In recent years, the gaming landscape has seen a notable rise in cozy games, and for a good reason. These titles respond to a growing need among players to escape the fast-paced and often numbing routine of daily life. Instead of focusing on high-intensity action or competitive game sessions, cozy games emphasize comfort, day-by-day progress, and the creation of personal rituals that keep players engaged over time.

From Animal Crossing: New Horizons to Stardew Valley, these games offer peace in a way that few mainstream titles ever manage to do. Rather than pushing players to conquer, compete, or optimize, they invite slow exploration, gentle interaction, and creative self-expression.

10 Games to experience the cozy genre

For the most curious players, here are a few titles to dive into the world of cozy games, a genre more varied than it might seem. Beyond the big names already mentioned, A Short Hike offers a peaceful mountaintop journey full of light exploration and wonder, while Bear and Breakfast turns running a forest inn into a charming experience. Slime Rancher combines farming and creature collecting colorfully and satisfyingly.

For something more heartfelt, Garden Story and Cozy Grove invite players to heal broken communities. Story of Seasons carries on the farming sim legacy with warmth and rhythm, while Unpacking transforms the act of moving into an emotional narrative told entirely through objects.

If you’re in the mood for something quirky, Untitled Goose Game lets you unleash harmless chaos as a mischievous goose. Meanwhile, The Wild at Heart and The Last Campfire offer gentle puzzle adventures wrapped in atmosphere and emotional depth. Each of these games, in its way, reminds you to slow down and enjoy the little things.

Comfort as core gameplay

Cozy games are built around low-stress environments, where players complete simple quests with little to no pressure. Meaningful yet easy-to-achieve goals actively provide positive reinforcement, guiding players beyond simple gameplay satisfaction toward something more profound. 

Many players begin by cultivating crops, decorating homes, or exploring peaceful landscapes, but gradually they form a habit: checking in daily, making progress, and developing a routine.

These environments are carefully designed to encourage this. Adorably stylized characters, peaceful soundtracks, and aesthetically pleasing visuals all work together to create a soothing, immersive atmosphere. Gameplay focuses on creativity and repetition, allowing players to express themselves through relaxing, low-effort tasks.

This design resonates with individuals who feel overstimulated, anxious, or burned out in their daily lives, whether due to work or other causes. The appeal is emotional; in fact, cozy games provide a safe place, rewarding attention, care, and creativity.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on cozy games

The boom in cozy games is closely tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. Consider Animal Crossing: New Horizons, released in March 2020; it didn’t take long for it to become a cultural phenomenon. With lockdowns keeping people at home and away from friends and family, cozy games like this provided players with exactly what they needed: a way to slow down, connect, and unwind.

And it wasn’t just Animal Crossing. Stardew Valley, a game created by a single person and now loved worldwide, has helped people establish small routines: farming, following the seasons, interacting with villagers, and even marrying characters. Games like Minecraft and Skyrim, not conventionally considered cozy, were played in new ways. Players returned to them seeking freedom, calm, and a sense of nostalgia. They explored at their own pace, built homes, or wandered without a goal, delighted by ambient soundtracks and familiar spaces.

During the pandemic and the following geopolitical tensions, these games became more than just a way to pass the time. They became a habit, a safe space, and a digital form of self-care that provided stability in uncertain times.

Many cozy games offer an amplified and simplified version of real life. In just a few hours, players can achieve far more in-game than they might in years of real life, thanks to game economies, rewarding progress systems, and forgiving mechanics. 

Meanwhile, real life often feels unpredictable and even punishing, with years of hard work sometimes leading to little or no reward, cozy games create a protected enviroment where effort is always acknowledged, progress is visible, and setbacks are temporary. This contrast makes these games especially appealing, offering players a sense of control and accomplishment that can be hard to find outside the digital world.

Cozy components in non-cozy games

The influence of cozy games has spread far beyond the genre itself. Many open-world and action titles now include cozy mechanics to boost both replayability and emotional connection. Skyrim, for example, dominates YouTube not just for gameplay, but for its relaxing ambience. Videos featuring its music and landscapes are used as a backdrop for studying, working, or even falling asleep.

The same goes for other games. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Red Dead Redemption 2 both feature elements such as cooking, fishing, or simply sitting by a fire. These aren’t just background distractions or attempts at realism; they are integral to the narrative. They add texture, warmth, and a sense of belonging to otherwise vast and often solitary worlds. They let players shift between action-packed missions and slower, more introspective moments, creating contrast, rhythm, and emotional depth.

Soundtracks play a huge role in this experience. Researchers have long studied the impact of music on the brain, demonstrating that certain melodies can evoke specific emotional responses and even stimulate the release of mood-related chemicals, such as dopamine and serotonin. In games, that power is used intentionally to calm, focus, or make players feel at home.

A shift in the gaming landscape

Cozy games reflect a shift in what players value when choosing which games to play or buy. Where the industry once prioritized challenge, completionism, and complex storytelling, more players now look for connection, routine, and creative freedom. In a time marked by global instability and personal stress, comfort has become a key ingredient, something more and more games are expected to include if they want to stand out and speak to a broader audience.

Nintendo’s first-party titles often embrace this philosophy. While many focus on multiplayer co-op experiences, others offer quiet, solitary journeys through cozy worlds, soft aesthetics, and memorable characters, even without a traditional story or clear end goal.

This change, both in audience and in how games are made, signals a larger trend: games don’t always need to be epic. Sometimes, they need to feel like a safe place to be.