What exactly is cozy gaming?

“Cozy gaming” isn’t a new concept, but in recent years, we’ve seen an uptick in the genre. It’s not hard to imagine why that is. The world is on fire, the economy is tanked, and most of us are one paycheck away from homelessness. In such high stress situations, we all need an escape and a way to decompress.

In social media, the idea of cozy gaming has been championed by the cottagecore aesthetic. You’re likely familiar with all of the farming sims and cute little life simulators. We’ve all seen a ton about Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Dreamlight Valley, and more just like it. 

It’s not hard to see why they herald the genre. All three examples offer a casual gameplay with low stress themes and tons of ways to personalize your environment. But, they’re not the only way to be cozy. The cozy gaming genre of gaming isn’t chained to casual gameplay. 

“Cozy” is in the eye of the beholder.

Have you ever considered Halo, Marvel SNAP, or Assassin’s Creed Odyssey to be cozy? They’re certainly not marketed that way and you won’t see them on some top 10 list. However, these three titles are considered cozy games in our household. 

Halo is by no means cozy to me. I’m terrible at FPS and I will die within the first minute of spawning. Likewise, I dislike Marvel SNAP since I don’t have the strategic brainspace for deck building games. These games don’t create a calm environment for me, but they do for my husband.

Anytime he needs to take even just a five minute break to turn off his brain, he’s loading one of these games. They’re his idea of “cozy”.

On the flip side, he’s not big on Assassin’s Creed games, much less Odyssey. I, however, thrive in it. As someone who suffers from ADHD, a linear storyline can feel suffocating. 

The freedom of an open world with endless side quests is my bread and butter. I’ve long since finished the main story, but I still hop back into Ancient Greece from time to time. Dealing with NPC problems helps me forget my own.

Absolutely anything can be a cozy game. The idea of the genre isn’t in the game itself, but the person playing them. Whatever brings down your heart rate and disengages your brain from intrusive thoughts is a cozy game. 

Whether it’s console, computer, or mobile gaming, we all have our cozy games. Dark Souls is certainly not going to be calming for me, but you can bet there’s a whole group of people that think it is. 

The question of “what is cozy gaming?” certainly doesn’t have a one size fits all answer. We’re all vastly unique people, so it’s not really a surprising that “cozy” has a varied definition from person to person.