What Defines a ‘Cozy’ Game?
What defines a cozy game? A question that has been asked over a thousand times amongst cozy creators, gamers, and hobbyists. Over the summer, UGC creator Archaeomal made a video speaking on how games branded as ‘cozy’ are a giant turn-off, mainly because ‘cozy’ is not a genre. After watching their video, I took time to reflect, and I found myself agreeing with many of their points.
My personal thesis on ‘cozy games’ centered on a state of feeling comfort in the game you are playing, until it crossed into games that had heavy gore, such as a game like The Evil Within. My perspective on what a cozy game actually began to change, not with a TikTok video but with the manager of a local theatre I perform at who is a brand new gamer, who explained that she tried to play Stardew Valley after someone explaining to her that it was a ‘cozy’ game and that it was overwhelming and did not care for it.
In a semi-viral video of my own, I explained that the tutorial and the learning curve can be overwhelming. Some of the comments got so mean I had to actually limit the comments because it seems that a different perspective was not welcomed, and that if someone did not ‘get’ Stardew Valley, even as a new gamer, they were essentially unintelligent.
Coziness is a subjective feeling that anyone can experience, and it will be different for everyone. For me, my ultimate ‘cozy’ games are Kingdom Hearts and The Elder Scrolls Skyrim. In the ‘traditional’ sense of how cozy games are marketed, typically [but not limited to] farming sims, life sims, and puzzle games, the two games that make me feel cozy fall outside of those categories.
There are many genres of video games, too many to list here, but who’s to say that Resident Evil Village does not provide a cozy feeling for people who enjoy playing the game? No one can control or influence what makes someone feel cozy when they engage with the games they enjoy.
Cozy games being used as a blanket statement can also be confusing when trying to identify what a game truly is. For example, identifying a game as cute and adorable like a kitten can be understood in a broader sense, but for games that fall under the category of a farming simulator, not all of them are cozy for everyone.
An example of a farming sim I do not find ‘cozy’ is Coral Island, because I personally do not like some of the mechanics in the game. Once I have to grind for money to afford a knife in a game, the ‘cozy’ feeling gets removed for me. For the record I do think Coral Island is a beautiful game, but from my personal experience, I would not say it’s cozy, more so stressful.
It is okay to have a difference. I think sometimes in the ‘cozy’ community, it can be intimidating to express opinions due to the fact that people feel it is okay to attack, belittle, or berate others who may see certain aspects of games from a different perspective.
As someone who loves to be a cozy homebody, I have unwillingly been on the receiving end of such aggressive ‘opinions’ that quickly turned into hate speech due to a difference of opinion I have had in the past, based on my experiences with certain games.
Coziness to me is that warm feeling you get when you light your favorite candle, listen to a good vinyl record, or when I play a video game that leaves me inspired, calm, or to reflect on my life experiences.
Coziness can also be the feeling I get when I’m with my family, nostalgia, hugging my cats, waking up from a good night’s sleep, or laughing hysterically at a good joke. My sense of humor, and how I approach horror games, is why many horror-type games have ended up in my ‘cozy’ indie column, because sometimes the situations protagonists end up in are so ridiculous that it makes me laugh, I’m looking right at YOU, Leon S. Kennedy.
I still consider myself a cozy gamer, because I aim to have a cozy and calm life that’s easy on my nervous system. What is defined as ‘cozy’ for me day to day may look different to others, and that is okay! The state of being ‘cozy’ probably looks different to everyone.
As a video game reviewer, and taking in other people’s experiences, I do think it is important to describe games accurately rather than overly using ‘cozy’ as a blanket term for every game. I aim to challenge myself to use more accurate language when describing the games I review.
I am someone who is always looking for areas to grow in, and there’s nothing wrong with a little self-reflection, especially when you have a platform people look to and trust.
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