What Makes a Game Cozy? ~ Design Doc

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Sometimes we all need a chill game to relax to. But what makes a game cozy? What can you do to make a game cozier than average? Let's talk about it, and go over some of my cozy favorite video games of the past couple years.
Featuring:
A Short Hike
Grow Home
Untitled Goose Game
Night in the Woods
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Design Doc on Twitter: / warbot400
#ashorthike #nightinthewoods #untitledgoosegame

[@DesignDoc]

The first 1000 people to use the link will get a free trial of Skillshare Premium Membership: skl.sh/designdoc06211

[@johncosco2348]

For the next episode of Good Design, Bad Design, you should talk about Fate/Grand Order and the good design decisions that have been made in it, as well as all of the game design problems it has

[@vierco1005]

My Cosy Games, Mirrors Edge Playing in VR through 3rd party means , Karma Flow Ghost Tears of Ghost and Civ 3. Yes these Cosy Games to Me

[@aguncomon]

I have to say, "farming" games (as in the literal meaning) are the false cozy games, lures you in with a "laid back, farmtown life" but you are under pressure of getting resources all the time

[@coldbeef5356]

as someone who is working at a vegetable farm this summer, I can confirm that's the case lmao

[@Nanaki404]

I'd say it can depend on the game and the player's approach. Stardew Valley somewhat pushes players to pressure themselves, with the Community Center bundles to complete, and the money you want to gather to buy stuff. But at the same time, you're not forced to do it, and you can take as much time as you want. Which means some players can go for the "competitive"/"pressured" road by setting themselves some arbitrary challenges (like complete CC bundles before end of Year 1, or reach X amount of money before time Y), but other players can relax and play at their own pace, enjoying the game without only relying on "getting rich". The issue here is looking at other people play and thinking "I'm not playing correctly". This is just false, and you can play however you want

[@vo1ce147]

Nah It's depend on what you want to do if you set a challenge then the pressure is comming through ( i believe only harvest moon innocent life and back to nature that pressure you to do farm life ) for me farming game always cozy cause i just enjoy everything and Laid back And hey did you know PENDULUM IS THE BEST DECK LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@fgckyle]

Thanks for this comment! I'm working on a small cozy farming game and this made me reconsider the gameplay.

[@Asy18]

I'd recommend Littlewood as a relaxing farming game, where the clock doesn't move unless you do actions, so you can really take as long as you want. I found playing that game so much more relaxing than I ever have Stardew.

[@RealityMasterRogue]

A Short Hike is absolutely fantastic, you're so valid in gushing about it

[@cactusdip4680]

No

[@MartinPurathur]

Agreed

[@skye4082]

I recommend Lil Gator Game if you enjoyed A Short Hike

[@nothanks126]

A Short Hike is one of my favorite games, and people gushing about it will always make me happy!

[@gabrieldesmedt3376]

I spent like 10 hours playing it its so fun

[@kohakurensenko790]

One more thing to think about is what's the difference between cozy game, and simply boring one. A lot of casual games without any pressure and with a lot of repetitiveness can quickly end in latter category if they lack that "magic ingredients".

[@rickpgriffin]

I feel like the main difference is that boring games tend to lack context or progression. Proteus, for example, is a super relaxing game for some, and for others is dreadfully dull. Sure, it can be interesting to see how the world develops, but it becomes apparent after a while you're not doing much of anything. The context and progression are nebulous, so the game only feels like it lasts as long as you want to look at some colorful low-poly nature. Even in low-conflict games you still need a reason to be playing it. It's the same with stories, and reasons for reading them. When I was younger as a writer I just wanted to make some worlds where nothing ever went wrong, because I was so stressed all the time I wanted a world where I wasn't stressed. But the problem was, it was impossible to make a story in those worlds because they had no momentum. Because there were no problems, not even lightweight ones, nothing of consequence happened, and so the whole exercise felt pointless. There still needs to be some texture there, an obstacle to overcome. Even in games where the player makes their own goals, they still need something to wrestle with, like mechanical systems, or even just something to contemplate like a story, so the experience doesn't feel pointless.

[@thexinventor47]

A Short Hike, Later Alligator and Night In The Woods all being acknowledged in one video makes me so happy

[@puppable]

A Short Hike was an incredibly important game for me. I played it at at a time when I really, really needed a game like that, and the game helped me immensely.

[@enteikarino6921]

Sometimes, I find certain aspects of a game to be cozy, even if the game itself isn't. Persona is a prime example where songs like "Beneath the Mask" can be really soothing to listen to. Adding cozy aspects to a game can add to the charm or make a nice break from the action. I've fallen asleep to the Tartarus lobby theme in Persona 3 more times than I care to admit. Minecraft also follows similarly where the game can get tense at times, but it can also be relaxing to play depending on what you do. Sure, there are monsters here and there, but many of them aren't terribly threatening as long as you take precautions. Omori is similar to Night in the Woods where it has a cozy, charming world to explore, yet it covers EXTREMELY dark themes. I adore the music and relax to soundtracks like the Title Screen or some of the spoilery themes that I won't mention.

