Cozy Games

 Cozy Games

New Category: Over the years, I've played a lot of different types of games. In recent years, I've noticed that I've leaned heavy on a certain kind of genre that usually involves some kind of farming. With the success of Stardew Valley, there appears to be quite a number of these games where you farm, mine, fish, and form relationships with the locals. Some indie games are more focused on the adventure aspect. Since not all games fit into the same formula, there will be one primary feature that separates them from others - you are part of a small group of individuals in the hopes of making things better for everyone by living off the land. The Steam tags will be a big help in distinguishing the games. Down below, you will find a list of games with a short description on the ones reviewed, the ones being watched, and some games still being developed. 

Recently Reviewed (2023 onward)

• My Time At Sandrock - sequel to My Time At Portia
• Paleo Pines - training cute dinosaurs to help out on the farm
• Echoes of Plum Grove - a farming game with dangerous encounters and survival mechanics.
  
• Little Known Galaxy - space farm sim with very restrictive advancement methods.
• Fae Farm - nice game with local multiplayer but world feels rather static.
• Eastward - a very odd game with multiple aspects of gameplay.
  
• Bandle Tale - whimsical adventure with ultimate cuteness that has heavy-handed crafting
  
• Everdream Valley - sandbox creator with linear quests that unlock features while you dream of animals.
  
• Wildmender - a very odd spin on a randomly-generated desert and garden maintenance. 
• Roots of Pacha - unclear on how progression works but great overall 
• Coral Island - released far too early with numerous features absent from the game. Should have waited until 2025 to play.
• Dreamlight Valley - developmental complications that made a free-to-play game suddenly changed to a paid game with downloadable content on the first day of release.
• Immortal Life - dropped game with limited exploration and repetitive gameplay.
• Dave the Diver - extraordinary underwater diving game with hundreds of little features to keep things fresh and cross-over downloadable content to keep the fun going.
• Moonstone Island - monster pocket fighting hopping islands with a very tiny town to keep you entertained.
• Sun Haven - nicely built game with a surprising number of extended features that needed a little more time to solve some of the more minor issues on release.
• Kynseed - suffers an identity crisis where you need a guidebook to explain some of the more intricate features.

Past Reviewed (2022 or older)

• Potion Permit - interesting concepts limited by the lack of substance and exploration.
• Picontier - fun world to explore that still suffers from experimental creative differences.
• Littlewood - interesting world to explore with a god-like aesthetic.
• Graveyard Keeper - an unfair game that solves its problems through downloadable content.
• Stardew Valley Updates - an overview of the changes made between Version 1.1 and 1.5.
• My Time at Portia - a very interesting exploration game that takes a long time to finish.
• Forager - very short game with little to offer in exploration.
  
• Starbound - closer to Terraria in concept but still offers some interesting features.
  

 Early Access

• Traveller's Rest - taking care of a tavern is an interesting concept.
• Lightyear Frontier - like the idea of fighting monsters and farming inside a robot.
• Dinkum - an unusual aesthetic for a cozy game.
• Len's Island - a more realistic approach in a fantasy setting.
• Little Witch in the Woods - unsure on what features the game focuses on.
• Fields of Mistria - a game made with sprites similarly to Stardew Valley
• Critter Cove - island village game.
  

Candidates

• Core Keeper - played for a couple of hours in its early form but worried about the "fun factor" only available in multiplayer.
  
• Potion Craft - a different type of game that dives into mixing herbs.
• No Place Like Home - simplistic but decent reviews.
• Ikonei Island - play with animals.
• Spirittea - Spirited Away concept with limited development.
• Song of the Prairie - generic farming simulator (terrible voice acting)
• Harvest Island - island farming but horror might be too much
  
• Wylde Flowers - discovering hidden secrets of the land
• Caravan Sandwitch - doesn't seem to have any farming but might be relaxing
• Amber Isle - humanoid dinosaurs in a small community
• Albatroz - not necessarily a farming game but traveling through the mountains
• I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse - you live at the top of a building
• Luma Island - bubbly farming simulator

Currently Playing

• Palia - very well-developed free game with minor premium cosmetics.