Featured Image: (Pacer Story by Brandon Mochrie / Pacer Graphic by Dylan Sulcer)
With spring break finally here, it’s time to pull the blankets up, make a warm beverage and relax with a nice, cozy videogame. There are many to choose from, each with their own quirks and all perfect for finally having the time to decompress.
The first game up to the block is “Coffee Talk” by developer Toge Productions. “Coffee Talk” is a cozy story game where you make coffee and talk. The characters within the rainy Seattle atmosphere are charming and well crafted, making it perfect for playing while curled up in a blanket. The story is a beautiful narrative that ties together the lives of the customers that enter the store, making this late-night café the perfect way to end the day.
“Slime Rancher” by Monomi Park takes a little more of an active turn. In this game, the objective is to make money by caring for different types of slimes. Notable slimes include the pink, tabby, honey and hunter slimes. These adorable creatures are the path to success as you gather more materials, upgrade your gear and explore the map.
Changing the scenery a bit brings “Firewatch” into the mix, courtesy of Campo Santo. In this scenic story, you play as a fire lookout. This one is on the more intense side of cozy for gamers who don’t want to completely turn their brains off. There are some puzzle thriller elements, but can still be enjoyed fairly readily.
Max Inferno created “A Little to the Left,” a calm game where the only thing to do is organize different shelves, cabinets, drawers and more! This game gives players the satisfaction of organizing many different item sets while listening to some peaceful, light jazz. For the more adventurous gamers, there are some challenges that are present as well, but the levels only need to be solved once. This means that any type of gamer can find comfort and a sense of completion from this game.
“Stardew Valley,” produced by ConcernedApe, is a farming simulator that offers a fair amount more than farming. This game, about a city person fleeing to the country, is all about that small town vibe. In between seasons and crop rotations the player has the opportunity to talk to the townsfolks, and maybe even fall in love with the numerous romanceable characters. They can fish and forage with the opportunity to fight in the mines if they wanted to.
Rounding out this list is “Untitled Goose Game” by House House. In this game the idea is simple: be an annoying goose. The player is presented with simple tasks that can annoy farmers and make little kids cry, with it all taking place in a quaintly animated little town. This game is unfortunately on the shorter end, but does offer some challenges to compensate should the player wish.
