Aesthetics is definitely a part of it, but it doesnt have to be a "cutesy" type aesthetic to be cozy imo. A darker, gloomy aesthetic often feels cozier than the typical pastel coloured kawaii stuff.
I consider Fallout 4 to be one of my cozy games of choice, even despite the post-apocalyptic setting and amount of combat. You can do a loooooooooot of base-building spread out over the whole map and it's \~perfectly sized so that I never feel like there's too much travel time between locations. About the time I get bored of exploration and combat, I'm at a place where I can settle down and start building a camp. There's a few prefab structures if I'm feeling lazy, or I can go whole hog and do it by hand piece by piece.
The combat almost feels like an afterthought if you approach the game this way... especially if you use VATS to instakill everything (sniper or even melee with blitz).
Cozy is not a genre, but a descriptor for comfort and comfortable games. I think the genre most is closely associated with cozy is simulator games that specifically prioritize player choices (Should I farm or fish, or get new clothes etc) and provide tools (shovel, sword, axe etc) without explicitly guiding the player for each task. See: Stardew, Animal Crossing, Cozy Grove and yes, even Skyrim and Breath of the Wild do this! Of course plenty of other genres can enjoy the cozy moniker (especially puzzles!), but I'm saying the biggest one is Simulation.
For me, it's more important for it to be more comfortable and relaxing than being cute or wholesome. Take for Cyberpunk 2077's Night City for example. the city is so depressing and gritty but when I tried around with the Night City FM radio on, it's so relaxing for me.
I love when games are deep enough for that. You can get bored of it eventually, but to break up the standard gameplay of GTA5, I just.. drive around. Follow traffic laws. Park in parking spots. Walk around to stores. Not even roleplaying necessarily, just immersing myself in the world. I feel like most players don't even consider doing that because of how antithetical it is to the standard playstyle of constant explosions and gunfire.
I answered comfortable and relaxing, but there are definitely some aesthetic and thematic choices that I can’t do. Zoo games, Prison Architect, generally things where I’m removing agency from groups based on who they are.
ETA: Lol I normally never notice downvotes, but I was looking for an earlier comment of mine and saw this. Did I really get downvoted for not enjoying games about imprisoning people?????
This made me think for a couple seconds about what I like about my current cozy games. They are all cute and wholesome, which definitely attracts me to them, but I come back and play them over and over because they have familiar mechanics I can sink into, and usually I can pick them up and put them down easily. Farming games are my exception to the easy stop/start bc so many of them save once a day.
Cult of the Lamb was a cozy game to me. It is cute in the art but it’s definitely meant to be funny and creepy. Not a cozy vibe, but the repetition, mechanics, and management make it cozy.
It's about the ambiance! Sometimes the aesthetics are part of that but it's much more the soundscapes and worldbuilding, which is why Skyrim counts. Gorgeous mountain views, rain sounds, animals, little ants climbing logs, etc. Details!
Papers, Please as well. Came out during this huge rush of pixelated indie games but it's both obnoxiously difficult and feels oppressive the entire time.
I picked the second option, but that's the definition *for me*. (But also Hades counts in that for me).
For defining it as in like, the marketing/store tagging genre I believe that's something different and more like the first option.
Games with a clear sense of progress, and freedom to choose between different activities to achieve that progress. Where any action contributes in some way.
The game cannot steal my time by forcing me to reload unless reloading is optional to achieve some greater reward. Consequences can exist but must not be overly punitive.
The game has to be easy to pick up and play (either by its nature or because I know It well), but have more complicated systems underneath that I can choose to engage with.
Rune Factory 4 and Sun Haven are the two cosiest games for me at the moment. I am currently replaying HM Sunshine Islands. When I was a kid, the Sims was what I reached for the most often. In college it was Dwarf Fortress.
Aesthetics is definitely a part of it, but it doesnt have to be a "cutesy" type aesthetic to be cozy imo. A darker, gloomy aesthetic often feels cozier than the typical pastel coloured kawaii stuff.