[@DesignDoc]

Cozy moments for sure, just not a cozy focus. Stuff like Katamari Damacy is a fringe case for me where the aesthetic and simplicity make it somewhat cozy but the frantic arcade pace takes it out of the cozy camp but it's still a pretty relaxing "shut your brain off" kind of game. Musou games are in a similar camp too.

[@EmeralBookwise]

A lot can come down to personal taste, but when it's only moments and not entire games, almost anything can be "cozy". Personally speaking, I can even find games as otherwise oppressive as Dark Souls "cozy", at least when I settle into a familiar area and just repeatedly farm a few specific enemies for resource drops.

[@stephenrolle2671]

@@DesignDoc These cozy moments can be so memorable at that. I played Celeste for the first time 2 days ago and burned through its main story in 8hrs. The scene where Madeline and Theo just sit and talk around the campfire was so touching to me. At the same time it made me feel so much closer to the two. Best of all, it's a little break before things go awry.

[@enteikarino6921]

@@stephenrolle2671 Theo was always a breath of fresh air. #YOLO

[@enteikarino6921]

@@EmeralBookwise True that. Dark Souls can have some oddly comfortable moments. Seeing Solaire or returning to Firelink Shrine can be relaxing after everything that happens.

[@ralphhelmhart3791]

My favourite cosy game at the moment is " spiritfarer"

[@Yohannai]

Yesss, I've been looking for this comment! Spiritfarer feels like its built to take the tension out of things, while giving you some exciting mini-games here and there. Heck, one of your main actions is giving your passengers hugs. I love it so much

[@MrSayier]

I always find it hard to consider Spiritfarer a cozy game. It's just SO emotionally exhausting. Amazing game for sure but maybe a little too focused on life and death to be cozy.

[@microdavid7098]

I almost forgot spiritfarer as it's 2d. I love it. But a short hike lives up too

[@Mr_Mimestamp]

I just played the demo of the game and I’m considering buying it, I’ve really liked it so far! I’m a bit worried about the time it takes to get to a destination. Are you often under a time limit or are there no penalties to leaving certain quests and spirits alone for so long? I’m worried that something bad might happen if the ship arrives at a destination and I take my time before getting off the boat.

[@ralphhelmhart3791]

@@Mr_Mimestamp there is no punishment in this game. You can take all the time you want.

[@kylestillwell7031]

Breath of the Wild is not a “cozy game” in its entirety, but it's 100% possible to boot up the game to have a cozy experience for one play session. Also, worth mentioning, Poly Bridge has one of the coziest soundtracks of any game I've ever played or experienced

[@HeraldOD]

Yesss love Poly Bridge and its soundtrack, the sequel is awesome too

[@BisectedBrioche]

NITW really goes for the jugular (even the "cozy" elements to it are basically an extension of Mae having way too much free time). At the same time, I think the contrast actually helps make it sincerely cozy; the theme is basically "it's OK to want to try and relax, even when there are real problems", and the darker elements help keep it grounded (supernatural stuff notwithstanding).

[@gewreid5946]

I agree. For me the core message of NITW was about it being cozy *in spite of* it's darker themes. It was after the most intense and uncomfortable story moments that the exploration and interactions with people felt the most soothing, comforting and relaxing.

[@redlunatic2224]

Hot take: Stardew Valley is a great game, but it isn't cozy/relaxing. There are too many systems and things ticking down to really relax. I personally find turn based rpgs much cozier. You can control the pacing and danger level and there are a lot of side activities to engage in.

[@cactusdip4680]

No

[@Johnnyb3g00d]

Agreed. And I'm glad in fact that it wasn't used as an example (aside the collage at the end). Since a lot of the things discussed here are not present in Stardew. Sure, the punishment is low for anything you do, but it's a constant balancing act of managing your time, your items to give to others, weapon stats to make it further in the mine, proper crop placement so your sprinklers are most effective, etc. etc. Great game, but more driven than, say, animal crossing, which gives you a literal 24 hours to do whatever you want for the day. The interesting thing is that this leads you to often times put away Animal Crossing after being 'done'. While you can play stardew for hours on end because of the systematic growth in the game.

[@shiwakao]

absolutely. i know you're supposed to decide what you want to do n take it at your own pace, but i end up just feeling a lot of pressure to minmax n do everything there is to do as quickly as possible.

