The 10 best cozy games on PC other than Stardew Valley
There are several main entry points to the cozy games space: Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing being the biggest and Disney Dreamlight Valley being one of the newest. If you need a new row to hoe after exhausting those mainstays, oodles of cozy games abound on PC. “Cozy games” is a non-genre distinction that winds up meaning different things to lots of people, but I think we can agree on an appreciation for soft visuals and gameplay that isn’t too demanding or fast-paced.
Some of the best cozy games keep to the farming and friendship themes of the big two, but others are short adventures, laid back RPGs, and even the occasional cozy horror game. We’ve cherry-picked a fresh list of cute and chill games to play if the old favorites are no longer bearing fruit for you. These are the best cozy games on PC that you should try after you’ve exhausted all your usual village getaways.
If you specifically want more town life sims, check out our list of games like Stardew Valley that will keep you cultivating farms and friendships.
Cozy Grove
Release date: 2021 | Developer: Spry Fox | Steam
This pastel and painterly collectathon game is one of the best replacements for Animal Crossing on PC. As a new Spirit Scout you’ll explore an island full of ghostly animals who need your help. Like Animal Crossing, Cozy Grove uses a real world clock system to dole out its story. The warning that it’s intended for no more than one or two hours of play each day should be taken seriously as there’s not too much to do after you’ve knocked out the daily quests. Cozy game bingers may find themselves hitting that soft wall on the regular, but if you want to slow yourself down the grove can provide.
Coral Island
Release date: 2022 | Developer: stairway Games | Steam
There’s lots to do on this island including farming, fishing, crafting, mining, and cleaning up trash to restore its natural splendor. And when you’re not growing crops or raising livestock, romance is in the air: over two dozen of the island’s residents are dateable and they’re all shockingly hot, so you’ll be sure to find a partner. There are all sorts of stories to uncover as you get to know the locals and grow your plot of land from a handful of vegetables into a farmer’s paradise.
Book of Travels
Release date: 2021 (early access) | Developer: Might and Delight | Steam
This super beautiful RPG is actually the tiny version of an MMO with servers of just seven players. You’ll create a character sheet and begin exploring the Braided Shore where magic is done by brewing teas and tying knots. Spend your time fishing and trading, buying spells that create fireworks or turn you into a deer, and engage in a spot of semi turn-based combat if you’re feeling brave. It’s an exceptionally chill online game where you communicate with others by emotes only, a truly lovely world with an equally cozy soundtrack. Still in early access, Book of Travels is planning more areas of the map to continue its very subtle story.
Melatonin
Release date: 2022 | Developer: Half Asleep | Steam
Rhythm games don’t really have a reputation for being chill, but Melatonin is definitely low key and cozy. With its muted colors and lo-fi beats, Melatonin is nearly as relaxing as its name implies. Instead of throwing bars of beats at you, you’ll play along via visual cues that help you complete the beat in each of its levels.
A Short Hike
Release date: 2019 | Developer: adamgryu | Steam
For those that want a cozy game that won’t consume 100+ hours, this super cute adventure can be completed in around four hours. Explore an island mountain park while helping out the folks around you and uncovering small secrets on your journey to the peak. The park is lovely enough from the ground, but your main character can fly down too, so don’t forget to hunt for hidden areas and unseen new friends.
Dorfromantik
Release date: 2022 | Developer: Toukana Interactive | Steam
Strategy games don’t normally strike me as cozy, but Dorfomantik really lets you take the pressure off. I lost an entire weekend to this hex-based tile game the first time I tried it. In its standard mode, you’ll use a deck of hex tiles to match up stretches of fields, cities, waterways, and railroads to complete quests and grow your deck until you run out of tiles. For even less stress, creative mode lets you just build a lovely stretch of tiles any way you like from a neverending deck.
Beacon Pines
Release date: 2022 | Developer: Hiding Spot | Steam
Another cozy game that will only ask several hours of you, Beacon Pines is an adventure inside a story book with a super chill narrator. You’ll earn new words as you explore the town, allowing you to unlock new branches on the story tree in a Mad Libs-like puzzle. This is one I’d consider cozy horror: a mystery about an old factory town where folks are going missing. There aren’t jump scares though, just a creeping sense of dread as young pals Luka and Rolo dig themselves deeper and deeper into the town’s history.
Haven Park
Release date: 2021 | Developer: Fabien Weibel, Bubblebird Studio | Steam
As a cute little bird named Flint you’ll turn a picturesque island into a campers’ paradise. Restore campgrounds, make repairs, solve puzzles, and explore the lovely island, meeting a bunch of quirky characters you can play hide-and-seek and scavenger hunts with. It’s a delightful place to explore with a wholesome story to enjoy. Don’t expect an endless game like Animal Crossing, but just because it’s a short game (I spent about six hours playing) doesn’t make it any less sweet.
Kynseed
Release date: 2022 | Developer: PixelCount Studios | Steam
If you want a new Stardew-sized time sink, Kynseed is the cozy game to go for. This fairytale-inspired life sim includes farming, fishing, cooking, and no shortage of minigames. You can commit to running a profitable farm or open a shop in town instead. The whole thing takes place across generations as you continue on playing as your own children to carry on the legacy.
Unpacking
Release date: 2021 | Developer: Witch Beam | Steam
Moving house is stressful, but Unpacking is a very chill, light puzzling experience. You’ll start small, organizing toys in a bright kids’ bedroom, later unpacking multiple rooms worth of possessions as the implied main character grows up and the things they’ve kept over the years accumulate or change. That pink stuffed pig deserves your loyalty, to make sure to put it someplace prominent.
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