Gaming can serve so many different purposes. You can feel the excitement of dropping onto a battlefield with 100 other players in a hectic fight to the death, or you can relax and decompress while you tend to the crops in your favorite farming simulator.
If you’re partial tochill vibes, fulfilling progression, and unique gameplay, this list will be perfect for you.
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Explore the softer side of horror
Thebest cozy gamesare the ones where we get to enjoy moments of relaxation and stress-free fun.
Hints of combat add an exciting element to cozy games, but for the most part the genre focuses on creating a warm environment for us to just chill out and have fun in.
Welcome Home
Palia is a free-to-play MMO community simulator that has greathomestead-building mechanicsyou can enjoy with your friends.
Build your own home, farm crops, forage, hunt, fish, cook complex recipes, and build relationships with NPC’s, everything a cozy game can have.
The environment in Palia is visually inviting and looks similar toFortnite, only it’s not a fight to the death.
Being able to fish and gather resources with your friends and help each other complete tasks that aremuch easier together, makes Palia an awesome choice for cozy game lovers.
9Rune Factory 5
A Farmer’s Paradise
Rune Factory 5
TheRune Factoryfranchise is perfect for farming and crafting enthusiasts that also loverelationship building.
Offering many skills for you to level up, ranging from weapons and magic skills, to bartering, forging, and leadership, the game gives you tons of freedom tochoose your own path.
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The farming mechanics in Rune Factory are a huge draw for cozy game fanatics.Using the Magnifying Glass,you’ll be able to see stats of your individual crops and soil, including things like growth speed, overall soil level and damage resistance.
This creates a really complex twist to your usual farming experience.
8Runescape
Mine, Smith, Sell
Old School RuneScape
Old School Runescapeis a classic MMORPG that stands the test of time and offers a versatile gaming experience. When it comes to stat-leveling, which cozy gamers tend to love,Runescape is a pioneer.
You can choose to be a dedicated fisherman, or a blacksmith, or, if you’re feeling brave, level your combat skills and wander into the wilderness where you can fight other players.
Runescape has a very rewarding progression. Being able to forge Rune armor after leveling your smithing skill is extremely satisfying.
The social element in Runescape is legendary. There’s just something special about standing in the middle of a player-driven marketplace, attempting to sell the lobsters you just caught, that a few MMOs nowadays can mimic the feeling.
Having this freedom in the game to pick what skills you level and what resources you gather, and then experience unique social interactions when trading, makes Runescape agreat choice for a casual, relaxing gaming experience.
7The Sims 4
Create Your Coziness
What’s cozier than relaxing at home playing a video game, when your character is relaxing at home playing a video game?The Simscements its spot on this list as an OG in the genre.
Creating your characters, building your home just the way you want it, and carefully decorating it, is a peaceful and enjoyable experience. Justdon’t let your Sims get too stressed out!
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Stress-free often equates to no combat or fighting, which these games offer all pacifist gamers out there.
The visual progression in The Sims makes it a great game to have on your roster. You can pursue hobbies,careers, level your skills, build relationships, and start families.
What makes The Sims so cozy is being able to play the game at your own pace, play as little or as much as you want, and still seesatisfying progression over time.
6My Time At Sandrock
Conserve Water!
My Time At Sandrock
In this adventure RPG you’ll play a crucial role in protecting and improving the town of Sandrock, just like you did before in Portia.
You’ll help figure out how to reverse the desertification that’s affecting the town, chase down Logan the Bandit, fight off mutant lizards, and last but not least,you might find love.
The people of Sandrock arewell-designed, and the dialogue is fantastic.If you love relationship-building and romance mechanics, Sandrock will make you blush.
With an extensive number of charming NPC’s that you can interact with, give gifts, and potentially marry, My Time At Sandrock reallymakes you feel like part of the community.
5Deep Rock Galactic
Rock and Stone!
Deep Rock Galactic
Interplanetary mining Dwarves? Count me in. InDeep Rock Galacticyou work for a mining company that collects resources from planets around the Galaxy.
You’ll get to choose from four different Dwarves to play as. The Engineer, The Driller, The Gunner, and The Scout, each with their ownunique skills and weapons.
Deep Rock Galactic has reallyengaging combat, but there’s just something about exploring caves and mining with friends that gives DRG that cozy feel.
Your home base is The Space Rig, where you can pick your missions, change your outfit, upgrade gear, or play multiple different mini-games.
you’re able to spend hours in The Space Rig having fun with friends without even doing any missions, and that’s a big compliment to the developers. Upgrading weapons and gear in DRG feels very rewarding and is just anoverall great gaming experience.
4Spiritfarer
Thought-Provoking Adventure
Spiritfarer
InSpiritfareryou’ll play as Stella, The Ferrymaster to the Deceased, as you travel around the ocean finding spirits that you’ll help transport into the afterlife.
The storyline is captivating andcompletely different from anything you’ve played before,and the visuals are beautiful. If you’re feeling like you need something different in your gaming life, give Spiritfarer a try.
You’ll be able to gather resources, farm, fish, mine, build structures, craft items, and even personalize your boat with your cat Daffodil by your side.
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The dialogue in Spiritfarer is exceptional. It’s the perfect game to relax in, but it also takes you on an emotionally deep journey about mortality.
There isplenty of gameplayto enjoy. You’ll find yourself becoming attached to the characters you meet along the way, and as you unlock more abilities, you’ll be able toaccess additional areas of the game.
3Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Create Your Getaway
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossinghas apeaceful, wholesome vibethat will have you feeling stress-free. In this game, you’ll inhabit an island alongside friendly villagers, and will be able to design your island however you like.
Each villager is a different type of animal with wildly different personalities, and they even have a compatibility score with one another, which makes things interesting when choosing who gets to live on your island.
You’ll be able to go fishing, craft and build, decorate your house and the island, gather resources, and evendesign your own patternsto use on clothing you can share with other players!
There are so many great activities to do in Animal Crossing, lots of fun surprises andrare itemsthat you will uncover along the way, and once you settle into your island, the cozy feeling will definitely start to take effect.
2Minecraft
Build. Explore. Create.
There’s nothing more cozy than sitting in front of the fireplace in the giant mansion you built. In terms of being able to carve out your own gaming experience,Minecraftis hands-down one of the best choices.
If you want to have a cozy, relaxing experience here, you can explore, farm, build, and collect resources.
Or if you want to dive into a dark cave and fight monsters, you can also do so as they are eagerly awaiting your arrival - though that won’t be as cozy as building a chicken coop.
The choice of how to play Minecraft is yours, and theprogression is fantastic.Being able tobuild anything you wantwill have your mind running wild, and once you start building, it’s hard to stop. Minecraft is a timeless game that will have you coming back year-after-year.
1Stardew Valley
The Cozy Game Champion
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valleymight just be the coziest game of all-time. After inheriting your grandfather’s farm, you discover that the property needs a lot of work, and thus begins your journey.
The great thing about Stardew is that you’re able to play the game at your own pace, anddesign your own unique farm.
There’s so much to do in Stardew Valley and every player’s experience with this game will be different.
Mining, farming, foraging, monster fighting, and helping the people of Pelican Town with various tasks are just some of the things you may do, and the progression is very satisfying.
You canbuy and sell items with vendors, andbuild relationships with the townsfolk.Just as the opening cutscene suggests, Stardew Valley is the perfect place to escape from the stress of modern-day life.
