Best casual games?

[DaHeckIzDat]

Usually I like games that I have to devote my entire attention to in order to play, either because it's hard or because it's telling me a story that I can't look away from. Sometimes, though, it's fun to just play a game casually. Something that would actually be worse if it you didn't play it on easy mode. What are your favorite casual games?

For me, the best I can think of is Persona 3. Still haven't beaten it, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Probably going to give it another try sometime soon. Anyway, I always play the game on easy mode because this feels like the kind of game that works better if you can just cruise through it. Just enough challenge to keep you from mashing the X button in combat, but not enough that you're ever in danger of losing. It's actually really relaxing.

[JWK]

How about Tetris? The original universal (casual?) game!

I don’t know that I’d classify Persona 3 as a casual game. JRPGs are something that really only core (or “hardcore,” if you will) type gamers play. I just can’t see someone who is only superficially into games spending 95+ hours on a very visually anime-esque, Japanese game filled with stylized demons. Of course, I’m not saying they couldn’t; I just don’t believe they do. As mainstream as Persona as a side-series has become, it’s still a MegaTen game— a decidedly hardcore RPG series. I’m not knocking your choice, mind you. I consider P3: FES & Persona 3 Portable Army favorite RPG of all time. I just don’t know that I would call it or any JRPG (outside of Pokemon, maybe?) as casual.
Edit: I didn’t read close enough to what you were saying so disregard most of what I just said! If you enjoy the game more on Easy, go for it. Just like any other game, your enjoyment is really the only thing that matters.

Another choice that came to mind was Plants vs Zombies orreally any of Pop Cap’s stuff. Perhaps Pre-EA stuff, specifically.

[DaHeckIzDat]

I don’t know that I’d classify Persona 3 as a casual game. JRPGs are something that really only core (or “hardcore,” if you will) type gamers play.

Maybe not an overall "casual" game, but in terms of JRPGs it could be considered casual. I mean, you're led on a string through the story, there's very little exploration, and the game actually forces you into a schedule (school, after school activity, dungeon, sleep, repeat). So when you compare it to something like Final Fantasy, where you actually go on a big world-spanning adventure, there's actually very little to do in P3.