[@danielleanderson6371]

Check out West of Loathing. It's a turn-based RPG with suitably intense battle music, but the whole game is super light-hearted for what is essentially a family-friendly comedy version of Fallout: New Vegas. Instead of a nuclear apocalypse, society was overrun by goofy demon cows. Instead of a cult of tech-obsessed recluses, you've got necromancers who summon dorky skeletons. Instead of a bunch of murderous Rome cosplayers, you've got murderous clowns, but they're stick figures so it's fine. Instead of super mutants, there are goblins who talk funny and have questionable anatomy, and you can be friends with them!

[@dapperghastmeowregard]

"Did you hear there's a new farmer moving in to the old Beauregard place?" "Oh wow, I wonder what they'll be like, I can't wait to get to know them and form a lifetime friendship." [Charges straight to bar, throws amethyst at Emily, disappears into the mines until 11 pm every day]

[@gewreid5946]

Todays lesson: Keep existential dread and murder cults out of your cozy games, they ruin the mood. :p That being said, i found that the darker themes in NITW highlighted the cozy moments rather than distracting from them. It is an unusal cozy game for sure, going for a more bittersweet and nostalgic but still very calm and relaxing mood. Instead of offering pure escapism, it gives you both the poison and the antidote in one cohesive package, showing you that they can both coexist.

[@rickpgriffin]

I find NITW to be very relaxing. Of course... the last quarter of the game was harrowing enough that I stayed up to 4 in the morning finishing it, but that's because I was so worried about the characters I found endearing that I needed to know how it ended. A little bit of the conflict-spice can make you feel more attached to a world and its characters, even with its heavy themes, and make those times where you're having fun just hanging out and talking about horror movies and lamenting over the closure of a pasta restaurant you didn't even get to visit feel all the more precious.

[@matthewshiers9038]

Spiritfarer by Thunder Lotus fits this category pretty well. It doesn't shy away from its dark premise, but allows the player to approach it at their leisure. It's one of the most emotional games I've ever played and yet it's also one of the most relaxing ones in my game library.

[@kanmiafolabi5024]

Alba: A wild life adventure hits all my cozy game needs. It's perfect.

[@albertand2484]

A Short Hike has very quickly become one of my favourite games of all time, simply because it's just the nice - the writing, characters, themes and music just all blend together into a perfect cozy-cocktail, that I always play when I'm in a bad mood, even if it's just for a few minutes. I was lucky to get the soundtrack on Vinyl and it is truly the perfect record to play on a breezy Summer afternoon

[@DokuDoki]

There's a unique genre in japanese culture called 癒し系 (iyashikei) which translates to healing, and usually relates to manga and anime type of media. You don't see this genre much in the west but the most likely media to encounter the concept are, in my experience, the video games. The genre doesn't seem to have a specific word for it over here, at least not yet.

[@genem5448]

I see "wholesome" used in tags a lot. Not exactly the same but sort of in that vein.

[@ChrisfromDevelopment]

I enjoyed your comment. Thank you for giving me hope.

[@nils6252]

just thought i'd chime in as someone who's doing asian studies - this is really not unique to japan in any way, shape or form. for example, in south korea, literally every product ever seems to be labeled as 힐링, a loanword from the english "healing". most notably a lot of k-pop related content. (BigHit's slogan, for example, is "music & artist for healing".) every western media is also often heavily advertised as something to calm you down, "wholesome fun", "anti-stress" "therapeutic" etc. (i see steam games labeled as therapeutic all the time) sorry, just thought i'd vent a bit, it's a huge pet peeve of mine to see every single japanese word treated as "a unique concept in japanese culture that cannot be translated".

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

@@nils6252 It is honestly sort of scary how deified Japanese culture is (at least in the west.) Yeah they export a lot of fun/interesting cultural products. But a lot of it either originated in other Asian countries or isn't exclusive to Japan (Ramen being a prime example.) Idk, I could also just worry about it because white nationalists tend to point to Japan as an "ideal ethnostate." And I don't want kids to be convinced by these arguments because people ignore all the problems Japan has due to its ridiculously high levels of xenophobia and cultural/racial homogeneity.

[@nipponaihito]

I've seen that with really nice BGM tracks and I love it.

[@Johnnyb3g00d]

"low pressure gameplay" well that knocks out stardew, aka the race against time game where going to the forge eats half your day, and watering your plants eats the other half. And you better get your crops done this season to fill out the town center, or else you'll have to wait a whole nother year before you get the chance to try it again.

[@BonaparteBardithion]

That's more a playstyle issue though. Unlike some of the Harvest Moon games the series was inspired by, there is no hard time limit to finish the community center. Nor is there a specific set of events needed to pass grandpa's evaluation in year 3. You can just as easily slow down the amount of farming and pace of upgrading. Very little is lost if you spend a couple in-game hours chilling at the lakeside or even just decide not to grow anything this season. Relaxation is even more possible if you use multiplayer and assign different tasks, upgrading and shopping being one of them.

