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Cozy & Story-Based Video Games 🎮
20
items I have a PS4, Switch, and Steam account, so most of my recommendations will be for those platforms. Although many of my cozy games don't typically fall into the cozy category, they give me ALL the cozy vibes!
Sections
3
Story-Based 📖
General
Life is Strange Series
Story-Based 📖
I love a good story. In these games, the story is central to the plot. My favorites are ones where your choices affect outcomes, and even different endings.
It's one of my favorite games of all time! You play as a main character returning to her childhood home where she discovers more about all of her family members that have passed and the curse upon them. At first it's creepy and then it becomes very c...
What Remains of Edith Finch
You arrive home after a year away to find your family is missing and the home seems abandoned. Explore the house to discover what happened to them. It's another creepy yet cozy walking sim with no jump scares and a great storyline.
Available on Stea...
Gone Home
I LOVE the TV show The Walking Dead. And let me tell you, I don't like playing horror games, but I'll play dark and maybe creepy walking sims. This game series delivers on that.
Clem's story, watching her grow up, and making incredibly tough choices...
The Walking Dead: The Telltale Definitive Series
Heavy Rain is a detective story involving an origami killer. Love the plot twists in this one.
Available on Playstation, Steam.
Heavy Rain
Beyond: Two Souls is one I haven't finished yet, but it's an interesting one. It's hard to describe, but any games by Quantic Dream are absolutely worth playing.
Available on Playstation, Steam.
Beyond: Two Souls
3 playable humanoid robots. 3 very different life paths. Each choice makes a significant impact in 2038 Detroit, where androids serve humans. Will you stay on your path or be a part of the android uprising?
The replayability alone is worth it. Your ...
Detroit: Become Human
Play as a fire lookout stationed in a firewatch tower in the Wyoming wilderness in 1989. The woods are beautiful with plenty of scenic trails, and other than keeping an eye out for smoke/fires, you investigate any ruckus. Before you know it, you're w...
Firewatch
I love this game so much. It’s magical with an amazing storyline and very unique characters with full backstories. Play as Tara, taking over her grandmother’s farm on a small island where she quickly learns the townsfolk are not as innocent as they s...
Wylde Flowers
General
These games either have a looser story plot or are just super cozy to enjoy.
Thank you, COVID-19, for keeping me cooped inside long enough to a) buy a Switch and b) purchase my first Switch game, Animal Crossing. You will owe massive debt to a thieving raccoon, but decorating the cute island is so fun.
Available on Switch.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Decorate your home and islands filled with Disney characters, and complete story quests. It's like Animal Crossing, except you have Minnie Mouse asking you to fetch 200 stones to build a clock tower.
Available on Switch, Playstation, Xbox Gamepass, ...
Disney Dreamlight Valley
Calling all HP fans! I have spent way too many hours in this open-world magical game set in 1800s wizarding world. I only wish your choices had more of an impact on the story!
Hogwarts Legacy
I love the original Pokémon games, but I like the different direction the company took here. It’s a lot more simple than I was expecting (was hoping for more of an open world exploration type game) but it’s definitely cozy.
Detective Pikachu Returns - Nintendo Switch
I finished this through and there’s still even more to do with the Area Zero expansion pack and more. I do wish the storyline was a little different but the open world is amazing to explore.
Pokémon Violet - US Version - Nintendo Switch
I love cyberpunk worlds, and Stray delivers on that beautifully. You play as a cat in the future, looking for their colony they accidentally got separated from. Along the way, you meet robots and hear their stories, and they help you on your journey....
Stray
This generation is probably one of my favorites. No specific reason other than that it was my first Pokemon game on a Switch, so it was an entirely new experience coming from the DSi days.
Pokémon Sword - Nintendo Switch
Life is Strange Series
These are story-based, but I felt like this series deserves its own section. It has a cult following for a reason!
It's one of the best story-rich walking sim series out there. Each game features a main character living a normal life with a nearly supernatural power, and using their power to solve mysteries or get out of trouble. In this one, Max can rewind time ...
Life is Strange
This is my personal favorite LIS game in the series. It's very different in that the main character isn't the one with the superpower; his little brother is, but it affects every aspect of his life. The brother has powerful telekinesis powers.
The t...
Life is Strange 2
What was Chloe like before Max returned to Arcadia Bay? Who was Rachel and why did she disappear? This game answers those questions and more.
Available on Steam, Switch, Playstation.
Life is Strange: Before the Storm
Not my favorite in the series, but a good story nonetheless worth playing through. Alex's superpower is being able to absorb the emotions of others, which means she can easily tell when someone is lying, agitated, etc. She uses it to solve the myster...
Life is Strange: True Colors
Max returns in this true sequel to the OG Life is Strange, fast forwarded 10 years to her new life as an artist-in-residence at a small college. No Chloe or Arcadia Bay, it’s an all-new cast of characters but an intriguing storyline. It’s my least fa...
Life is Strange: Double Exposure