What Happened to Cozy Games?

[@MaybeSalem]

no, cozy isn't over. ALL INDIE GAMES SHOWN IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE: Stardew Valley: store.steampowered.com/app/413150/Stardew_Valley/ Spiritfarer: store.steampowered.com/app/972660/Spiritfarer_Farewell_Edition/ Sticky Business: store.steampowered.com/app/2303350/Sticky_Business/ Cozy Grove: store.steampowered.com/app/1458100/Cozy_Grove/ Loftia: (not yet out but follow the devs) The cosmic wheel sisterhood: store.steampowered.com/app/1340480/The_Cosmic_Wheel_Sisterhood/ Palia: store.steampowered.com/app/2707930/Palia/ Coral island: store.steampowered.com/app/1158160/Coral_Island/ Terraria: store.steampowered.com/app/105600/Terraria/ Undertale: store.steampowered.com/app/391540/Undertale/ A Short Hike: store.steampowered.com/app/1055540/A_Short_Hike/ Unpacking: store.steampowered.com/app/1135690/Unpacking/ A little to the left: store.steampowered.com/app/1629520/A_Little_to_the_Left/ Bear and Breakfast: store.steampowered.com/app/1136370/Bear_and_Breakfast/ Calico: store.steampowered.com/app/1112890/Calico/ Witchy life story: store.steampowered.com/app/1427340/Witchy_Life_Story/ Puffpals: Island Skies: (not out yet, follow the devs) Fields of Mistria: store.steampowered.com/app/2142790/Fields_of_Mistria/ Paleo Pines: store.steampowered.com/app/1202200/Paleo_Pines/ Cult of the lamb: store.steampowered.com/app/1313140/Cult_of_the_Lamb/ Moonstone Island: store.steampowered.com/app/1658150/Moonstone_Island/ Little witch in the woods: store.steampowered.com/app/1594940/Little_Witch_in_the_Woods/ APICO: store.steampowered.com/app/1390190/APICO/ The Red Strings Club: store.steampowered.com/app/589780/The_Red_Strings_Club/ Melatonin: store.steampowered.com/app/1585220/Melatonin/ Bug and seek: store.steampowered.com/app/2265310/Bug__Seek/ Plant therapy: store.steampowered.com/app/2505120/Plant_Therapy/ Cat Cafe Manager: store.steampowered.com/app/1354830/Cat_Cafe_Manager/ Coffee Talk: store.steampowered.com/app/914800/Coffee_Talk/ Voltaire the Vegan Vampire: store.steampowered.com/app/1952540/Voltaire_The_Vegan_Vampire/ Lil Gator Game: store.steampowered.com/app/1586800/Lil_Gator_Game/ A Tiny Sticker Tale: store.steampowered.com/app/2322180/A_Tiny_Sticker_Tale/ Garden In!: store.steampowered.com/app/1953860/Garden_In/ Tiny Witch: store.steampowered.com/app/1740310/Tiny_Witch/ Slay The Princess: store.steampowered.com/app/1989270/Slay_the_Princess/ Mail time: store.steampowered.com/app/1607240/Mail_Time/

[@PWNDON]

CULT OF THE LAMB !!!! I LOVE CULT OF THE LAMB I got all of the achievements in Lil Gator Game and I'm so happy about it

[@TrinityLHearts]

I really like the title to this video, I find it creative use of "click bait" when really it's more a 'creative writing' twist in that it's not "Where Did Cozy Games Go?" but "What */Happened/* to Cozy Games?" as a genre economically & creatively. : ) 👋 Hi btw, new to the channel.

[@avocashi8426]

You want Cozy? (Steam: LongVinter) It's Animal crossing with Guns, it's Cozy Violence, you'll love it.

[@Bc232klm]

Holy cow you are awesome. Thank you so much for easily listing them all like this!

[@devanshi2193]

Oh! I just started wylde Flower! It’s amazing!

[@Im.A1ex]

The problem with “cozy” games is that the games everyone associated with “cozy” weren’t made to be “cozy”, they were simply good games that happened to be very relaxing to play. Once people started to use the term, THAT is when game developers started to distill different qualities from them to condense into shallow and ultimately boring experiences.

[@koifish835]

Yeah it caused a lot of devs who only wanted to follow hip new marketing trends to jump onto the scene. The same thing happened after Dark Souls got popular. Suddenly everyone wanted to make a hardcore medieval dark fantasy game with tough combat. Good games did come out of that but for every Lies of P there's two or three games like Lords of the Fallen that do the absolute bare minimum and miss the point as to why people liked these types of games to begin with. There are still good "cozy games" coming out all the time but a lot of them get drowned out by the millionth cute farming sim that adds nothing new to the genre but somehow shows up in a Nintendo Direct anyway.

[@GuppyAlienVT]

Animal Crossing Gamecube was the most cozy of all of the titles imo. idk if it was the music, it not being in HD, or nostalgia

[@revimfadli4666]

​@@koifish835same with "open world dream game" I guess

[@Alianger]

A movement or genre term (or whatever it is you kids are doing here) like cozy is never going to hold together for long, it's too subjective

[@milky_nyan]

i'm actually planning on making a cozy/psychological horror game! (and no, it's not a classic "cute game with a dark secret" thing, it's clear that it's horror from the start) it wont have farming, mining, or chopping down trees, but instead it'll have basic jobs like being a waiter, a doctor, an author, or even join a band or idol group. (they'll all be mini games) this is the WAY future, so who knows what will change, but game developing is my dream job, i hope that if cozy games are still dead then, that i'll revive them!

