Cozy Games Kinda Suck Now, Here's Why

#cozygames #nintendo #animalcrossing #stardewvalley

It's true. Cozy Games kinda suck now but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge fan of cozy games but I feel like the community needs work along with game studios.

Games featured in the video (mentioned or as clips):
- Stardew Valley
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Hoko Life
- Fae Farm
- Disney Dreamlight Valley
- Littlewood
- Fallout: New Vegas
- Spiritfarer
- Snacko
- Little Kitty, Big City
- Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley
- Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Death Stranding
- Dear Esther
- The Stanley Parable
- A Highland Song
- Dredge
- Coffee Talk
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Silent Hill 2
- Fallout 4 (including Fallout 4: London Modpack)
- Dark Souls: Remastered
- Final Fantasy XV
- Resident Evil 4: Remake
- Cult of the Lamb
- Gris
- Calico
- Baldur's Gate 3
- A Little to the Left
- Townscaper
- Graveyard Keeper
- Harvest Moon
- Sticky Business
- Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
- Luigi's Mansion 3
- Staxel
- The Garden Path

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:53 What is a Cozy Game?
02:08 What if you don't like Cozy Games?
03:00 Inclusivity in the Community
04:06 Making Cozy Games Interesting
06:00 Diversify Gameplay
06:34 Improve Social Skills
07:14 The World is Your Oyster
07:50 Be More Accessible
09:14 Final Thoughts
10:07 Outro

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When I'm not here on YouTube you can catch me on the following places:

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[maireadthepirate]

Cozy games have always held a special place in my heart so it's disappointing to see where they're at today. Whether you're a cozy game person or not, let me know in the comments which games make you feel cozy.

Thanks again for all the ongoing support everyone! It truly means the world to me.

Take care and have a good one,
~Mai 💜

[TCPolecat]

I just want them to NOT include farming. I find it horribly tedious. Let me fix stuff, act as a repair-person for a town or something, just no farming!

[Trassel]

The problem with cozy games is that a lot of game developers, apparently, seem to think that making a cozy game is “easier” or requires less effort than, say, a game like Dark Souls. The same way that many people think that a stylised, cartoony art style is easier to draw than photorealism. The problem with cozy games is that every little detail matters, so if you try to make a nice and relaxing farming game, if some part of the farming gameplay is mildly irritating or just tedious, that can’t be saved by a lovely art style or anything really.

I’d love a cozy game where you get to learn about the community/village where you live, and with a hand drawn art style. I like tidying up and getting to change over or refresh an object or a place, such as decorating a room or fixing up a broken down vehicle. I also like being able to customise and dress up my player character, and especially if there is some sort of gameplay effect to the clothes (say, NPCs react differently depending on what you’re wearing).

[HeyCee]

minmaxing games that are supposed to be relaxing is my biggest pet peeve! If people want to play that way sure go ahead but don't yell at everyone who doesn't! You nailed it in the head with all of these points though, I also think that one of the many downsides of the imitation games is that when there's one that is unique nobody knows about it because it's flooded by many other similar games!
In my case point and click adventure games are the coziest, solving a mystery is ironically exactly what I need to "switch the mind off" whereas simulating manual labor not so much so lol

[leahkilley]

I've got to admit, the reason Animal Crossing has turned me off a but recently is the little things that you need to do every day that started to feel more like chores; weeding, pulling unwanted flowers, digging fossils, finding the money tree. At a point where you've done major things like finishing your house debt and getting a 5-star island, you realise the game is essentially 'finished'.
And really, don't we play video games to escape chores? 🙃

[chiphead]

For me, I am tired of “cozy” games always striving to be games that have the same features like farming and crafting, all of which just gets dull to me after a few hours, and these types of games advertise themselves to be games that have no ending. I prefer smaller games that are more adventurous and have shorter play times like A Short Hike, Natsumon, Alba, and Little Gator Game. I wanna play a game that gives me little to worry about, explore an area I’ll love to see all of, and have credits roll in 5-10 hours. That’s my ideal cozy game

[catspresident]

The term "cozy games" doesn't mean that other game-types can't be cozy to somebody. It's used to differentiate from the "usual" games that feature violence, loose-states & typically require high skill and/or reflexes from the player.

[LowCountryMatt]

Seeing the Snufkin game in the thumbnail gave me a concern it was gonna get trashed on. It's definitely a good and chaotic cozy game, all about exploring and ecoterrorism

[Camille-wufk]

I think the issue is semantics. While other categories of games have actual labels such as FPS or adventure, cozy games was something that came out in recent years and people ran with it. Yes, it's ok for someone to say a particular game is cozy for them, but there needs to be a label to make it easy to find the usual games under the cozy genre that people are looking for when they type in cozy-- and that label is casual.

