What is Cozy Gaming?

And why I believe cozy games are subjective.

If you’ve ever scrolled through the Cozy side of Instagram, you may have noticed a specific style of video games being shared. Lots of farming sims, or quiet and slow games like Tiny Glade or Dorfromantik. This is what most people consider Cozy Gaming.

Yes, these are very cozy by definition, but…
I believe the true definition of a Cozy Game is any game that allows you to relax and unwind.

This opens up a wide range of genres that will be different for each person.

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What makes you feel relaxed?

Can you recall a game that you enjoyed playing where you sat back and just vibed? One where you felt like you had your rotation down and everything was going smoothly? Assuming those feelings didn’t change after 10 minutes, then I’d say you found a cozy game.

For me, I realized my most uncommon cozy game is Diablo 3. (I kind of quit Diablo 4 for now) I notice when I play D3 on a built character, I can relax and massacre the whole screen while partially falling asleep on the couch.

It’s so nice.

But if you mention D3 as a cozy game, most will instantly disagree.

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co·zy /ˈkōzē/ adjective

giving a feeling of comfort and relaxation

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This is what I think needs to change about the Cozy Community. There needs to be more people opening up about the uncommon cozy games they enjoy.

Right now the Cozy Community is flooded with cute games, farming sims, and quiet puzzle games. We all know ‘em because everyone is sharing the same ones.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love the Cozy Community! These are the most kind and welcoming people you will ever meet, but that's for another time.

I want to shed light on the fact that people are just sharing what they believe needs to be shared in order to gain views, instead of what they want to share. I’d love to see this community start sharing what they truly enjoy or at least give their honest feedback on the games they play.

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And while we’re being honest…

When i first started my cozy Instagram i fell victim to the classic cozy genre. I noticed everyone was excited for My Sims Cozy Bundle so of course I joined in on the hype. My hubby ended up buying me this game that i had suddenly become interested in and after about a few hours of gameplay I realized it was not for me.

I had fallen into the cozy game trap.

I didn’t understand how people enjoyed the game. I’m not saying they were lying, but there's no way everyone loved it. I know now that it's not for me and this may be hard for some but…

I’m not big on Stardew Valley either.

Don’t attack me just yet! I haven’t played enough Stardew to know if it’s actually terrible or if I’m just being sour about losing energy so quickly. I really don’t enjoy having to eat apples every 5 seconds just to chop down some trees. So let me try again sometime when i feel the need.

What I’m trying to say is, cozy is subjective, it’s in the heart.

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It’s up to you to find your kind of cozy.

For me, it’s hack & slash, fishing and some farming sims. I absolutely love games with a fishing mini game and bonus points if it has crafting, gathering, and cooking! Games like FFXIV, WoW, and Genshin Impact are so much fun because they include these things.

Fishing is my cozy love.

Let me rampage through a hoard with weapons or magic and gimme a fishing break, I’ll be in heaven!
This is my kind of cozy.

So I challenge you:
Speak your mind, share your kind of cozy and let’s bring real cozy games to those that enjoy the same genres.

I’d love to learn about some of your uncommon cozy titles in the comments!

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1. Cozy definition provided by Google