17 Best Cozy Games To Help You Unwind in 2025
The best cozy games are perfect for unwinding after a long day filled with IRL hardships. Sometimes, you want to play a game that doesn’t require much skill or effort to progress and instead allows you to sit back and relax while gaming casually on whatever tickles your fancy.
For this article, I picked 15 cozy, charming, and fun games that aren’t too complicated or challenging. You’ll be able to enjoy these games at your own pace without feeling much pressure. Plus, they all include plenty of fun activities to keep things varied and interesting.
However, I picked titles across various genres to ensure many gamers can find a suitable option for their tastes. So, this isn’t just a list of casual exploration and simulation games – I also picked some action adventure options if you’re looking for something cozy yet challenging.
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Our Top Picks for Cozy Games
Here are the top 5 best cozy games, universally beloved by thousands. These games blend relaxing gameplay and a chill atmosphere to allow any player to unwind after a long day.
- Stardew Valley (2016) – a heartwarming farming game about moving from the city to the countryside.
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020) – Nintendo Switch exclusive social simulation game about building an island community.
- My Time at Sandrock (2023) – a cozy farm life simulator about surviving in the desert.
- A Short Hike (2019) – a short but sweet exploration and adventure game.
- Bear and Breakfast (2022) – a laid-back management adventure where you play as Hank, a well-meaning bear running a bed and breakfast in the woods.
Not quite what you’re looking for? Don’t worry; there are plenty of other cozy game options below. I tried to pick games across a wide range of genres to accommodate gamers with various tastes.
15 Best Cozy Games For Relaxation
My chosen cozy games are excellent choices if you want to chill out. These games don’t have challenging gameplay, although some level of effort is required. Anyway, let’s go over some of my main selection criteria for these cozy games.
- Peaceful gameplay. Cozy games should be easy to get into. However, this aspect is tricky to quantify since some gamers are more skilled than others. Plus, there’s a fine balance of adding challenging elements to keep the game from getting boring. Personally, I don’t mind a little bit of challenge in my cozy games.
- Freedom to do what you want. A good cozy game doesn’t restrict you into doing something you’re not in the mood for. Instead, you can play in a non-linear way by choosing from various fun activities that allow you to chill out however you please. Ideally, you should have the option to enjoy these games even when playing shorter sessions.
- Excellent music and visuals. A cozy game should be pleasing to look at. However, this doesn’t mean the game needs to have immersive and realistic graphics. On the contrary, some of the best cozy games have incredible art styles with pixelated graphics.
Hopefully that makes it clear what types of games await. So, let’s dive into my list of the 15 best cozy games.
1. Stardew Valley
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows | 2016 | ConcernedApe |
Stardew Valley is the passion project of ConcernedApe, a one-man team that created arguably the coziest game ever. Initially, the game appears as just a cute farming game with stylish 2D graphics and great music. However, further playing shows there’s much more to this ever-popular game.
The gardening aspect is pretty rewarding if you take extra care of your crops. You can also go fishing, raise farm animals, and even go into the mines if you’re itching for combat and exploration.
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Nintendo Switch | 2020 | Nintendo EPD |
For many, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the main reason for buying a Nintendo Switch. It’s one of the nicest multiplayer Switch games featuring immense creative and social potential.
You can customize the island entirely to your liking by gathering resources, crafting items, building houses, and populating your new village with unique animal villagers filled with character.
Once you’ve customized your island to your tastes, you can invite other players to show off your creative magnum opus. Naturally, you can also visit your friends’ islands to explore their unique villages.
3. My Time at Sandrock
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | 2023 | Pathea Games |
This engaging action RPG game is the sequel to My Time at Portia. It takes you to a run-down town in the desert that you must help bring back to life. The second installment features many quality-of-life improvements that make it an excellent follow-up for veterans and a good entry point for beginners.
The story revolves around a community trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where most modern technology was destroyed. The town of Sandrock includes many unique NPC characters with whom you can interact and build relationships.
There’s an overarching main story with multiple plot points, but you can easily get distracted by side quests that require your helping hand.
4. A Short Hike
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One | 2019 | Adam Robinson-Yu |
The name A Short Hike tells you basically everything you need to know about this game. Although you can complete it in about an hour, you’d miss out on some excellent exploration and side activities across the area. Moreover, every part of the game is crafted perfectly to make an outstanding adventure game without unnecessary padding.
Here, you play as Claire, a little bird who must reach Hawk Peak to get phone reception. To do that, you must collect golden feathers. These feathers allow you to jump higher, glide longer, and scale rocky surfaces – powers necessary for reaching the summit.