[Drstrange]

It is because a lot of them are cashing in on a trend and aren't doing much to separate themselves from the rest. It has become oversaturated very quickly after the success of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing New Horizons.

There are other forms of cozy games that aren't just farming Sims or live simulators. A lot of Nintendo games are cozy by nature. The Wii and DS were cozy paradise. I think mostly what a cozy game should mean is that it is more of a casual, easy to pick up experience, with an inviting aesthetic. It is even better with calming music.

[sneakyroguethief]

love this video! really glad you brought up the accessibility of them bc part of my problem with a lot of the "cosy games" is that they hurt my hands to play and often times when I'm in high-pain, cosy games are what i look to for entertainment. for me, bg3 has become a cosy game for just this reason as i can play it for extended periods of time and don't have to worry about it causing extra pain, plus i do enjoy the rp and exploration aspect the game offers as well!

[Graphomite]

The best way to make cozy games inclusive is to accept "cozy" isn't describing a genre. Life sim, graphic novel, farming sim--these are genres. They suggest particular mechanics within the game. RPG is a genre. It's an extremely broad genre, so people may argue its qualities, but it is definable from a deductive standpoint--we can all agree Galaga is not an RPG. But is it cozy? Sure, why not. Cozy isn't a genre, and I think journalists and media in general should be a bit careful with how they influence the semantic erosion of words when regurgitating them as labels.

[TheDawnofVanlife]

Good video!! I do think there is room to discuss Cozy as a genra (like the developer was going FOR Cozy in development - Floatopia for example) vs “I find this Cozy”. Like tetris is my most Cozy Game because of how freaking simplistic yet engaging it is. Yet on my favorite cozy games list, I wouldn’t list Tetris because I feel like when people are asking about Cozy games they are asking for a specific type of recommendation and aestetic.

I think many people find many games “relaxing”. Like if you had a bad day coming home and spraying a bunch of enemies with bullets in a video game “might” be relaxing or punching out competitors in Street Fighter. But I wouldn’t list my favorite shooter in my favorite cozy games list as I think when people are asking, especially about cozy games, not what *I* find cozy its a different thing.

I think without this distinction “cozy” as a “feeling” could be literally any and all games. Every game to a certain extent. That being said if someone said Fallout was their favorite cozy game I wouldn’t be throwing fist and trying to tear them down for it.

I 100% agree tho I would like to see more creativity in the space. Like I think we can chill on the ‘new in town’ farming games.

[TheSpicyOrange]

Very eloquently said, I agree with everything. I dislike when a game is just repeating stardew valley themes without offering real differentiation. I want cozy to be no longer be synonymous with farming, but be expanded further.

[rachyrachington]

Great video - my favourite cosy games that you wouldn't normally associate with that term are: Zelda Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Ni No Kuni, Professor Layton and the Ace Attorney Games!

[frangipanisandgirl]

For me, my definition of a cozy game is one where there is only a low level of danger or no danger at all. Things chasing me or coming at me stress me out! I avoided the mines in SDV for ages for this reason (don’t even get me started on skull cavern!). Someone else mentioned Kirby and the forgotten land as being cozy, and I agree because you can choose the less dangerous mode to play in 😅 the soundtrack also has a big impact on the cozy factor for me too.

[zkme]

my surprised cozy game was Kirby and The Forgotten Land. The environments for each section, the puzzles, the exploring, the waddle dee village with their minigames, everything felt so warm and welcoming, even to the final levels of the game where you are fighting god. It managed to bring back a childhood charm I thought I'd lost.

[reibeatall]

Oooohhh I'm so glad you brought up Graveyard Keeper. I'm on my second playthrough and I'm just now realizing things about the gameplay that I'm like "ohh, duh." Can't use words good right now, but it's basically more of a "the game pushes you to advance your tech" as opposed to Stardew's less focused "play how you want and discover new things".

[chloeplaysacnh]

I’d love to see more mmos within the cozy gaming genre! Palia kind of did, and I think it works well. I’d love to see that explored more though!! 🥰

[TheSHANEANIGANS]

Abzü is always my go to cozy game
Fallout 4 settlement building I can do for hours on end
Grinding on games I love a lot and often attribute it to "cozy" borderlands always being high on that list