Most genres are self explanatory. Puzzle… stealth… simulation… But when it comes to cosy games you can’t always quantify what makes something cosy. Instead, it’s about the gentle feeling the experience elicits - that lovely sensation of being able to curl up on the sofa under a blanket and play without any stress. So that’s what this list is all about. The titles that make us want to drink tea and listen to the rain on the window outside as we play.
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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.
04:39This pixelated wonder is another engaging management sim as you take on the role of Ellie.
04:44Helping the residents of a ramshackle village bring life back to the place.
04:49Just like Stardew, there's plenty to do every day as you learn new spells and potions in between
04:55quests. Hunting down ingredients is especially good fun as you head into the woods to find all
05:00kinds of magical creatures and harvest their resources. That's just as painful as it sounds
05:05for the creatures. Add in a just granular enough potion brewing mechanic, and Little Witch in the
05:10Woods manages to be a satisfying 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 though does find responsibilities as she tries to stop a hotel
05:46firm from building over an animal sanctuary on the Mediterranean island where her grandparents live.
05:52This means you need to photograph the flora and fauna of the island,
05:55chat to the townspeople and generally take in the delight of this wholesome world.
06:00Everything is geared for pure relaxation and the gentle knowledge that everything's going to be
06:05okay, which is really all we ever need. We are always immediately suspicious of a game idea
06:19that clearly started as a pun, but the ultra laid back Bear and Breakfast has proved itself
06:25a worthy addition to the cosy genre. There's nothing too onerous here, just a bear called Hank
06:30deciding to work in the hospitality industry and aiming to bring tourism back
06:34to an abandoned valley. Thankfully our guests don't seem to be too upset that Hank's a bear,
06:40so there are plenty of opportunities to make everyone as comfortable as possible in each
06:44location. You can decorate, keep everything clean and even ensure that guests have true
06:50fine dining experiences with resources scavenged from the forest. People pay a lot for those kinds
06:55of menus you know. Mmmmmmm, moss? Here's to an excellent review on TripAdvisor.
07:09But if what you're looking for is something a little more puzzlier, well to finish the list,
07:14Dwarf Romantic is a gentle puzzle game, and it's not just a city builder but a country
07:19builder too. Each beautiful hexagon tile has to be placed on the map to connect with more trees,
07:25rivers, train tracks and towns in order to fulfill requirements. The more goals you hit,
07:30the more tiles you earn and the bigger the colourful map becomes.
07:34It's simple but constantly compelling as a creation grows in all directions.
07:39Even better is 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.