Best Cozy Games Of All Time

Cozy games are entering a renaissance, with titles like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing pioneering the genre. As the gaming industry grows, a demand for relaxing, therapeutic gameplay becomes more and more apparent. Indie developers across the globe have answered the call, putting out titles that pride themselves on meditative gameplay while prompting emotional attachment to NPCs.

Related

25 Best Mobile Games To Help You Relax

If you’re looking to wind down on your phone between life’s hecticness, then these games are a must.

Whether the ideal cozy game consists of task-based satisfaction or projecting personal feelings onto a melancholy storyline, there are options suitable for gamers of all backgrounds. The genre is very flexible, populated with RPGs, platformers, point-and-click adventures, life sims, and much more. These are the games to play after a long day of work, on rainy days, and when you just don’t feel like crawling out of bed.

Updated on January 4, 2025, by PJ Molloy: Looking for a cozy game to help you start the new year? We’ve updated the list with some of the most relaxing games of 2024. Grab a hot drink, snuggle up with your favorite blanket, and get ready to unwind.

Infinity Nikki

Be The World’s Most Fashionable Adventurer

Infinity Nikki perfectly blends open-world exploration with fashion elements to create the coziest adventure game in recent memory. Take control of the titular Nikki, who’s on a quest to explore the whimsical world of Miraland. Along the way, you can dress her in different outfits to access various abilities.

Since the gameplay is light on combat, you’re free to enjoy the gripping story, take in the stunning world, and design the most adorable outfits in a stress-free environment. Nothing is better than being a hero and looking fabulous.

Webfishing

Catch Some Fish With Friends

Multiplayer

Simulation

Indie

Systems

Released

October 11, 2024

Developer(s)

Lamedeveloper

Publisher(s)

Lamedeveloper

Fishing is one of the most relaxing things you can do in a video game, and Webfishing adds a social element to it. Create or join a server, talk to your friends through in-game chat rooms, and work together to catch fish in a peaceful lake.

Need a break from fishing? Grab a guitar and serenade your friends, or explore the forest for secrets. The charming low-poly graphics and accessible gameplay ensure every second is nice and calming. You may even make some friends along the way!

TCG Card Shop Simulator

Run Your Own Game Store

Systems

Released

September 15, 2024

Developer

OPNeon Games

Publisher

OPNeon Games

Running a real-life store is hard, but TCG Card Shop Simulator turns it into a delightfully relaxing experience. The goal is to open your own game store to sell a Pokemon-inspired trading card game called Tetramon. From there, you can customize the shop, host tournaments, and earn money to buy upgrades.

If you like collecting cards, this game is right up your alley. In addition to selling booster packs, you can open them up to find rare cards and add them to your personal collection. Overall, it’s incredibly rewarding to turn your tiny shop into a thriving business, and you get to trade cards while you’re at it.

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami

Solve A Mystery In This Pun-Filled Adventure

Cozy mysteries are perfect for cuddling up with, and it doesn’t get cozier than Duck Detective. Take control of a crime-solving bird trying to catch the lunch-stealing Salami Bandit. Using your powers of de-duck-tion, you must investigate the crime scene, question witnesses, and figure out the culprit’s identity before they strike again.

If you like silly humor, you’ll love this pun-filled mystery and its goofy cast of characters. On top of the laughs, you also get some satisfying puzzles and a few good plot twists. Short, charming, and funny from start to finish, Duck Detective is ideal for anyone looking for a relaxing story.

A Short Hike

A Calming 3D Platformer

A Short Hike is a stress-free 3D platformer with collect-a-thon elements. You control a bird named Claire, who explores the serene Hawk Peak Provincial Park. Scattered throughout the world are golden feathers that expand your moveset, allowing you to reach new areas. The goal is to find enough of them to reach the top of the park’s mountain.

Related

10 Best Cozy RPGs

Sit back, relax, and grind for XP.

However, there’s no rush to get to the end goal. You’re free to explore the game’s open-ended world, take on side quests, go fishing, and chat with the park’s charming visitors. It’s a very calming experience that allows you to take your time and adventure however you like.

