3 Cozy Games for the New Gamer

Gaming doesn’t have to be high-paced, about conflict, or complicated. If you’re new to gaming, you might like these cozy options.

I used to play video games a lot when I was younger but a lot of the time, it came with family arguments or conflict or involved stressful energy. As I got older, and after I met my partner, when he got back into gaming, he tried to convince me that I would have fun with it too.

But as I watched the games he played, it often stressed me out. I have sensory issues and I was not a fan of the loud shooting noises, the flashing, or the first-player mode of viewing, so I just didn’t think it could be for me. This isn’t to say that there is anything wrong with liking those styles of games, rather, I thought ALL gaming was like this.

Shortly after the pandemic started, I saw many folks posting about Animal Crossing New Horizons, and the visuals and the type of gaming sounded so FUN. I thought it was cute and adorable and I wanted to find a way to let my mind focus on something other than COVID, so I bought it. With that, I rediscovered my love of gaming and found myself the term “cozy gamer/gaming.”

Now, I have played hours upon hours in cozy games and have discovered that this is the ideal style of games for anyone who is new to gaming, who has sensory issues, or for those who don’t like the stress that can come along with gaming. So today, I’m going to share three cozy games to try that are different than Stardew and Animal Crossing for those who are looking for new games to try out.

The game with the most hours of gameplay on my list is Graveyard Keeper

Graveyard Keeper is totally cozy but also a little creepy. Graveyard Keeper is considered the most inaccurate medieval cemetery management sim out there and is available on Switch, Steam, Playstation, and PC. This game combines some of my favorite elements of cozy gaming: farming, missions/quests, relationship building, and brings with it the bonus of an Astrologer, a Witch, and other cool AF NPC.

There are some weird elements like harvesting body parts and zombies if you get the expansion pack, but there is minimal fighting in this game (only bats and a special kind of goo at some point) so if that’s not your vibe, totally cool.

If you like slightly creepy cozy games, missions, farming, and a bit of witchery, you might like this one.

Cover art for graveyard keeper.

A cozy game for those who don’t have a gaming system but have an iPhone/iPad and love harvesting, daily quests, and pets! Cozy Grove

Cozy Grove is very similar to Animal Crossing in that there is an island you’re sent to and you get to harvest and plant stuff, unlike Animal Crossing, there are more quests that get added each day which is fun and keeps you playing. You get to cook. You also get to raise little pets. Cozy grove is “a game about camping on a haunted, ever-changing island.

As a Spirit Scout, you’ll wander the island’s forest each day, finding new hidden secrets and helping soothe the local ghosts. With a little time and a lot of crafting, you’ll bring color and joy back to Cozy Grove!” They have this on Switch, Playstation, Xbox and ios. I love playing this on my iPad before bed. As someone who is also really into storytelling/writing/reading, I love that we get to weave these missing narratives for the characters we meet as we move through the quests.

Cover image for the game Cozy Grove.

A cozy game for those who want the option to play with others and who love puzzles/problem solving: Unravel Two

This game totally made me cry by the end of it. I believe it can be played as a single-player game but I’ve only played this game with other people so I don’t know what the experience is as a single-player, but I had so much fun playing this.

This game follows two yarn creatures on a journey as they move through “chapters.” Each chapter unravels more of the story of these two children who are in the background. You follow them on their own journey.

You work with the other yarny to get over things, make it through complex machinery, and at times, you race against time running from little fire sparks. The graphics are WILD and it’s so beautiful to play. The story is also sweet even if you’re not entirely sure what is happening as you move through it initially.

This game is available on Switch, Playstation, and Xbox.

If you’ve been curious about getting into/back into gaming as a way to help relax and unwind, but want to avoid stressful games, these and other cozy games might be right up your alley! What cozy games do you love playing? Let me know in the comments!