Throughout the years I’ve spent gaming on various platforms, I’ve always found myself drawn to the more cozy side of virtual life. Not exclusively, of course, but I always find myself drifting back to slice-of-life experiences when I need some rest and relaxation.
2024 has been one hell of a year for cozy gaming. Not only did we get updates for ever-popular games, but there were also some surprises along the way that took hold and cemented their place in the cozy sphere. In short, it was a good year to be a cozy gaming fan.
With 2024 rapidly coming to an end, here are my top 12 cozy titles from the last 12 months ranked from good to incredible, and every single one of them is worth checking out if you want to de-stress and escape from the real world for a little while.
12. Botany Manor
As someone who is seemingly incapable of keeping a succulent alive (seriously, I just took a look at it on my shelf and it’s in a sorry state, but I was at the very least reminded to water it), even I can see the appeal and relaxation that comes with honing your horticultural knowledge and raising a selection of plants from seed to flower. Botany Manor allows you to do just that, without the danger of killing any real-life plants.
With point-and-click puzzles and a frankly stunning Victorian Manor setting, it’s easy to kill hours of time just wandering around, getting your virtual fingers dirty as you rediscover lost and forgotten magical flora. Unlocking new areas is done through successfully getting a plant to bloom, giving you a much needed sense of accomplishment every time something grows.
11. Little Kitty, Big City
There’s something about cats that can make any game feel cozy, although I might be biased as something of a burgeoning crazy cat lady. However, Little Kitty, Big City deserves a place on this list due to the relaxed way in which you play, as long as you’re not trying to speed run through all of the challenges you face along the way.
With a myriad of critters to meet and befriend, from the sewer-portal-creating Raccoon, to the duck with questionable parenting skills, Little Kitty, Big City is almost guaranteed to make you smile as you play. Then there’s the art style, which is undeniably cute, and the story of this little house cat who slowly learns how to exist in the outside world.
10. Shashingo
Okay look, Shashingo might not seem all that cozy at first glance, but I urge you to hear me out. At its core, Shashingo is a game designed to help you learn Japanese through virtual photography. Armed with only a camera, you wander around a Japanese city center and take photos of the various items and characters you encounter, with the photo coming complete with both spoken and written translations.
So yes, while you’re learning as you play, the concept of stretching your legs and just snapping photos of your surroundings is absolutely a relaxing experience. You can add frames, more of which are available to unlock through gacha machines in various locations, and there’s a mode that challenges you to find different objects so you can test your memory.
9. Little-Known Galaxy
Little-Known Galaxy is one of what seems like thousands of pixel life sims that are currently available to download and play, but there’s something just different about it. It has everything that you likely expect from a game of its type – farming, friendships, mining, crafting, and decorating to name but a few – but it’s set on a spaceship in the middle of space.
You’re not confined to the spaceship though. As you progress, you’ll unlock your own tiny shuttle that can be used to explore planets both near and far to gather more resources that can’t be found elsewhere. The planets are essentially the equivalent of the Mines in other similar games, but every one of them is different, and the exploration potential seems positively endless.
8. Minami Lane
Bizarrely, Minami Lane might be the most stress-inducing entry on this list of supposedly stress-free cozy games, and it doesn’t seem like it would be stressful at all from a quick glance. The art style is completely adorable, the characters are sweet, and the concept is addictive in a weird sort of way.
However, trying to meet the requirements to pass a level can be infuriating. You need to balance the wants and needs of both old and young residents, both of which want vastly different things from their street. You need to pick the stock for bookstores, ramen stands, and convenience stores, while making sure everything is aesthetically appealing, and also keeping the trash off the streets.
So yes, infuriating, but weirdly enjoyable.
7. Snufkin: Melody of Moomin Valley
I love the fact that our review of Snufkin begins with the sentence “I grew up absolutely terrified of Moomins.”, because I feel like that’s a pretty common experience for most people my age, and Melody of Moomin Valley came out at just the right time to change a lot of minds about the strangely creepy little hippo-esque creatures.
Without any combat to work your way through, Melody of Moomin Valley centers around various instruments that can be used to overcome obstacles, solve puzzles, and generally interact with the world around you as you play. The art style is beautiful, and the waves of nostalgia will hit you like a rock to the face, even if you were creeped out by Moomins as a child.