[@sweatingfrommyeyes767]

Is there anything we could do to help? Or even artists here

[@kitox9117]

I will be here to support! I hope its pixelated~ (But it depends on u ofc❤)

[@milky_nyan]

@@kitox9117 the graphics will be pixelated, but it’ll be 3d! sort of like the indie game “mushy come home”! and you can turn off the pixels if u want :)

[@milky_nyan]

@@sweatingfrommyeyes767 do you have discord? i may start a discord server soon for the development (it’ll still be long till i can afford a computer to start modeling on, and im a kid sooo)

[@milky_nyan]

@@Carcassbits11 thank you!!!

[@TheSlipperyNUwUdle]

I’m someone that’s been playing cozy games for most of my life, even before we had a word for it. I started at age 12 (arguably much earlier depending on your definition) and I’m in my late 20s now. I honestly couldn’t agree less with the idea that cozy games are dying. Cozy gaming is in a better place now than it ever has been. Just that we have a word we use for it now is enough to tell me we’re in a much better position. One thing I’ve noticed (and I’m not calling out you specifically) is that people will play indie games for 60 hours and then claim there wasn’t enough to do. When they only paid $15 to $20. I can’t wrap my head around not thinking you got your moneys worth for that price. I just think with the amount of games there are, people have gotten a lot more picky and negative. Again, not you. Just the community in general.

[@Drstrange3000]

I agree with this comment so much. I think there are growing expectations that just aren't realistic. I also started playing some cozy games pretty young with the Nintendo DS. It was like cozy game heaven before there was a name for it. Nintendogs, Professor Layton, Style Saavy, and so much more. I'm glad to see these kinds of games making a comeback!

[@bluesidecollection]

I agree with this. Currently I play ACNH AND Disney Dreamlight. A lot of people rush the storyline then complain when they have to wait for the next update. I like playing games slowly, so I find these games very fun.

[@lilpeacho]

definitely AGREE as someone who is also is their late 20s and ive been playing "cozy" games since i was a little kid. i think a lot of the online "cozy gaming" community should try a new genre because its not the games, its them

[@lilpeacho]

@@Drstrange3000prof layton is SO GOOD

[@chloeplaysacnh]

100% agree with this comment! I’ve been playing “cozy” style games since I was a kid and if anything, we have more games now than ever!! And an amazing community too! 🫶🏻

[@Drstrange3000]

I don't think they are over, just got a bit oversaturated with everyone going after AC New Horizon's popularity. I think there is still a sizeable and growing market for cozy/non-combat focused games. I would like to think so anyways :)

[@ttrev007]

agreed. when something gets popular the market gets saturated with cheep knockoffs, it makes it look like its gotten bad, even if their are actually more good ones hidden amongst the bad ones.

[@stannosaurus]

You ATE up the video essay genre with this one. Very cool of you for not only making cozy game content, but also being able to step back and talk about cozy games as a phenomenon. I think a huge part of cozy games becoming popular is that many women who did not grow up gaming realize there ARE games for them. For so long games targeted at girls/women were seen as lame and childish. Pokémon and Minecraft were considered good games while fashion games, visual novels, and decoration games were not taken seriously by gaming communities. It's not until a few years ago that gameplay which used to be targeted at women/kids was being accepted due to advertising for them being more gender neutral. Creative, chill games are no longer seen as lesser. Anyone can enjoy them as there is such a RANGE of gameplay. Not just men can enjoy video games, and cozy games are not just for women. It's awesome to see this change! All games are for anyone. Gendered advertisement is so harmful to this idea and always has been.

[@fionna_cool_girl]

One of my favorite games growing up was Princess Debut on the DS. The graphics have aged horribly obviously but I always find myself going back to it every once in a while. It was a fun, cute, calming game about dancing with princes to be the best dancer in the kingdom while dancing to remakes of classical music. That game for sure kick started my love of gaming. I do have some fashion designer DS games, a MLP game, Hello Kitty Game, Build a Bear and even a Monster High DS game 😂 there were so many interesting girl games that were made back then.

[@AwwesomeVal]

Uhg so true. I grew up in a family of gamers, and I did play games targeted at girls and boys. I wasn't as good at all the violent games. I enjoyed the original animal crossing games, brain age, the sims 2 and 3, Spore. But when I was in middle school doing a group project it became incredibly clear that my favorite games are not popular. They were seen as lame and to fit in I'd tell them I play league of legends, world of warcraft, and black and white 2. Which is true I did play those but by no means were they my favorite. I kinda think both lol and wow are mid. But in no world was I gonna have acceptance saying stuff like that. Nowadays tho pretty much everyone, boys included, in the gaming community, are like "yeah girlfriends play that it's cool" and some actually try and play it. It's accepted and not in any way seen as a negative or "lame." It's like the gaming communities I've been apart of have matured in a way to handle people having different interests.

[@onlyeuan2587]

From the perspective of someone who presents as male, I've definitely noticed a change in the way people react when I tell them my favourite games and genres. I grew up playing a ton of Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon and a lot of puzzle games, but I would rarely mention it to other people because I would often become the butt of the joke among people who played a lot of FPSs and RPGs. Over the past few years though I've noticed a massive shift in the way people view those games (and as an extension the way people view and treat me for playing them). It's upsetting that it's taken so long for those attitudes to dissipate, but I'm glad it's finally happening.