You’ll meet other travelers along the way, who will give you the needed feathers and other helpful trinkets if you complete their side quests.
5. Bear and Breakfast
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, Nintendo Switch | 2022 | Gummy Cat |
The name Bear and Breakfast tells you all you need to know about this charming, laid-back management adventure. You’re literally a friendly bear running a bed and breakfast. What’s not to love? Uncover a heartfelt story, meet quirky characters, and build up your business – all at your own chilled-out pace.
Your character is Hank, a bear who stumbles upon an abandoned shack and decides to turn it into a cozy inn. Expanding your B&B requires gathering materials, decorating rooms, and keeping guests happy. But beneath the game’s relaxing atmosphere lies a deeper mystery.
As you explore the forest, you’ll meet eccentric travelers, complete side quests, and slowly but surely uncover the secrets hidden in the wilderness.
6. Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android | 2020 | Thunder Lotus Games |
While a colorful strategy game about the afterlife doesn’t sound particularly cozy, Spiritfarer shows that anything can be soothing and relaxing. In this gorgeous game, you’ll be playing as Stella, who must find and take care of the spirits of the deceased before releasing them to the afterlife.
The gameplay centers around your ship where you travel mystical seas and take care of your passenger’s various needs, such as lodging and other necessities. Most people praise the game’s overall narrative, which focuses on the spirits’ distinct emotional stories.
Spiritfarer is also visually stunning with its excellent animation quality and unique hand-drawn art style.
7. Unpacking
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, PS5 | 2021 | Witch Beam |
The aptly named Unpacking is a relaxing simulation game about unpacking and setting various belongings in different rooms. The gameplay is very straightforward – you draw items from boxes one by one and put them in appropriate places. The game doesn’t even have a tutorial – that’s how easy it is to get into it.
There’s a certain degree of freedom on how you can arrange everything, meaning you can try some interesting interior designs. Once all items are set, you progress to the next room. There’s no time limit, allowing you to chill and decorate everything however you want.
8. Kirby and the Forgotten Land
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Nintendo Switch | 2022 | HAL Laboratory |
Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a charming 3D platformer full of color, creativity, and heart. For the first time, Kirby explores an open, semi-post-apocalyptic world packed with secrets, enemies, and clever level design.
You play as Kirby, using his classic copy abilities and new “Mouthful Mode” to explore and solve puzzles. As you progress, you rescue Waddle Dees and rebuild their village, unlocking mini-games and upgrades along the way.
The game’s art style is bright and inviting, blending cute characters with detailed environments. The playful soundtrack is perfect and matches the tone perfectly, making the whole adventure feel lighthearted, fun, and super cosy.
9. Gris
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | 2018 | Nomada Studio |
Gris is a beautiful platformer game with outstanding visuals, excellent sound design, and straightforward gameplay. The game’s gripping story is told visually without dialogue or excessive text.
You play as Gris, a girl who’s dealing with the pain and sorrow of losing a loved one. The game starts in a colorless state, but progressing unlocks new abilities and brings color back to the world. Your new powers are essential for moving forward and solving platforming puzzles throughout your short adventure.
Most players praise the game’s excellent visual art style, which is intricate and beautifully conveys Gris’s emotions. The soundtrack is also top-notch and greatly complements the overall vibe.
10. Graveyard Keeper
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, PS4, Xbox One | 2018 | Lazy Bear Games |
Speaking of relaxing games like Stardew Valley, but with a darker twist, this is an excellent cozy game to unwind. As the name suggests, the game is a cemetery management sim that involves a fair amount of crafting, resource gathering, and interesting decisions.
Like in Stardew Valley, the initial plot of land you receive is abandoned and requires work to get up and running. As the game progresses, you unlock new abilities and crafting recipes that allow you to make your graveyard into a proper burial ground with worthy headstones.
11. Dave the Diver
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5 | 2023 | Mintrocket |
In this excellent RPG game, your task is to dive into the ocean to gather resources for your restaurant business. It’s an excellent mix of adventure, exploration, and management that culminates in a superb cozy game filled with gameplay mechanics.
During the day, your job is to dive into the Blue Hole to explore and gather materials for your restaurant. There are many ways to approach each encounter, and the underwater environment changes each day to keep things interesting.
At night, you manage a sushi restaurant and take care of food preparation, growing ingredients, and serving drinks. The profit from your business is necessary to upgrade your diving equipment, which will enable you to gather better fish for your sushi.
12. Strange Horticulture
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One | 2022 | Bad Viking |
Strange Horticulture is a cozy puzzle game about running a shop specializing in various powerful plants. The main goal is to correctly identify the plants that your customers are looking for. This is where the game’s excellent puzzles come in, making you feel like a detective.
