During my first few hours of playing Among Trees, I explored the lush forest surrounding my isolated cabin, took a plethora of screenshots of the vibrant scenery, traveled too far away from my home, and was subsequently attacked by a grizzly bear…repeatedly. 

I’m a massive fan of cozy survival games with an abundance of management mechanics, but I’m very selective about which ones I spend my time with. Among Trees grabbed me from its opening sequence, with its pastel color palette and peaceful atmosphere. 

Though it is a survival game, and therefore deals out death via environmental dangers and more direct routes, sometimes I just want to shut my brain off without the extra worry of being hugged to death by a bear. That’s why I’m a fan of Zen mode—Among Trees’ alternate game mode that removes all dangerous animals to foster a more relaxing, calming experience for players. 

Zen mode is meant to offer that quiet life with no distraction, with the focus on taking care of your character’s needs, like hunger and getting to bed on time, instead of carefully avoiding the threats of wildlife whenever you step out of your cabin. There are plenty of other objectives to fill your time too, like filling out your compendium by locating all available flora and discovering all major locations on your map, as well as crafting all the necessary tools you’ll need to advance your new lifestyle.

Unlike other survival sims that require you to construct additional buildings to manage your resources, your cabin in the woods is your main source of survival. As you progress, you’ll upgrade your home to add more rooms, like a crafting area for weather-appropriate clothes, a kitchen for cooking dishes, and—my favorite feature—your very own greenhouse with a view of nature and the changing sky beyond. There is no farm to tend to or relationships to establish. It’s just you. Alone. Mostly. 

Being alone, far away from civilization, is the main premise of the game, so it’s meant to be an isolating experience. But you won’t be totally alone for long. Eventually, you’ll be able to tame an adorable fox that can become your companion. You’re responsible for taking care of your new pet as well as yourself, and they can even scout out resources for you when you need that extra paw. And yes, you can pet the fox!

I’d recommend trying out Zen mode at least once. It’s a far more chilled-out experience that fits alongside the game’s already cozy ambiance, but it still retains my attention whenever I decide to boot up the game to escape for a while. It’s not overwhelming in its scale, and accompanied by the game’s whimsical music and dreamlike setting, it’s the perfect sim to get lost in for a while. 

Among Trees’ Zen mode feels like a getaway that provides some much-needed respite, and it’s something I wish more survival games considered as an option.