[@arian_motta]

"aka the race against time" YES!! The time system in Stardew Valley really stressed me out... I felt like I had to run all the time and never got anything done properly

[@iriswaters]

Yeah, this is why I've played very little of the game. The combination of the calm aesthetic and the intense time crunch hw gave me really severe anxiety. Anxiety I don't normally get from actually hard games.

[@rickpgriffin]

Stardew is actually much less stressful if you play it multiplayer with friends who all know each other, and at least one who knows the game inside and out. You can much more easily divide up tasks that way. Although it's still pretty heavily progression-focused, you can get into a rhythm doing the parts of the game that you're "best at".

[@OrdonWolf]

My first playthrough of SV stressed the hell outta me. Second tho? Much more chill. Once you know what to look out for you learn to manage your time better and stress less. I still wouldn't consider it a very low pressure game, but when I want to unwind I enjoy going back to get a few days done.

[@MasterHigure]

4:38 I have a gripe with people using "isometric camera" when they really mean "diagonal top-down, usually fixed-angle camera". This is not isometric. Isometric means no perspective. It means far-away things don't get smaller (which is where it gets its name: iso-same, metric-measure; any given object always measures the same across the screen). It means no parallax movement, which is usually the easiest way to immediately distinguish isometric from non-isometric graphics. Diablo 2 is isometric (played to great effect in the Arcane Sanctuary). Link's awakening is isometric. A Short Hike isn't.

[@luchilenium]

I love Night in the Woods. Was a great comfort for me in lockdown last year. I got into a routine of playing a chapter every night.

[@jbmboy]

I always found Journey pretty cozy. It was one of the few games where after a I'd played I would let out a satisfied sigh like I'd just slipped into a warm bath.

[@MsAnimelove2102]

The underground part of Journey stresses me out a little bit haha

[@jbmboy]

@@MsAnimelove2102 Actually now that I think about it. But I just keep playing Journey and it relaxes me after!

[@Smeali]

Oh my goodness, the A Short Hike soundtrack gives me chills every time. Highly, highly recommended.

[@drewk7330]

so glad A Short Hike is getting a moment!! frankly I don't wanna talk about any other game. I'm so excited to see what the creator comes up with next!!

[@jeromealday614]

My type of cozy game is any RPG with heavy grinding. I love decimating enemies over and over again then seeing stats go up. It's so satisfying. I love the point where I can just one shot everything in the area before moving to the next.

[@71jmonkey]

Have you tried Disgaea?

[@ChrisfromDevelopment]

@@71jmonkey numbers too high for me to consider it cozy lol

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

In SMT and Persona games I have to turn off KZbin/the t.v. whenever I get to story segments because they are so intense. But I treat the combat like a relaxing break from it all (except boss fights, Minotaur will f"ck you up if you aren't paying attention.)

[@DurianFruit]

Warframe has become my cosy game.

[@Jediahgames]

A short hike quickly became one of my favorite games ever It feels so good to play and to talk to everyone

[@gabrielroxas854]

Abzu is one of my favorite cozy games. Just swimming around, enjoying all the underwater vistas, and looking at the marine life. Following specific fish around was a neat touch too

[@pinandstutter]

Was definitely expecting to see Spiritfarer here! The story does deliver a periodic punch in the feels, but the themes of learning to appreciate the good memories as part of the process of letting go keeps it well within cozy territory imo

[@Rindew]

I need this... Life's been rough lately...

[@Bonkahe]

A small comfort to know it's been rough for a lot of people, and sometimes the world seems a very distant place but we're all still here, and we're all still in this together.

[@Exel3nce]

well, va11 hall-a got you there

[@98codex]

The flying and gliding in A Short Hike is sooooo satisfying. Beautiful game!

[@N8ertot]

Sky: Children of the Light (made by the Journey team) is definitely high on my list of cozy games. It's centered around making friends and socializing nonverbally by learning emotes and earning cosmetics to dress up in through exploration (though you can unlock chat with friends or text chat while sitting on benches together). And the atmosphere is so chill and pleasant on the eyes & ears. You can do daily quests/candle runs or just goof off honking and blowing kisses and playing instruments in home space, and either way your'e playing it right. And it just came out on Switch so there's tons of new players now!

[@N3ZLA]

Journey and a short hike are supremely cozy and beautiful.

[@zuzucha5881]

The Wholesome Direct has been the best thing that has happened to E3. Soothing games are my favourite genre.

[@jasongibson1225]

I think there's games that kinda invoke the feeling of both cozy and drama. I think The Outer Wilds does this perfectly. There's a mystery and a (No pressure) timelimit, but the music and stuff is relaxing too.

[@dac6400]

I'm glad A Short Hike is getting the recognition it deserves. It's really really great.