One Night, Hot Springs

An LGBTQ+ Visual Novel

If you’re looking for good LGBTQ+ representation, One Night, Hot Springs is an excellent choice. It’s a slice-of-life visual novel about a trans woman named Haru and her emotional experience at a birthday party. As she and her friends open up about their struggles for the first time, the night becomes a deep and meaningful conversation about bullying, mental health, and gender identity.

As you learn more about the characters, you can’t help but sympathize with what they’re going through. It’s a touching yet cozy story that many can relate to. Even better, it’s free to play on Steam.

Little Kitty, Big City

An Open-World Game Starring A Troublemaking Cat

Have you ever wanted to cause as much trouble as possible with no consequences? You can in Little Kitty, Big City. This open-world adventure follows a mischievous cat on a journey to spread chaos while searching for a way home. Want to trip people over on the sidewalk? Or steal a stranger’s sandwich right from their hands? You can do that and so much more.

The town is brimming with quests and collectibles, many of which require doing something hilariously naughty. Thankfully, it’s all in good fun and makes for a relaxing, lighthearted experience to evoke a few laughs after a rough day.

Lil Gator Game

A 3D Platformer With Endless Imagination

Lil Gator Game is a cute 3D platformer that combines collect-a-thon elements with action-adventure exploration. Feeling neglected by his older sister, the titular Gator ventures into a lush autumn forest for adventure. You can glide, swim, and skateboard through the world as you take on quests and find each collectible.

The gameplay perfectly evokes the feeling of playing make-believe as a child. Enemies are cardboard cutouts, your weapons are everyday household items, and the whole journey is born from the Gator’s boundless imagination. Picture The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but cozier and with no game overs.

A Little To The Left

A Charming Puzzle Game Starring A Mischievous Cat

Systems

Released

November 8, 2022

Developer

Max Inferno

Publisher

Max Inferno

A Little to the Left is all about tidying up cluttered areas. Puzzles involve arranging sticky notes to make a picture, organizing items to fit in moving boxes, etc. The catch? A mischievous cat pops up now and then to mess things up.

The goal is to find ways around the kitten’s meddling to solve each brain teaser. The decluttering aspect is surprisingly cathartic, and since some puzzles have multiple solutions, you’re encouraged to take your time and think outside the box. If you want a unique puzzle game, give this one a try.

New Pokemon Snap

An Adorable On-Rail Photography Game

Systems

Released

April 30, 2021

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Catching critters and employing them to become the Champion (and sometimes to save the world) rides on your shoulders a lot in the mainline Pokemon games. Yet, you don’t have to worry about any of that in New Pokemon Snap.

Related

14 Best Free Cozy Games

Cozy games are already great, but playing them for free? It doesn’t get much better than this.

This title is all about peaceful photography. You go around and attempt to take the best pictures you possibly can. Your subjects are cute Pokemon roaming the wilds. With no world-ending stakes and plenty of adorable interactions, it’s a satisfying and stress-free experience.

Story Of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

A Delightful Farming Simulator

Anything with the words “A Wonderful Life” in the title is almost guaranteed to be a comfy game because what’s cozier than having a wonderful life? This game is part of the Story of Seasons series, known for its serene farming simulation gameplay.

This entry places you in the tranquil town of Forgotten Valley. You manage a farm, look after animals, and start a family. Simply put, it’s a life simulator with limited hassles and plenty of wholesomeness to keep you smiling from start to finish.

Little Inferno

You Don’t Need A Fireplace To Feel Warm And Cozy

When people talk about a cozy situation, they often mention sitting wrapped up in front of a fireplace. The fire part is key, as it provides warmth and is visually and audibly satisfying. Those things make Little Inferno a comfy title to play.

The premise is simple – you just burn things. There is no real challenge or anything. You peacefully set things ablaze in a furnace. The visual style is a bit darker than the average cozy game, but the title still gives off that relaxing feeling.

Donut County

The Coziest Way To Create Chaos

Before Ben Esposito and his team created Neon White, they worked on a chill experience perfect for a few laughs. In Donut County, you control a hole in the ground that gets bigger as it swallows any object — including animals and people.