[@cryingwatercolours]

@@onlyeuan2587it’s rlly nice to hear that we didn’t swing too far in the other direction and that everyone is feeling more accepted regardless of gender and game choice

[@boredutopia]

True, me and my sis are 2 years apart, born in the 80ties in former Yugoslavia. We had a brother 7/9 years older than us. I still remember when he brought home first commodore 64 such used cassette to play, Amiga, giant floopy disks for commodore and think srga came later. Have in mind we grew in socialistic country and a lot of west stuff came to us with delay. Then war broke up, but before war both me and sister were influenced by brother, we played almost everything he did, commodore and Amiga had great games back then for that time, i loved bomber man, while my sister played car and moto races which were cozy. All 3 of us also loved early pc games, horror and mystery where you moved around and had to type actions. With time games progress and many people born in late 70ties thru 80ties and 90ties kinda grew up with fake consoles, early pc games at least. I never saw games as girls or boys games. I always played what I found interesting. My sis and I even played wow and guild wars together, those are more boys games. Everyone should play anything they like, of course age appropriate if they are under 16. My ex girlfriend loved bioshock and FPS games. Me not so much, I am more stardew valley, Sims and simmilar type of person, coz it relaxes me. Also games like Witcher, guild wars, heroes of might and magic, boulder gate, skrym are also games i like. If it have fantasy, alien, mystery, detective work etc I love it. But i also like games like sims where you create almost alternative life you like lol...there is no boys or girls games , just like toys are not boys or girls. Kids play with what evervthey like, same is thru growing up and adulthood... My sis recently played quarry, tell me why and human Detroit, I am only interested in last one, coz other 2 i saw playthroughs and thaz it no mystery lol. Not much options, but I love life is strange, my sis hates it...

[@Zectifin]

"Cozy" games as a "genre" has always been in a very nebulous place. I feel like some people focus on the cutesy aesthetic over the actual chill or comforting gameplay. Some people prefer the term Comfort games to describe games that might not be a "cozy" game to everyone, but bring them some form of comfort and they always return to it to destress. I see some cozy gaming youtubers so focused on coming out with a video every week of the "upcoming cozy games" that they are throwing anything with a cute art style in it even if its some kind of violent action game or stressful fast paced platformer. also I feel like games with chill non stressful gameplay get left out if they don't have a cute cartoony art style. 2 games I love to refer to people are power wash simulator and snowrunner. power wash sim is just so chill, you just clean everything. some even find the no music ambient sound of the washer super calming. Snowrunner is so great to me. my gf likes to watch me play it when shes winding down for bed. its not fast paced. Its trucks so people assume its just some kinda guy game. I don't like trucks or cars or racing, but i live this. You're just hauling stuff from place to place, but theres lots of mud and snow. The scenery is super pretty and you're driving at like 2mph sometimes. lots of snowy mountains, summertime greenery, and my favorite to play during autumn is the Michigan maps which take place in the fall and everything is fall colors and I love it. I don't live somewhere that the trees change color and I miss it so I live it through this game. you're just winching your truck thats stuck in the mud. its even coop. just drag each other through mud and snow and rivers. its so pretty.

[@awtodor]

Palworld

[@cryingwatercolours]

i get what you mean about non-cutesy games being able to be cozy but i never understood power wash being a cozy game. ive seen a few people say it now. i can understand house flipper but the power wash one ur just cleaning dirt i don’t get it 😅

[@tomasbar1101]

Most simulators are basicaly not so cute cozy games, Eurotruck, Snowrunner, Farming sim... they are all very chill games

[@cannoli5287]

My favorite cozy game series since I was little is Rune Factory. Its basically Stardew Valley but was made in the 2000's alongside Harvest Moon. I don't think enough people talk about Rune Factory :D ! Please try it there are many good RF games!

[@JablecnyMliko]

Yes!! I totally agree, not enough people talk about RF when talking about cozy games! But to make up for it I spent an absolute ungodly amount of time in RF4 haha

[@MrAdamo]

Rune factory 2 is my favourite game ever :)

[@dynogamergurl]

@@JablecnyMlikosame! I’d seen rune factory before but 4 was my first and I loved it sooo much😭

[@gn4rpz-the-c4t]

It makes sense that rune factory would be "basically stardew" - rune factory was a spinoff from harvest moon before the two separated, and stardew seems to be heavily inspired by that line of games. RF 3 was my first and favourite!

[@Bellsdollhouse]

Rf and harvest moon were my childhood

[@AKASunWukong]

Cult of the lamb is still getting uodates, it actually just Got one recently! (Also i just realized that COTL is in fact a cozy game even though it isnt overly Nice and cute but pretty Dark in theme’s and aesthetics.)

[@LeUsFTW]

SLIME RANCHER I will die on this hill, it's the ultimate cozy, anxiety-curing game for me. Impossible not to feel better when you have happy, cute slime balls jumping on your face cheerfully with those happy grins Also I like My Time at Portia, I think it has likeable NPCs and it's a nice twist on the farming gimmick, basically replacing it with building. You build stuff for the town, the town expands and progresses, it feels rewarding! It's not perfect tho, feels incomplete imo, but I like the story a lot and see a lot of potential. The concept art is gorgeous btw, doesn't translate to the 3d as much as I think they were hoping for tho lol

[@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss]

I think there was a big flood of formulaic uncreative cozy games recently, and now it’s just sort of returning to a normal rate of releases. Hopefully the ones that continue to come out tend to be of higher quality.

