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.
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00:00Most genres are self-explanatory. Puzzle. Stealth. Simulation. But when it comes to
00:10cosy games, you can't always quantify what makes something cosy. Instead, it's about the gentle
00:15feeling the experience elicits. That lovely sensation of being able to curl up on the
00:20sofa under a blanket and play without any stress. So that's what this list is all about.
00:26The titles that make us want to drink tea and listen to the rain on the window outside
00:30as we play. Here are the best cosy games to play right now.
00:41Let's start with one of the OG cosy games, shall we? Stardew Valley is basically a welcoming hug,
00:47masquerading as a life sim. And the beauty of this agricultural paradise is that you can play
00:52it entirely at your own pace, with your own goals. Do you want to build a farming empire,
00:57selling truffle oil to make your fortune? Or do you want to shun farming and cultivate
01:02relationships with the residents of Pelican Town instead? Every season of Stardew Valley
01:07feels different, and there's constant variation with town events and fresh quest lines. And
01:12if somehow you've missed the cosiest game of all time, there's been so much new content added
01:17since its release that it's basically now 8 games in one and you probably won't need to
01:22play anything else. Just be warned, once Stardew gets its charming hooks in,
01:27you're going to be under that blanket for a long, long time.
01:38A cosy management game about death doesn't sound like an attractive prospect.
01:43How do those words even fit together? And yep, Spiritfarer is exactly this,
01:47and somehow one of the most beautiful and rewarding games on this list. You play as
01:52Stella, a ferry master for the dead, shuttling souls across the water to their final resting
01:57place. This means building rooms, farming, gardening, and fulfilling the last wishes of
02:03those on board. It's gentle but evocative, and there's even a dedicated hug button for
02:08your passengers. Spiritfarer is a rare treat, and while there is eventually an end point,
02:13this is a beautiful experience that ticks all the cosy boxes. Plus, it may well bring a tier
02:19or 6 to your eye as well along the way. Oh, and did we mention there's a local co-op 2 player
02:26where a friend can join and play as a cat called Daffodil? See? Solved.
02:38Let's face it, 22.4 million players in 4 months can't be wrong. The now legendary
02:44Animal Crossing New Horizons was a revelation for older new players in 2020,
02:49and is still a perfect cosy game. Mirroring the day with real time,
02:53New Horizons immediately slows things right down, letting us fish, catch bugs,
02:58or just admire the sunset at our very own pace. There are no deadlines here, no stressful quests
03:05to fulfil, just a mortgage without an end date that you're going to want to pay off anyway
03:10so you can fill your in-game house with more perfectly crafted and customised furniture.
03:15Whether you just want to spend time with your villagers, or focus on filling the museum with
03:19fossils, everything is gentle and charming. Even better is the fact that once you've spent
03:24hours perfectly cultivating the perfect island, you can invite friends over to show it off.
03:36It's not a hard and fast rule, but chances are that if there's an abundance of smiling
03:41blobs in your game, there's a distinct possibility that it's in the cosy category.
03:46Slime Rancher is a joyous life and farm sim with a jelly-like twist as you set out to capture a
03:52variety of bouncing slimes. Once you've got them sucked into your vacuum pack, you can then pop
03:58them into an enclosure, make sure they've got plenty to eat, and even play music to keep them
04:02calm to help prevent escapes. You'll then quickly become intimately acquainted with slime biology
04:08because slime poop, or plorts, fetch a pretty penny on the plort market. That's right, this is
04:15a game about farming caca. It's a gentle one though, with a lovely warm and fuzzy feel.
04:20Just remember to wash your hands, yeah?
04:30Maybe the agriculture of Stardew Valley isn't your thing, and you prefer a life of magic.
04:35Then Little Witch in the Woods will be much more your cup of potion. This pixelated wonder is
04:40another engaging management sim as you take on the role of Ellie, helping the residents of a
04:46ramshackle village bring life back to the place. Just like Stardew, there's plenty to do every day
04:52as you learn new spells and potions in between quests. Hunting down ingredients is especially
04:57good fun as you head into the woods to find all kinds of magical creatures and harvest their
05:02resources. That's just as painful as it sounds for the creatures. Add in a just granular enough
05:08potion brewing mechanic, and Little Witch in the Woods manages to be a
05:11satisfying deep dive into the world of elixirs and spells.
05:23If you're looking for a short but oh-so-sweet experience that evokes a giddy feeling of
05:28childhood joy, you can't miss Alba A Wildlife Adventure. This is an experience built on that
05:34brilliant sensation of endless potential you had as a kid on holiday with no responsibilities
05:40other than to find fun. Alba does find responsibilities as she tries to stop a
05:46hotel firm from building over an animal sanctuary on the Mediterranean island where her grandparents
05:51live. This means you need to photograph the flora and fauna of the island, chat to the townspeople
05:57and generally take in the delight of this wholesome world. Everything is geared for
06:01pure relaxation and the gentle knowledge that everything's going to be okay,
06:06which is really all we ever need.
06:16We are always immediately suspicious of a game idea that clearly started as a pun,
06:21but the ultra laid back Bear and Breakfast has proved itself a worthy addition to the cozy genre.
06:27There's nothing too onerous here, just a bear called Hank deciding to work in the hospitality
06:32industry and aiming to bring tourism back to an abandoned valley. Thankfully our guests don't
06:38seem to be too upset that Hank's a bear, so there are plenty of opportunities to make everyone as
06:43comfortable as possible in each location. You can decorate, keep everything clean and even ensure
06:48that guests have true fine dining experiences with resources scavenged from the forest. People pay a
06:54for these kinds of menus you know. MMM.. Moss? Here's to an excellent review on TripAdvisor.
07:09But if what you're looking for is something a little more puzzlier, well, to finish the list
07:14Dorfromantik is a gentle puzzle game and it's not just a city builder but a country builder too.
07:20Each beautiful hexagon tile has to be placed on the map to connect with more trees, rivers,
07:25train tracks and towns in order to fulfill requirements. The more goals you hit,
07:30the more tiles you earn and the bigger the colourful map becomes.
07:33It's simple but constantly compelling as our creation grows in all directions.
07:39Even better is that the sprawling landscape starts to come to life. Boats chug along the rivers,
07:44fountains flow in town squares and windmills turn as you transform the empty map
07:49into a lush countryside. It's just relaxing and cosy enough that,
07:53like a good jigsaw puzzle, you could even list to a podcast at the same time. Perfect.
08:00So, that's some of the best cosy games you can play right now.
08:04All you need to do now is grab your favourite hot drink and settle down on the sofa.
08:08Although, if it's not too much effort,
08:10why not suggest some of your own ideas in the comments below before you get too comfy.