Most people play games for thrilling action and competitiveness. While that’s great and all, gaming is akin to sitting down and reading a book for me. Chasing that chill fix has me constantly on the hunt for cozy games.
The term “cozy” here is pretty subjective. While you might enjoy a good farm sim or a building game, a relaxing open world that lets me explore and immerse myself checks all the boxes.
10 Best Cozy Games With Extensive End-Game Content
While many cozy games have an endless loop for certain game features, these are the best cozy games with actual, extensive, endgame content.
While there are many games with massive maps out here, only a few strike that careful balance between scale and coziness, and I believe these games deserve to be talked about more.
If you find yourself craving a cozy gaming session, then these games will not disappoint you.There is a lot of heart and soul in these big worlds that will leave you with a sense of warmth and joy.
10No Man’s Sky
Life Is Not A Question To Require An Answer
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Skyhad a rough launch and was lambasted by critics and players alike for its bugs, repetitive gameplay, and boring worlds. But, instead of giving up, Hello Games worked hard over the years to recreateNo Man’s Sky and make it the game it was destined to be.
The Worlds 2 update revitalized the game, featuring more diverse biomes, billions of new solar systems, and trillions of new planets. One of the best things about it was that it added depth to the game (literally) by having oceans go kilometers deep, filled with massive creatures and valuable resources.
It features an entire galaxy to explore, resources to collect, and ships to build, so there’s no shortage of fun stuff to spend your time on. I found the game, particularly its art style, very calming.It lets you go at your own pace and have fun without overloading you with quests and content.A perfect game to chill with.
No One Dug Behind!
Terrariahas a quaint, pixel-art style that is charming and inviting. While many people think of it as Minecraft’s 2D cousin, the truth is that the game can easily stand on its own feet. If the world is getting to you, just put on a pair of headphones and launch Terraria.
If combat is not your thing and you want to simply build houses and trade with NPCs, you can turn on Journey Mode and enjoy a relaxing play session. It’s a cozy game that offers a lot to explore.
Speaking of exploration,Terraria features randomly-generated 2D worlds with different biomes and a bunch of stuff to discover.One of the many things I love about this game is the time-based events like invasions, which give the game a sense of realism and deepen the exploration aspect overall.
8Firewatch
The Forest Welcomes You
Living in the heart of a major metropolitan area, I don’t get the luxury of a hike through the woods very often, so I do the next best thing: playFirewatch. The game is a walking simulator where you explore the wilderness with all the sights and sounds nature has to offer.
It takes place in a fictionalized representation of the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming and is a treat to explore. The beautiful scenery and distinct atmosphere give you something new to look at and explore in every direction.The world feels large, but it has a lot of detail too, particularly in environmental storytelling.
10 Best Cozy Games With RPG Elements
Cozy questlines and cheerful adventures!
It is a perfect game if you want to relax and find a comfortable escape. There isn’t some world-spanning quest, no monsters to defeat or collectables to chase after. It’s just you, the beautiful world, and your supervisor, Delilah, checking up on you and offering advice.
7Fable Anniversary
For Every Choice, a Consequence
Fable Anniversary
Fable is getting a reboot soon, so there’s no better time to jump back into this classic.Fable Anniversaryis a 2014 remaster of 2004’s beloved Fable: The Lost Chapters. It’s an action RPG where the main selling point is that for every choice, there’s a consequence. While it does fall short of that promise, there’s plenty of fun to be had.
Fable Anniversary is one of my favorites that I keep going back to, primarily because of the Monty Python-esque humor that still holds up to this day, and I often find myself chuckling at random comments the villagers tend to make about your Hero’s appearance.
There’s a lot to do and explore in the many different zones.you’re able to fish in Barrow Fields, open Demon Doors in Greatwood, and play tavern games in the cities of Bowerstone and Knothole Glade.While there are a few dark aspects to this game, I challenge you to find a cozier video game village than Oakvale.
Go Out and Explore!
Now, admittedly, Outward is a weird addition to this list.It’s a hardcore survival RPG where you basically start out with nothing. In fact, you start out with less than nothing because you’re in debt and have to pay it off. So, how in the world can it be considered cozy?
