Top 10 Cozy Games of the Last Decade
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
- I've played so many games in the last 10 years, a few of them can be considered cozy, and even fewer left a great impression on me.
We get caught up in what the next big cozy game is going to be often, so I'd like to take a look back at some of the games we already have that went above and beyond. I hope I can introduce you to one of your new favorite games!
Sections:
0:00 - Intro
1:06 - Firewatch (2016)
2:09 - Va-11 Hall-a (2016)
3:04 - House Flipper (2018)
4:00 - Sticky Business (2023)
4:42 - Cookie Clicker (2013)
5:50 - Old School Runescape (2013)
7:10 - Forager (2019)
7:57 - Satisfactory (Early Access)
9:20 - Animal Crossing New Leaf (2012)
10:58 - Ikenfell (2020)
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One cozy game that I would really recommend is Chicory. The entire world is in black and white, but the main character becomes the "Wielder", allowing you to paint the world around you. There's a lot of exploring, fun puzzles, and different mechanics to unlock, all powered through your paintbrush, so as you progress through the game, your paint tells the story of your progress. If you ever just feel like taking a break from the story, you can just pause and paint the area you're in.
Also, the music is done by Lena Raine, which is kind of an immediate win in my book.
Seconding Chicory! All the painting is wonderful. Their hint system is great, I love that you call your parents when you need help.
Other amazing cozy games: Potionomics, Strange Horticulture, A Little to the Left, Unpacking, Assemble With Care, Spiritfarer, Astroneer
It's cozy and very emotional, i love it
This reminds me of the game hue
Lena Raine music elevates any game, especially for long play sessions! Love her work :D
For cozy games my go to is Unpacking! You unpack boxes of things as the character moves from place to place throughout the years, showing the story through the objects. Be it some staying or not, new objects, or the space you have to organize them into.
Really nice, the art style is amazing, the sound design is awesome, especially the foley but the OST is a really nice one too
And its not too long, most levels take usually at max half an hour, besides the last two (i usually take one and a half to two hours on the last one)
Edit: i also have slime rancher as a favorite of mine too, i just dont play as much since my laptop can struggle a bit with 3D games
But i also highly reccomend, very fun!
I love Unpacking, I play it every few months. Perfect to unwind to!
It’s a neat, relaxing game but I wish there were new items and locations after you complete an album, creating a new storyline. I felt like after a few albums it was boring and never played it again. Some people may not care about that but to me I wanted more discovery.
I feel like Unpacking rides the line of cozy game, at least for me. Definitely cozy, simple, mostly relaxing, but the story in the background (at least near the middle) definitely toes towards more emotional/darker elements. On top of that, some of the levels were big enough and complex enough that I had to take breaks between them because it was too much focus for one sitting, but neither of these points took it out of cozy game territory, just edged it closer than most "cozy games" would go, I feel.
@@megmc80 Honestly for me, I kinda just want like, sequels to it (or DLC I guess, obviously free updates would work too but it's a smaller studio). I think the single-story premise worked, especially for a small team working on what seemed to be an intentionally small game, but I also agree with you that I'd love to see more levels, more life stories, etc through having more game. It's such a unique and novel concept that it feels like a waste for it to only ever be for this one story, even though I feel like that one story was very much a solid little stand-alone game and didn't need like, 20 hours of different people's stories. So yeah, hoping for Unpacking 2 some day!
I love unpacking so much, I'm glad someone mentioned it
So for me, I suddenly developed severe anxiety in the summer of 2019, and only had a 3DS at the time. AC: New Leaf was one of the only things that could calm me down during that time. Just the music and the low stress was something that put my mind at ease during such a terrifying time for me. New Leaf will always have a special place in my heart.
I have entire life memories that I associate with parts of that game, it was like my life for 2 years lol
I got NL in 2013 during a rough time health wise…and had met someone online with a similar condition. Sadly she passed away without ever seeing NL finished and thought of her with NH.
i grew up playing wild world and new leaf but as a poc i hate not being able to be black. keeps me from going back to those games
If you’re like me and appreciate creepy cute games, I highly recommend Cult of the Lamb! I usually can’t play games with a focus on combat and/or dungeon crawling because of my disabilities, but Cult of the Lamb is super accessible. The easy mode is still challenging enough that I’m not bored while allowing me to succeed consistently!
