What makes a game “cozy” for you? That special feeling you get, like you’re wrapped in a warm blanket on a rainy day. It doesn’t always have to be all rainbows and sunshine for me, although I love games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Slime Rancher which definitely give off the cute vibes.
But it can also have a bit of a darker side. Take Night in the Woods for instance. Sure, it has its dark moments, but it still feels homey and familiar. And Spiritfarer. Anyone else feel the same way?
I think a warning might be good when recommending certain cozy games, but overall I still think those “darker” ones earn the title. Or should cozy mean absolutely only unicorns and flower patterns?
It’s an interesting question, games like animal crossing, ooblets, stardew Valley are definitely cozy but I think you can have darker themed games with a cozy feel like dredge. I did see don’t starve listed as cosy, but it might be a little too frenetic? I think it’s a lot to do with building a home base of some kind and/or having a really satisfying game mechanic or world. Kind of difficult to define!
Edit - I deleted the above comment as I replied to myself - I swear I’ll get the hang of kbin at some point!