firework making, and an environment that gives players a lot of insight into the history and people of ancient Egypt. There's a reason it's had an active player base since its launch back in 2003.

3 Fae Farm

Fairy Friends

• Avoidable battle
• Agriculture
• Build and customize a home

Like if Stardew Valley was an MMO, Fae Farm has much more to offer than combat. The art style and world design are both beautiful, and the community is alive and well. Although players can choose to enter dungeons, these can be avoided via invisibility potions.

Farm, catch bugs and fish instead of fighting monsters – there's plenty to do in this game that doesn't require a weapon. Plus, this game is available via a one-time purchase, so there's no chance of surprise fees or forgetting a subscription.

2 Palia

A cozy adventure in an open world

• Active community
• Good story and NPCs
• Low entry barrier

Palia has revolutionized the MMO formula by including robust RPG and simulation game elements. Players can find romance, customize their plot, craft, fish, hunt, and catch bugs in a beautiful (and just a little buggy) open-world environment. There is no battle; instead, players progress the story by solving puzzles and collecting resources.

This game does a good job of making sure players interact with each other as well – some resources require more than one player to acquire. This online community is extremely active, so it's never hard to find help.

1 Sky: Children Of The Light

Beautiful puzzles as far as the eye can see

From the creators of Trip, this beautiful and award-winning multiplayer puzzle game is the ultimate relaxing experience without the combat. Explore an open world with smooth animation and serene sound design to solve puzzles with friends. Players can customize their avatar, participate in seasonal activities, play music, and gracefully glide across Seven Kingdoms content.

Sky: Child of Light also has a unique approach to character interactions — players communicate solely through gestures (and so there's no verbal combat to fear from this game either). This provides player interactions that require creative interpretation and problem solving, which only adds to the fun of the puzzle game.