Agreed.
I might as well list a few of my own:
Spiritfarer: A game where you help spirits pass on to the afterlife while building up your ship and befriend said spirits. Haven't finished it yet, but I've really enjoyed it so far
Untitled Goose Game: a fun yet simple puzzle game about causing chaos as a goose.
Powerwash Simulator: Basically right what it says on the tin. You powerwash buildings, parks, vehicles, gardens, etc
Slime Rancher: a farming game where you mainly farm slimes. It's a bit more exploration focused than, say, Stardew Valley is
Dinkum: Animal crossing, but it's australian
Dredge: Despite its creepy atmosphere and story, it's mostly just a relaxing fishing game. I believe it even has a game mode now that removes all the enemies
I was going to suggest Slime Rancher as well! Dredge, Untitled Goose Game, and Powerwash Simulator are also good recs.
I love spiritfarer but absolutely suck at the skills. I got to the ziplining skill and gave up. I know it's supposed to be easy, but double jumping has always been an issue for me. I love the characters and the boat building so much though
+1 for dinkum, though those cassuaries are my nemesis 😂
One game I strongly recommend that's only come out recently is Paleo Pines. Its an adorable dinosaur ranching game where you befriend dinosaurs, ranch crops and explore with your dinosaurs while uncovering a strange story about missing Parasaurolophus. It's really cute and the devs are working on adding even more dinosaurs to the game.
That game is so gorgeous, and the animations are so good!! I can't wait for it to go on sale so i can try it too
One of my new faves for cozy games is Apico! You have your own apiary (beekeeping) and you can not only keep bees but butterflies, flowers, and now they have underwater exploration! The music is soothing, the story and characters are adorable, and the pace is nice and relaxing. I highly recommend it!
I think I've seen an episode of CharlieBarley playing it! I never watched more just in case I ever wanted to play it myself
Hey, Sal. When you mentioned the “game I wish I could play for the first time again”. That for me is One Shot. This game is amazing and I think it’s pretty cozy! Great story with amazing characters!
You should give it a shot. At least one ❤️
Haha a one shot in there just couldn’t resist it could you.
Similar game to Vallhala: Coffee Talk!
Nice and chill fantasy world, I dont remember how it branches but its very chill, very nice.
I've seen that! It's been on my to play list for a while!
I remember liking Coffee Talk. Especially the werewolf guy that asks you to mix random ingredients to find a cure and then you have to memorise it and give it to him when he transforms. That was really creative, giving you multiple opportunities to find out the best drink to give him is before needing it.
Firewatch has been on my list to play for ages! Thank you for the reminder! You should also try Coffee Talk since you like Va-11 Hall-a. Very similar kind of game.
I love Coffee Talk! I’m not super far into it and I need to make time to restart my save since I haven’t played in ages, but I still love the vibe and the style of it
It's not my favorite game if all time, but unpacking has to be the chilliest game ever.
I LOVE VA11 HALL-A!!! So happy to see more people will know this gem! A similar game is Coffee Talk, SO GOOD
I feel like i jever hear people talking about this game but like it slaps
It got quite a lot of press when it came out so it might be obvious, but Unpacking is an absolute masterpiece of stress free, satisfying game mechanics and environmental storytelling so good it genuinely made me cry. It looks beautiful as well. I'd recommend it to anyone.
Some games I think are cozy:
Timberborn - You create a settlement with beavers. There is farming, automation, reasors-gathering and ofc, relaxing music.
Gardengalaxy - You put coins in a pot and get new stuff. There is not much to this game excempt decorating, but it's still nice to play it
Placid Plastic Duck Simulator - You can't do anything in this game, except look at plastic ducks and name them. I love putting this on in the background when I work on something because the music is just too perfect
Potion craft - Alchemist simulator: You get consumers who want different potions that you need to craft. No timer in this game. You have a little garden where you gather your ingredients and a little skilltree, you could say.
Spirit of the north - You play as a fox in a world where some weird being whom is destroying the world. This is a puzzle game with no stress.