[@sunpi]

There’s too many cosy games these days with lack of content

[@earth2tonez]

CLOSET MINECRAFT ENJOYERS WHO DEFAULTED TO CREATIVE RISE UP also one game i consider cozy that ive been really enjoying is potion craft alchemy simulator!! you brew up potions by using certain ingredients, almost like a puzzle, and sell them to townsfolk also, im not sure if it counts as a cozy game but ive had my eye on An Outcry for a while and i really want to play it, figure it deserves a shoutout too

[@gandalfthegrey]

Unfortunately I love farming sims and while there is seemingly a large variety of them out these days, I can't ever find any that scratch my brain the same way games like Harvest Moon did. I find a lot of cozy games to be bland for the sake of relaxation without actually making it simultaneously entertaining to play. I'll check out the games you shared... Maybe ill find something that I like.

[@valkyriedarquese]

Have you played Rune Factory 4/5? the rune factory games are made by the original harvest moon dev who wanted to make a more jrpg farming game with more to do. It was exactly what I needed after being a bit bored with farming games. Rune factory 4 is the best, 5 is the newest game and is good but not as good as 4.

[@ha1eyg]

if you find stardew valley entertaining id recommend roots of pacha! its like stardew but a bit more puzzle focused and set in the stone age (roughly) and is very much about advancing your civilization, and as you advance, you get new mechanics. Ive played for about 80 hours so far and im just now getting towards the "end" of the plotline but still have plenty more to explore! My only complaint is that it's very strict with where you can and cannot farm, but honestly its a lot of space so it's not bad at all. I really can't recommend it enough as a farm simulator. If you wan't something thats just pure cozy and no stress, Id recommend paleo pines, which was showed briefly in this video. It's kinda like pokemon in the befreinding creatures way, but with dinos! There's also lgbt characters as well if that's something youre looking for, which I honestly haven't found a lot of in farming games! I find it enjoyable because the farming is very low stress as you can get dinos to help you, but you have a huge amount of space to farm if thats your thing! My biggest complaint is there aren't a ton of non-farming and gathering related tasks besides collecting dinos, but its so adorable that I think it's worth a go to support the company since it's their first release (at least on steam).

[@AwwesomeVal]

I feel like there can be cozy games that aren't farming sims. I'm still playing sims and I'm still waiting for a multi-player sims release. There is a huge hole in actually decent fashion games as well. How many pet care games aren't riddled with ads? Farming sims are definitely overdone. I'm not done playing animal crossing or stardew. Palia was never finished and prolly won't be for a long time if ever. Cozy games aren't supposed to be copy paste stardew with one thing changed. For example, there is currently a small indie developer who has a game in alpha who deeply cares about its game: A Kinder World. It's a phone game, but the point is improving your mental health. It feels like a game and it has community events with other real people. I love it.

[@Xiosoranox]

This is it. Farming is easy: the Sims has been needing competition for decades. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life is the only game I've seen where the town ages with you. Even for farming, everyone started chasing Animal Crossing's success without paying attention to what made it great. I've yet to play another "cozy" game with that many character personalities, 24 hour clock, variety of gameplay tasks and customization, etc.

[@basalith]

i know it's been mentioned in a few comments but i really want to throw my hat in the ring for Ooblets! you get your own farm to manage, house to decorate, clothes to buy and wear for customizable outfits, creatures to collect and a card-based combat system that feels fun and fresh. it came out in early access in 2020 and has consistently been updating with more features and fun seasonal events also potionomics!! i rarely see it mentioned and it was such a comfy experience for me. it was published by XSEED (Story of Seasons/Rune Factory) but developed by an independent studio. the vibe is chill, the dating sim aspect got me truly emotional, and at the end of the day managing resources, making potions, and running a shop is always fun

[@CurtisCreates]

The power gamers hold is immense. I can't stress as an indie dev how much I wish I could support other devs more but most stuff I share can only reach other devs, and not people in their target audience. Any normal person who shares are games online mean the world to us!

[@TolgaCO]

why are people annoyed that there are too many cozy games? there are too many shooters, battle royales, fighting games etc but no one is saying "OMG THERE ARE TOO MANY FIGHTING GAMES." not every game needs to reinvent genre. as long as there are people enjoying them, i dont understand why other people complain. If its not for you, then u can play other games.

[@wyrmghost]

One of those games that I absolutely love recently is little goodie two shoes, it’s stylistically gorgeous and the game mechanics are really cool, and the puzzle elements where frustrating at first but after I got a hang of it they where very fun, and the story (though I haven’t finished it) is plagued with mystery and suspense in such an amazing way, definitely recommend if you are even slightly interested in games reminiscent of late 90’s anime and fantasy with a bit of horror.

[@heyfella5217]

Stardew Valley is NOT cozy when its 11pm and you have to run from the mines to your house, and OH FUCK you forgot to give krobus his second weekly gift so you can max out his hearts, so you have to run down there and give him his gift, and its 1pm and you are BOOKING it to your house so you dont faint from exhaustion. literal adrenaline

[@valkyrasonara1797]

What about the Tycoon games like Zoo Tycoon or Rollercoaster Tycoon? They are also cozy and I love them. ❤

[@Zectifin]

yeah I feel like a lot of games with chill or calm gameplay get left out because they aren't farming sims or have cartoony gameplay. I always recommend snowrunner and power wash sim.

[@e.8730]

literally, i’ve been addicted to planet zoo recently. my favorite way to destress

[@ST4RSH4PED]

u are so real i loved the original as a kid

[@bailey6195]

I really liked this look at the state of cozy gaming. If anyone is looking to support an indie game that is a break from farming, I cannot recommend Moonlight in Garland enough. It is still in early access and has way less love than it deserves imo. It is made by one lovely person who takes community input on how the game is being updated.

