December brought a lot of holiday fun, but, also, a lot of stress. Thankfully, cozy games saved us last month. You can bet that we spent a lot of time just forgetting the world this season and that may be the biggest reason we put out 10 reviews last month.
The games range from newer to older and are listed in no particular order. This crop of games features some of the best (Smushi Come Home) and worst (Witchy Life Story) games we’ve played all year.
If you’re looking for a new game to get into, this year, then you might find some worthy candidates here. And, as always, we’ve done a brief run-down of the games we tried but didn’t love. Generally, if a game is going to score below a 4, we don’t do a deep dive review on them.
December 2023 Cozy Game Reviews
Bit Orchard: Animal Valley: Sometimes, simplicity speaks louder than anything. While not perfect, Bit Orchard takes you back to the Game Boy in all the right ways.
Image: Bit Orchard: Animal Valley / 2Boone Games / Reddeer.games
Little Friends: Puppy Island: It’s an adorable game to get lost in. Not only is it a fun game for adults, but I think the skill level involved makes it perfect for children to enjoy as well.
Image: Little Friends: Puppy Island / Big Blue Bubble / Fireshine Games / Imagineer
Witchy Life Story: I had high hopes for it since it has potions and witchy vibes with a charming art style. But, man, was this one a letdown, especially when a bug kept me from being able to finish the game the way that I wanted to.
Image: Witchy Life Story / Sundew Studios
Mail Time: This game has you gliding through the air and bouncing off mushrooms to deliver mail and items to a menagerie of characters in a charming little garden-esque village. It’s a lot of fun, but heavy button pressing for dialogue.
Image: Mail Time / Kela van der Deijl / Appelmoes Games B.V. / Freedom Games
Smushi Come Home: I can’t recommend this one enough. This game is short enough to play in a day but also chill enough to play in short bursts if you only have a little time. It was truly a joy to play.
mage: Smushi Come Home / SomeHumbleOnion / Mooneye Studios
Assemble with Care: This game is perfect if you want to start and complete something in an hour and a half, but if you’re looking for a more involved experience, you’re likely going to be disappointed.
Image: Assemble with Care / ustwo games
Wylde Flowers: This game was a huge time-sink for me in a good way. I vastly enjoyed my time in Fairhaven, but I have qualms. If you’re the type of person who wants to get 100% achievements in one run, you need to have all your romance done before you finish the game. Otherwise, you’ll have to do a second run to finish the achievements.
Image: Wylde Flowers / Studio Drydock Pty Ltd
Day of the Tentacle Remastered: As a much older game, there’s a lot of nostalgic value here. I enjoyed playing through the story, but there is a lot of frustration in the system since it’s very easy to get stuck on a puzzle. Some of the puzzles don’t have solutions that make sense.
Image: Day of the Tentacle Remastered / Double Fine Productions / LucasArts
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog: This game is a beautiful love letter to fans of this long-running franchise, with great art, music, and story, as well as tons of references to the series’ past.
Image: The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog / SEGA
A Highland Song: You’re going to want to give this one a try. The art feels right out of a storybook, the music is fantastic, and exploring the Scottish hills with Moira is a lot of fun. Plus, you can play through more than once to discover more things that you missed the first time!
Image: A Highland Song / Inkle
Games we played, but didn’t review:
Dorfromantik: To be honest, there’s nothing wrong with this game, it was just… boring. You place tiles and depending on how well you place them, you earn points that open up even more tile types. Truly, if you’re the type of person who loves strategy or Euro-style board games then you’ll love this game. It was visually pretty and there were no bugs. I just didn’t find any joy and therefore felt like my score wouldn’t be an accurate reflection of the game.
Good Pizza, Great Pizza: I wanted to love this game, but unfortunately, I was given the code for the Switch version and it does not thrive on that platform. You very much needed the mouse for this game because the way to make pizzas is a series of weird button combinations that ultimately leave you frustrated and making mistakes. If you want the game, definitely get it on Steam.
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