Stray - I think a lot of people know about this game. But if you don't, this is a game where you play as a cat in a world where humans are no more. Robots roam the "bunker" you are playing in. As you go, you learn what happens to the humans. There are some running scenes, but not a lot. This, too, is a puzzle game. And ofc, you can do all of the cat stuff, like scratching on furniture.
Suchart/ Suchart: creative space - This is an art game (duh). Suchart is the free version, you can't do much except paint canvases. the payed version, Creative Space, you have more ways to be creative. You will also get commissions. A good thing with this game is that it works with drawingtablets!
Townscaper - Just click to create a new building. Tho its the only thing you can do, some can find it enjoyable to play.
Unpacking - You empty out moving boxes filled with stuff and place them however you want it to be in your room. The timeline is from child to grown adult with a family.
Thank you for coming to my ted talk
Unpacking. Another is unpacking, but these ones are all also amazing!!!!!!!!
I REALLY did not expect to see Satisfactory on the list, but thinking about it, yeah, the game is pretty cozy - if you're not like me who's a crazy optimizer in the game. It's my favorite game (at the moment) and I'm really happy that you shouted it out, more people should play it IMO, even though the community is already pretty large.
The hit of nostalgia I felt when hear the animal crossing new leaf was mad.
There were so many on here that i was not expecting - firewatch for example, had me feeling rlly tense and scared the whole way through 😂. But the video felt very unique and i enjoyed that!
great stuff as always Sal! would like to hear more about other games you like
Firewatch scared me so much too lmao
even without the ending related stuff, just being alone made me tense af
Loved the brief shot from Let's Game It Out that just said "don't do this" lol
salmence, this is such a great video. thank you for making this! i love all your recs here, and i love how many people are sharing their recs in the comments. i always look forward to your content :)
Thanks for the amazing out of scope video! A bunch of these are titles I've never heard of before, and I'm always on the lookout for yet undiscovered gems!
Just want to shout out Astroneer. It was one of the first exploration games that I played that doesn’t have a combat mechanic- there’s no enemies except for gravity, oxygen, and maybe an annoyed plant or two. It’s a little bit like Minecraft if you are playing on Passive, but I love it so much. Your goal is to explore all the planets in the system, craft all the items on your list, and maybe solve a mystery or two.
I also really really love Planet Crafter. Again, no enemies except for gravity and oxygen. One planet to explore, but all of your buildings and craftings serve a purpose towards terraforming the uninhabitable planet. They are still adding content to this game, including new levels of terraforming to reach and deeper lore about the planet.
Probably my #1 cozy game (aside from Stardew and ACNH) is Lil' Gator Game, I picked it up a little before ToTK came out because I found it on an article of 'Games to scratch that Zelda itch.' Not only has it achieved that, but it's supremely comfy to play because the movement feels great, there's no chance of dying, and the story is super wholesome and engaging.
This is an incredible video. I am excited to try some games I haven’t heard of and get into full cozy mode.
Sticky Business!!! As someone who literally runs a sticker business, this game sparks too much joy!
Wild World may have been my first Animal Crossing game, but New Leaf is what made me love the series
I can't compare Wild World since it was before I picked up the series, but I gotta say that I think New Leaf is still the GoAT, as well. I started on City Folk and didn't really jive with it, but New Leaf made me fall in love with the series (including a lot of the parts that stayed consistent between the two titles that put me off in the original... maybe the portability helped). That said, as much as I like New Horizons and a lot of what it added and changed, it just doesn't feel like it stacks up as well to New Leaf. Just a bunch of small things that add up to make it feel less cozy/inviting and as a result I feel like I didn't stick with it as long as I did with New Leaf, and haven't had as much pull to return. New Leaf just had somethin special, I think
Moonstone Island recently came out and I've been having a blast with it. Totally recommend!
I saw ads for it I wish I had time to play it but the college work load is a bit much rn
I played it for a few hours but there wasn't enough content for me. Hopefully it gets some updates.
I was so excited when you brought up Ikenfell. It's one of my favorite games of all time, to the extent that I played through it and then immediately played through it again. I still listen to it's soundtrack. It's one of those gems that has not gotten as much traction as it deserves.
Not even an honorable mention for Slime Rancher, it's pretty nice and cozy.
Ikenfell looks amazing. I love tactical RPGs. Thanks for the list, it was really refreshing to see some of the rarer choices and meet new ideas.