[@mattm6147]

a short hike is so special to me! played it last summer for the first time and i've introduced it to all my friends from college. Whether they've played video games or not, they absolutely fall in love with its charm and i've honestly gotten more out of it watching them play it than me playing it myself. so glad you talked about it.

[@alexring3214]

My cozy game and favorite game from my childhood is PokePark: Pikachu's Adventure. I used to boot that game up just to wonder around the overworld

[@ThatJoshGuy327]

Oh man Pokemon Channel for me. I don't know but between collecting the cards from Shop'n'Squirtle or going to see fireworks with Jirachi just makes me feel right at home.

[@mco7478]

@@ThatJoshGuy327 now THAT was a cozy game. I don't know many people who played that

[@ShadowPKMNcz]

I know it's kind of a little baby game, but MySims is the go to relaxing game for me. I just love running around, collecting essences, building furniture and other things and making life hell for my villagers. Short Hike absolutely fantastic as well and I'd like to try Goose Game at some point as well.

[@typicalmegane5117]

oh man, the mysims games are *so cozy*! they were on my mind this whole video!

[@aliwells1313]

Half Past Fate and Later Alligator have been my cozy games recently. Their music is the best part.

[@DensetsuVII]

Ngl, little sad about the exclusion of Kind Words from this list - the literal posterchild of a lofi beats to game to - definitely worth your time if you haven't heard of it. That said I'd note only that the cozy aesthetic is absolutely intentional in NitW - I think it represents the character's desire to return to a place that's cozy only to find that isn't possible. In a way, I think characterizing 'simplistic' as part of the cozy visual aesthetic may be a mistake in a sense - many of these games do have a style, but it would be deceiving to say they're not painstakingly realized and thought through. Truly a wonderful dimension of gaming~

[@jasonreed7522]

I would say that "simplistic" is definitely a style choice, and can still be tons of work to do well. Simplistic usually means sprites, solid colors, low poly, minimal effects. A good example are paper mario 1 and 2. They are heavily stylized to look like everything is made of paper and colored with MS paint. But to say that it wasn't as much effort as super Mario sunshine or 64 (similar eras to 2 and 1 respectively) would be dishonest. Tldr simple ≠ lazy or bad or low effort

[@jayveerisdabest7500]

i agree about kind words

[@takemakei2362]

The non dungeon portions of persona 5. Just walking around the town is cozy

[@pixelsbykris5494]

The ending to A Short Hike frigging GOT ME. I was already enjoying the game so much that I found myself actively trying to complete each and every task and side story because it was just so wonderful and fun. I didn't manage to do so before I got to the end, but WOW am I so happy I played this game. Without being too specific, I really want to say that Ihe ending really recontextualizes why you went out to the park in the first place, and why you were trying so hard to get to the top of the mountain. That said, as great as it is, I HIGHLY encourage you to actually play the game at your own pace, and get to know the characters to really feel the impact of it. A Short Hike is a short experience that will stick with you for a long, long time.

[@filmotter]

Oh my gosh! Yes, A Short Hike is so beautiful and so much fun. I'm not usually a fan of "cozy" games because of how often these games don't have engaging gameplay. But this game really nails that balance! And the music is incredible also. 😇

[@mudikyu]

A Short Hike is definitely one of my favorite games of all time, I played it last year when it released on Switch and was completely in love. It's really short but it has so much replay value because it's just so relaxing. I'm really happy to see it getting more love!

[@JauntyAdventures]

I just reviewed Beasts of Maravilla Island on my channel and it's so, so cozy. Adorable animals, relaxing environments, and no major consequences in the gameplay. Plus, banana toucans. Also, I maintain that A Night in the Woods is both cozy and existentially terrifying. Depending on the moment.

[@missitheachievementhuntres560]

Just posted about beasts of maraville island myself, I enjoyed it so much ❤️

[@c11tto]

That Sky Game is a (somewhat)cozy game for me! It's made by the same developers of Journey, and I've been playing it a lot recently. While you could collect candles and fight the Dark Dragons... you could also just sit by the Hidden Forest, and listen to the ambience alone or with friends.

[@matteste]

I know of the coziness of delivering some lead to the noggin and painting the walls red with the forces of hell in Doom. On a more serious note, the Atelier games tend to hit that cozy note. And Va-11 Hall-A can also quite fit the bill despite the grim cyberpunk setting.

[@kid14346]

A short hike is one of my top 5 games of all time.

[@DarshUK1]

A short hike reminds me of a DS game, the nostalgia alone makes it cozy to me lol

[@cactusdip4680]

No

[@bnfgh123]

I played short hike last summer. At first I wanted to play some AAA title to really enjoy my free time but after a short while I realized that I'm too tired after my exams, and I just don't feel like jumping into something big. That's when I remembered that I have this cute looking indie game in my library. Might as well give it a shot, right? It took me just about two hours to finish it but boy was it refreshing. It felt so nice and relaxing from start to finish. All those little stories were so captivating. And I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when I finally managed to climb to the top of the mountain. It's an absolute masterpiece that everyone should play.

