Top Games Lists: 10 Unforgettable Cozy Games Like GRIS
Here is your list of games like GRIS if you have a huge love for atmospheric vibes and emotional storytelling. Someone pass me the tissues, please.
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GRIS was one of the first indie games I played on Nintendo Switch and I haven’t stopped recommending it to fellow cozy gamers ever since.
It’s an ambitious game that highlights a gap in my gaming collection – games that can make me cry! Its use of metaphors allowed me to interpret the powerful story in a personal way and left a lasting impression.
I wouldn’t normally choose to play a puzzle platformer unless it’s in co-op with my player 2, or if I’m playing solo I gravitate to management sims, but GRIS is a story I had to experience for myself. The art style helped the game flow effortlessly and I found myself unable to put it down.
What Is Gris All About?
GRIS is a puzzle-platform game with environmental puzzles requiring you to figure out how to move through the world.
A short, artistic game that feels closer to a silent animated film than a traditional video game. You guide a young woman named Gris through a series of dreamlike landscapes after she experiences a profound loss.
At the beginning, the world is drained of colour and sound. As you explore, solve gentle environmental puzzles, and move through each area, colour gradually returns. This visual transformation mirrors her emotional recovery.
There is no spoken dialogue and almost no written text. The story is conveyed through imagery, music, and movement.
The gameplay itself is simple and calm, with no enemies or failure states to create stress. Instead, the experience focuses on atmosphere, symbolism, and reflection. For someone who has never played a video game, GRIS would feel less like a challenge to overcome and more like stepping inside a living painting that unfolds with meaning as you progress.
It’s the game you recommend to a loved one when you lack the words to describe how you are feeling so they may experience the grief you are going through.
Gris is available to buy now 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!
10 Heartwarming Cozy Games Like GRIS
1
NEVA
Neva is an emotionally-charged action adventure from the visionary team behind the critically acclaimed GRIS.
Neva chronicles the story of Alba, a young woman bound to a curious wolf cub following a traumatic encounter with dark forces. Together they embark on a perilous journey through a once-beautiful world as it slowly decays around them.
Over time, their relationship will evolve as they learn to work together, helping one another to brave increasingly dangerous situations. The wolf will grow from a rebellious cub to an imposing adult seeking to forge her own identity, testing Alba’s love and their commitment to one another.
2
Forgotton Anne
I first came across this enchanting game from a member of my community who recommended I play this as a fan of Studio Ghibli movies. They were so right!
The story goes that Anne is the enforcer of The Forgotton Lands, a place where all forgotten things go, like your left sock. She needs to squash a brewing rebellion so she and her master can get back home to the human realm. I played Forgotton Anne on Mobile.
3
Child of Light
If there is one game that captures the essence of GRIS it’s Child of Light. Released in 2014 this exquisite story is told through rhymes and poetry.
You play as Aurora, a young girl who awakens in a fairytale land. With a turn-based battle system, you’ll need to fight off the dark creatures that have stolen the sun, moon, and stars. Can you make it back to your homeland of Lemuria?
4
Spiritfarer
I played Spiritfarer straight after completing GRIS. That kind of back-to-back heavy emotion was a bit much but well worth it.
Venture out in your boat as Stella and her companion Daffodil to ferry lost souls across the seas. On your adventure, you’ll learn about who you used to be before you became the ferrymaster and how each of your new friends are connected.
5
Journey
If you’ve never played Journey you are missing out. It’s a wholesome and utterly moving experience. Probably the most fun I’ve had with a stranger in an online game.
There’s no way to communicate except with a series of clicks and twirls. You have one goal that is clear from the outset (because you are staring at it when you load in), reach the top of the mountain. Journey is an atmospheric puzzler that will win your heart with its simple gameplay.
6
SEASON: A Letter to the Future
Set off on your bicycle to document the end of the season. Play as a young woman in SEASON: A Letter to the Future as you leave your village and your family behind to explore a new world, one you’ve only heard stories about.
It’s about as slow as a game can get. You truly want to immerse yourself in every corner of this world. Take pictures of everything, trust me. I played this indie game on my Steam Deck and it worked like a dream!
7
NAIAD
NAIAD is a top-down exploration of nature through a gently flowing river. This relaxing game will have you singing like Pocahontas, “What’s Around the Riverbend?”.
You simply backstroke your way down (or up) the river as a cute water nymph who can duck, dive and dash. Make friends with the bugs and animals and lend them a helping hand navigating the river. It’s an easy puzzler that I found incredibly meditative. No release date for this game yet but here’s hoping the demo gets a re-release soon.
8
Fishbowl
Fishbowl is a visual novel about becoming an adult and seeing your childhood in a new light. Drowning in feelings of grief, isolation, and the responsibilities of adulthood, Alo receives an unlikely lifeline in the form of a magical talking fish from her childhood. With Paplet as her companion, Alo unravels the threads of her past, giving way to a new future.
9
Sky: Children of the Light
Unlock the mystery of the stars in Sky: Children of the Light. This is an award-winning MMO thoughtfully designed to help you meaningfully connect with other players.
With fresh regions, characters, and features added regularly it’s been a firm favorite of many folks in the cozy gaming community. The seasonal events are what really bring this atmospheric game to life. They can be quite emotional.
10
Hoa
Hoa is a beautiful puzzle-platforming game that features breathtaking hand-painted art, lovely music, and a peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. Experience the magic of nature and imagination as you play the main character, Hoa, on her journey through breathtaking environments back to where it all began.
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As an INFP, Wendy is always late for her house. Her wardrobe is stuffed with snuggly jim-jams, and her hot water bottle is her best friend. Wendy enjoys playing a little bit of everything, but she'll always prefer to unwind with simulation and management games.
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