I played forager and enjoyed it to the max. Thank you for bringing it up
What a great list! And great video as always! Can't wait for the next one 🫶💚
I personally find base game celeste extremely cozy
You. Monster.
that game though...
@@sorry_i_missclicked thing is I've played over 1000 hours of celeste so I can do base game quite easily
@@FreddieStarWars wow. tons of respect. I only have about 40ish hours.
@@sorry_i_missclicked yeah most of that time is in modded, it's an amazing game I love it
Same thing
Nice! Thanks for putting this list together
LETS GOOOO IKENFELL MENTIONED!!! I haven't seen anyone talk about it and I'm so glad you did!!!
Genuinely such a great underrated game!
When you mentioned Ikenfell last my heart sank. It's one of my all-time favourites.
I think Jerma985 has some of my favorite houses in house flipper. Ranging from a house where a dad hides in the walls away from his family, a house that’s basically just a mall, a house that’s basically just a human “fish bowl”, to a house that’s basically if Jigsaw had to do his escape rooms in the suburbs, so the procedures are stuff like folding enough shirts, or being stuck in the bathroom with ants.
I can also recommend Among Trees. It's a visual artpiece.
I love this list thank you!
Thank you for this! I'm in need of a cozy game
Such a cozy list ❤
I havent played runescape since before 2007 XD
my middle and high school years was filled with it to the point me, my dad, 3 uncles, and 4 cousins would play together... soooo maybe days grinding agility courses for my dad while he was at work 😂😂
But Stardew Valley and the VN Our Life are my cozy games... hours to days on end i can play them when i need a break from life
It's definitely not for everyone, but I'd actually say that Kerbal Space Program is right up there in the cozy category. In between the explodey hijinks is a very relaxing game, especially with its soundtrack.
Wait, Kerbal Space Program is real? I thought that was a Korok meme!
This is my favorite video ever, thank you Sal!!!!
If we're including 2012 3DS games, I'd recommend Fantasy Life and (probably) it's upcoming sequel. A bit more combat focused than most cozy games and it will be required to finish the story, but it has plenty of gathering and crafting as well. It has always been my go to game to chill out with, easily the singleplayer game I've put the most time in
one of my all time favourite cozy games is fantasy life for the 3ds! there are so many classes and not all are combat focused, and all the combat demanded by the plot (very little) is super easy - but there are Very Hard Challenges to be found if you go looking for them. it's a fun game with a great gameplay loop, i've sunk stardew-level hours into it.
a short hike is a really fun game that i highly recommend if you just like to explore a cute little mountain as a funky lil dude!! there’s lots of characters to meet and things to do, and it’s completely up to you how you do those things!
saw ikenfell in the thumbnail and got so excited. its been my special interest since it came out in 2020 and i never hear anyone mention it 😮❤
A Short Hike is my go to reccomendation for cozy games. Like the title says its a small game. But its a charming world to explore with beatiful sounds, fun npcs, and some retro inspired graphics. I spent my time on each quest my first playthrough, and its probably one of my favorite games because of it.
Oh and it ran smooth on my old laptop at the time so any low end set ups should work just fine.
I need to hop in here just to say that A Little to the Left is one of my favorite cozy games to play when I really need to destress. You just...click to make household items be nice and orderly, such as organizing a junk drawer or putting some pencils in height order. There's also the creators' cat swiping at your things occasionally and some lovely music. Absolutely excellent little game that also includes a few extra-challenging puzzles for those who are so inclined.
Also I've seen a few people mentioning Placid Plastic Duck Simulator and yes absolutely this is my favorite idle game. There's just something about the discoveries of all these ducks and watching how they sometimes surprise you with their unexpected interactions...it's exciting and chill all at once.
Probably not as fair to put it on a "cozy" list as it can be both challenging and stressful, but Outer Wilds definitely has some cozy vibes and is one of my favorite games I've ever played. The overall idea of it is so ultimately wholesome...and it's basically you being an alien anthropologist and trying to understand the civilization that came before you while making connections with your fellow Hearthians. An absolute masterpiece of a game (though be aware that the DLC, while it is phenomenal, is decidedly NOT cozy).
another fellow Cookie Clicker enjoyer I see B)
great list all around, keep up the good work :)
Don't forget the most cozy and relaxing thing of all!