If this sounds like Katamari Damacy, it is. But it’s much more relaxed and less frustrating since there isn’t a time limit, and you can take your sweet time in each level. Plus, the slapstick comedy never fails to evoke a chuckle or two.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Solve Puzzles By Painting

As you make progress, things might get a bit sad and intense with how some topics are depicted in the game. But even so, the absolutely beautiful world of Chicory is so precious that you shouldn’t be demotivated by that.

Its main mechanic is simple: paint everything around you, giving color to a black-and-white world. Its protagonist is a super cute dog, which gives extra points.

Dorfromantik

The Perfect Tabletop Video Game To Help You Relax

Your changes have been saved

Dorfromantik

Systems

Released

March 25, 2021

Developer

Toukana

Publisher

Toukana

Board games often turn out to be the opposite of cozy games – just try a family game of Monopoly over Christmas. But despite an initially overwhelming board, Dorfromantik turns out to be a low-pressure delight.

Dorfromantik has you combining hexagonal tiles to build your own little slice of country life. As a puzzle game, there are strategies and high scores for those looking for a challenge – but even this can be done in a relaxed manner. A low-scoring game will still see you create your own idyllic little village.

Coral Island

A Tropical Farming Adventure

Perfect for anyone nostalgic for the golden era of Farmville, Coral Island sets itself apart from most farming sims with a tropical setting, a dedication to diversity, and, of course, an intentionally relaxing tone.

Related

8 Most Relaxing Exploration Games

These games are great when you want to unwind and de-stress.

You can easily spend hours growing interesting crops, cleaning up pollution, exploring both land and sea, and maybe even dating a mermaid. A farming game, dating sim, and holiday inspiration all in one, Coral Island is an ideal cozy game full of vibrant colors, a charming cast, and the all-important cute animals.

Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver

The Best Pokemon Games

Your changes have been saved

Pokemon Heart Gold & Soul Silver

RPG

Adventure

Grand Strategy

Strategy

Systems

As remakes of the beloved second-gen Pokemon games, HeartGold and SoulSilver cost a pretty penny to get your hands on through conventional methods these days. Luckily, they’re worth the investment. While most mainline Pokemon games can be cozy, there’s something extra special about Johto’s depiction with the charming DS-era graphics.

If you want to cozy up even more, make sure you complete all 16 gyms and snag the ‘GB Sounds’ item in Celadon City afterward. That old-school chiptune vibe hits differently. Overall, it’s a top-tier Pokemon game.

Disney Dreamlight Valley

Mingle With Your Favorite Disney Characters

Animal Crossing was long the undisputed king of the relaxing life sim – but Disney may well be the one brand that could give the Nintendo series a run for its money as the cozy game of choice.

As the Avengers of Disney games, Disney Dreamlight Valley sees you explore the titular land of Dreamlight Valley, interacting with fan-favorite Disney and Pixar characters as you fish, cook, and generally bring magic back to the valley. Who wouldn’t want Mickey, Moana, and Woody as neighbors?

Behind The Frame: The Finest Scenery

An Emotional Adventure About A Painter

Though not well-known, Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery is a work of art. Literally, the entire environment is hand-drawn and reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli film.

With a charming, cluttered apartment for you to explore as you work on half-finished paintings, the entire atmosphere of this game is soft and warm. Even as the mysterious past of the main character slowly unravels itself, there is a sense of comfort to be found through challenging puzzles and melancholic cutscenes.

Stardew Valley

An Iconic Farming Sim

A staple in the farming simulation genre, Stardew Valley employs a host of mechanics that are sure to get your brain producing batches of serotonin and dopamine.

Harvesting crops that have finally ripened? Boom, dopamine. Spending a rainy day on the farm with your Stardew Spouse? Boom, Serotonin. Cracking open a geode and getting a gem you’ve been trying to find for ages? Dopamine again. Decorating your farm with all of the neat things you’ve collected? Serotonin again. Nothing says cozy like a brain firing off happy chemicals.