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]
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