Some days, there’s nothing that quite matches a serene and chill game to make you feel nice and cozy. Maybe you’re farming,building a little town, running a shop, or any other assortment of activities that wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable in reality without the buffer of a computer screen.
But other days, that might not be enough. Sure, you want to maintain that comfy vibe on your day off. But don’t you also want to hit something? Thankfully, there are a number of games out there that can keep you feeling cozy while also allowing for that helpful dose of chaos you crave.
Trine
The Trine games embody a mystical fantasy vibe that somehow combines coziness with intrigue. Granted, some of the mystical part of that comes from how dark these games are despite their colorful environments. But those visuals are also arguably their main draw.
On top of thegorgeous and satisfying graphics, each Trine game sees you switching between the agile thief Zoya, the self-absorbed wizard Amadeus, and the jolly knight Pontius (or controlling them all at once in multiplayer) to solve puzzles and smash skulls. What more does a game need?
The lack of a third Gravity Rush game remains baffling to this day. This series is incredibly fun. Aside from their combat utilities, protagonist Kat’s gravity-shifting powers allow her to effortlessly bound across entire cities, occasionally taking passersby along for the ride.
But it can be argued that the action isn’t the main focus of Gravity Rush, and the real meat may well be its aesthetic. You spend the games in beautiful floating cities like the hauntingly comfy Hekseville with vibes that just make you want to live in them for real. Just hope for affordable flying public transportation.
A Hat in Time
A Hat in Time is one of those games that feels cozy just looking at it. You’ve seen the art style,you know how adorable it is. The game itself follows through with a charming sense of humor that will have you genuinely laughing out loud on multiple occasions.
But it also lets you smack mafia members with an umbrella. This is a platformer, after all. Whether you’re playing as Hat Kid or the more recently added Bow Kid, you’re going to spend this game jumping around some things and hitting other things. But they’ll all be just the cutest things.
7Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga isn’t the first of the prolific licensed Lego games, but it’s a compilation of the two games that started this particular trend. While newer games feature full voice acting and more intricate gameplay, the simplicity of the original Lego Star Wars games still does them credit.
Nobody talks; they just grunt and emote, and cutscenes are cute little bite-sized dioramas compressing hours of Star Wars drama into seconds of plastic slapstick. Enjoyable alone, this collection retelling the first six Star Wars movies is worth playing co-op for some friendly bonding or a particularly adorable date night.
If an art style alone can make a game cozy, thenthe watercolor wonder Okamiis the gaming equivalent of an electric blanket on a rainy day. From its PlayStation 2 debut through its numerous remasters and re-releases, this stylistic masterpiece would be iconic even without its enjoyable gameplay.
Essentially emulating the bold lines and painted colors of the Japanese art style Sumi-e, Okami sees you play as the wolf goddess Amaterasu traveling and fighting through breathtaking environments. Every frame could be a painting, and yes, that includes ones where Amaterasu uses her explosive poop attack.
It’s hard to imagine a game from the robust Final Fantasy series being considered “cozy” by any stretch of the imagination. Butthe comfy vibes of Final Fantasy 9are immaculate, and you may’t help but let yourself get absorbed into its endlessly charming world.
As a throwback to classic Final Fantasy titles, it delivers. But as its own thing, Final Fantasy 9 excels. The character designs, warm and inviting towns, and endearing sense of humor all come together held in place by the glue of Final Fantasy’s always-engaging active time battle system.
Rayman Origins and its follow-up Rayman Legends quite soundly proved that a game can be both cozy and controller-shatteringly difficult. That’s not to say the whole game is hard. It’s quite accessible to the average 2D platformer player. But wait until you get to those later levels.
Both games boast an incredible hand-drawn art style, making every level a comfy visual feast. But Legends went even further, introducing ridiculously catchy musical stages that have you running, jumping, and attacking in time with admittedly hilarious covers of beloved songs like Black Betty and Eye of the Tiger.
Have you ever wondered what Persona games would be like if they were set in a cozy European village? Well, apparently somebody did because that’s kind of what you get with Dungeons of Hinterberg, a game about a little town where tourists travel to fight their way through remarkably surreal dungeons.
You play as Luisa, a disillusioned lawyer looking to make a change. Aside from the titular dungeons, you also get to hang out with the various quirkycharacters in the village of Hinterberg, building up your bonds. It’s short, but the vibes and beautiful cel-shaded art style make it absolutely worth a play.
While many action games feature farming elements and vice versa, Harvestella feels like it was specifically meant as an equal hybrid of the two genres. Sure, you start with a mysterious plot being mysteriously plotted to you, but you very quickly find yourself growing veggies soon after.
It can be argued that the gardening aspect of Harvestella is its most dominant feature, given the game’s general lack of voice acting andoften unwieldy battle system. But the action is serviceable, and at worst, you’ll be willing to put up with it to get a date with Cres.
1Boyfriend Dungeon
There are a surprising amount of oddly cozy dungeon-based games. See, for example,Boyfriend Dungeon, a remarkably validating game that might teach you something about yourself, especially if that something involves wanting to kiss a sword.
You spend the summer in the sunny town of Verona Beach, getting to know people who can turn into weapons. You can use the weapon people as you fight through dungeons, and then you can date the weapon people (and hang out platonically with a weapon cat). It’s good to have variety in any relationship.
