Recently, many gamers are enjoying a new genre of play known as "cozy gaming" which focuses less on grand quests and instead provides players with a more laid-back style of play that allows them to simply enjoy the world they find themselves in. Games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing are prime examples of this genre's popularity, with players investing hours in slow tasks like mining and farming. So far, 2023 intends to provide more for players to enjoy while kicking back with a warm blanket and hot beverage.
While the name given to this phenomenon is new, the kinds of games that focus on slow lighthearted plots, if indeed it even has one at all, have been very popular for some time. Harvest Moon, which was first released in 1996, perfectly exemplifies the trappings of this sub-genre and its enduring popularity, but it is far from the only example. Visual novels can frequently be found on lists of popular cozy games, the most common of these being otome games or dating sims. Cozy gaming is itself nothing new to players; it’s just working under a new label.
Cozy Games to Look Forward to
Many cozy titles have players doing an idealized version of an otherwise mundane job, and Mail Time is one such game. The pastel platformer has the player working as a mail scout who delivers mail to the people of a mushroom village. Players will be given the ability to customize their character along with their mushroom hat and glider as they explore the tiny town they work in on the forest floor. The game is set to release in April, but for those who would like to experience some of the pint-sized joy that awaits them in Grumblewood Grove, a demo is available on Steam now.
The original Coffee Talk released in 2020 to wide success for its slow plot, which is about getting to know the regulars at a coffee shop in a world where demons, werewolves, and aliens are all commonplace. Players helped patch relationships and forge new ones, served a werewolf a favorite drink, and gave an alien a purpose for life on Earth. This is why the upcoming sequel Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is big news; fans can look forward to new faces when they return to this alternate Seattle. The game is set to release on April 20, 2023 with new characters and ingredients for players to use while making any warm and comforting drink they can think of.
Going back to the popular farming sim that started them all, Harvest Moon is working towards a remake of sorts. The newest addition to the series, Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, has the player focus on growing their farm, finding love among the characters they come across in the story, and eventually starting a family the same as its predecessors. Harvest Moon was a comfort game for many long before the most recent trend, which is why the nostalgic nature of the Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life will be a comfort for players looking for more of what they are already familiar with.
These cozy games hold plenty of appeal for those familiar with the game style, and are excellent starting points for those just dipping a toe into a more casual kind of gameplay. Cozy gaming's appeal lies in allowing escape the stress that usually accompany the fights and grinding of more conventional games, and it does so through more genres than the farming simulation in Story of Seasons alone. Whatever the year brings in terms of games that inspire plays to get comfortable and relax, cozy gaming is likely to stick around.
