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Top 10 Cozy Games of the Last Decade



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)

_____________________
Here’s the lofi Stardew Valley music I use a lot:
https://djcutman.bandcamp.com/album/stardew-chill

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View 46 Comments

46 Comments

  2. Dummy_Vicc on

    some recommendations in return:
    Get in the Car, Loser! is jrpg style game about lesbians going on a road trip to defeat evil. Quite similar to ikenfell from what i saw in the video.

    Swords and Souls: Neverseen is the sequel to the flash game swords and souls, but the basic gameplay loop is "do the training minigames for ages and then breeze through the turn based fights". It has some story but it also has an endless mode after you complete the story where you take on harder and harder enemies that make it a (optional) perpetual grind.

    While True: Learn () is a coding game where you play through puzzles where u complete code by dragging and dropping blocks. The art style is cute and its easy for even someone terrible at computers like me to pick up.

    Best Friend Forever is a cute visual novel dating sim where you adopt a dog and go on dates with cute queer people who also have dogs. In between dates/encounters, you also do a scheduling minigame to level up your dog, as well as feeding them and grooming them. Best part about this game is that you can pet your dog at any time (even on dates).

    Partitas is a cute puzzle game where u "reconstruct" sheet music after your cat spills ink on them or something at the start of the game.

    Donut County is a cute physics based game where you play as an ever growing hole that swallows a town hole, kinda similar vibes to katamari damacy but less high energy and high stakes.

  3. Pikaton659 on

    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

  11. Moron on

    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.

  14. Ellen Olson on

    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.

  15. Aroha Mumbobe on

    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

  17. LazuliArtz on

    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

  22. sydney on

    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 🙂

  23. Hi on

    bro that stuff brought me close to tears when you showed new leaf. like i’m only 14 but i’m getting older. I remember stealing my sister’s 3ds away from her and playing for hours bro. that was almost 10 years ago, but I remember it so well. i wonder what i’ll be doing in the next 10 years. i’m sad that our 3ds broke but I hope i’ll be able to find our copy.

  24. Your Pal, Ral! on

    Imagine needing a game to turn your brain off. My brain has always been off. It has never been turned on. Also, someone's been watching Chugga's LP pf New Leaf again.

  26. Corey Martin on

    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.

  27. Wooly Thyme on

    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!

  28. Emu Screeches on

    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

  31. dri 🫙 on

    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 😮❤

  32. Jay on

    Thank you thank you thank you for talking about New Leaf! As a lifelong Animal Crossing fan, New Horizons is the least charming game in the series to me, but it’s what most people know nowadays.

  37. Jess Kautz on

    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.

  39. RobinDaGon on

    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

  42. StarShapedWings on

    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

  45. Hi Sen3.14 on

    I personally really didn't like Ikenfell. The combat, to me, was pretty mediocre but I'm going to say that it's moreso my tastes rather than the game itself.
    My biggest issue was the character interactions. I wanted to play a game made by the LGBT but it failed massively when it took common stereotypes of the LGBT and used it for every character. I'm talking specifically about every character flirting with each other. Constantly. To the point that I managed to call out cutscenes with flirting in them before the cutscene's second text box.
    I put the game down after the boss fight at 11:35 due to them being another gay character that flirts with the first person they saw. I was pretty insulted by it after all that. I hope it gets better later on but I was far too offended to give it another shot.
    I'm okay with gay/lesbian characters flirting. This was too much with too many different characters and made it into a glorified stereotype that left me feeling attacked.

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