The best cozy games span many genres and various platforms. Once considered childish games for girls, many cozy games today offer a unique experience that any gamer, casual or otherwise, is guaranteed to have fun with. Here are some of the most intriguing to look out for.
Classic Puzzle Titles
You can’t really go wrong with a classic puzzle game. From Android to PlayStation 5, there are many to choose from. You can find games like Minesweeper presented in their classic form. But there are also some nifty modern twists in other classic games. And if you feel like something a little more entertaining after working out that brain, board games like Monopoly have also been given the modern gaming treatment. Of course, you may need to take the whole day for that!
The Best Cozy Games on Mobile
Coz games lend themselves well to mobile devices. The ability to dive in for a quick hit of adventure means you don’t need to commit too much time. American gamers spend around 1 hour per day playing mobile games, so check out some of these on the Google Play Store:
- Cat Garden lets you make loads of furry friends and create a sushi paradise!
- Resonance of the Ocean lets you make instruments from sea debris.
- Usami Shima is described as a cute bunny game, and that’s just what it is!
- Adorable Home is a Sims-inspired life sim about looking after a family and home.
- Roia is an adventure game where you scale a mountain on a journey of discovery.
These games are designed for a quick hit of fun no matter where you are. Some offer classic, cozy game tropes, but there are usually a few unique titles sprinkled in for something different.
A Haute Couture Hit of Infinity Nikki
One of the newest cozy games on the market is Infinity Nikki. Described as the coziest cozy game ever, Infinity Nikki offers a familiar experience with a twist. For your powers and abilities, Nikke must collect outfits that offer abilities. As a cozy game for the current generation, Infinity Nikki is one of the best-looking. Stunning visuals bring the world alive with detail rarely seen in such a title. On your adventure, expect flight, cycling, and, of course, fishing and farming!
Work and Play at Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is among the best-selling video games ever, something rare for a cozy game. It is a feat that highlights just how well cozy games are received when they are created with passion. As a game without end, as many cozy games are, you can collect, harvest, and find resources to pay for your house. In a world full of animal friends with all the charm you need, Animal Crossing: New Horizons offers endless fun and child-like creativity.
Early Access Towers of Aghasba
Recently released into early access, Towers of Aghasba is an ambitious title for a cozy game. More like a AAA title, Towers of Aghasba offers a sprawling open world for you to explore. Some highlights include six regions, the biomes, and three types of villages you can build. Along the way, you can discover over 50 creatures and learn to craft 150+ decorations. Like Infinity Nikki, Towers of Aghasba also takes advantage of current-gen visuals for a stunning experience.
The Magic of Disney Dreamlight Valley
If there was ever a franchise that would benefit from cozy games, it’s Disney. Disney is no stranger to video games, with classics like Aladdin as an example. Dreamlight Valley has everything you would expect from a cozy game, but it does it with that sprinkle of Disney magic. Building a home in a magical town, you get to adventure with iconic characters such as Mickey Mouse, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, and beloved modern heroes such as Wall-E.
The Best Cozy Games in Development
Researchers expect the gaming market to be worth over $320 billion by the end of next year, and cozy games are expected to play a huge role in next year’s sales. With games like AstroBot seeing massive success, there are many cozy games to come to rival AAA slop we are seeing.
PuffPals Island Skies
A Kickstarter game based on PuffPals plushies has all the potential to be one of the greatest cozy games ever. It has everything you would expect and is available for pre-order now.
Outbound
Available on Steam, Outbound is an open-world explorer game set in a bleak future. However, taking off in an empty camper van, you take to the roads, upgrading your van along the way.
Ages of Cataria
Another Kickstarter project, Ages of Cataria is a Nintendo Switch village story generator with city management features where the characters live and grow old in the town you can customize.
Wanderstop
If you have ever wanted to manage a magical tea shop, now you can! Wanderstop lets you grow and harvest ingredients for unusual tea combinations that you gather from an enchanted forest.
Witchbrook
As a witch in training, you can get to know the magical folk in the town and set off on adventures as you try to graduate from witch school and develop your spells and abilities along the way.
Retro Vibes in Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley has become a modern classic despite its retro feel and art style. It almost makes the case that great visuals don’t make a great game! In Stardew Valley, you inherited a farm from your grandfather. With some old tools and a bit of cash, the aim is to restore the farm to its former glory. If you love farming sims, this is pretty much the one you are looking for! Raise animals, grow crops, and, of course, go fishing! It’s all there for you to discover in this game.
The Sims Franchise
Few franchises are as iconic as The Sims. Beginning in 2000, Will Wright allowed gamers to take a more personal look inside the lives of the residents of SimCity. Well, perhaps the suburbs! An instant classic was born, and today, The Sims is in its fourth generation. There are millions of dedicated Sims gamers all over the world. With The Sims 4 and expansions, you can do pretty much anything, including farming, fishing, home-building, and running businesses!
Gentle Adventure with Pokemon Snap
One of the lesser-known Pokemon games, Pokemon Snap, is an adventure game with a difference. Instead of catching Pokemon with a Pokeball, you catch them with your camera. The game doesn’t require much attention as it is presented on rails and in a linear fashion. However, the environment is beautifully created, and spotting the Pokemon in the wild is oddly exciting. However, there is a little dark side as you “encourage” better shots by pestering the Pokemon!
Island Haunts in Cozy Grove
A game named Cozy Grove is just begging to be on this list! Do you love camping? Do you enjoy ghost stories? Are you looking for something a little different? Well, this is definitely the game for you. Cozy Grove is essentially a life sim. However, your characters are camping on a haunted island. As a “Spirit Scout,” you get to adventure on the island looking for secrets. Uncovering secrets allows you to learn about the different ways you can soothe restless ghosts.
The Best Cozy Games without Farming
There are a few common themes in most cozy games. Farming, fishing, and home or town management are usually what you would expect and work well since Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold 44 million copies. But there are many cozy games without farming:
- Donut County has you playing as a hole and eating everything that stands in your way!
- Potion Permit lets you play as the town’s alchemist, making potions to help the sick.
- Omno is an atmospheric puzzle platformer with tons of enjoyable mini-games.
- A Short Hike is a pocket-sized open-world adventure as you try to scale a mountain.
- Lil Guardsman is a social deduction game where you protect a city’s gates.
This is a tiny list, but there are many more out there. Cozy games mean different things to different people. These games offer something a bit different than what you usually expect.
A Dash of D&D in Tavern Talk
A D&D-inspired game with all the elements of a cozy title is a winner in most gamers’ books! Tavern Talk lets you run an inn set in a medieval fantasy setting. On a life-changing quest, your tavern plays host to unique and exciting characters like adventurers stopping in for the night. As a tavern owner, you can gather rumors about the local goings-on and create quests for others. But be careful about serving drinks, as each concoction can seal the fate of the guests.
Summary
Classic titles such as Monopoly and retro puzzles are among the best cozy games for quick fun. New releases like Infinity Nikki are changing the quality and appeal of cozy games. However, there are some still in development that have the potential to make cozy games mainstream. The great news (for some) is that there are cozy games available without farming mechanics!
