Summary
After a long day of school or work, there’s nothing better than booting up yourNintendo Switchand playing a cozy game. Whether it’s because of their satisfying gameplay loops, charming art styles, or low-stakes narratives, these games all make for a relaxing and cozy experience.
Farming simulators may be what you first think of when you think of the genre, but there are plenty of other cozy games out there that offer something completely different. Next time you’re looking to relax with a chilled-out game instead of a hundred-hour jaunt, check out one of these recommendations.
Bear and Breakfastis fairly self-explanatory - you’re a bear, and you run bed and breakfasts. The game has a satisfying gameplay loop where you clean up a building, fit it out with new furniture, and then welcome your guests for their stays.
Alongside maintaining your bed and breakfasts, you’ll also explore the surrounding areas to forage for resources,meet new characters, and find new buildings to renovate. If you’re looking for a grind-heavy cozy game and enjoy decorating, Bear and Breakfast is the one to try.
On the surface,Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Lifemight seem like every other farming game, but what sets it apart is how your character, the NPCs, and the town grow and change the more you play.
The remake on Nintendo Switch isawonderfulode to a farming classic, where you’ll enjoy getting to know the townsfolk just as much as curating your farm and potentially creating your own family. Another nice perk of the remake is that you can marry whoever you like, regardless of gender.
A game about death has never been so cozy.Spiritfarersees you playing as Stella, the titular Spiritfarer, who must help spirits to face their regrets and deal with any lingering issues they had in life.
You’ll spend most of your time building and managing your boat, improving it to appeal to the spirits who are staying there. You also get to moor your boat at various locations to explore gorgeous environments and meet more impactful NPCs. Just be warned, though - you’ll need some tissues.
InAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, you move to a new island on the Deserted Island Getaway Package and build a community of animal villagers. When you arrive, the island is uncultivated, and it’s up to you to decorate it and make it a worthy home for your villagers.
Time in the game corresponds to real life, so you can dip in and out of the game as you please, playing in as big or as small increments as you want. Checking in on your island and villagers regularly, even after you’ve decorated to your heart’s content, is always a great way to spend a cozy gaming session.
The Nintendo 64’sPokemon Snapwas, and still is, beloved by fans, so the sequel,New Pokemon Snap, was a pleasant surprise for the Nintendo Switch. Just like the original game, it involves snapping photos of Pokemon in their natural habitat.
The environments are beautiful to look at, so taking photos of Pokemon and seeing the areas is always a joy. It’s also great to see the Pokemon show off some personality, something that’s rarely seen in the mainline Pokemon games. If you’re a fan of Pokemon and cozy games, it’s a no-brainer.
3Shin-Chan: Me And The Professor On Summer Vacation – The Endless Seven-Day Journey
Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation is Kaz Ayabe’s next work after Attack of the Friday Monsters: A Tokyo Tale, and the same relaxing, pleasant atmosphere is present. The game is based on the manga and anime Crayon Shin-chan, which you can see through its characters, graphical style, and humor.
Similar to Attack of the Friday Monsters, the game begins as a fairly normal summer vacation, but the story divulges into much more bizarre and humorous territory as it goes on. The entire experience is almost as if an imaginative child made up a game during their summer vacation.
At the beginning ofStardew Valley, your character is in a dead-end job and in need of a change.You move to Stardew Valley to start anewafter your grandfather’s passing, which involves tending to your farm and getting to know the townsfolk, from the local mayor to the shadow person, Krobus.
Everything from the music, characters, gameplay loop, and pixel art style is fantastic, and it all adds up to one of the coziest gaming experiences available on the Nintendo Switch. You can even play in co-op to build a farm with a friend.
1A Short Hike
If you’re ever looking for a quick, easy to jump into cozy game, thenA Short Hikefits the bill and so much more. Though the entire game will probably only take you around three hours to complete, there’s a lot to explore in this pocket-sized experience.
While your main goal is to reach the summit, you’ll spend most of the time exploring the island, meeting other hikers, and discovering all the hidden secrets the hiking trails have to offer. It’s best played without knowing much prior, so why not dive in?