[@mikevos4460]

Spiritfarer is one of my favorite cozy games even tho the story can be pretty sad at times it feels like such a warm tale

[@gardevoirtrainer4526]

Swinging in Spider-Man PS4 is so relaxing and sometimes helps me clear my mind.

[@nielsbos2]

I recently played A Short Hike as well and one day I hope to make a game like it!

[@reverse_engineered]

Flower was a wonderful experience. Similar to what you described, it wasn't mechanically demanding and didn't really have a failure state, but it had a short, bittersweet story line that was surprisingly evocative.

[@Bkindmonk]

I just picked up house flipper. I love just doing the checklist at my leisure. No time pressure at all. Has helped me relax a lot

[@genem5448]

yeeeeeeesssss this is my "total braindead cozy" game

[@missitheachievementhuntres560]

House flipper is so good!

[@Yamartim]

Literally everything on the wholesome games direct deserves a spot here

[@roxanepineda3609]

Haven it's not precisely a cozy game because the storyline, but my best friend and I felt so relaxed exploring the planet, just chilling, and talking while we ride and fly searching for resources, the music was amazing and I love it

[@kikren]

Slime Rancher is my perfect Cozy game, I love exploring the different areas while still working towards a goal. The different unlockables change how you interact with the world, so even going through old areas several times can lead to new spots to look.

[@ifailflash2360]

The coziest I've ever felt playing a video game was with ACNH at 2 in the morning and Persona 5 when you're not in the dungeons. Ecco The Dolphin could maybe do it for me if the gameplay wasn't so wonky, but the music is absolutely amazing and gives a really nice vibe.

[@ShTHfan1]

One of my favorite cozy games happens to be a visual novel by the title of Please Be Happy. Already just sounds cozy from that alone, doesn't it? It's such a sweet game, from start to finish, and basically everything from the art style to the music to the story add to that coziness factor. But if you don't want a visual novel to help you feel cozy, but rather something with gameplay? Lil Gator Game. You just play as a lil gator havin themself an adventure. Humor is top notch too.

[@Polydeuces0]

Flower! Man, this game lets you chill out like nothing else

[@sacredyveltal4688]

Night in the woods it's probably one of the best things that could've happen to me during this pandemic to help with the isolation and stress of college. I haven't finished it yet but I love everything about it thus far. It helps me relax with it's interesting story and characters. I love the music and art style too. ^_^

[@Karleetoh]

what comes to mind is Wandersong. it's wacky characters and colorful atmosphere made it seem nice and cozy.

[@anthonycorral329]

journey to the savage planet felt pretty cozy to me. there is a lot of creatures you have to kill but when you're not killing them and you're just trynna find your way around and collect what you need to it's so relaxing.

[@FromGroundToMud]

This reminded me... back in 2005 I used to join Jedi Knight Academy servers just to chill with people. Literally to take a walk ingame, sit down, chat, watch other people duel.

[@Stephen-Fox]

I think Cozy Grove qualifies - Mostly a chill time to play each day. Although the various character's stories you get small slices of each time you complete one of their story quests alternate between comedy storylines about a ghost baker who can't cook (her non-story quests sometimes involve asking you for iron ingots to add extra texture to her cupcakes) and serious ones about survivor's guilt. And oh boy today I just found out one of the ghosts ex-husband left her with 7 cubs to feed(...To be fair, with the set up of "Hey my supernatural garden that transmutes objects planted in it has a lot of positive energy can you bring me the bones of someone I used to know to see if I can bring them back to life" could have gone a _lot_ worse.)

[@cecillewolters1995]

Kinda wondering if these things work in real life, for example: Making my environment (home) pleasing and calm, will that make me more relaxed too? Minecraft creative mode or sometimes adventuring with my friends feels relaxing too, especially when 'keep inventory' is on. Mario 64 and Sunshine do the trick too sometimes.

[@IFGchannel931]

The short answer is yes. Also, decluttering your work space has positive effects including increase in productivity.

