Cozy games are a fun way to get in the holiday spirit, especially with ones that change their landscape to match the seasons. Games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons have become known for their in-game holiday festivities that give gamers a chance to create their dream holiday decorations and celebrations, all while remaining in the comfort of their own homes and avoiding some of the stress that comes with the holidays. But if decorating and building a town isn’t the kind of cozy game gamers are looking for, there are several other types of games that still give the cozy holiday feeling.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has an impressive set of furniture items for the fall, but the winter items in the game are just as remarkable and make the game perfect for the holidays. ACNH allows players to create their ideal winter wonderland where they can craft and buy holiday-related items to prepare their village for the holidays.
For players that pride themselves on their island setup, the holiday events are the perfect time to update carefully crafted areas, so they are even more impressive and fit the season’s theme. Items like lighted trees and large lighted snowflakes can be added to create a whimsical light show for the residents and visitors to the island.
Tracks: The Train Set Game
Many families have a train set that sits in storage until Christmas when it is set to journey around the tree until the end of the season. Tracks: The Train Set Game takes the connection between trains and the holidays so players can create the ultimate train set in a cozy game that is low-stress.
Players can create the perfect holiday landscape for their train to travel to and then watch the parade as it navigates the tracks with soft music that creates a soothing and relaxed feeling. This game is perfect for those who love trains but find setting them up in real life to be too much work.
Cozy Grove
Cozy Grove has become a favorite of cozy gamers on TikTok because it features seasonal content that puts players in the mood for the current festivities. Like many other relaxing games, Cozy Grove has holiday events that feature unique items that players can obtain to spruce up their town to fit the holidays and meet new characters in the form of snowmen that tell stories.
The accessible building features make this game perfect for those who love to decorate for the holidays but have limited space or can’t get enough holiday decor.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is one of the best open-world games for casual gamers since it doesn’t require a high level of gaming knowledge to enjoy and has seasonal events that allow gamers to keep their village feeling alive. The game features a holiday festival that players look forward to every year and spend a lot of time preparing for before the festival kicks off.
This festival gives the same feeling as classic Christmas movies that show the characters in small towns taking in the holiday festivities. This makes the game extra cozy as villagers come together to celebrate and enjoy the work they have put in throughout the year.
Overcooked 2
Suppose managing a village and building festivals isn’t entertaining enough for cozy gamers. They want a game that will get the blood pumping or spark some friendly competition among family and friends. In that case, Overcooked 2 is the perfect game as it forces players to work together to prepare the ultimate Christmas feast for hungry customers who are unwilling to wait for dinner.
The holiday DLC features new recipes only available in the new content putting even the most seasoned Overcooked players on the same playing level as those who have never played before. Overall the game is fun and light and brings people together to make holiday memories and potential new traditions.
Road Not Taken
Road Not Taken is a darker-themed game that still has a cozy feeling as players navigate a forest that has been hit by a winter storm and tries and rebuilds the village for the residents of the woods. Even though the game looks like another village management, the game is puzzle based and features characters reuniting and celebrating being together, much like many people do in real life during the holidays.
The game is pitched as being based on life’s surprises, making it sentimental and having a deeper meaning than other games. The sentimental feeling that comes with the game makes it perfect for the holidays but for days when the world feels too chaotic, and players need an escape to a parallel world.
Ooblets
Ooblets is a whimsical game that allows players to collect the titular ooblets that follow them around as they traverse a town that changes seasonally. The game makes players work for each of their seasonal items by participating in challenges and scavenger hunts.
Unlike other cozy games, Ooblets makes it harder for players to get all the winter items at once, stretching out the winter gameplay. This makes the experience more fun and rewarding and keeps players invested in the content for the whole season. The game slowly changes the landscape as the seasons do in real life, making it the perfect parallel world to explore.
Nancy Drew: Warnings at Waverly Academy
There is something about a mystery that brings a cozy feeling to any setting, especially when the mystery takes place at an academy where everyone is a suspect. While this game isn’t set during Christmas, a secret that takes place during the school year drums up feelings of nostalgia for players, especially for fans of the Nancy Drew book series.
The game is easy to play, making it perfect to play with multiple people and allowing the whole family to solve the mystery together. This is a game that can be replayed many times while still feeling fresh and even has the potential to become a fun festive tradition as there are several games that center on Nancy Drew mysteries for players to enjoy year after year.
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Disney Dreamlight Valley has become a daily activity for many players as the game expands and frequently adds new characters. Since it is the first holiday season since the game’s release, the creators have gone all in on the holiday content, from new characters to holiday-themed tasks. Since this game is a mix of open-world adventure and life simulation, the game has a cozy, relaxed feeling, especially for those who love Disney.
Still, the added holiday cheer makes the game even more comforting and cozy as players can customize their character and kingdom. With the winter landscape, the game is sure to put players in the holiday spirit as they try to rid the kingdom of evil.
Coffee Talk
Coffee Talk takes players and puts them in a busy coffee shop in the heart of Seattle, where they serve customers and listen to them weave tales about their day while listening to peaceful music that mimics the vibe in the coziest of coffee shops.
Unlike other food and drink-based games, Coffee Talk doesn’t have a fast-paced competitive feeling like Overcooked but more of a slow and steady pace that allows players to unwind after a long day while interacting with entertaining characters. The low lighting in the game adds another level of relaxation, making it extra cozy.
