One of the most heart-wrenchingly sad moments I’ve ever experienced in gaming happened while I was playingSpiritfarer.I had been sailing around the world with my crew of odd passengers when one of them—a kind old hedgehog named Alice—started to forget me. It happened gradually, but eventually, every time I greeted her, it was as if she were meeting me for the first time all over again.
I watched with growing dread as getting around the ship became more and more difficult for her and as her memory faded, until one day we both knew it was time. I assumed my responsibility as Charon and helped Alice cross over to the afterlife, tears stinging my eyes. This was the moment that I realized thatcozy games have been feeding us a lie all this time. It turns out that cozy games are not, in fact, low stakes.
Cozy Games Aren’t Low-Stakes At All
They’re Either About Boring Everyday Tasks… Or Death
The cozy gaming community has taken off in recent years, resulting in a surge ofwholesome, lighthearted games. All these games label themselves asrelaxing, low-stakes, and wholesome,but this is just window dressing.
Cozy games are more of avibe,and so many of themaren’t actually low-stakes or even very relaxing. In fact, the best and most memorable of the cozy games are the ones thatpack an emotional punch in the gut.
Asurprising number of cozy games are, after all, about death. Consider some of the most popular cozy games in recent years:
When games aren’t discussing dark and difficult topics like death, they oftenlean into everyday, repetitive tasks,like farming or renovation. Even in these cases, though, it’s the stories of the characters and locations that keep us coming back.
So if the so-called low stakes of cozy games areeither mundane tasks or literal death, it begs the question:What exactly is a cozy game, anyway?
The True Nature Of Good Cozy Games
How Do You Define A “Vibe”?
At their most basic, cozy games are games that let yourelax, slow down, and sink into a routine. The best example of this is the way the cozy community has turnedThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildinto a relaxing game by avoiding all the fights and story, and instead justwandering around Hyrule, enjoying the scenery, and gathering collectibles.
Research has even shown that playing cozy games canimprove players' mental wellbeingwith their"warm & cozy" feel-good vibes,while others, likeSpirit City: Lofi Sessions,help players get things done in real life. And for some, that’s enough.
“The true nature of cozy games hides just beneath the cute and wholesome exterior—and it’s surprisingly dark.”
Butthe true nature of cozy games hides just beneath the cute and wholesome exterior—and it’s surprisingly dark. Games can be violent and challenging, and still be cozy, like the recent hitCult of the Lamb,where players grow a cult following and sacrifice their followers at their whims.
Some titles are obviously cozy, like the repetitive nature ofPower Wash Simulatorand the soothing routine ofStardew Valley.But even those two games have lore (yes, evenPower Wash Simulatorhas a hidden dark story, even if it’s hilarious and involves lost cats and disgruntled mayors).
Even the coziest, most wholesome games that truly have nothing but goodness aresubjected to the dark whims of players—likeAnimal Crossing, which has more than its share ofdisturbing fan theoriesfor a deliciously dark twist to an otherwise completely wholesome game.
We’re reaching a point in the life cycle of cozy game development where we’re beginning to seegames that poke fun at the conventions and tropes of cozy games,like theScary Moviefilms did for the oversaturated campy horror movies of their era. Games likeWanderstopandThere Are No Ghosts at the Grandturn the idea of cozy gaming on its head, subverting a lot of the common tropes and forcing players to confront the idea of cozy gaming head-on.
Cozy Games Are A Safe Space To Confront Difficult Topics
The Fluff Is Just The Cute Exterior
I remember reading once that fairy tales don’t show kids that there are monsters. Kids know that monsters exist—fairy tales teach them that monsters can be defeated. I think that’s pretty close to what cozy games actually do for players. For many, they’re an escape from reality,a way to relax and sometimes, even a way to heal.
So if you believe that cozy games likeSpiritfarerandStardew Valleyare cozy because they’re low-stakes and wholesome, you’ve been buying into the lie. Low stakes isn’t what makes a good cozy game. It’s the ability to envelop players in a warm hug and allow them to sink into the relaxing gameplay, to bring the magic back into the mundane, and togive players a safe space to deal with potentially difficult topicslike death.