[@a.v896]

The Feng Shui (a ancient chinese knowledge) talk about the enviroment and how this affect your feelings / creativity etc

[@jarellkearney6083]

Wandersong is a really nice cozy game about not being able to save the world Also you can sing at 🎵everything!🎵

[@jarellkearney6083]

@@gizmoduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu2773 It is about coping with the fact that there are things you can't change in the world and how to appreciate the small things in life. Plus you can sing and that is very cozy. It is cozy in the way that Night In the Woods is Cozy but with more of a lighter tone

[@jarellkearney6083]

@@gizmoduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu2773 it's fine Also sorry if I sounded rude in my last message I am not good at reading emotions in text

[@jarellkearney6083]

@@gizmoduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu2773 oh ok

[@SuperstarSnivkins]

drinking game: take a drink every time he says a form of “cozy” i suggest not using alcohol for the sake of your health

[@qqq1581]

I think 100% Orange Juice has the potential to be a really cozy social game. It's like Mario Party, except with most of the need for mechanical skill removed and with a tiny bit more abstract sense of luck and player control that it's really hard to take the game too seriously with any competitive intent. I've had lots of good times socializing with people, chatting about all kinds of things while the game just happened in the background. It definitely depends on the random people you run into, but during a time I stayed locked up in my room, dealing with social anxiety and listlessness, this game was one half of what kept me from abject loneliness.

[@schaffs2]

All of the dialogue in A Short Hike feel like fun Discord messages and I love it

[@flint33]

Hardspace Shipbreaker is my cozy game right now. Something about just tearing apart ships in space is relaxing.

[@raquelfernandez5533]

A cozy game that in my opinion nails the combination of cozy and some darker themes is Wandersong. There's some themes about jealousy, loss etc but they are not front and center and it's a lot about how you process these emotions rather than feeling them.

[@SlamBolts]

A Short Hike was so good I wish I could experience it for the first time again

[@aminthemar]

How does one "study to a video game" I'm having the hardest time imagining someone playing a game and studying at the same time.

[@gingersupersaiyan]

I played games while listening to lectures at uni this year, worked most of the time

[@aminthemar]

@@gingersupersaiyan lol

[@rmsgrey]

Have you heard of Progress Quest? It makes your typical idle game look interaction-intensive, and can literally be played entirely AFK.

[@valideno9592]

When I was in the high school, I grinded WoW which was monotone 90% of the time and I could listen to audio books, lectures, videos in background, etc. If I didn't have audio, I would make it myself by recording myself reading. I think it could work out on grindy games and on other games where you really don't have to be fully present. But later in life I changed my life philosophy many times and also changed that habit. When you are relaxing, relax to the fullest, when you are working, work with all your mind. I derived that from one of the Bible quotes: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Only then you are making a truly great progress.

[@empty-voiid]

Game designers get to study the game they're playing.

[@Weird_One_]

Va-11 Hall-A is a great cozy visual novel even without the simplistic art style. It’s like just reading a very chill book before bedtime.

[@LadyAhro]

Untitled goose game is probably my favourite of the bunch because I adore "soft chaos"

[@Outside998]

One game I love to death and find relaxing and cozy is Death Stranding. In terms of story, it has its tense moments with lots of action, and there is a lot at stake, but just walking through the world doing deliveries is my favorite part of it. It relaxes me like no other game before did, and has an almost meditative quality to it.

[@Road_to_Dawn]

I was thinking the same thing! Few things are more relaxing than gearing up for a trip and slowly making your way through nature. Alternatively, you can spend time gathering resources and build roads and structures like zip lines to make your journey and that of other players more manageable. I love Death Stranding.

[@Outside998]

@@Road_to_Dawn oh, yeah, absolutely agreed. I can get sidetracked so much repairing, building and upgrading structures, but it never feels tedious. It's always a "yeah, I could do that" kinda feeling. And as you mentioned, those trip preparations and the walk through the world, finding your way through, inching closer to your destination. And when the music starts playing... God, I love this game. A pure experience.

[@batlrar]

I'm kind of surprised you didn't tie all of this together at the end with Windwaker. Want to have a nice cozy time, but also save the world? Well, there's the best juxtaposition of the two that I can think of!

[@PlebNC]

The Spyro the Dragon trilogy always been my go-to cozy game. Simple to play, easy to beat, but with a bunch of charm that makes the journey super fun and I find it fun to try to complete levels or sections of levels in one unbroken charge. I also like Hardspace Shipbreaker, a Steam Early Access game, where you play a guy to disassembles spaceships using sci-fi industrial tools like laser cutters and energy tethers at an orbital shipbreaking yard. You can play it with a timer on each work shift, which encourages efficient play, or turn that timer off and just zone out breaking ships apart. Ships also have an number of things to consider as you break them like explosive decompression, fuel lines, a nuclear core that can go into meltdown, which require careful consideration so you can't cut willy-nilly. It's like bomb defusal if no-one cared if the bomb explodes. Heck, sometimes I can't be bothered to depressurise a ship properly so I just cut a hole in the side and lol at the consequences.

[@Tetriser]

A Short Hike is really fun to play if you want to relax and chill

[@SuperDevilSurvivor]

I find doing alchemy in the Atelier games so cozy! Sure there is some combat and the occasional timed goals but overall I can just keep on playing and feeling relaxed for hours

[@evotheevolutions9437]

A cozy game that I like to play is a game called Sky children of the light. Its an exploration game where you explore ancient ruins and recover memories of the past. I like it, and this game was actually mobile only until it came to the switch just yesterday. Also sky is a good example of a cozy multiplayer game to me.