Your primary tool is an incomplete encyclopedia that partially describes various characteristics of the plants you will need. These clues allow you to choose the correct plants for your shop’s customers. However, the plants have numerous positive and negative effects that will affect your customers and also change the course of the mysterious branching story.
13. Firewatch
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4 | 2016 | Campo Santo |
This oddly relaxing survival game puts you into the role of Henry, a fire lookout in the wild forests of Wyoming. Your only point of contact with the outside world is your walkie-talkie, with your supervisor, Delilah, on the other end.
The goal is straightforward – you’re here to ensure there aren’t any fires in the forest. Gameplay-wise, the game is described as a walking simulator, meaning there’s not much mechanically to do except walk around beautiful forests and observe things – all the while talking with Delilah.
The game’s real highlight is the gripping story, excellent voice acting, and unique visual style. Firewatch is definitely a game worth considering if you’re looking to immerse yourself in an excellent mystery.
14. Cozy Grove
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, iOS, tvOS | 2021 | Spry Fox |
This cute indie game reminds me of Don’t Starve, while the gameplay has many similarities to Animal Crossing and even Spiritfarer. The in-game day and night cycle is tied to real-world time, thus emphasizing its life simulation aspect. You get different tasks each day, and the game encourages you to play shorter sessions while returning daily to slowly progress.
The story is that you’re a Spirit Scout who set up camp on a haunted island. Your goal is to find and help restless ghosts to move on to the afterlife. Completing their tasks brings color back to the island while unlocking new resources to find and items to craft.
15. Cult of the Lamb
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S | 2022 | Massive Monster |
Cult of the Lamb is a cute but devious roguelike game is mixed wit base management elements in an exciting way. The base management part is the primary focus, where your task is to convert followers to your cult and take care of their needs.
Eventually, some will have to be sacrificed to appease your god, while others will die of old age. Either way, you’ll have to ensure they’re well indoctrinated through rituals and base expansion.
The other half is roguelike combat, which complements the management part by enabling you to find new followers, gather resources, and, obviously, kill heretics. Each excursion is different since the area is procedurally generated, and you get a random weapon to fight your foes. The combat is relatively simple and easy to get into, yet the animations are smooth and satisfying.
16. Hollow Knight
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One | 2017 | Team Cherry |
I recommend Hollow Knight to gamers looking for a 2D platformer that combines challenging combat and exploration while retaining a cozy vibe.
The most apparent coziness factor in Hollow Knight is the art style, which features hand-drawn cute characters and otherworldly landscapes. The haunting music also blends beautifully with the overall spooky vibe.
Hollow Knight is also an excellent Metroidvania game where you can explore the vast world in a non-linear fashion. Some areas will appear closed at first, but only because you haven’t unlocked a certain ability yet.
17. Terraria
| Platforms | Year of release | Developer |
| Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 | 2011 | Re-logic |
Terraria is one of my favorite creative sandbox games. It has great cozy potential once you get comfortable with the gameplay. Unsurprisingly, the survival aspect makes it challenging, but that’s just one part of a top-rated, feature-rich game that works with an incredible number of different devices.
Focusing on the cozy aspect, Terraria offers outstanding creative potential through its extensive crafting and building system. Although limited to two dimensions, you have an endless array of building materials to construct your dream home.
For me, the coziness comes from exploring the game’s procedurally generated worlds that are filled with underground caverns, sprawling jungles, and other unique biomes.
FAQs
What genres are similar to cozy?
Genres similar to cozy games include life sims, farming sims, city-builders, adventure games, puzzle games, and exploration titles – all offering relaxing gameplay, creative elements, or immersive storytelling for a really chill experience.
What qualifies as a cozy game?
Cozy games are designed to provide a relaxing and stress-free experience, often emphasizing non-violent, low-stakes gameplay. They typically feature activities such as farming, fishing, crafting, and nurturing relationships with in-game characters.
Can cozy games be played in short sessions?
Yes! Cozy games are ideal for brief play sessions. Their low-stress design and flexible pacing make them perfect for unwinding during short breaks or winding down at the end of the day.
Are cozy games suitable for all ages and skill levels?
Yes, cozy games are designed to be accessible to a wide range of players. They often feature intuitive controls, gentle learning curves, and inclusive themes, making them welcoming for both newcomers and seasoned gamers.
Are cozy games good for mental health?
Yes, cozy games can have positive effects on mental health. Their calming gameplay and lack of high-stress challenges provide a form of escapism that can help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation.
