A Beginners Guide to Cozy Gaming: What, Why, and Where to Start

Written byWendy Hours Last Updated on

So you’re just getting started in cozy gaming and you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing?  My lovely, you are not alone!  Many many people just like you start a new hobby every single day.  It can be daunting trying to figure out what games to play and on what platform.  I’m here to help guide you through this one step at a time. Imagine me sitting right next to you and we are doing this together… because I’m now your new cozy games blogger BFF!

Cozy Gaming Blogger - Her Cozy Gaming Cozy Gamer and Content Creator. Beginners guide to cozy gaming.

Cozy games changed my life. When I switched from playing fast-paced, violent video games I noticed a big shift in my overall mental well-being. I went from struggling to sleep (literally up until 3am), I was stuck in fight or flight because my nervous system was wrecked—to going to bed at 9pm like a grandma!

My anxiety levels are so much better now. Not only that but I’m more intentional with my time. I used to waste 4-5 hours a day easy, playing video games. Now playing feels more like a meditation because the games I choose help me achieve small, manageable goals.

Because cozy gaming has changed my life so much, I feel like I have to share this lifestyle with other people. You can’t keep something this good to yourself. 

In this post, I’m going to walk you, step-by-step, through how to start your cozy gaming hobby yourself from scratch; no prior gaming experience is necessary!

Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links

What do you need to start cozy gaming?

Starting cozy gaming is easier than you may think. You don’t truly need much to begin. 

Here is what you need to start cozy gaming:

  1. Headphones (to tune out everything else)
  2. 15-30 minutes to play a game.
  3. A phone (or console if you have one, but not necessary)

Let’s start your cozy gaming hobby:

First, we’re going to look at what cozy games actually are.

What are Cozy Games?

Cozy games are relaxing, non-violent video games designed to challenge your mind, not your reflexes, and often feature brightly colored aesthetics and wholesome, inclusive characters. While terms like “Life-Sim” or “Puzzle” describe what you do, “cozy” describes how the game makes you feel.

Cozy is a “mood”.

In recent years the term has been overused, dismissed, and belittled by people. But it’s not going anywhere. Steam officially added it to its categories list, and with 1000’s of games now to choose from, cozy games are gaining in popularity.

Cozy Game Awards:

and many many more! While the “Big 3” (The Game Awards, BAFTAs, and GDC) get the most headlines in the gaming industry, the cozy and indie scenes have their own thriving, specialized award ceremonies too.

The Cozy Quest Awards hosted on Steam as part of the Cozy Quest festival, and Wholesome Direct on YouTube, have become sort after industry accolades for cozy game developers.

Tips for finding a cozy game to play:

With so many new cozy games released every day it’s difficult to keep up! I’ve found keeping a list helps. That’s why I created a list of the best cozy games on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and Xbox.

Recently, I bought 7 cozy games for less than $7 on Loaded!

You can earn 1% cashback (converts to CDKoins) on eligible purchases across their site just by buying the games you love. These points can be redeemed for discounts on future games, expansions, or subscription purchases saving you money!

Click here to open Loaded & find a bargain.

Before you start playing you’ll need to do this

The most frequent question I get when someone finds out I write about cozy video games is:

Why play cozy games at all?

Cozy games reduce stress, it’s as simple as that really. But they are also a low-barrier to entry for new players as most larger games tend to lean towards high-pressure, competitive gaming with an emphasis on polished graphics. Cozy games feel like hitting the reset button.

But if you’re not mindful about your reasons for wanting to play cozy games, you can quickly end up overwhelmed, with a wishlist of games so long you’ll never find the time to play them all.

When I first started I set out with the intention to play one game at a time, and see it through to completion. Or at the very least, get to the end of the story.

Before I got into cozy gaming I would play games that had no ending, required monthly subscriptions, and required me to login at least once a day to do my daily tasks. That’s not a hobby, it’s another job!

How to become a cozy gamer

If you don’t want your hobby to suck up all your time, or become another task you have to tick off, you need to decide why you want to become a cozy gamer.

Having a reason to start will help you stay grounded when the Steam Next Fest is on and 20+ games you really want to play are on sale. Or that new gaming influencer you started following promotes the next best indie game and everyone HAS to play it or miss out!

To get you started here are a few of mine you can steal. My personal fav is number 7!

7 Key Reasons to Play Cozy Games:

  1. Stress Relief and Relaxation: Slow-paced tasks like farming, designing, or exploration can help to lower heart rates, blood pressure, and cortisol levels. Research suggests that just 20 to 30 minutes of low-stress gameplay can be as effective as meditation for relaxation.
  2. Sense of Accomplishment: Cozy games provide a steady stream of “small wins” through manageable goals. These tiny victories trigger dopamine release and build self-esteem without the fear of failure or harsh penalties common in other genres.
  3. Sensory Regulation: Soundtracks featuring lo-fi or ambient music, combined with soft, pastel-themed visuals, are intentionally designed to soothe the nervous system. This sensory comfort helps transition the brain from a high-energy “work mode” to a restful “recovery mode”.
  4. Control and Stability: In an unpredictable world, these games offer a safe, structured environment where you have complete agency over your home, farm, or island. This sense of order and predictability can be incredibly grounding during times of real-life instability.
  5. Mindfulness: The gentle, repetitive tasks, especially in management games, encourage players to enter a “flow state”. This keeps your mind anchored in the present moment, similar to mindfulness practices, which helps quiet racing thoughts and mental noise.
  6. Safe Social Connections: Many cozy titles foster community through kind interactions with non-player characters (NPCs) or collaborative multiplayer modes. These non-toxic, non-competitive spaces can trigger the release of oxytocin and reduce feelings of loneliness or social anxiety.
  7. Better Sleep Hygiene: Incorporating a cozy game into your evening routine can serve as a healthier alternative to “doom-scrolling”. By reducing cortisol and avoiding high-intensity stimulation, these games can help ease the transition to sleep and may even lead to more pleasant dreams.

