Looking for a chill game to relax and hang, maybe with some cute characters? Look no further than this list of the best cozy games you can play right now.
“Cozy games” are a huge phenomenon right now, because at the end of the day, who doesn’t like being cozy? While some games focus on visceral combat or thrilling narratives, cozy games often focus on creating a comfortable or fulfilling place for players to hang out. Instead of swinging a sword or slaying foes, players can focus on creating the perfect flower bed, or befriending the kind golem next door.
Coziness is still a subjective experience, and the finer differences in a game can make or break immersion. Some people love to fish, whereas I find it to be one of the most stressful things a game can include. We’ve rounded up a list of the coziest games around beyond Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing: New Horizons (we figured you’ve played those, if you’re here), so you can pick your particular flavor of comfort. If you’re looking to relax, unwinding with any of these games is a fine choice.A Little to the Left
Where to play: Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
A Little to the Left is a puzzle game about organizing household items. It’s inherently satisfying while also being low-stakes, making it a perfect game to play when you’re looking for something cozy. The puzzles are stuff like organizing tools, removing labels from fruits, and stacking books — all while keeping an eye on a mischievous cat doing cat things. —Nicole CarpenterA Short Hike
Where to play: Mac, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, Xbox One
Despite its name being an accurate description of its offering — it clocks in at just a few hours before the credits roll — A Short Hike stands as tall as the mountain you’re summiting in the pantheon of cozy gaming classics. This 2017 charmer from developer Adam Robinson-Yu helped ignite the cozy game craze and, for me at least, really “peaked” (haha) my interest in shorter games as a format. You play as a young bird on summer vacation on an island, tasked with reaching the summit to take an important phone call. Over the course of your short hike, you’ll meet friends, take on quests, and generally just hang out. Rendered in big chunky pixels and viewed from an isometric camera, A Short Hike leaves a dreamlike impression of long summer days, childhood anxieties, and the thrill of autonomy. My only criticism is that, like all core memories, I can’t go back and experience it anew. —Chris GrantCoral Island
Where to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X
Cozy gaming always includes farming sims, and there are very many out there (most chasing the glory that is Stardew Valley). Coral Island doesn’t seek to reinvent the formula, but expands it. The basic gameplay mechanics are familiar: you farm, you fish, you mine. But you also explore an underwater kingdom full of merfolk and the town events all have a Southeast Asian flair to them, like mooncakes at the Harvest Festival. Also, there are so many gorgeous, datable characters. —Petrana RadulovicDorfromantik
Where to play: Nintendo Switch, Windows PC
“Dorfromantik” is a German word, expressing a kind of aching nostalgia for the countryside, and Toukana Interactive’s game is like a peaced-out Catan — a game about placing hexagonal tiles with no goal other than to make pretty maps of forests, winding rivers, jolly towns, and patchwork fields. There’s no economy or tech tree to worry about, no population making demands of you; it’s just you, searching for harmony in the growing landscape. But as aimlessly cozy as that sounds, and as tasteful as the pastel shades of its seasonal changes are, Dorfromantik is an exquisite, hard-edged design that blends the best of strategy and puzzle gaming, and finds a perfect balance between mental challenge and mindfulness.
