Sometimes after a long week, all you want to do is stare at a wall and not be perceived, but if you’re keen to play games and unwind this weekend, we’ve got you covered with these hand-picked cozy games bound to help you destress.
It’s been an exciting week for cozy games, with the recent Wholesome Direct and other wholesome games getting the spotlight during the Summer Games Fest, but if you’re itching to settle in and get playing now, check these five titles out:
Smushi Come Home
In this cozy exploration adventure game, you play as Smushi, just a little mushroom guy who finds itself taken from home and dropped into the middle of the forest. You’ll meet different forest creatures who can lend a hand (and might need your help too) as you try to get home. With light platforming and puzzle solving, Smushi Come Home has a bit of everything on top of just being plain cute (stick a little sentient mushroom in a game and it becomes 500 times better), and with a roughly four hour runtime to 100% everything from collectibles to the story itself, isn’t too demanding for a more casual gaming session to unwind with. Smushi Come Home is available on Nintendo Switch and Steam (where it’s currently 20% off for the next 37 hours as part of the ‘Games For Waves’ World Oceans Day event).
Wylde Flowers
If you’re a fiend for a farming sim, love to romance NPCs, or super into witchy vibes in games, Wylde Flowers has a bit of everything. Join Tara as she moves to a rural island to help her grandma with the family farm, tending to crops and befriending the roster of unique townsfolk that reside in Fairhaven. By night, lean into your inner witch as you learn how to brew potions, control the weather, and fly your broomstick.
Every character has fully voice-acted dialogue and there’s so much to do at your own pace, so you can indulge in whatever gameplay you most enjoy. Wylde Flowers is also packed full with a heartfelt storyline that tugs at your emotions. If you’re a fan of Stardew Valley but keen to see more story additions, Wylde Flowers is the perfect pick for this weekend and beyond. You can grab it now on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Apple Arcade.
Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to)
Kind Words is a simple multiplayer game where players anonymously write about their anxieties and concerns with requests for comfort, and everyone is offered the opportunity to respond with their own letters of sympathy or advice. More ‘anonymous comforting chatroom’ than game, it’s a wholesome experience that’s the perfect place to uplift others and be uplifted in return. The game also happens to have a banging lo-fi beats soundtrack to drive home the chill and positive vibes. If your week was a tough one and you just need someone to tell you everything will be okay, check it out on Steam now.
Cozy Grove
Cozy Grove is a life sim about camping on an ever-changing, haunted island. You play as a Spirit Scout, wandering the island and finding hidden secrets, as well as soothing the local ghosts. Through your adventures, you’ll return colour and joy back to the island. Cozy Grove is gorgeous, with hand-drawn landscapes that are brought to life as you progress through the game. It’s also a bit of a collect-a-thon, which it very satisfying – the campaign itself including side quests runs for about 40 hours, and is designed to span over months of playtime.
Cozy Grove is synced to real world time, with roughly an hour of new quest content every day, not including fishing, decorating and any crafting you mind find yourself getting up to. It’s got Animal Crossing vibes, but more depth to the story, and is definitely worth sinking some time into if you need a little digital escape.
Frogsong
It wouldn’t be a cozy games list without a game about frogs, so of course Frogsong gets a mention here. Frogsong is described as a “heartfelt adventure where it’s okay to be small,” and sees you follow the story of Chorus, a very little frog with big dreams. Chorus isn’t taken seriously and their big dreams of protecting the world are at odds with what’s expected of them. After moving to a village called Boreala where the Defense Guild is trained, they’re sent on a big adventure to discover how to protect their loved ones (and the world), all the while learning more about themself.
While many cozy games steer clear of combat, Frogsong leans into the RPG genre as you find your way through a 2D world, meeting new characters, improving your equipment, and exploring a unique, heartfelt story.
Frogsong is available now on Steam, Itch.io, and Nintendo Switch.
Which is your favourite cozy game from the list?
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