What Are Cozy Games? Meaning, Examples and Why People Love Them

Published · By Alehundred Studios

Cozy games are video games designed to make you feel safe, comfortable and unhurried, with soft visuals, low stakes, plenty of resources and goals you pursue at your own pace, like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Stardew Valley or Unpacking. That is the short answer to the question what are cozy games, and below you will find where the term came from, the three ingredients designers use to build coziness, more examples, why so many people play them and how a cozy game can still include challenge, danger or a little chaos.

Where does the term "cozy games" come from?

The term "cozy games" was shaped by game designers first, in a 2017 think tank report, and was later picked up by players, the press and researchers.

The key document is Coziness in Games: An Exploration of Safety, Softness, and Satisfied Needs, a group report from the Project Horseshoe 2017 game design think tank, written by designers including Tanya X. Short, Chelsea Howe and Daniel Cook. It opens by noting that "Coziness is a common aesthetic in popular games such as Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley, yet it is rarely discussed within design circles."

Researchers agree that this report is the starting point. Mia Consalvo, Kelly Boudreau and Andrew Phelps write in a DiGRA 2025 paper on how developers make cozy games that "Cozy games are popular, yet difficult to pin down," and that the idea was "Originally formalized during Project Horseshoe, a think-tank style conference in 2017." Agata Waszkiewicz and Marta Tymińska, in Replay, The Polish Journal of Game Studies, confirm that "The term cozy games was first introduced in the games industry before being adapted by game scholars."

The games themselves are older than the label. Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley existed long before anyone called them cozy, and the label took off as more players went looking for that feeling by name.

What makes a game cozy?

A game is cozy when it delivers three feelings at once: safety, abundance and softness.

The Project Horseshoe report defines coziness as "how strongly a game evokes the fantasy of safety, abundance, and softness," and explains each part:

Researchers have turned this into practical design traits. Waszkiewicz and Tymińska describe cozy aesthetics as bright or pastel colors, round shapes and soft music, and add that "there are no jump scares, timed events, or competitiveness; and failure, even if it is present, does not sting."

A HICSS 2025 paper by Boudreau, Consalvo and Phelps, published in the University of Hawaii's ScholarSpace repository, adds pacing: "In cozy games, the pacing is often deliberately slow, giving space for the player to consider, contemplate, and reflect on themes and gameplay rituals in a way that most other games do not."

Put together, a cozy game usually has:

  1. A safe home base, such as a farm, a camp, a house or a village.
  2. Small, satisfying loops like planting, tidying, decorating, fishing or collecting.
  3. Little or no punishment for failing.
  4. Warm colors, soft sound and gentle music.
  5. Goals you choose, at a pace you control.

What are some examples of cozy video games?

Some of the best-known cozy video games are Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Stardew Valley, Unpacking, Spiritfarer and Tiny Glade. Here is what their official pages say:

The wider "wholesome games" movement overlaps with these titles. A GDC 2023 panel by the creators of Wholesome Games noted that "Titles such as Unpacking, A Short Hike, and Ooblets are just some examples of games that have hit a level of popularity, rivaling their more violent counterparts."

Is cozy a genre or a feeling?

Cozy is mostly a feeling, a mood that can be added to many genres, which is why farming sims, puzzles and even action games can all be called cozy.

The Project Horseshoe designers say it directly: "Cozy is an adjective." They add that "coziness is an aesthetic goal, a flavor that can be applied to any underlying type of game."

The HICSS researchers explain why this makes the label unusual. Most genres are defined by mechanics or settings, but with cozy games, "the feeling is literally the core genre descriptor and a primary design intent." The result, in their words: "everyone knows what a cozy game is when they see/play it, but how they are defined depends on who you ask."

PC Gamer's Lauren Morton reached the same conclusion after interviewing cozy creators and developers: "In practice, calling a game cozy is always the beginning of a conversation, never the end."

Why do people play cozy games?

People play cozy games to relax, to feel in control and to spend low-pressure time in a pleasant world, often with friends.

Relaxing is the top reason to play anything. The 2026 Essential Facts report from the Entertainment Software Association found that adults play mostly to pass the time or relax (66%) and to have fun (66%), and 78% of U.S. adults agree that video games provide stress relief.

Cozy players describe something deeper than simple fun. In interviews with people who play cozy games weekly, researchers from Erasmus University Rotterdam, presenting at DiGRA 2026, found that "Gamers consciously turn to cozy games during challenging times due to the structural certainty that the games provide." They concluded that "cozy games are a vital component of the coping repertoire for managing mental well-being."

Timing helped, too. Waszkiewicz and Tymińska point out that when Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched at the start of the COVID-19 lockdowns, "it took the world by storm," with players "connecting with friends through the game's world."

And cozy is not just for young players. The Project Horseshoe report argues that "cozy sensory cues can be more powerful for adults," because adults carry decades of memories tied to everyday comforts.

Can a cozy game have combat, danger or chaos?

