I’d been thinking for a while about how to begin this article, and I was halfway through the original draft when something incredible happened. I launched Cozy Grove for my daily dose of playtime, and I could not believe my eyes when I read the dialogue I was presented with:
I had to show you this because the timing was uncanny. I’m writing this post to explore what we mean by cozy, specifically in terms of gaming. And, despite feeling personally called out for having too much time on my hands, I thought Charlotte’s idea of using pictures to show what captures the essence of “cozy” is fantastic.
I’m definitely going to use some screenshots as examples. However, I’m still making my essay because giving cozy gaming a more refined definition still matters, of course. So, let’s get into it.
Cozy video games have become one of the biggest trends in gaming over the past decade. They used to be relatively few and far between, with many of them coming from indie studios rather than major publishers.
The term “cozy” used to be one among many that someone could use to describe a game, but it didn’t appear as an official tag in gaming platforms until recent years. Now, with so many cozy games being released, and a huge online community built around it, it’s become a subgenre on its own.
It’s not exactly easy to determine whether a game is cozy, because it’s not dependent on a specific genre, like puzzle or platform games, but rather the feeling it evokes in the player.
When we think of coziness, we usually think of safe, warm and comfortable environments, where we generally feel content and relaxed. It’s any situation or set of circumstances that make us feel that way, where we naturally settle into a state of little to no stress.
Some examples of cozy activities could be having breakfast in bed, decorating our bedroom, drawing on paper while we listen to music, or walking our dog on a Sunday morning.
Many video games have certain characteristics that we tend to relate to that cozy feeling, including, but not limited to, slower-paced progression, charming visuals, peaceful environments, relaxing soundtracks, low pressure, and combat-free.
Some games have all of the above, while others have just a few of those features. Many genres include games that can be considered cozy, but no single genre is inherently cozy. The same can be said for indie games, where most cozy games are indie, yet most indie games are not cozy.
The genres most commonly associated with cozy games are farm simulators, life sims, walking sims, puzzle games, management games, visual novels, platformers, and adventure games based on exploration and quests rather than action.
There’s also something to be said about comfort games. These are games that people can love and play on repeat, because they feel familiar and give a sense of home. However, comfort games can be of any and all genres, including horror and first-person shooters. Despite any similarities with the feelings that a cozy game can provide, it’s important to discern the difference between cozy and comfort games, which is not always that simple. Just like beauty, what something makes people feel is entirely subjective.
Ultimately, cozy games aren’t defined by a specific checklist of characteristics, as I mentioned, but by the emotional experience they create. The common thread is that they offer a welcome escape from pressure and allow players to relax and enjoy the journey, whether it takes place in a whimsical, gothic, or more realistic universe.
Now, as Charlotte from Cozy Grove suggested, I leave you with some screenshots I took from different games where I think the coziness is palpable. Feel free to learn more about them by diving deeper and checking out the reviews I wrote for each of them.
There are tons of cozy adventures to discover, and new releases just keep coming every month. So, grab a cup of tea, wrap yourself in a comfy blanket, and enjoy the amazing world of cozy gaming!