Outward is cozy in my book, becauseit gives the same feeling as going out camping.The game does exploration insanely well, with no hand-holding or map markers. Instead, you have to immerse yourself in this beautifully hand-crafted open world and traverse it like a true explorer.
From collecting wood for a campfire to climbing a high mountain to get your bearings, Outward made me feel like I was out in the wilds, and that is a cozy feeling for me.
5Dragon Quest Builders 2
Rebuild The World, One Block At A Time
Dragon Quest Builders 2
Dragon Quest Builders 2feels like a warm and fuzzy blanket on a cold morning. In it, you are transported to a lovingly hand-crafted open world where you can unleash your imagination. There is a story here as well, which requires you to renovate and build abandoned towns and bring the villagers back.
The world is huge, with five major story islands and twelve explorable ones filled with different inhabitants and quests.Each of these has a distinct vibe to it and opens the door to many new possibilities for building.
I’m amazed just how easy the game is to pick up and play, and how much it encourages you to make your mark on the world. From building small shops to going out on adventures, I never felt like I was doing busywork in a dead world. It was a breath of fresh air in a market saturated with uninspired titles.
4Minecraft
Let Your Imagination Run Wild
InMinecraft, the world is yours. I have sunk so many hours into the game, building quaint cottages, wizard towers, and so much more. The score, the simple art design, and the procedurally generated world are all comforting, not to mention the plethora ofendearing DLCs and updates.
Since it is procedurally-generated,the world is almost infinite, with tons of biomes, and more being added in each update.
It’s not just empty land either, as villages dot the map, and rare animals explore the untamed wilderness. My favorite part is sailing and finding lost shipwrecks, and coming up with stories as to what happened to them.
If you feel lonely while exploring, why not ask your friends to play with you? Playing Minecraft multiplayer with friends is one of the most enjoyable experiences you’re able to have as you go on adventures, build farms, and tame lovable animals. If you get bored with one world, simply start up a new one. The opportunities are endless.
3Outer Wilds
A Lesson in Acceptance
Outer Wilds
Outer Wildsis a favorite for many gamers, myself included, because it creates an atmosphere you may’t help but be endeared by. It’s a first-person space exploration game you can get lost in for hours.
In it, you explore a solar system where the planets are all caught in a time loop. Each planet is distinct.While Timber Hearth might remind you of Earth, Dark Bramble features alien angler fish and space-warping vines.
10 Best Cozy Games With Infinite Replayability
Play, beat, repeat!
However, the more you progress, the more things change, as I found out. I won’t spoil anything, but be prepared for a phenomenal story and some intriguing mysteries.
Your Journey Begins Here
Journeyis a profound, open-world experience you will never forget.It is a deceptively simple game where you play as a traveler, making your way to the shiny mountain on the horizon.The true depth of the game comes with emotional beats and the discoveries you make along the way.
The open world is littered with mysterious ruins, and you will meet other fellow travelers who are on this journey with you, too. Their inclusion is what makes the world living and breathing, in my opinion.
I found the whole experience to be captivating. It’s a game that is able to tell an emotional story with virtually no dialogue. The whole story is about, well, the journey, and it is told beautifully.
1The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Courage Need Not Be Remembered
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Before you play Tears of the Kingdom, ensure you giveThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wilda try. It’s got everything from puzzle-solving, questing, exploration, and a phenomenal open-world that is begging you to explore every nook and cranny.
One of the things that Breath of the Wild does well is encourage the player to explore the beautiful world vertically.It features climbing and paragliding, which makes exploration easier and much more fun. I also love the open-world physics system, which adds depth and consequences to Hyrule
I’m always tempted to put the story on hold and just wander off to collect plants, meet interesting NPCs, and take in everything this beautiful world has to offer. There is a certain charm to Zelda games that you won’t find in any other series, and it’s why many gamers still play them whenever they want an escape.
10 Best Cozy Games With Amazing Stories
Games with cozier vibes can have more room to flex their narrative and character chops.