This list isn’t exhaustive. From boosting your workplace productivity to mastering Korean, you can find a game for almost any goal.

QUick Task!

Comment your reason for getting into cozy gaming and support other members of the community for joining. Share that love!

Woohoo! You’re on your way to starting your cozy gaming hobby. How exciting!

Let’s take a look now at a few games you can begin your journey with.

5 Cozy Games for Beginners

The following games are just a snippet of what’s available to new starters. I have a list of over 50 cozy games but that would make this post far too long. So if you’d like to download the whole list for free it’s waiting over here for you! The 5 games I’m going to share with you are available on ALL platforms. Whether you play on your phone, Nintendo Switch, or PC (and maybe even PlayStation or Xbox) you’ll be able to find them.

low energy game Unpacking on Nintendo switch and Steam
Image: Witch Beam

1

Unpacking

Make a house into a home in this zen puzzle game. You begin by unpacking a stranger’s boxes and learn about them through their belongings. There’s no dialogue, no timer, or scores to track. But you may find some items will only fit in certain places. Can you find out where they all go?

Unpacking is thoughtfully designed, family-friendly and has won countless awards for its inclusivity and accessibility for all players. It’s unmatched when it comes to original storytelling through objects that we carry with us throughout our lifetime. It will feel personal to everyone who plays it. Best played on PC due the point-and-click game mechanics which I preferred using a mouse for.

Find more games like Unpacking

Image: Tapblaze

2

Good Pizza, Great Pizza

Become a pizza master in this fun cooking game! Do your best to fulfil orders from customers while making enough money to keep your shop open. Good Pizza, Great Pizza is mildly challenging. It does have a timer but you never feel rushed. You can serve as many, or as little, customers in a day as you like.

Suitable for new players who want a little challenge. The controls on PC can feel slow if you want to rush your orders but the cartoonish graphics are super satisfying. I found it can be a little hard to understand what some customers want as they tell you through riddles. Overall though, Good Pizza, Great Pizza is a cozy game I’ve thoroughly enjoyed over the years. Best played on mobile.

Watch me play Good Pizza, Great Pizza on YouTube

Image: ConcernedApe

3

Stardew Valley

Stardew valley is far more than just a farming game, but it is the ultimate farming game. When you ask a cozy gamer what game comes to mind when you say farming, they will say Stardew. It’s not a game I’ve gotten into heavily myself but it’s one to consider if you want to dip your toes into farming for the first time.

Move to the countryside, and cultivate a new life in this award-winning open-ended farming RPG! With over 50+ hours of gameplay content and new mobile-specific features, such as auto-save and touch-screen controls. Can you learn to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields into a cozy home? Stardew is quite possibly best played on PC due the addition of Mods (fan created content).

Find more games like Stardew Valley

Cozy Grove is a life-sim game about camping on a haunted, ever-changing island. The whole island is your garden to decorate.
Image: Spry Fox

4

Cozy Grove + Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit

Cozy Grove is the second life-sim RPG on this list, a game about camping on a haunted, ever-changing island. As a Spirit Scout, you’ll wander the island’s forest each day, finding new hidden secrets and helping soothe the local ghosts. But I’m also going to add it’s follow up game Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit to your must-play list too, let me explain.

Cozy Grove is available to play everywhere except mobile these days. But the sequel, Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit, was released for iOS and Android via Netflix Games. So even though you can’t play the first game on mobile you still have its sequel. However, you will need a Netflix subscription to play.

The sequel stands alone. You don’t need to have played the original game. It’s exactly the same premise though Camp Spirit has now extra features. I enjoyed playing Cozy Grove on Nintendo Switch.

Find more games like Cozy Grove

A Little to the Left cozy game it's a low energy game
Image: Secret Mode

5

A Little to the Left

More brain-teasing puzzles await you in A Little to the Left. Sort, stack, and organize household objects into just the right spot. With over 100 unique puzzles, each with multiple solutions, this adorable game is perfect for players of all ages.

I love that you can play a demo of the game on mobile as well as Steam for free before purchase. On mobile there are 9 puzzles from the main game you can play to decide if the game is right for you. You can also play the add-on packs – Drawers and Stars – but they stand alone as separate games for purchase on mobile.

Find more games like A Little to the Left

That’s it! if you followed my guide you should now know what a cozy game is, have a reason to play them, and found at least one game to play. You’re officially a cozy gamer!

Did you start your cozy gaming hobby using this guide?

I get so excited whenever someone uses my guide to cozy gaming because I know how it can impact their life. Let me know below if you haven’t already commented, and I look forward to seeing what games you choose to start playing.

Ready to turn your hobby into cash?

Find out how you can start a gaming blog just like mine in just 30 days with my guide.

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Wendy
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