Consuming any Salmence content!
Wasn't a very active gamer until recently, and boy am I glad to have stumbled across this genre of games. Don't get me wrong, I like my fair share of action (*coughs in Wizard of Legend), but something chill really scratches an itch that many other games can't
A game that I can recommend, if you like fire watch, is road 96. You follow different teenagers trying to escape a corrupt country. Along you way you come across a bunch of characters that are all really cool. Theres also 3 endings!
I love idle games, ngl. Cookie Clicker and Hero Clicker are 2 of my favs! Thank you for this video, I found some new games!
One of my fav 'cozy' games is Cozy Grove. A game about you helping Ghosts find peace in the afterlife while shipwrecked on the island of Cozy Grove. Think of it like a more bitter sweet animal crossing with deeper characterization
I’ve heard of cookie clicker for years but never tried it, this June one of my classmates told me to play it. 4 months later, I’m still addicted.
I've been looking for a turn-based rpg on the switch and ikenfell seems perfect, I'm glad I watched this video :D
Got Firewatch on my ps4 for free.... Absolutely love it!
Love the crap outta SDV!
This was really interesting. Thank you. I really only play Stardew Valley and a little Amung US, I'm generally afraid my laptop can't do much more.
Obviously it’s very different, but your laptop could definitely handle RuneScape! I play it on and off on my 11 year old Dell laptop, and it runs totally fine. (The game anyway. My laptop sounds like a helicopter taking off no matter what.)
Would love to see more videos like these!
I really love VA-11 HALL-A. I 100% the game, and bought the soundtrack because it's just so great to listen to.
i agree, clicker games are a good comfort game
If you guys are into treasure hunting try Dragon Quest Treasures. It’s my favorite little game play loop ever, it’s been so much fun to play, lots of collecting. There’s some combat but it’s super easy and not stressful at all. I thought it was a kids game but as an old DQ games lover I tried it out and found it fit my adult lifestyle gaming choices perfectly. And if my young kids ever peel at my screen while I play, I won’t have to explain anything awkward.
For people who like stardew, I reccomend littlewood. It's mainly a town building game but has similar friendship mechanics and exploring aspects, plus a more light farming side. It's graphics are fairly simple but really cute and alive feeling
So glad firewatch is on this list, it's gorgeous and such a good game.
you said this was your favourite video you've ever made and yeah, this is your best video, you only get better and better
I wanna shout out L'il Gator Game a game where you play a little alligator adventuring around their home islands trying to get their sister to play with him. You get lots of fun items to either use around the island to collect litter, destroy cardboard monsters, and dress up. It is charming and cute and highly recommended.
Coffee Talk is similar to Va-11 Hall-a, but you play in a modern fantasy world as an owner of a coffee shop. I haven’t made it super far, but it’s fun from what I’ve played.
I’m late to this but I think the game ABZÛ is a really good cozy game. In the game, you explore a lot of different ocean ecosystems. There isn’t much to do other than exploring, but it’s very relaxing. Nothing attacks you either, so there isn't any danger. I haven’t played it yet, but I’ve watched other people play and it’s one of my favorite games (I also just really like the ocean)
Bad End Theater is one of my favorite cozy games of recent time
My cozy game list: I could never get into cookie clicker, but adventure capitalist was my favourite idle game. World of keflings is an old Xbox 360 game but still one of my favourite cozy games. Tunic is my all time favourite game which I think is pretty cozy
I saw it at the beginning of the video but I adored the game a short hike!
Ikenfell is one of my favorite games of all time! I got it off xbox game pass because I was bored and promptly fell head over heels for it. I’m not great at combat in most games so I did have some trouble, but I had so much fun trying to strategize how to beat the bosses when I’d lose.
So thats what Ikenfell is. I got the game awhile ago when a discord server was doing like free code giveaway but you don't know what the game is until you put it into steam. I got one and it turned out to be that game. I never really looked at it cause it sounded like it would be difficult. Its nice to know it won't be that difficult if i don't want it to be. Thanks for doing the list it showed me games i didn't even know about and i always appreciate that. To many lists like this just seem to showcase like the newest most popular titles.
