7 Cozy Games For Fall Therapy
I recently got Steam again, which is a game store filled with interesting, inexpensive games to play on PC or MacBook. I’m not a heavy gamer, but I’ve been wanting to find new ways to destress and alleviate negative feelings. I was browsing on Youtube and found some videos on top “cozy” games that help you unwind and destress, so I decided to give it a try.
I was surprised by the selection of beautiful, aesthetically pleasing, low maintenance and destressing games there were. I’m not into “guy” games that are heavy on combat, action, fighting, and shooting. I’m virtually pacifist so those games didn’t appeal to me. But there were a ton of visually appealing games that were inexpensive and “cozy”.
What’s a “cozy” game? A cozy game is a game that does not revolve around competition, beating others, scoring high on a leaderboard, and winning, but rather helps you relax, explore your creative side, and comfort you emotionally. Common features of cozy games are tasks that you can approach at your own pace such as farming, crafting, decorating. Games like Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons are popular for their relaxing, farming-related gameplay and decorating and crafting tasks. Cozy games are often simulation-based like The Sims franchise.
Here are some cozy games I highly recommend for their comforting gameplay and therapeutic activities.
Stardew Valley
A genre staple: you inherit a farm, plant crops, befriend townsfolk, and build your own pace of life. It’s widely recognized as a quintessential cozy experience.
Animal Crossing
A relaxing island-life stimulation game where you shape your island, decorate, invite friends, and relax. It’s excellent for a gentle, open-ended relaxing break with friends.
Story of Seasons
A farming life-sim game with cute characters and fun relaxing gameplay. It’s cozy because of its comforting daily routine that consists of farming, taking care of animals, and befriending the locals.
Camper Van
A beautifully made customization game where you get to decorate a camper van. Nice aesthetic and comforting vibes.
Unpacking
A Zen puzzle game where you unpack belongings into rooms across stages of someone’s life. Extremely low-pressure, the mechanics are simple and pleasant, and the art/audio evoke calm and nostalgia.
Tiny Bookshop
You run a mobile bookshop by the sea, stock books, decorate your shop, recommend books to customers, and befriend locals. The tone is relaxed, the setting is quiet and picturesque, and the mechanics emphasise connection (books + community) rather than stress
Tiny Glade
A sandbox/scene-builder where you doodle castles, cottages, ruins etc in a relaxing, objective-free environment. Great for creativity and aesthetic vibes rather than goal-driven gameplay.