6. Stardew Valley
Before you say anything, yes I know that Stardew Valley first released eight years ago, but we did get a hefty update in the form of 1.6 and that has dragged a lot of players to Pelican Town, both new and returning after long breaks. I know that this entry is a bit of a cheeky one, but there were various parts of 1.6 that earned Stardew Valley at least a mention on this list.
Stardew needs no description at this point. It’s the grandfather of endless cozy games that have tried to ride on its coattails, some of which have succeeded. It’s always cozy, and there’s an endless number of things to keep you entertained. With 1.6 now available on all platforms, now is the time to jump back in or give it a try.
5. Summerhouse
While the majority of the titles on this list are life sims, Summerhouse is different. Rather than living out a life through your mouse, all that’s required of you is to build. Each item placed down has the possibility of unlocking a new building block, making Summerhouse feel like LEGO for adults.
You can play with two different art styles, either pixelated or not, and there’s no end to what can be achieved using the pieces at your disposal. Everything just slots together in such a satisfying way and even if you have absolutely no building skills, you’ll be able to create something beautiful. I speak from experience.
4. Tavern Talk
Tavern Talk takes the concept of an RPG and flips it on its head, turning you into a partially controllable NPC. You’re the barkeep at a fantasy Tavern, and through your conversations with various fantasy folk, you learn about the world around you while crafting drinks imbued with magical properties to help them on the quests you dish out.
Tavern Talk has a stunning, anime-esque art style and every single character you encounter is unique and relatable. Whether you have issues believing in yourself like Fable, or you’re a loner like Caerlin, you’re sure to find someone who reminds you of yourself. There’s comedy, too, and did I mention that there’s a cute little creature called Andu that will happily slurp down any drinks you make incorrectly? Adorable.
3. Infinity Nikki
There are two groups of people when it comes to Infinity Nikki: those who have played the previous Nikki games, and those who have just discovered it through the latest iteration. For those who had never played the previous mobile games, the success and joy of Infinity Nikki might come as a surprise, but the open-world RPG release has taken a firm hold in the cozy gaming community.
Yes, it’s a dress-up game filled with frilly dresses and adorable creatures. But it’s more than just that. There are endless quests to complete, a compelling story, an absolutely stunning world to explore, and the possibilities for future updates are practically infinite – pun intended.
If you don’t want to gamble on new outfits, one of the best things about Infinity Nikki is that you don’t have to, even if it is a gacha game. Most of the outfits are purely cosmetic, and you’re given everything you need as you progress through the main story, making the gacha side of things truly optional.
2. Tiny Glade
If you’ve ever read any of my previous outpourings of love for Tiny Glade, then you’ll know how I feel about it, but I’m always happy for further opportunities to shout my praise for this glorious title from the rooftops.
Tiny Glade is a stunning game that, much like Summerhouse, only requires you to build. The development duo at PounceLight have poured their souls into the game, constantly listening to player feedback and implementing new features as they’re requested. These features allow players to build absolutely stunning dioramas that mess with perspective and challenge what should be possible.
The latest update gave players the freedom to move clutter items, which was my single gripe, so now I can safely say that Tiny Glade is the perfect game to pour hours of your life into if you need something utterly relaxing and stress-free.
1. Fields of Mistria
I’m pretty sure that this will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody. Fields of Mistria released into early access back in August 2024, and it cemented its place in the cozy gaming history books remarkably quickly. Back in June, during Steam Next Fest, I wrote that I could see myself pouring hours of my life into the pixel world, but even I didn’t expect to fall in love with it quite as much as I did. For those interested, my hour-count is now hovering somewhere around 500.
Not only is the art style cute, it’s also impeccably clean. Every single character has their own personality, all of which are likable in their own way, and there is never a shortage of things to do. You can spend hours perfecting the aesthetic of your farm and house, or you can explore the Mines, or simply build relationships with all of the villagers in Mistria. Did I mention that you can both jump and swim? That alone puts Fields of Mistria firmly at the top of the cozy games list.
Perhaps this shouldn’t come as a shock, considering the fact that the developers are also responsible for the household name that is Pusheen, but Fields of Mistria has proven that it has all of the elements that cozy gamers are looking for, and it’s here to stay, with more updates promised in 2025.