Yes. Many cozy games include light combat, spooky themes or chaotic moments, as long as the overall feeling stays safe and nobody loses too much.

Morton puts it neatly: "Cozy games are not anti-conflict, but they are pro-tranquility." Even Stardew Valley has a cave with monsters, which its Steam page describes as full of "new and dangerous monsters."

There is even a name for the darker end of the spectrum. Polygon's Nicole Carpenter wrote that "Cozy games are getting darker", pointing to games like Dredge and Strange Horticulture. Dredge developer Alex Ritchie explained why it works: "A cozy game where you know it's not always cozy makes the comfortable parts even more meaningful."

Designers use contrast on purpose. The Project Horseshoe report notes that "cold rain against a window emphasizes the warmth of a reading nook without threatening to disrupt it," and recommends a "cozy sandwich" for intense games: action in the middle, comforting moments around it.

Where does Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands fit?

Coins Catcher: Co-op Lands is a cozy co-op game with friendly chaos, a clear example of the cozy sandwich: calm places to explore around a messy, fun race with friends.

It is an online co-op 3D platformer for up to 8 players, with voice chat for everyone, made in Unreal Engine 5 by solo developer Alejandro Friant (Alehundred). Players on PC (Steam), mobile and VR join the same match. The cozy part starts in The Ale, a sacred forest with giant mushrooms and glowing butterflies where the group meets, and continues in giant dioramas of seven real historical eras, from Italy in 1956 to Alexandria in 300 BC. You are 10 cm (about 4 inches) tall, and each diorama hides 8 signs with real historical curiosities, like a tour guide written for adventurers.

The chaotic part is the loop. You collect coins, spend them on talents and on unlocking the next eras, and defeat the enemies and the giant beast of each era. When the group gathers 100 coins, the era's tower opens and everyone races to the top for the Magic Gem. Fire, ice, oil and bubble spells keep it lively, and you can hit a friend with fire to steal their coins. The story, inspired by the Brothers Grimm tale "The Seven Ravens," follows seven brothers turned into seven giant beasts by a shadowy curse.

The game is in Early Access on Steam.

FAQ

What are cozy games examples?

Classic examples are Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Stardew Valley, Unpacking, Spiritfarer, Tiny Glade and A Short Hike. They all share soft visuals, low stakes and goals you pursue at your own pace.

What are cozy video games?

Cozy video games are games built around safety, abundance and softness: no real threat or harsh failure, plenty of what you need, and warm visuals and sound. The term was formalized by game designers at Project Horseshoe in 2017.

What are some cozy games to start with?

Start with Unpacking or Tiny Glade for something short and gentle, Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing: New Horizons for a long-term world, and a cozy co-op game if you want to play with friends.

Are cozy games only for kids?

No. Cozy games are made for all ages, and the Project Horseshoe designers argue that cozy sensory cues can be even more powerful for adults, who bring years of memories of everyday comfort to the game.

What is the difference between cozy and wholesome games?

They overlap a lot. Wholesome games are usually defined by non-violent, often inclusive themes, while cozy games are defined by a feeling of safety, abundance and softness. Many games, like Unpacking and A Short Hike, are called both.

Sources

  1. Short TX, Ordon A, Hurd D, Howe C, Forbes J, Eiserloh S, Diaz J, Cook D; Meiners R, facilitator. Coziness in Games: An Exploration of Safety, Softness, and Satisfied Needs. Project Horseshoe 2017 group report.
  2. Consalvo M, Boudreau K, Phelps A. Making cozy games: How game developers build (and talk about) cozy games. Abstract Proceedings of DiGRA 2025, Digital Games Research Association.
  3. Waszkiewicz A, Tymińska M. Cozy Games and Resistance Through Care. Replay. The Polish Journal of Game Studies, University of Lodz, 2024.
  4. Boudreau K, Consalvo M, Phelps A. Whose Vibe is it Anyway? Negotiating Definitions of Cozy Games. Proceedings of the 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2025.
  5. Nintendo. Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Nintendo official site.
  6. ConcernedApe. Stardew Valley. Steam store page.
  7. Witch Beam. Unpacking. Steam store page.
  8. Thunder Lotus. Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition. Steam store page.
  9. Pounce Light. Tiny Glade. Steam store page.
  10. Taylor M, Tillman J, Tran V, Windom J. Fair Play Summit: Why Care About Wholesome Games Anyway?. Game Developers Conference 2023, GDC Vault.
  11. Morton L. Even 'cozy' gaming's biggest fans can't decide on its definition, but they aren't worried. PC Gamer, 2024.
  12. Entertainment Software Association. 2026 Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry. ESA, 2026.
  13. Emmanouloudis A, Chen VHH. An Exploration of Cozy Games as Coping Mechanism to Manage Mental Well-being. Abstract Proceedings of DiGRA 2026, Digital Games Research Association.
  14. Carpenter N. Cozy games are getting darker. Polygon, 2023.