Cozy games come in a wide variety of styles, not just the farming simulator games that seem to have inundated the market in recent years. Following the success of games like Stardew Valley and others, the term "cozy" feels as though it has become synonymous with farming, but this doesn't have to be the case. Although those games are a lot of fun and offer a comfortable gaming space for players, some people have gotten tired of the same type of things happening over and over in many of these. Thankfully, there are numerous cozy games offering other options, including management sims, exploration, adventure, puzzles, and more.

The concept of cozy games has different meanings for different people, but at its core, the genre is focused on more relaxed, low-stakes gameplay with a comforting, safe feeling. This does not mean it has to be farming focused, despite many of the most well known titles being farming simulators. Even games that have some light combat can be considered cozy as long as the intensity levels are low and the game still evokes that feeling of calm. There are countless cozy games without farming in them, but here are a few that are worth checking out right now.

10 Amber Isle Lets Players Run A Store In A Village Of Dinosaurs

Platforms: PC (Coming To Switch In February 2025)

Amber Isle is more than just its bright and cheerful colors and design, but is a wonderful example of how a cozy game can feature similar types of mechanics as a traditional farming simulator, but without farming. Players take on the role of a customized dino and open a shop in a friendly village. Crafting items to sell and making friends with the paleofolk neighbors, there are numerous quests and things to focus on to succeed in the area.

While it does not have farming, players will want to gather resources by chopping trees, gathering flowers, etc. Once the materials are gathered, players craft the items that they will put in their shop, carefully making the items that customers are looking for.

Amber Isle was recently released for PC via Steam on October 10, 2024, and has plans to come to the Nintendo Switch in February 2025.

9 Potion Permit Focuses On Healing Through Crafting Potions

Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Released in 2022, Potion Permit remains a favorite for many players due to its satisfying gameplay and story. As the town's chemist, players are tasked with running a clinic and healing the residents of Moonbury of their various ailments. Along with an adorable pup, players diagnose villagers based on symptoms, gather ingredients, and brew the potions needed to cure their neighbors, while forging friendships along the way.

While gathering the necessary materials to brew potions, the little chemist may occasionally run into some monsters in the wilderness that requires a bit of combat to get away. Using their unique skills, however, they can craft special concoctions that will help in battle, either to harm the monsters or help themselves. Potion Permit is available on most gaming platforms and has several DLC packs available for purchase as well.

8 Minami Lane Offers A Cozy Approach To Management Sim

Platforms: PC, Switch

Many management games can quickly become stressful and overwhelming for some players, yet Minami Lane dials things back a little to make a cozy and relaxing experience of strategically managing. Inspired by some Japanese themes, players can create their own street on Minami Lane with businesses and attractions to keep their villagers happy. Placing cute shops like bookstores and boba cafés alongside homes will create a vibrant community.

Minami Lane is a short experience, often only taking about two to four hours to play. In that time, players can enjoy decorating their street and watching villagers and cute animals like cats and tanukis cheerfully experience the neighborhood.

7 TOEM: A Photo Adventure Is All About Photography In An Adorable World

Platforms: PC, Switch, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

TOEM: A Photo Adventure is a delightfully quirky and cheerful little game about exploration and taking photos. Using a black and white hand-drawn art style, which makes some of the puzzles even more challenging, there is so much to just smile about in this game. TOEM features many quests from NPCs as well as challenges for filling a Compendium and more, which are all accomplished using a trusty camera.

TOEM is relaxing, with no time limit or pressure, and features a creative approach to the cozy puzzle adventure genre. This is another fairly short experience which can be completed in roughly four to six hours, and evokes a feeling of peace from its relaxing nature. TOEM is available on all major gaming platforms.

6 Night Stones Is A Cozy Puzzle Adventure

Platforms: PC

Night Stones is a bit more adventurous than some cozy titles, offering magical combat alongside its delightful townsfolk and hidden puzzles. That said, its combat is often best won through solving unique puzzles rather than strength, adding to the wholesome feeling of the cheerful and cute game.

Made by a solo game developer, the open-world adventure of Night Stones gives players ways to freely explore by glider, boat, and walking across the magical world of Mythica. It has a heartfelt story with fun NPCs and creative puzzles as players attempt to find their way back home. Night Stones is currently only available on PC through Steam.

5 Tiny Glade Is A Building Game Of Whimsy And Imagination

Platforms: PC

Tiny Glade has taken the internet by storm ever since its recent release on Steam, with people from all walks of life immediately becoming enamored by the whimsical nature of this little building game. It is the epitome of relaxing and cozy experiences as it has no management, combat, or even goals in the game, but simply gives players the tools to create beautiful virtual dioramas.

Tiny Glade is designed to make building effortless, with the game intuitively filling in the gaps of player buildings and adding decorations to make it beautiful. For players who want a goal to focus on, there are daily theme challenges within the game to inspire creativity.

4 Cozy Grove Is A Hauntingly Cute And Cozy Life Sim

Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Though Cozy Grove does allow players to plant and care for fruit trees, that is the extent of the farming that happens in this sweet game. Players take on the role of a young Spirit Scout who was put on an island to help guide lost souls into the afterlife through completing quests for them. The clock in the game is set to match the real world, but quests are at a relaxed pace, without any stress to quickly rush through.

Far from being a spooky game about ghosts, the spirits in Cozy Grove are more similar to villagers from Animal Crossing than anything to be scared of, although their storylines can be a bit sadder at times.

3 Alba: A Wildlife Adventure Gives A Sweet Story About Nature

Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a peaceful experience where players must help to save an island full of nature. As a young girl visiting her grandparents, players find that a nature reserve is being destroyed to make way for a luxury hotel. Equipped with a cell phone for taking pictures, Alba must prove that rare animals are still calling the reserve home. At the same time, Alba can help complete tasks to clean up the island to help inspire animals to return.

In Screen Rant's review of Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, it is said that "the story also puts an emphasis on the fact that it doesn't matter how small someone is: Anyone can make a difference if they choose to step up."

2 Snufkin: Melody Of Moominvalley Offers A Quirky Musical Story Experience

Platforms: PC, Switch

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a game filled with music and story. Snufkin must restore the valley through harmony and balance, and protect it against the Park Keeper who is slowly destroying the beauty of nature with industrious plans. It offers a truly wholesome experience with puzzles, stealth, and music while telling a rich story.

The game is based on the Swedish and Finnish storybooks and cartoons of the Moomins, and brings to life the storybook feel through its animated art-style. Designed in an open-world feeling and using musical and environmental puzzles, it is a cozy experience unlike any other, with a beautiful story that is inspirational and calming.

1 A Short Hike Is A Calming And Truly Cozy Experience

Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One

A Short Hike has been around for a few years now, having released in 2019, but remains one of the most recommended and talked about cozy games. This short game lets players slowly make their way up a mountain hike, helping campers and hikers along the way and getting distracted by nooks and crannies with hidden secrets to find. There is no time limit, and plenty to stumble across while enjoying the calming hike.

Like the rest in this list, A Short Hike has no need to farm, but simply lets players enjoy its world. Diving off of cliffs to soar through the trees or pausing to fish along the river, there is no agenda and no pressure, making it truly a comforting, cozy game experience.

Source: Ambertail Games/YouTube, Steam (1, 2, 3), Wholesome Games/YouTube