at least make your screen time productive

the rise of cosy gamers and why you should be one too (and some recommendations to help you get started)

for some reason, i never thought that gaming could elicit the same soothing and welcoming feeling i get when i return to other hobbies of mine, like walking into a warm home on a chilly day in december. when i pick up my crochet needle and my hands start moving as if on their own and an intricate pattern begins to form below my palms, i feel like someone has just placed a heated blanket over my shoulders. when i pick up a book and know that i’ll be instantly transported into a completely different world, like stepping into a portal, i’ll never tire of that magic. but why have i never gravitated towards gaming to find this same feeling?

when i used to think of gaming, i would think of call of duty, gta, first-person shooters and other games mostly boys would enjoy. but over the past couple of months, i’ve realised that i had been missing out on an entire subsection of gaming that would give me that same welcoming and relaxing effect.

i’ve recently gone on a bit of a nostalgia trip and have purchased a tamagotchi, a nintendo 2ds xl among other things and have been playing old games like animal crossing wild world that people have loved for so many years. there’s a stab of jealousy when i play these games for the first time now as an adult, as i am realising that i missed out on so much as a kid by not being able to afford or be allowed to buy these devices. there are some parts of games i’ll never experience because nintendo have shut down certain servers, and i don’t experience the bittersweet feelings of nostalgia as all of this is brand new to me, but all is not lost. i’ve now been introduced to the world of cosy gaming.

cosy games are having their moment in the sun, and as they should. it may have its issues, like many farming sims trying to recreate the success of stardew valley with lazy, profit-driven creations or lots of games being made in five minutes and labelling themselves as cosy just to get in on the vast audience, but if we’re going to be focused on a screen for long periods of time, i think i’d prefer it this way. i’d prefer if my brain were alert and working on the different ways to design my island in animal crossing new horizons or mapping out a 15-step plan in order to unlock a new area in fae farm (see crazed notes for this pictured below) instead of mindlessly pulling the slot machine lever and letting my brain rot with short-form content.

the wonderful thing about cosy games is that any game can be cosy to you. i’ve seen some people say that say resident evil 4 is their go-to cosy game. for me, however, i tend to lean towards the farming and life sims with cute art styles and lots of opportunity for design. these types of games, which i’ve listed below, are the ones that give me that warm, tingly feeling of returning to somewhere familiar. when the title screen for stardew valley loads onto my screen, along with those soothing flute sounds, it’s like opening a book, opening my pencil case for a colouring session or stepping into a forest on a nature walk. it’s another form of expression, another opportunity to learn about myself and enjoy quality time with myself.

i’ve spent so many hours on games like animal crossing it’s almost worrying, but when i really think about it, i’m happy to spend those hours designing and crafting and watching a story progress that i can participate in. now, when i feel like scrolling through my youtube recommended feed and watching something that, if anything, will make me lose iq points, i think about turning on my nintendo ds to see if tom nook is finally selling an axe or if i can work out what cinnamoroll’s three-heart gift is in hello kitty island adventure or test my memory skills when scanning items when i play as a supermarket cashier in discounty.

after all the years of people yelling that kids were wasting their time on video games, i think we’ve finally reached the point where video games are getting the recognition they deserve for being a productive way to spend time that causes enhanced brain cognition, problem-solving skills, decision-making skills, mental health, better social skills and an increase in empathy.

so if you’re looking for some games to get you started or you want to see what all the fuss is about when it comes to cosy games, i’ve made a little list of some of the games i love and some that the finding quiet readers are currently loving too:

• stardew valley - you already know how good this is

• animal crossing: wild world - a sweet, relaxing game you only play a little at a time to chat to villagers and make your house pretty

• animal crossing: new leaf - haven’t played this yet but people say this is the best one

• animal crossing: new horions - decorate your entire island to your heart’s content

• fae farm - farming but magical and you get wings

• discounty - new! grind at a supermarket and learn why capitalism is bad but in a fun way

• fields of mistria - think stardew but 80s anime style, very cute, very relaxing

• hello kitty island adventure - if you love the sanrio girlies you will love this and it’s nothing like animal crossing don’t listen to people who say that. complete requests for hello kitty and her friends and make island visitors’ houses pretty

• hokko life - honestly the characters are a little creepy but if you like making your own furniture from scratch, you’ll love this (very similar to animal crossing)

• sticky business - cosplay as one of those iconic gals who have etsy shops for their sticker business, really does scratch that itch

• witchy life story - narrative-based game about a trainee witch that completes potion requests for people in the town. mc is a little annoying but gardening and making potions is so satisfying

• kamaeru - create cosy outdoor environments for frogs i’m tearing up as i write this, it’s genuinely the cutest game ever

• littlewood - rebuild a town after you absolutely merk some dragons but you don’t actually get to, everyone just keeps telling you how amazing you are which is nice

• cattails - i haven’t played this in years but it was fun being the new cat on the block and fighting/trying to befriend other cat colonies and hunting animals for food

• let’s build a zoo - took years from my life but in a good way, think roller coaster tycoon but zoo

and some suggestions from readers:

• ooblets

• harry potter lego

• dorfromantik

• story of seasons: grand bazaar

• wylde flowers

• mysims

• cult of the lamb

• cozy grove

• lake

• dragonvale

proper gamer gal now

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hello quiet readers, i hope you’re having a lovely week so far! have i convinced any of you to give cosy games a try? which ones are you the most excited to play or which ones are you completely obssessed with right now? i’d love to know!

i’ll be back again on friday for a podcast episode! see you then <3