You're not alone, friend 😂 I made this list because I felt "cozy" games were getting pigeonholed into very specific genres that are not everyone's cup of tea (certainly not mine). So glad this could be helpful to you! Thanks for watching 😁
it took me years to get into Stardew. I found the time limit super stressful and it took my gf (who had the same problem) liking a similar game for us to try it again and finally like it.
I didn't know what to expect with Onde, but decided to take a chance on it and I was completely floored. It does an excellent job of telling its story without a single word, and that story is just so... cosmic; I couldn't really tell its story, but I could absolutely *feel* it. Definitely going to have to check out Omno, too; you always find such interesting things!
Cool list. My tip for two very relaxing "finding things"-games are Shy Cats Hidden Orchestra and its follow-up Shy Dogs Hidden Orchestra. You search for cats or dogs in beautiful environments and they all play instruments and then the music evolves from finding them, adding more players to the orchestra and then there's a small puzzle to find the last one. Neither game lasts very long, but they have a really great athmosphere, cute cats and dogs and I think they are underrated gems worth checking out.
ok I know this isn't ever on peoples cozy lists, but Iove Snowrunner as a cozy game. it can be a little stressful sometimes, but it has no penalties, you can just reset at anytime. you're never moving super fast, you just have small highly detailed beautiful maps of nature and you just get to haul stuff through the scenery and enjoy it while stuck in the mud. My gf loves for me to play it in fall or winter and fall asleep to me playing it when she doesn't feel well. We've spent many a fall/winter cold just vibing out to the scenery and the engine hum while she dozes off. I think people just ignore it as a possible cozy game because it doesn't have a cute cartoony aesthetic and apparently trucks are a dude thing and not cozy.
I could totally see this. I tried it a while back and the gameplay was a bit involved for me, but the vibes definitely fit that chill, flow state criteria.
everyone knows a short hike and lil gator game, but a game that was clearly inspired by a short hike that is pretty fun is Haven Park. I don't think its as good as Short HIke, but you get the same vibes from it and its good for a chill afternoon.
If I had to chose between Frostpunk and Urbo, I'd go for the first but I played the demo for the second and it is a very well made game. Cozy it is one of those words that lost its meaning because of broad usage. Journey (or Flow) would be what I consider cozy and those can appeal to me so, one more for the backlog? (Omno)
@@BarelyMagicMike I think at this point its being ruined by youtubers who want to make exclusively "cozy gaming" content and they have to make constant videos so they'll add anything with a cute aesthetic to the list, regardless of the games content.
