SPOTLIGHT: Lofi Hip Hop Worlds To Study In is delightful and simple

It’s not a traditional game, but it is a relaxing experience.

When you deal with indie games as much as I do, you come across some real interesting experiences, walking simulators, and non-game games. Lofi Hip Hop Worlds To Study In is one that I downloaded a couple of years ago and had it sitting in a folder ever since, telling myself I’m going to play it. I’m glad I finally opened it up because it’s a delightful little project.

This, for lack of a better term, falls under the “walking simulator” genre of cozy games. You start at a beach-style vacation spot, complete with various places to wander around on the beach and island. 

Every empty chair, bench, and hammock can be sat in as you listen to the ambiance of your scenery and the lofi music being played at that particular moment. If you want your own soundtrack, it’s super easy to turn the in-game music off and make it your own adventure.

They describe the game as a “fidget toy” to help with sensory breaks in between the stress of school and work. It’s also great for those that live in certain states with legalization to zone out with, as there are no enemies, tasks, or challenges.

In addition to the island, you can enter big storybooks and head into a town, a jungle, or even a cozy little library. While there isn’t a ton to do in each, a cute little ball and paint setup in the Town offers plenty of mess making.

What is Lofi Hip Hop Worlds To Study In?

The entire project was designed in four months by “Richard Lemarchand’s class at the USC School of Cinematic Arts Interactive Media and Games Division” in 2021. They detail a bit more in their blog on itch.io.

“It is based on research on mindful gaming that Matthew Hamilton has been conducting with Tracy Fullerton at the Game Innovation Lab and with Betsy DiSalvo at Georgia Tech. This research will be presented at the HCI 2021 conference.”

Direct credits go to Israel Jones and Matthew Hamilton, students at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and Rossier School of Education, with Kaley Markes (Berklee School of Music) handling sound design and Jones teaming up with Noah Brown for the music curation. Music was provided by Lofi Geek and Michael Clark.

It was originally dropped onto itch.io as a pay-what-you-can basis to help support teachers and students during the pandemic, where it has remained ever since. While you can get the game entirely free under that model, it’s well worth a buck to show your support.

Even though they haven’t done much since 2021’s release, you can still grab the PC or Mac versions of the software right from itch.io right now. Honestly, I adore these types of projects and hope to see more like Lofi Hip Hop Worlds To Study In in the future.