My Current Top 10 Cosy Games

During the last few years, I've gone right back to being obsessed with cutesy titles that bring me some relaxation. This is especially true thanks to my ongoing battle with tendinitis, which has forced me to step back from the hectic, action-packed gaming I had been obsessing over for a while now. Thanks to that, I have slowly gathered a list of fantastically cosy titles that you might have missed! Without further ado, here are some of my favourite relaxing games in no particular order because what monster can rate cute games in a favourite list?

#10 — Frog Detective

Starting off with one of the more simple titles, Frog Detective is an easy-to-digest short title where you step into the shoes of a detective and solve silly mysteries. I've only had the pleasure of playing one of the entries — The Haunted Island — but I was so smitten by this short adventure that I went ahead and got all the achievements. Although it's very short, offering me a total of exactly 111 minutes of playtime to finish it 100% (which is almost two hours for those who are bad at maths like me), I think it's a fantastic title to pick up on a lazy Sunday when you've got barely any brain cells online.

#9 — Postmouse

Sometimes, I like to browse through the free games section to see if I find any hidden gems among them, and (sometimes) I forget to even play them. I'm not quite sure for how long Postmouse has been in my library, but I was very surprised to find out it was a free title! This charming platformer was an absolute delight to play, as the world was absolutely gorgeous and the characters lovely. As a short introduction, you play as a little mouse who is in charge of his first serious job as a postman!

#8 — Dorfromantik

I almost considered not including Dorfromantik in this list because it's far from niche, and I highly doubt a lot of people have missed out on playing it, but then I realised I was one of those who arrived late to the party. Had it not been because I tried out the upcoming adorable game Bubblegum Galaxy (read my wife's preview here!), I would've probably never dived head-first into Dorfromantik because it seems so intimidating at first glance, but I am very happy I have. Gorgeous art style, easy-to-understand gameplay, and relaxing music are all you need if you're looking for something relaxing to wind down! I loved it so much, I actually ended up reviewing the game.

#7 — Hidden Through Time

As I've gotten more and more into games, I've realised that the simple genres that I loved so much before have become a bit forgotten in exchange for deeper ones. Among those are the hidden object games, which I used to spend egregious time on and which I have thankfully reconnected with! This was all thanks to Hidden Through Time — a title I got in one of the bundles I bought this year from Fanatical that happens to take you throughout many eras as you look for an assortment of items. It has slipped me right back into the cosy and simple titles I used to love before, from match 3s to point-and-clicks! I couldn't recommend it more! If you'd like to learn more, feel free to check out my review here!

#6 — Super Indie Karts

Another game I had the pleasure of meeting thanks to getting it through a bundle is none other than Super Indie Karts — a charming arcade racer that draws you in by your Mario Kart nostalgia and keeps you thanks to its numerous indie title crossovers! If you're a fan of playing smaller titles, you'll definitely find some of your favourites on the list, which includes the likes of CrossCode, Runbow, Teslagrad, and Guacamelee!!

#5 — Garden of the Sea

When my wife finally got to buy her VR console, it turns out, I ended up being the bigger fan, and one of the games I got most lost in was Garden of the Sea — a farming/life sim that'll have you exploring different islands, befriending animals, and collecting all sorts of materials in the world to build up your house and craft items. I was very much charmed by patting the animals and spent wayyyy too much time feeding them; this is definitely a no-brainer for any fan of cosy games who has a VR!

#4 — Cosmonious High

Another phenomenal entry to the virtual reality world was none other than one of the games I was most excited for my wife to get: Cosmonious High! This colourful and wacky title might not be cosy in the traditional sense, but walking around the campus, getting to know the adorable characters, and losing tons and tons of hours to messing around in class is one of the best — if not THE best — experiences I've had in VR. It's safe to say it had me absolutely enthralled. I might have reviewed this one, too!

#3 — Lil Gator Game

Going back to non-VR games, I wanted to talk about one of the most fun I've had in a platformer title in a good while now: Lil Gator Game. I have a whole journey with it, as it was one of my most anticipated titles and the only developer team I've interviewed not once but twice! This colourful game puts you in the shoes of a baby gator who is trying to come to terms with their sister growing too old to play pretend, and although that sounds a bit sad, I promise there is nothing but unhinged fun to be had in it! Check out my review if you'd like to know even more! 

#2 — Palia

The most recent title to join my favourite cosy game list is probably one you've heard of left and right lately — Palia. There's nothing I love more in the world than my wife, so when I found a game I could play with her the way we used to in World of Warcraft, it was a no-brainer for me! This nuanced MMO really takes pride in its relaxing approach to gaming, as there's nothing but cosiness and calm everywhere you look. I found myself completely engrossed in the delightful characters, myriad activities, and amazing depth of decoration for hours on end. There isn't too much content available yet, and the premium shop has caused some waves, but it's still worth a look, in my opinion! If you’d like to know more, you can read the preview here!

#1 — Disney Dreamlight Valley

Last but not least, I had to add the latest game that has breached 300 hours in my library — Disney Dreamlight Valley. I've had quite a history with this one, as I was lucky enough to get to preview it and have been utterly obsessed with it ever since, causing me to spew out article after article about it! I know I said I wouldn't choose favourites, but this one is definitely "up there" for me. The amalgamation of Animal Crossing and Disney is one of the most dream-like experiences I've had, as it has everything I had been so desperately looking for ever since falling out of love with Pocket Camp! 

And that's it for my current top 10 cosy games! I hope you found something to play and give your hands a bit of a rest with. Feel free to let me know in the comments if you've played any of these and what you thought of them!