[@No_Direction-99]

Viva piñata was my favorite. Just a garden with living piñatas… paradise.

[@catinapuddle]

I have to recommend Cattails, specifically the 2nd game that just came out, Cattails: Wildwood Story. It's a bit like stardew valley mixed with warrior cats. It's so cozy, but also challenging at times. The characters are all very unique and feel like real people (or cats.) I would definitely check it out :)

[@biscuitbcat]

I wouldn't say i'm a fan of cosy games as they vary so widely in quality. For every Stardew Valley, there's a thousand Moondrop Mountain Holes

[@biscuitbcat]

If anyone's looking for a unique cosy game, I recommend Wobbledogs. Imagine Nintendogs but you can breed them into little genetic abominations 10/10 game imo 😁👍

[@Zectifin]

the same could be said about any genre though. theres a thousand garbage tier puzzle platformers, FPS, monster collecting games, etc. For every handful of good ones theres a bunch of people making garbage ones.

[@mossymindful]

​@@Zectifin So true!! I'm just glad that in 2024 we have a wealth of community knowledge to help navigate the trash pile to find the gems

[@tiacool7978]

Moondrop Mountain isn't so bad. I'm not sure it's trying to be a cozy game though. The focus on planting seeds near the appropriate seeds would seem like a possible cause of that. It's more akin to a roguelite I would think.

[@biscuitbcat]

@@tiacool7978 WAIT ITS REAL LMAO? i just did all the opposite words to stardew valley's title 💀

[@happiness_cupcakes]

I backed a game last year that should be out this year and I'm very excited for it. It's called Out and About and it's a game about foraging and you'll get to learn about real life plants and what they do and make tonics and food and paint and all kinds of things for the friends you make.

[@miaurakimchi7349]

I love that you mentioned Terraria. It is my kind of cozy. Like a cozy adventure game. 😅

[@Skimmer951]

as a cozy game enthusiast are you familiar with snufkin melody of moominvalley? Its a short game in the works about the titular character snufkin who is a very prominent character in Tove Janssons the the moomins books and related media. It seems incredibly sweet and as a swede who grew up with the moomins im very happy to see it made and it has enormus cozy vibes.

[@19Rena96]

i'm so looking forward to this game 😍

[@Hicchan]

I honestly can't wait for Tiny Glade to come out! It's a "diorama" builder that is just getting cuter and cuter with every development update! You can build moody castles and idyllic cottages, have fluffy sheep roaming around, and so much more! ❤

[@borderline_sunshine]

Is tiny glade going to be on ps4?

[@Hicchan]

@@borderline_sunshine as far as I know for now they're only developing it for pc sadly

[@newbuddie]

cozy will never be over, the problem is the cozy games nowaday arent polish enough

[@anaveragedayinthelifeof3133]

🇵🇱🇵🇱🇵🇱

[@onnivinpelzel6368]

Great video essay, love the humor as always! Thanks for the recommendations, some of these look really phenomenal and I'm excited to give them a try :D

[@awwsda]

Wonderful essay! Keep it up! would love to see you do more like this but maybe deep dive into specific games?

[@Emojibones]

Chicory is a game I love that has a coloring book gaming mechanic. I’m glad you mentioned a short hike because when I finished that game and swooped down the mountain, It was cathartic

[@throwingoftheshade]

I have many cozy indie games on my radar, but I'm looking forward to Tiny Bookshop the most! It looks so cute and relaxing ❤

[@kskeslvr]

cozy games make me feel overhwelmed :( heres a cozy game: fire emblem three houses. is it about war? yes but this is my cozy game i can play it for months

[@thesama02]

I am on a forever journey to finding a cozy game with a cooking theme, that has a Cooking mama style of crafting dishes (a minigame that gives your dish a score) and maybe collecting/harvesting materials and starting/working in a restaurant... If you can think of one please reply!!❤

[@thesama02]

@@emmarald975 haven't heard of it, thanks! 💖

[@ha1eyg]

I liked calico! I will say the controls aren't the best, but it's adorable and the characters and world have such personality! It's a cute little game, not super long about running a cafe, finding different animals, and befriending different magical people in the town. I tried playing it on PC a few years ago and it didn't run great for me, so I didn't play it for a long time, then decided to try it out on switch and it ran wayyyy better on there for me. It's not a perfect game by any means, it has it's issues, but it is adorable, the characters are loveable, the cooking minigames are fun and unique, and it's all around a good time! Not super long, I dont think it took me more than 5-10 hours to beat (not sure exactly because the nintendo switch only shows you hours played to the nearest 5) so it's a nice short game to pick up here and there just to relax!

[@andreaa8173]

Amazing video! My favorite Indy names are: 1. hollow knight (probably my favorite game ever) v popular now but still indy as far as I know 2. A short hike

[@Hea-ther]

I really appreciated the nuanced view you took here, and how you looked at all sides of this topic. I watched another video recently on a similar topic that just left a bad taste in my mouth. And it was fun to see some new to me games - I'm checking out voltaire the vegan vampire right now just because the name interests me lol

[@frannie4310]

I adore Teacup! It’s a short story based game with puzzles where you are a frog in search of tea for a party. I’ve played it through several times. Thank you for the suggestions, these look great!

[@Sieghiro]

First of all, love the whole vibe around the video. I couldn't live without indie games, so I appreciate coming across stuff like this, and would like to request a steam group or something to see what other games you recommend. Also, can't wait for Fields of Mistria.

