combat flight simulators for WW2-era aircraft (MS CFS, sturmovik, etc) – scratches my historical itch while offering a flight simulation for an era where flying itself wasn’t taken for granted. to be simplistic about it: jets never stall. with the prop planes, your command of the sky is frequently more of a tussle to slip the bonds of mother earth. while also aiming at a guy who’s trying to bomb the living daylights out of london, or whatever.
laid-back puzzle games (kami, cogs) – preferably of the playable-with-mouse variety where i can sit back and click objects into position to solve the puzzle. not thoroughly challenging but good enough to keep my brain working and fingers clicking in good pace
F-ZERO (f-zero, f-zero x, f-zero gx) – RIP