Most genres are self explanatory. Puzzle… stealth… simulation… But when it comes to cosy games you can’t always quantify what makes something cosy. Instead, it’s about the gentle feeling the experience elicits - that lovely sensation of being able to curl up on the sofa under a blanket and play without any stress. So that’s what this list is all about. The titles that make us want to drink tea and listen to the rain on the window outside as we play. Here are the best cosy games to play right now.
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00:00 Most genres are self-explanatory. Puzzle, stealth, simulation. But when it comes to
00:09 cozy games, you can't always quantify what makes something cozy. Instead, it's about the gentle
00:15 feeling the experience elicits. That lovely sensation of being able to curl up on the sofa
00:20 under a blanket and play without any stress. So that's what this list is all about. The titles
00:26 that make us want to drink tea and listen to the rain on the window outside as we play.
00:31 Here are the best cozy games to play right now.
00:33 Let's start with one of the OG cozy games, shall we? Stardew Valley is basically a welcoming hug,
00:47 masquerading as a life sim. And the beauty of this agricultural paradise is that you can play
00:52 it entirely at your own pace, with your own goals. Do you want to build a farming empire,
00:57 selling truffle oil to make your fortune? Or do you want to shun farming and cultivate
01:02 relationships with the residents of Pelican Town instead? Every season of Stardew Valley
01:06 feels different, and there's constant variation with town events and fresh quest lines. And if
01:12 somehow you've missed the coziest game of all time, there's been so much new content added
01:17 since its release that it's basically now 8 games in one and you probably won't need to play anything
01:23 else. Just be warned, once Stardew gets its charming hooks in, you're going to be under
01:28 that blanket for a long, long time. A cozy management game about death
01:40 doesn't sound like an attractive prospect. How do those words even fit together? And yet,
01:45 Spiritfarer is exactly this and somehow one of the most beautiful and rewarding games on this list.
01:51 You play as Stella, a ferrymaster for the dead, shuttling souls across the water to their final
01:57 resting place. This means building rooms, farming, gardening, and fulfilling the last wishes of those
02:03 on board. It's gentle but evocative, and there's even a dedicated hug button for your passengers.
02:09 Spiritfarer is a rare treat, and while there is eventually an end point, this is a beautiful
02:14 experience that ticks all of the cozy boxes. Plus, it may well bring a tier or 6 to your eye
02:20 as well along the way. Oh, and did we mention there's a local co-op 2 player where a friend
02:26 can join and play as a cat called Daffodil? See? Solved.
02:30 Let's face it, 22.4 million players in 4 months? Can't be wrong. The now legendary
02:44 Animal Crossing New Horizons was a revelation for older new players in 2020, and is still a
02:49 perfect cozy game. Mirroring the day with real time, New Horizons immediately slows things right
02:55 down, letting us fish, catch bugs, or just admire the sunset at our very own pace.
03:01 There are no deadlines here, no stressful quests to fulfill, just a mortgage without an end date
03:07 that you're going to want to pay off anyway so you can fill your in-game house with more
03:12 perfectly crafted and customised furniture. Whether you just want to spend time with
03:16 your villagers or focus on filling the museum with fossils, everything is gentle and charming.
03:22 Even better is the fact that once you've spent hours perfectly cultivating the perfect island,
03:26 you can invite friends over to show it off.
03:28 It's not a hard and fast rule, but chances are that if there's an abundance of smiling
03:41 blobs on your game, there's a distinct possibility that it's in the cozy category.
03:46 Slime Rancher is a joyous life and farm sim with a jelly-like twist as you set out to capture a
03:52 variety of bouncing slimes. Once you've got them sucked into your vacuum pack, you can then pop
03:57 them into an enclosure, make sure they've got plenty to eat, and even play music to keep them
04:02 calm to help prevent escapes. You'll then quickly become intimately acquainted with slime biology
04:08 because slime poop, or plorts, fetch a pretty penny on the plort market.
04:13 That's right, this is a game about farming caca. It's a gentle one though,
04:18 with a lovely warm and fuzzy feel. Just remember to wash your hands, yeah?
04:22 Maybe the agriculture of Stardew Valley isn't your thing and you prefer a life of magic.
04:35 Then Little Witch in the Woods will be much more your cup of potion.
04:39 This pixelated wonder is another engaging management sim as you take on the role of Ellie,
04:44 helping the residents of a ramshackle village bring life back to the place. Just like Stardew,
04:50 there's plenty to do every day as you learn new spells and potions in between quests.
04:55 Hunting down ingredients is especially good fun as you head into the woods to find all
05:00 kinds of magical creatures and harvest their resources. That's just as painful as it sounds
05:05 for the creatures. Add in a just granular enough potion brewing mechanic and Little Witch in the
05:10 Woods manages to be a satisfying deep dive into the world of elixirs and spells.
05:15 If you're looking for a short but oh so sweet experience that evokes a giddy feeling of
05:28 childhood joy, you can't miss Alba A Wildlife Adventure. This is an experience built on that
05:34 brilliant sensation of endless potential you had as a kid on holiday with no responsibilities
05:39 other than to find fun. Alba though does find responsibilities as she tries to stop a hotel
05:46 firm from building over an animal sanctuary on the Mediterranean island where her grandparents live.
05:51 This means you need to photograph the flora and fauna of the island, chat to the townspeople
05:56 and generally take in the delight of this wholesome world. Everything is geared for
06:01 pure relaxation and the gentle knowledge that everything's going to be okay,
06:05 which is really all we ever need.
06:07 We are always immediately suspicious of a game idea that clearly started as a pun,
06:20 but the ultra laid back Bear and Breakfast has proved itself a worthy addition to the cozy genre.
06:27 There's nothing too onerous here, just a bear called Hank deciding to work in the hospitality
06:32 industry and aiming to bring tourism back to an abandoned valley. Thankfully our guests don't
06:37 seem to be too upset that Hank's a bear, so there are plenty of opportunities to make everyone as
06:42 comfortable as possible in each location. You can decorate, keep everything clean and even ensure
06:48 that guests have true fine dining experiences with resources scavenged from the forest. People pay a
06:54 lot for those kinds of menus, you know. Mmmmm… moss? Here's to an excellent review on TripAdvisor.
07:00 But if what you're looking for is something a little more puzzlier, well to finish the list,
07:13 Dwarf Romantic is a gentle puzzle game and it's not just a city builder but a country builder too.
07:20 Each beautiful hexagon tile has to be placed on the map to connect with more trees, rivers,
07:25 train tracks and towns in order to fulfil requirements. The more goals you hit,
07:30 the more tiles you earn and the bigger the colourful map becomes. It's simple but constantly
07:35 compelling as a creation grows in all directions. Even better is that the sprawling landscape starts
07:41 to come to life. Boats chug along the rivers, fountains flow in town squares and windmills
07:47 turn as you transform the empty map into a lush countryside. It's just relaxing and cosy enough
07:53 that, like a good jigsaw puzzle, you could even list to a podcast at the same time. Perfect.
07:58 So that's some of the best cosy games you can play right now. All you need to do now is grab
08:05 your favourite hot drink and settle down on the sofa. Although if it's not too much effort,
08:10 why not suggest some of your own ideas in the comments below before you get too comfy.
08:15 [Music]