[@saintsnakech]

Sun Haven is a BANGER indie farming and RPG style game that, to my knowledge, has flown under the radar but it’s incredibly good, detailed and full to the brim with content! I would even put it at the same tier as Stardew in terms of Quality and sheer Innovation

[@AoeadaTown]

loved this video so much and love the push to try more indie games. some of my favorite gaming experiences have been random, low budget games that stick with me years later

[@berrymckockiner5883]

This was more of video focused on the gaming industry jumping on a trend and milking it dry. Currently it's side scrolling beat'em up's, souls likes, survival games, farming sims, vampire survivor likes, assymetrical multiplayer games, survival horror, boomer shooters, rogue likes and extraction shooters. I can think of many genre's that haven't been touched in years or rarely get a new installment.

[@thomas-r7z]

I loved this video essay, very entertaining and your way of writing makes it so the video flows smoothly. you have so much talent!

[@theamandafiles]

ANOTHER SALEM VIDEO ESSAY YESSSSS WE WON and istg each one is better than the last and becomes my new favorite video on the internet YOU ARE AMAZING ILYSM

[@MaybeSalem]

I LOVE U SO MUCH!

[@mcdonuts2017]

I remember my dad being into gaming while I was growing up and we had each iteration of Nintendo machines through the years. I’m so sad to say that I always thought animal crossing sounded like a lame game and I never even gave it a shot. ACNH was my gateway back into gaming as an adult and I’m so happy about that. To be able to share a hobby with my dad and lots of others in my extended family is so fun. I’ve even gotten my non-gamer cousin into ACNH and now she’s slowly branching out to try other stuff! As someone who can handle zero combat, cozy games are life and I’m so happy it’s a more popular genre so I can branch out of my Minecraft box on occasion 😅

[@ItsAK9]

Love the message of this! The only way we get new ideas in the spotlight is shedding more light the actual passionate people and risk takers~

[@carriehooper32]

My newest favorite cozy game is Ete. You live as a painter and literally paint the world from black and white to color. Grow Song of the Evertree is a really nice cozy game I never hear anyone talk about. No Place Like Home has a pretty unique spin on the farming game too.

[@madisonj683]

A very cute game I started playing is called “Smushi Come Home” it’s on the switch but it’s probably on other platforms as well. You play as a little mushroom who got separated from his friends and have to go on an adventure to find your way home. Doing little quests and meeting new forest friends/other mushrooms along the way.

[@JohannaElliot]

You gave me so many recommendations - thanks! Not sure, if it would actually count as a cozy game, but my boyfriend published a game called "Ghostist", where you have to find out what kind of ghost is hunting a place. Even though it can be a little scary, depending on the ghost, I still think that the pixel art style and some other details make it cozy, but I'm probably a little biased.

[@c4stelle]

I can also highly recommend looking into visual novel type indie games! I've recently finished playing Venba on my Switch. A game about the experience of an Indian family living in Canada. A very comforting, cooking puzzle!

[@songsayswhat]

WIshlisted all your recs. I really like the My Time At games because they're cozy but with a slightly different focus than farming. Also recently played Wylde Flowers, and absolutely loved it. I find myself searching for a game that's actually cozy--may even include farming--but doesn't focus on farming. Put me in the "I am sick of watering cans: camp! The games that, while farmijng, try to switch things up have the right idea IMO. Why not more games in a science fiction environment, for instance? Underwater? I'd say magical, but there are many games with either a magical focus or magic elements. You're absolutely right that money talks. The big developers never take risks anymore, & indie developers have to be careful because the success of their studio and livelihoods of employees and creators alike depend on success. I wish it was easier to learn about kickstarters. I almost always find out about them when it's too late.

[@itsallenwow]

You did awesome with this essay! I especially appreciate how you went into depth about the market conditions going on in larger culture at the time. And how after something really catches on, corporations are always trying to latch onto the next big thing. You’ll inevitably get inundated with games chasing what was popular. And each one won’t always be the same quality as Stardew Valley. There was that Nintendo Direct where they had a million farming sim games and I knew we were on the other side of the trend.

[@MrAlternation]

Only problem i have with cozy games is that sometimes they focus too much on the "cozy" and not the progression.

[@phil_matic]

If you haven't played it, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, I would highly recommend it. It is an amazingly cute and cozy game about exploration and doing good for the environment. I thought it was going to be a straight up kids game but as someone who was in their late 20s at the time of its release, it has been easily one of the best games I have ever played.

[@celestechaffin]

my love for “cozy games” definitely started as a kid with Facebook games like restaurant city and petville since we had a computer but no gambling counsels. I love cute aesthetic games but it’s more about the relaxation and the way they make you feel

[@zenafied]

I’m looking forward to Loftia, Paralives, Haunted Chocolatier andddddd Witchbrook (might never come out? Who knows).

[@thevoidcritter]

As someone who's been playing cozy games for a while now, devs just tried to capitalize on a trend instead of focusing on making a good game

[@stephaniejohnson229]

Wylde Flowers is one of my favourites at the minute. It's a cosy farming sort of sim with witches. It's nice because you have to work for everything, it's not as easy to do as some others. Recommend it to everyone.

