When did gaming get so cosy?
How cosy gaming launched a counter-culture of self care
Since when did everyone want to be cosy? From expansive cosy gaming worlds, to ambient music, or the latest brain melting Netflix series to help you switch off at the end the day, our digital appetites seem to be favouring the soft, sweet and soothing. But why so cosy, why now? As cosy culture, helmed by some of the buzziest games of the moment (think Stardew Valley, Spirit Farer, Unpacking) continues to grow in influence, it looks like we might have a new counter culture on our hands. One totally committed to self-care.
How did we get here? Unsurprisingly, it was during the pandemic that cosy games got a taste of mainstream success, as a newly adjusted way of socialising and an easy entry point into gaming. They tended to emphasise the players' feelings as opposed to high-stakes action or competition, focusing on relaxation and comfort through slow paces, calming music, and gentle gameplay mechanics (think farming, solving puzzles or looking after a home). Fast forward to 2024, and Wired named the cosy gaming showcase Wholesome Direct as the busiest and most exciting of the season.
In a landscape previously dominated by high stakes, action adventure games from AAA studios, cosy independents have tapped into an unfulfilled audience need: wellness and self care. In a climate where relevance can be difficult to keep hold of (more of this in our recent report The Age of Relevance), investing in audience’s wellbeing is one answer. “To me, cosy gaming's popularity does not hinge on fleeting trends, nostalgia, or addictiveness. Its popularity comes from the desire for games that are warm and fuzzy; games that require care, creativity, and introspection, where other genres may fall short” says Kennedy (@cozykgames). Alexandre Stroukoff, co-founder of Alblune games, creators of The Spirit and the Mouse agrees, "people get depressed, and they need to relax [...] Now, we recognize that it's an important part of playing games.”
Web developer and avid gamer Sheeva explains how important community is to this shift. “More traditional gaming communities have a reputation of being judgemental, exclusionary and at times ‘incely’. I have wanted to play online first person shooter games but don't want to be around that energy”, she says. In contrast “As a female gamer I feel safe playing cosy games.” Though these more inclusive gaming communities have existed for a long time, now their visibility on a much broader scale is opening up gaming to new and different types of gamers, explains Suzette of @CozyTeaGames. “The market is finally presenting itself. There’s always been a need for people to find comfort in cosier games, you can see that in ways people latched on so heavily to games like Harvest Moon and the Sims, games that focused on socialisation and building instead of destroying”.
But who is the market, exactly? The de-stressing effects of cosy games do greatly serve the marginalised groups who may need them the most, but it would be lazy to suggest that this genre is defined by minorities, or that those groups are responsible for creating more pleasant online experiences. In the current mental health climate, cosy gaming can provide respite to a host of demographics. In fact, the industry is already being put to use for just that. Therapists in America are using Minecraft to help young children explore and discuss their feelings during sessions. Gamers are also introducing cosy titles into their usual repertoire as a way to experience new emotions online and make memories through games.
It’s more than simple relaxation, though. Cosy games achieve such powerful results through the escapism they provide, not just to the nostalgia of childhood memories, but to entirely new worlds. “Every year we get more and more creative works being put out, and if anything, I see the future of cosy gaming becoming even more multifaceted. I see sub-genres like ‘dark cosy’ already taking place in games like Little Misfortune and the Rusty Lake Games.” says Suzzette. It’s escapism to painstakingly crafted fantastical worlds that have earnt titles like Journey and even Red Dead Redemption 2 praise by cosy fans online. It makes sense: The richer the world to lose yourself in, the more effectively you can escape from daily life.
And cosy games often go one step further, not only helping users explore and escape new realities, but simultaneously helping them cope better with the real world. Many cosy games are helping players explore life’s more sticky complexities through beautiful gamification. Take Venba, a narrative cooking game following an Indian family living in Canada, exploring the role food plays in maintaining the family’s connection to their Tamil culture. Or Spirit Farer, where players explore grief by caring for spirits in a ‘hotel for spirits’ ferry boat, helping them pass on to the afterlife – two common and formative emotional experiences rarely actively explored in Western popular culture, opened up by the medium. Or Sky: Children of the Light, where players can hold hands and run through cinematic realms together, which MØRNING’s Ivy found herself playing as a way to connect with her partner when doing long distance. (Pass the tissues pls!)
“I'd say most cosy games require active decision-making, strategy, reflection, and even creativity. They can be a great way to decompress after a long day, inspire boundless creativity, and feel seen through narratives in ways other forms of media can't offer”, explains Kennedy. As our relationships to our everyday tech become increasingly intertwined, cosy games can be a tool for productivity. @WholesomeGames recently started a conversation touting ideal cosy gaming combos, i.e. the extensive and at times dizzying new ways gamers combine entertainment mediums as a way to reach peak flow state. Think: gaming whilst watching a favourite film, listening to a podcast, while watching sports matches, between chapters of a book.
Perhaps it's this personalisation that makes cosy games so successful. Whether we use them as relaxation or productivity or educational devices, they act as a neat enhancement to our lives and wellbeing. “Cozy gaming can mean different things to different people, just like comfort food is different for everyone”, says Suzette. Sheeva recently built her own gaming computer from scratch, as a calming, kawaii personal space, “it feels like a gift to yourself to build something just for you and what you enjoy doing. It's a form of self care in my opinion” she explains. Personalisation is one of the key USPs of the cosy gaming universe, with hyper-personalised game layering on the rise (see true crime x farm simulations, Powerwash Simulator x Pretty Little Liars reruns, and even luxury fashion runways x Mario Kart).
As cosy gaming continues to grow in ubiquity, it’s this relentless commitment to personalised self-care which sets it apart as a bonafide counter culture, one which could have a major positive impact on society. Cosy gaming, with its ability to help users cope with stress and (re)discover joy in exploration and connection, is a truly anarchic act: one of radical hope.
Thanks for reading! What do you think about the rise of cosy gaming? Let us know in the comments or over at @morning.fyi. Until next time.
The cosy gaming front is such a good example of how gaming has entered this era of expression, where people are playing more for personalization activities like avatar customization over performance activities like actions per minute. I love how you talk about the barriers to entry lowering for non-traditional gamers with cosy gaming. Great article!