[@Kairikey]

OMG THIS IS IT I NEED this kind of games in my life all the time. As much as I need a grand narrative rpg in my life, I need these cozy games to relax myself. I need a list of these types of game, so if anyone have a suggestion, I'm open for that.

[@jayveerisdabest7500]

personally, i find mario maker cozy. it's just you, and a blank canvas, and your ideas. it's just a game you can really zone out to. plus, playing levels is frantic, and story mode gives you a traditional mario experience.

[@OlliGui]

Another genre that contains cozy games is "slice of life" games, such as shenmue, chulip and my summer vacation.

[@CitrusArchitect]

A short hike is in my top 3 games of all TIME! I believe everyone should play it - and I mean EVERYONE! :)

[@Bane_Amesta]

I'll write again about Hylics 2, maybe is not cozy like A Short Hike, but this has to be the first game when I don't mind about dying in an RPG. Also, that platformer minigame nightmare is way more easier to enjoy when the music is just so incredible :D

[@DrEcho]

I just played the demo for TOEM from the Summer Games Festival on Steam and it's looking like it'll be my cozy GOTY. I'm picking it up frame 1 that it goes live.

[@8lacKhawKtheRIPPER]

My favorite pick might be Rune Factory 4. With it being less in-depth than Stardew regarding the actual farming stuff with way easier to handle mechanics, while also providing an entire action-rpg experience whenever you feel like going for it, it's just an overall great mix of catering to whatever mood you're in while playing on any given day. There are also pretty much no time limits excepts for the seasons changing, so there's very little pressure regarding any kind of progress. You can continue the story whenever you want to. It's just a perfect game for handheld devices and cozy evenings~

[@santhosharadhya9046]

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, Firewatch, Abzu. These are my favorite cozy games :)

[@BagelDukes]

One of the most cozy relaxing games for me is OpenTTD (Or Transport Tycoon Deluxe, as it just once was) - It's an old game, nowadays free (and also free and on steam) where the only goal is simply to transport things and make money. You can make it more stressing if you have competitors, but playing it alone - just building a big transport network? It feels -great- and calming. Play it with friends and you simply relax building rail-lines, planes, ferries and a few trucks/busses to do their thing while you talk about anything else.

[@Road_to_Dawn]

I’d put VA-11 Hall-A and Coffee Talk under this category. They’re basically just visual novels, but they have extremely light gameplay elements where you mix a drink or make coffee, respectively, for your customers according to their order. If you don’t give them quite what they wanted, that’s fine. It might affect the ending you get, but it’s still fairly low stakes. Most of the game is just you getting to know your customers and experiencing their stories secondhand. Both games actually recommend you grab your favorite beverage and snack upon boot-up and just sit back and enjoy your time.

[@mxt3k]

My cozy pick is Calico!!! Magical girl cat cafe management sim? What's not to love!? It's such a chill, cute game. It's very buggy but that's a charm not a drawback; unless you're playing it on the Switch, because it does not perform very well on there. Definitely try it out on PC or PS4 if you can!

[@TheOnlyRaviol]

After 20+ years of gaming, those games are a blessing to make a pause between real life problems and the more demanding game. loved NITW and a short hike. AND at least i will be able to play those kind of games when i'll be 70 years old x) ANother cozy game i'm playing atm is Dorf Romantik, a tile-placing-puzzle game with chill ost :)

[@Khud0]

Wow, this video makes me want to make a cozy game myself. ^^

[@GmodPlusWoW]

Chicory: A Colourful Tale seems cozy at first, but it does get into some heavier subject-matter further in. That's not a knock against it at all, since it helped me detox after I took a hiatus from Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass. (very much NOT a cozy game)

[@Qodovah]

For me Skyrim and BTOW are really cozy. The open world to explore at my own pace, the possibility to run or hide for enemies to avoid conflict, nature landscapes and beautiful bgm music. Idk, it’s like going camping.

[@jhonejay1426]

surprised slimerancher isn't on here. It's a simple game, with a few enemies if you mess up, but are easily dealt with, but the mood is reinforced with an amazing aesthetics and music, with a decent story to boot

[@eaplmx]

My cozy game from 2020 was Refunct. Extremely simple and fun. If you wish you can just jump around of If you feel in the mood try to get 100% in less than 15 mins

[@nicoataiza7850]

By definition my favourite cozy game is Getting Over It

[@AlexReynard]

Six cozy recommendations from me: Proteus, Refunct, Glass Masquerade, Klocki, Putt Putt Saves The Zoo, and Windosill.