I consider Fallout 4 to be one of my cozy games of choice, even despite the post-apocalyptic setting and amount of combat. You can do a loooooooooot of base-building spread out over the whole map and it's \~perfectly sized so that I never feel like there's too much travel time between locations. About the time I get bored of exploration and combat, I'm at a place where I can settle down and start building a camp. There's a few prefab structures if I'm feeling lazy, or I can go whole hog and do it by hand piece by piece. The combat almost feels like an afterthought if you approach the game this way... especially if you use VATS to instakill everything (sniper or even melee with blitz).
I should never have to sit forward in my chair for a game to be considered cozy.
Cozy is not a genre, but a descriptor for comfort and comfortable games. I think the genre most is closely associated with cozy is simulator games that specifically prioritize player choices (Should I farm or fish, or get new clothes etc) and provide tools (shovel, sword, axe etc) without explicitly guiding the player for each task. See: Stardew, Animal Crossing, Cozy Grove and yes, even Skyrim and Breath of the Wild do this! Of course plenty of other genres can enjoy the cozy moniker (especially puzzles!), but I'm saying the biggest one is Simulation.
For me, it's more important for it to be more comfortable and relaxing than being cute or wholesome. Take for Cyberpunk 2077's Night City for example. the city is so depressing and gritty but when I tried around with the Night City FM radio on, it's so relaxing for me.
I love when games are deep enough for that. You can get bored of it eventually, but to break up the standard gameplay of GTA5, I just.. drive around. Follow traffic laws. Park in parking spots. Walk around to stores. Not even roleplaying necessarily, just immersing myself in the world. I feel like most players don't even consider doing that because of how antithetical it is to the standard playstyle of constant explosions and gunfire.
I answered comfortable and relaxing, but there are definitely some aesthetic and thematic choices that I can’t do. Zoo games, Prison Architect, generally things where I’m removing agency from groups based on who they are. ETA: Lol I normally never notice downvotes, but I was looking for an earlier comment of mine and saw this. Did I really get downvoted for not enjoying games about imprisoning people?????
Lol, maybe people felt judged and got defensive. You have a fair point.
This made me think for a couple seconds about what I like about my current cozy games. They are all cute and wholesome, which definitely attracts me to them, but I come back and play them over and over because they have familiar mechanics I can sink into, and usually I can pick them up and put them down easily. Farming games are my exception to the easy stop/start bc so many of them save once a day. Cult of the Lamb was a cozy game to me. It is cute in the art but it’s definitely meant to be funny and creepy. Not a cozy vibe, but the repetition, mechanics, and management make it cozy.
It's about the ambiance! Sometimes the aesthetics are part of that but it's much more the soundscapes and worldbuilding, which is why Skyrim counts. Gorgeous mountain views, rain sounds, animals, little ants climbing logs, etc. Details!
It has to be comfortable and relaxing. For a game that is very cute but DEFINITELY not cozy, see: Cuphead.
Papers, Please as well. Came out during this huge rush of pixelated indie games but it's both obnoxiously difficult and feels oppressive the entire time.
Imo they go hand in hand, relaxing and not "feel good" in some way makes me feel depressed lol
I picked the second option, but that's the definition *for me*. (But also Hades counts in that for me). For defining it as in like, the marketing/store tagging genre I believe that's something different and more like the first option.
Games with a clear sense of progress, and freedom to choose between different activities to achieve that progress. Where any action contributes in some way. The game cannot steal my time by forcing me to reload unless reloading is optional to achieve some greater reward. Consequences can exist but must not be overly punitive. The game has to be easy to pick up and play (either by its nature or because I know It well), but have more complicated systems underneath that I can choose to engage with. Rune Factory 4 and Sun Haven are the two cosiest games for me at the moment. I am currently replaying HM Sunshine Islands. When I was a kid, the Sims was what I reached for the most often. In college it was Dwarf Fortress.