[@Tbearjavorsky]

I've been obsessed with a short hike, little gator game, unpacking, and so many other indie titles. Please play FE. Its a beautiful 3d platformer where you save the forest and its gods. It can be scary at times but i love it so much

[@VicenteRaiol]

I'm so confused why Cult of the Lamb is between the farm sims it has a tiny farm but, it's not even 10% of the game 😭

[@ChaosOverdrive]

I have a cozy game I’m planning on making! It’s heavily story 1-2 played based and there’s also a rogue like multiplayer mode. I haven’t got the plot figured out quite yet but it’s based around elements, the main character is a Tiefling girl with fire powers and her playable (only if multiplayer) companion, Venus who is a little Venus fly trap plant.

[@tastyhaze2058]

Something I see a lot with these games is that they just kinda get pushed out while no one seems to have played it past the first or second season in development. Oftentimes the gameplay is charming enough for the first few hours, and then quickly goes off the rails as unbalanced or frustratingly repetitive mechanics take over the game. With Moonstone Island in particular I got very frustrated with how useless money was, how underdeveloped the farming was, the fact that anything worth building was gated by the seasons changing, how flat the characters were, etc. But the first 8-10 hours were charming enough. Great way to avoid Steam refunds I guess.

[@elliotstepanek]

I love cozy games! I'm a sucker for animal crossing. They don't necessarily require the same skill set for gaming as some other games out there that maybe I would enjoy playing if I was good at them but it just takes me way to long to learn how to actually play the game and honestly i just dont have the mental capacity to spend the time to learn. I feel like cozy games typically are simple enough to open up gaming for "noobs" so to speak. That being said, I feel like games like Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing (even tho I love it) can get very very boring very quickly. Honestly I just want an open world game with cute customizable characters/world, beautiful scenery, and maybe some weapons and fighting, with good animation and graphics that doesn't make me want to barf five minutes in (looking at you minecraft)- or at least something new and different happening every day. (if anyone knows of ANYTHING LIKE THIS PLEASE HELP)

[@Sarah-db8yk]

Wylde flowers is such an amazing game! It has a great spin on the farming sim idea. And the voice acting is really the cherry on top!

[@wyrmghost]

Salem this is one of my favorite videos in recent times I absolutely adore it

[@thefruch7588]

You have the perfect voice for discussing cozy games love it

[@Pinky_June]

A little game i would recomand is Vintage story. It's a survival game (you will compare it to minecraft at 1st) but it's really unique and you can sculpt blocks with a tool and you can make insane creations with it. I didn't expect much at 1st when i played it but now i'm around 100h of gameplay and i still love it.

[@LaDelaCraft]

I think the Rune Factory series is underrated as a cozy game.

[@rockoutloud2me]

One of my favorite "unconventional" cozy games is House Flipper. You are starting your own house flipping/house reno company. People reach out to you for you to reno/clean up their house or you can find houses on the market and flip them. The graphics aren't anything to write home about but it's so relaxing being able to just focus on getting a wrecked house looking pretty. The dev company that made it just released a 2nd one now too this last December!

[@cixouslecomte1871]

i really love sunhaven (even though its technically a farming sim), but the magic elements, the story, the dating… all so so so good!

[@Kevin15047]

Superliminal is one of those games that's not cozy but cozy to me. As much as I wish I could wipe my memory of it and actually figure out the puzzles again, I keep going back to it just for the vibe.

[@ryanreeta6268]

A game I'm really looking forward to is Gourdlet, the demo is currently free to play on steam. It's basically a cute game when you build your own mini village

[@trilby3447]

Dredge is a cozy game about catching disturbing fish, you fish, you organize your RE4 grid based inventory, you sell, upgrade you’re little boat, go out and fish again It has a relaxed core at its base but the setting is intentionally unsettling And I love it

These types of games are going strong. It is also fun to watch on twitch, I watch msmaravel and love seeing newer games in this genre

[@besupaaa]

Used to play that first Harvest Moon SO MUCH when I was a kid, never really felt like playing the other ones (the 3d looks ugly?), but i remember when I first saw SV i said "this looks like harvest moon", and no one knew about that game.

[@saintlugia]

I wouldn't say animal crossing became huge with new horizons when the 3ds animal crossing sold 13 million and the ds one sold 11 million

[@semirelatablesarah]

While animal crossing was already popular, I would still say that ACNH made the series completely “mainstream”. It’s the second best selling switch game with over 42 million copies sold .. crazy numbers!

[@indieBen]

I just started working on a cozy game, It's something I did not see yet ( if you know of a similar game please let me know :) ) where you are basically a shepherd taking care of a growing herd of sheep with your dog of course. It's about exploration and making them eat and drink and breeding. I have no idea if it will work well or not but I'll do it anyway as I find it relaxing almost ^^.

[@monart5713]

I have played harvest moon for like 12 years I love it I have a lot of the versions. Which makes me so happy hearing it in this video as it's not often talked about! I haven't watched the entire video yet but these already feels like something I love already!

[@Its_Asteria]

I know cult of the lamb is not a cozy game but often times ill find myself staying at the cult for hours, not even going out to do battle or story until i really feel like it. Like ill get sucked into it and it just mmm. Its nice. It hits that code of cozy and combat that i enjoy personally. I can be cozy if i want to or be violent if i want to. Ill be checking out the other indie games mentioned by you and others though as i want to get more into them. As well as understand them and potentially make my own someday. This video was really nice for showing that there's more to these games than meets the eye. And introduced me to titles I hadn't heard of before

[@NunuaBusy]

cozy i feel is over-saturated with games that seemingly fit the vibe, pastel hues, calming music, but they market them in such a way that makes them not cozy. trying to craft them so you spend pointless hours for just small progress. (palia is an example of this) a cozy game should be something you want to spend time in because its gentle and enjoyable letting you just do the various things as you want to. the need to extend playtime artificially and filling games with politics, leave a fake and unauthentic feel to them.

