The best cozy games to play right now, from Animal Crossing to Stardew Valley and beyond

As much as gamers love an FPS or sprawling RPG, the relaxed atmosphere of cozy games has players coming back for more. What once felt like a niche genre has now become a thriving community, and with continued growth comes a deluge of new experiences to play. The thing is, how do you know where to start? 

Far be it from us to stand in your way of playing through every cozy adventure out there. Still, to establish a baseline of what’s good and what’s not, you need to know which are the best cozy games. More wholesome titles are scheduled to launch this year, but we’re focused on what you can play right now. It’s time to settle in and get cozy. 

The Escapist recaps

• Cozy games are one of the main ways people decompress and switch off from everyday stress. According to a Sago survey, an average of 53.4% of gamers play for this reason. 
• Although life sims like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley are among the most renowned cozy games, there are many other titles equally deserving of attention. 
• There are numerous cozy games like ACNH, but there are also more imaginative experiences out there, too. 
• Whether you long to open your own bookshop, chillout with some cuddly critters, or start a new life in a new town, there’s a cozy game for that. 
• From the best cozy games on Steam to those on Nintendo, we’re covering all bases to make sure you’ll only play the finest cozy adventures. 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

You can’t talk about the best cozy games without mentioning Animal Crossing. For many people, this was their go-to pandemic game to switch off from the worries of Covid, with its sunny gameplay still entertaining fans almost six years later. 

Now that the new 3.0 update has arrived, there’s a myriad of new content to work your way through. If life in the sun, completing routine tasks, and engaging with adorable NPCs is what you’re longing for, ACNH is hard to beat. The only problem is that the “coziness curse” can make moving on from this tropical island difficult to overcome. 

Stardew Valley

Just like with ACNH, you can’t talk about the best cozy games on Switch and Steam without mentioning Stardew Valley. After all, a lot of cozy experiences now exist because of this indie darling. 

In a lot of ways, you’ll walk familiar shores here, having to complete tasks, farm, customize your home, and so forth. However, you form deeper connections with the NPCs of the game, so much so that you can fall in love and get married. What is more, there’s also a thriving Stardew Valley mods community, so there’s always something new to explore or do. 

Tiny Bookshop

If you’re fed up with harvesting crops, there are titles out there that deliver a more unusual but still very cozy experience; Tiny Bookshop is one of the best cozy games to do just that.

At least once in your life, you’ve likely fantasized about opening a bookshop that’s also a coffee shop and florist. In Tiny Bookshop, you can live out at least two of those dreams. Take your shop on the road, meet new people, form dear friendships, and collect books. Oh, and you can adopt a dog and a cat, so there are even more reasons to play. See? Non-farming cozy adventures are available. 

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is the coziest game that ever cozied. Although you discover and collect spirit companions, as well as customize your room, this experience is actually a productivity tool that allows you game while completing real-life tasks. 

To unlock new companions, you’ll work in sync with your virtual avatar for a specific period of time, making it ideal for those of you who want to keep on top of your tasks without losing valuable gaming time. Lofi music and soundscapes enhance the atmosphere of Spirit City: Lofi Sessions, and help create a very unique but fantastic cozy game. 

Fields of Mistria 

If you believe no game comes close to surpassing Stardew Valley, you’ll probably reconsider that stance after playing Fields of Mistria. Yes, it’s another farming sim, but it has learned from the mistakes of other cozy games, meaning that the end product is exceptionally polished. 

You can find love, develop friendships, help rebuild the town, customize your home, learn magic – the list goes on. Another string to Fields of Mistria’s bow is that there’s a greater sense of freedom to its gameplay; yes, the cozy games grind is still there, but it’s been reduced. That means less stress and more relaxation, making it ideal to play after a long day at work or if you’re feeling under the weather. 

Magical Delicacy

It’s time to wrap up The Escapist’s best cozy games rundown, and what better way to finish than with Magical Delicacy? This metroidvania-lite adventure offers something more eccentric when compared with other cozy games, which some people may find jarring. Nonetheless, if you can master its platforming gameplay, you’ll find a beautifully crafted game with a lot of heart. 

Playing as a witch, you’ll open up your own shop, collect ingredients for recipes, brew potions, and help the residents of the town. Consider this the wildcard of our list, though one we suspect you’ll end up falling in love with. 

Ask The Escapist

References

1. Cozy Gaming: What Developers and Brands Need to Know (Sago)