Hey Salmence! I highly recommend ‘Our Life’ From GB Patch it is the DEFINITION of Cozy and it’s Sequel(Prequel?) Games’ Kickstarter starts soon!! I really adore the OG series which is free with paid DLC so extremely worth it you would love it, there’s always something new depending on your choices and the DLC adds to the base story in so many fun ways!
SpiritFarer is one of the best and the most under the radar game I've ever seen. I highly recommend you give it a try!
Cookie clicker was the first thing I thought, you are incredibly correct
I have watched so many of your videos and yet you still don't appear in my recommendeds for some reason. Meanwhile for other channels, I can watch like one video and they are in my recommendeds forever.
Anyway, found some potential new games from this vid. Thanks!
I would also recommend one-shot world machine edition, it's a puzzle game that breaks the 4th wall, with you as the God of the world, controlling niko, and you can gain friends, it's VERY fun and I 100% reccomend if you like cozy games.
(I know this was a long comment I'm sorry)
Alba Wildlife Adventure is a little known game (I’ve never heard anyone talking about it online) where you play as a young girl taking photos of animals around town and talking to people. I think cozy is a great word to describe it
I love “unpacking” and “a little to the left”. While the second is a little bit annoying so you can skip the level you don't like
Damn. John! Those are some powerful words!
Really interested to see what you have to suggest!
Could you include out and about in your next vid? Out and about is an upcoming cozy and educational game, where you learn to identify plants and what you can make out of them such as herbal remedies, cooking dishes and crafts. They show you how to recreate them in real life! Expanding your gardening knowledge like teaching you companion planting, fishing, decorating, socializing and romancing is also a thing. Now they are running their kickstarter campaign. They have a free demo on steam, though it's only character customization.
hey please please, where did you download the firewatch wallpaper animated?
Giraffe and Annika, short, easy game, but it melted my cold dead heart
Listening to your listed pros and criteria maybe you might like giving outer wilds a go if you havent already. no combat, exploration driven and no pressure in reaching goals. a good story and an imo interesting setting. dont look up any videos on it though, as spoilers will ruin it completely
I did actually play it. Oddly enough I was always filled with anxiety feeling like I was going to get jumpscared, even though I knew nothing like that was in the game
I am currently grappling with extreme outerwilds anxiety, I wanna finish the game so badly but it's all scary to me for some reason.
I found the bartending one because i looked for another game like Coffee Talk - both are similar (but i personally liked coffee talk better) 10/10 recommend, it's one of my favourite cozy game
I love New Leaf so much.
i literly had coocie clicker runing in the other half of my screen while watching it please make more versions of this video with more tipes of games you played i have so many games and so much free time but i just cant find enough entertiment so i have to get new once every once in a while
my favorite "cozy game" is raft. you are on a raft in the middle of the sea, collecting things to expand your raft. the only danger is running out of sustinence or getting bit by the shark, and the chance of those 2 happening are not common.
If you ever listen to 8pm from Animal Crossing Wild World or Let's go to the City (City Folk for NA readers) you'll love the track.
Sal, if you haven’t played it yet, I strongly recommend Spiritfarer. For me personally, it’s even cozier than Stardew Valley,
i've got a good recommendation for you...might take a little bit of time to setup but i think you'll enjoy it. It's a game called Rodland and you'll need to an emulator to play it (Amiga and maybe SNES). Me and my sister used to play it all the time when we were younger...i think it's still cool to play...
I would never have thought that an RPG! Of all things would be considered a “cozy game”.
That's actually how I view FFX-2 - I mean, I'm comparing it to Final Fantasy Tactics, which I have to gear up my brain to play. Music's good, fights are pretty easy, low stakes all around - cozy.
I honestly just finished getting all the steam achievements for OSRS a couple weeks ago. definitely one of the better idle games out there.
I'd like to give an honorable mention to slime rancher and slime rancher 2 (still in early access)
It's so easy to just zone out and enjoy the beauty of the islands
I can't wait for Slime Rancher 2 to fully release! I didn't put them in because I tend to be really hyperactive in them, so I didn't think of them as cozy. I suppose they could be though!
Ikenfell is so good, I played it on game pass 100% it and still bought it at full price just out of pure love for the amazing time I had,