[@19Rena96]

I really like the idea of cozy games but i'm not a fan of farming heavy games which make up the majority of that genre.. 😭 I love Animal Crossing, Jenny LeClue (it's like a spooky cozy mystery game), Dordogne and Lake. I've heard about Songs of Glimmerwick which is a cozy adventure game with minimal farming and i really like the art style, so i hope to see more games like that in the future.

[@Allgloss312]

Omg same! I have tried so many different games with farming elements and i cannot for the life of me get into them.

[@amandaslough125]

That's partially why whenever I'm playing Stardew Valley, I focus more so on the community/collecting aspect, and pretty much focus on using fruit made into wine etc for money sources, cuz long term wise I don't care for farming much.

[@cloudettie]

Can't find anything that I enjoy more than Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing

[@kurmyshaharris7367]

Scarlet Hollow is also made by Black Tabby Games and is an amazingly cozy visual novel-esque choice-based game that is the absolute perfect mix of wholesome and horrifying. The choices you make definitely do hold weight and add to the seemingly infinite replayability.

[@katehalleron4688]

One game I went and started over completely after finishing it was 'Fix Fox'. You're a repair person stranded on a planet of almost entirely robots, all of whom need something fixed, BUT you've lost your tools and have to make do with whatever you can find on the planet. The game play is enormously fun and has a terrific story as well. I HIGHLY recommend it if you love the cozy game genre. (I'm also on my fifth playthrough of My Time at Sandrock, which is 'cozy' in the way it makes me feel, although there's a fair amount of combat so may not fit the definition of 'cozy', but it's part of a world (begun in My Time at Portia) that I want to spend more time in)

[@jilenejensen1539]

Abzu was one of my favorites!

[@katesmith8394]

I saw that brief moment of SpiritFarer in there. great game. very cozy. made me cry a few times.

[@Itsbmw06]

A game I would consider cozy are two games called squid lit and super squid lit, they’re really short NES and SNES style 2d platformers that exude the same style of old Kirby games. And they’re so adorable with cute little stories. I know they don’t fit the farming type of cozy, but it’s a little breeze of a game. It definitely worth checking out imo.

[@DetournementArc]

Games worth checking out, both as antecedents to the current Cozy Game trend, and just as neat titles in their own right; are • MOON: RPG Remix Adventure: A big influence on Undertale, this one got a long awaited rerelease a few years back. A little obtuse, but was subverting Classic RPG Tropes way back in the 90s. • The Boku no Natsuyasumi series. I think these are still Japanese only, but they're a total vibe. Each one follows a kid's summer vacation somewhere in Japan, ranging from rural countrysides to seaside beach towns. • Chulip: Probably not the coziest at many points, but still perennially a Vibe.

[@castlekeep2789]

Stardew Valley & modded versions are not COZY! The game is a big puzzle, not soft play & many times not relaxing, but great to play & play & play & play & mod & play on & on!😌😻

[@cynthiahembree3957]

I think the problem with cozy games is the same problem the rest of the gaming industry has. A lot of genres have become too formulaic which isn't very fun long term. I have 3 genres I rotate through which is mostly MMOs/MMOFPS games, Competitive games and Cozy games. I think there are definitely unique ones out there but you don't see them super often. It also doesn't help that the genre is starting to get oversaturated. I swear every year 10 more cozy games come out which means a lot of people don't' have the money to give most of them the time of day

[@ancientforge]

Great games, I think everybody can find some of their fav titles here. ❤ We're also leaving a small hint, that another cozy game is on the way - our Hotel Galactic is coming to Kickstarter very soon 👀

[@elenpena42564]

Moonstone Island is genuinely delightful and I 100% recommend it to anyone who likes chill games and the collecting side of pokemon games

[@CozyGamerKat]

I really thought this video was going a different direction, and I'm so glad I watched till the end - such a great balanced opinion, and completely agree - INDIE GAMES ARE COOL 🥰 (also I adore your voice, so relaxing)

[@heartsDmise]

I think just a lot of cozy games are still in development. Ive been seeing a lot of kickstarters and itchio games that will come out this year probably. We'll see another wave of cozy games, dont worry

[@angelinad.3058]

@crimsonhollowgame posts devlogs and has some options to support the process of developing their cozy game. the atmosphere is already to die for and i shout about it anytime i can

[@TheSubliminalGaming]

Great video! We're making a cozy soccer game and do often feel the worry of not being in the typical cozy trend so thanks for talking about games that are not in the typical purview of cozy. If anyone is interested in knowing more it's called Button City Soccer Days, it's a sequel to our game Button City. The first game is a narrative adventure about a cute fox trying to save the local arcade and in Soccer Days they go on a little soccer tournament arc with calendar mechanics. I hope you all find great cozy games that you love!

[@ricericericericericericeri5762]

Ooblets has been out in early access for a while and that's an indie cozy game. I wasn't apart of the kickstarter but bought it once it was available and I really love how cute that game is! And I know The Sims franchise is AAA, but the custom content and modding community is absolutely amazing for those games! Simblr (Sims Tumblr) is my favorite cozy game space!

[@kim-gs5my]

i had no idea undertale came out before stardew lmao but tbf i wasnt on the internet at that time and knew of undertale from game grumps

[@gundamfixe]

this is a great video, and a really like the cursing throughout while you talk about family friendly games haha!