The cozy game genre is perfect for when you want to let your stress wash away. There are many ways for a game to be cozy, whether it means having a cute art style or low-stress gameplay. This makes them optimal if you want to watch something on the side or even chill with a group of friends.
2024 is a great year for cozy game enthusiasts with titles that expand upon some of the best gameplay elements from other games or offer a unique twist to a formula that works. So which games of the year deserve recognition for making the world a cozier place?
Webfishing proves itself to be one of the most relaxing games of 2024. The gameplay is similar to Animal Crossing’s fishing portion but expands on it. You can customize your avatar and use different bait, lures, and supplements to improve your catches.
The game has plenty of items, including some that don’t have anything to do with fishing, such as a boxing glove or scratch tickets which offer cute little ways to play. This is one of thosegames that are perfect for a night of Discord calls and chilling.
Stardew Valley has seen many cozy clonessince the genre was first recognized. Fields of Mistria feels like an evolution of everything that came before it. While farming is a big part of the game, it also has excellent writing and plenty of variety when it comes to gameplay.
You can donate items such as insects, fish, and fossils to the museum and watch their collection grow. You can use magic and level up your characters to unlock new abilities. As always, there is a romance system that encourages you to interact with town members.
There’s more to gaming than just realistic graphics, it’s what you do with the medium that allows a game to truly shine. The Plucky Squire features 2D storybook characters that leap out of the confines of their pages into the 3D world.
This action-adventure lets you move freely between various storybooks as well as the props from a bedroom. While moving through the room, everything is in 3D. However, jumping into a poster, coffee mug design, or a drawing, will turn you into 2D as you journey across the art.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom gives players control of Zelda instead of Link. Rather than wielding a sword, Zelda can use the Tri Wand to make copies of objects and enemies to help her through the dungeons.
With Link captured by a primordial villain, Zelda must use her wisdom to solve problems. This can mean creating echoes of overworld enemies to fight for you or solving puzzles by bringing out a copy of the right item for the job. It’s a cozy game for Nintendo’s lineup.
If you love Broadway stage plays, then you’ll be happy to know that Princess Peach Showtime takes the theme to the next level. When Peach visits the Sparkle Theater, it soon comes under attack by a sorceress named Grape.
Now, Princess Peach must team up with the theater’s guardian Stella to restore order. This game is cozy because it allows you to dress up Peach in many different outfits that give her new abilities. In some cases,she can be a cowboy, while in others, she can be a stealthy ninja.
Amber Isle is one of the best cozy games of the year for mixing Animal Crossing with dinosaurs. Take the role of a dinosaur shopkeeper and fulfill the needs of the Paleofolk who live in your town. Customize your Paleofolk character and start working towards repairing the town.
As you sell more wares, you’ll have enough money to start making upgrades. As you explore Amber Isle to gather items for your shop, you will also discover plenty of different biomes, from nautical coastlines to snowy summits.
If you have ghosts in your house, it’s usually a sign that you need to cleanse the place. However, in Love, Ghostie, this can be a good thing. Plus, you’re the one doing the haunting. As a ghost, you have free rein to snoop around and learn about every resident of your manor’s lifestyle.
While romance can be a big factor for a cozy game, this one lets you pair up any character together and see how they interact. Send gifts, read through diaries, and use your ghostly powers to set the perfect mood for love.
3Odd Sparks
A Cozy Automation Game
It’s not often that an automation game feels cozy, but Odd Sparks manages to blend the two genres together. This is by making the creatures in charge of production tiny little buddies like Pikmin. you’re able to use these Sparks to fight for you or to keep producing supplies for you.
With enough upgrades, your neck of the woods starts to feel like a very eco-friendly factory. You also get to plan out the layout however you want, making it a unique way to add factory customization to the cozy game genre.
Running a tavern is a pretty difficult job. Luckily, Tavern Talk makes it easy while also throwing you into a Dungeons and Dragons fantasy world. Listen to your patron’s stories from their adventures and get to know them with each visit.
Tavern Talk is a visual novel that lets you do activities such as brewing drinks and customizing your tavern with the trinkets your customers leave behind. While some stories might be triumphant, others will not be as successful. Luckily, you are there to make merry and cheer your customers up.
Moomin is one of the coziest franchises of all time due to its art style and relaxing vibe. Snufkin Memory of Moominvalley follows the story of a series of ugly parks that show up in the land. So, like a cozy little rebel, you must find a way to make each of these parks look nice.
This means exploring the valley for inspiration, distracting the police keeping guard, and solving musical puzzles. With a calming soundtrack and storybook visuals, Moomin fans are eating well in 2024.
