If it’s Fall, then you need some cozy games. Granted, if it’s any other season, you still need them, let’s be real. Autumn in certain regions can’t claim a monopoly over snuggly vibes just because of its crunchy leaves, perfect temperatures, gorgeous overcast skies, and… was there a point here?
Right, yes, the point is any time of year is perfect for anice, relaxing, cozy video gameto soothe your weary brain. As for which ones, you might assume Mario games would be prime candidates for this. But then again, Mario Party. So which of the iconic plumber’s offerings make for the most comfy experiences?
10Mario Tennis: Power Tour
Less Fighting God, More Mastering A Sick Topspin
A high-energy sport like tennis may not strike you as the coziest of activities. But maybe that’s just because you haven’t seen it handledlike a classic RPG. Why just play tennis when you could also put a nice low-stakes story behind it?
Camelot’s Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Game Boy Advance takes the developer’s RPG savvy that would later create the excellent Golden Sun games and applies it to what could have been a typical sports game. The result is a super satisfying blend of story and bouncy ball action.
It’s true, Super Mario Galaxy can get pretty frustrating and decidedly not cozy during some of its optional challenges. It’s a 3D platformer that takes gravity more as a suggestion than a scientific law, after all. But when you get into the groove, it positively sings.
As you hurl through space (while also trying not to hurl), you’ll find some incredibly comfy locations like Rosalina’s Observatory, which slowly builds up its own orchestral soundtrack throughout your adventure. Just hanging out there a while is gratifying enough, but you’re sure to find yourself stopping throughout the game just to take in the various other locations and songs.
Later Mario Golf gamescertainly retain an air of low-impact fun that keeps things cozy. But where they tend to add more action to the mix, the almost-original Mario Golf on the Nintendo 64 knows how to remain chill through and through. Camelot knows its comfy sports.
Right from the start, a pleasant opening cutscene plays, notably showing the characters cheering each other on as they each take swings. That sets the tone for the whole game, and once you discover the “nice shot” button in this genuinely competent golf game, you’ll never stop pressing it.
To get things out of the way, yes, Baby Mario’s crying sound in this game is the exact opposite of cozy at its very core. But even despite that, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island still manages to charm you back into serenity with every stage. Now that’s an accomplishment.
From the bouncy ragtime soundtrack to the crayon-style visuals, everything about Yoshi’s Island (except that one thing) is tailor-made to make you smile. It’s an extremely well-made 2D platformer on top of that as well, finally giving overly serious gamers a reason to bond with their laid-back counterparts.
Dozens Of Games In Minutes, Now That’s Efficiency
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames!
Taking the art of video game design to a new level, Nintendo’s WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ gives gamers a hilarious look at what really goes on behind the scenes.You can’t really say that Wario is greedy. He’s just, uh, financially motivated. Always on the lookout for his next get-rich-quick scheme, Wario stumbles upon the lucrative video game publishing market. Like any aspiring entrepreneur, Wario buys a PC and starts his own company, called WarioWare, Inc. With the help of his friends, he develops over 200 of the wildest games the world has never seen.Each “game” lasts five seconds, which is kept track of via an on-screen time-bomb. Directions aren’t provided, so much of the challenge comes from figuring out how, precisely, to beat each minigame. This is where you come in. You are challenged by Wario and each of his developer buddies to beat all of their games within the given time limit. Each developer specializes in a particular genre of game, so you at least have a vague idea of what to expect.You’d be amazed at what you can accomplish in five seconds. Minigames vary wildly, including brushing teeth, picking someone’s nose, cracking an egg over a moving frying pan, shaking a dog’s paws and more. One of the game developers even has a Nintendo genre of games, including five-second versions of Super Mario Bros., F-Zero, Balloon Fight and even The Legend of Zelda.The more games you beat, the faster and more difficult the games become. The games also appear in random order, so you can’t simply memorize what you’re supposed to do each time. After defeating the required number of games, you’ll enter a boss encounter. These games have no specific time limit and are often much more challenging than the preceding mini-games. Successfully defeating the “boss” unlocks the next level of developers until you finally face Wario himself.Defeating specific game developers will unlock special two-player and challenge games for added replay value. Only a single Game Pak and Game Boy Advance system are required for multiplayer. WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ offers hours of curiously addictive gameplay. This is definitely one game (or 200, depending on how you look at it) you have to play to believe
WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgames! was good enough to essentially spawna whole new genre of games, and it set Wario apart from his vague villainous origins with a whole new cast of fascinating characters. But it also proved that having a small child’s attention span can be fun.
The WarioWare games throw rapid-fire “microgames” at you, each only seconds long, keeping you on your toes the whole time. But between the endearingly designed characters and simply intuitive controls, don’t be surprised if you find yourself in a comfortable zen-like state where nothing matters but the streak.
A really quick way toensure your game is cozyis to make sure the player can’t die or even get hurt. In Mario Paint, the object is to make music and art and just have fun with the Super Nintendo Mouse peripheral. If you can find a way to hurt yourself playing that, maybe you need a cozy game more than most.
It was just an excuse for Nintendo to sell that mouse controller because good luck trying to find another game that uses it. But it’s a great way to turn your brain off and unwind. The concepts are simple, the art is largely just filling in spaces, and the closest it gets to raising your blood pressure is that fly-swatting minigame.
Are you having trouble deciding between a swashbuckling adventure, stealth action, or a cooking game? Princess Peach: Showtime! heard your thoughts, briefly wondered why you had such specific wishes, and ran with it.
This game does a lot and somehow manages to largely do it all really well. As Peach changes outfits, she gains new abilities, all on the backdrop of, well, backdrops. It’s set on a theater stage, you see. The plot makes as much sense as any Mario game, but the premise and gameplay work so well together that you’ll be grinning ear to ear the whole time.
If you’re playing a game entirely about Toad, it’s most likely not exactly in danger of setting off any traumatic responses.The underrated Captain Toad: Treasure Trackeris sort of a puzzle platformer, with the titular Captain Toad traversing small self-contained stages using the aesthetic of Super Mario 3D World.
If you remember the Captain Toad stages in 3D World, you’ll remember they aren’t exactly MENSA-level challenges. This full spinoff keeps things chill, and the varied levels (including a creative spin on Super Mario Odyssey’s New Donk City in the Switch port) are just so darn cute that you’re able to’t help but smile.
Yoshi has been the face of cuteness in the Mario series for decades now, and it’s not difficult to see why. Just look at him. He’s so round and squishy. Yoshi’s Woolly World knew what it had, turning the already huggable dinosaur into a crocheted yarn doll your grandma would probably love just as much as you do.
An adorable platformer in the same vein as Yoshi’s Story, Yoshi’s Woolly World keeps similar gameplay with Yoshi eating enemies and throwing things but adds a crafting aesthetic that’s just so darn satisfying to look at. The eventual sequel Yoshi’s Crafted World kept that idea going, but nothing captures the feel in quite the same cozy way.
Can a vibe alone make a game cozy? Well, if you don’t think so, you have to admit that Super Mario Sunshine makes a valiant effort after smoothing out a lot of the chunky edges fromSuper Mario 64. Taking place in a tropical paradise, it’s hard not to feel at least a little bit relaxed when you see even a screenshot of it.
Granted, if that screenshot involves the Pachinko machine level or Corona Mountain, then you’d be forgiven for that blood pressure spike you feel instead. But even considering all that, a Mario platformer that lets you explore a gorgeous location like Isle Delfino just feels so good to experience. Plus, while it doesn’t have thebest water effects in gaming, it’s got some of the most refreshing.
