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
06:54lot for those kinds of menus, y'know? Mmmmm… moss? Here's to an excellent review on TripAdvisor.
07:09But if what you're looking for is something a little more puzzlier, well,
07:12to finish the list, Dorfromantic is a gentle puzzle game and it's not just a city builder,
07:18but a country builder too. Each beautiful hexagon tile has to be placed on the map to connect with
07:24more trees, rivers, train tracks and towns in order to fulfill requirements. The more
07:29goals you hit, the more tiles you earn and the bigger the colourful map becomes.
07:33It's simple but constantly compelling as a creation grows in all directions. Even better
07:39is 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 into a lush
07:50countryside. It's just relaxing and cosy enough that, like a good jigsaw puzzle,
07:55you 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. All you need to do now
08:05is grab your favourite hot drink and settle down on the sofa. Although, if it's not too
08:09much effort, why not suggest some of your own ideas in the comments below before you get too comfy.
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