May is Mental Health Awareness month and while I don’t have statistics to back it up, I fully believe in the power of cozy gaming to help us declutter and calm our minds. For some of us, it’s the tried and true games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Stardew Valley. For others, it could be Assassin’s Creed or Fortnite.
Cozy is what we make it and it doesn’t have boundaries or guidelines. If it’s cozy to you then it’s a cozy game.
It’s no secret that the world is actively on fire right now in every corner of the globe — spheres have corners now, apparently — some more so than others. Cozy games are essential for helping us wind down and turn our brains off for a few blessed moments.
With that said, these are five games that I found helped to shut out intrusive thoughts and worries and they may help you as well! Some of these are simply here because they’re my favorite and that should count for something, but I did try to figure out games that catered to different genres and strengths.
5 Cozy Games for Mental Health Awareness Month
Spirit City: Lofi Sessions
I know the struggle of trying to make your brain quiet and focused so that you can get work done. I struggle daily to push out content. Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is designed to be cozy and functional for those who need help. Not only do you get to create a space and avatar that is meaningful to you, but you also have adorable spirits to keep you company. With Spirit City, you can create your own custom soundscapes, listen to a lo-fi playlist, use a built-in pomodoro timer, and utilize a to-do list where you can keep track of your tasks.
Steam | Our Review
Vampire Therapist
On the outside, this may look like a regular run-of-the-mill visual novel. However, it’s far more than just an interesting storyline with lovable characters. Vampire Therapist is designed to help you recognize and deconstruct cognitive distortions. This is an especially powerful tool for those of us who tend to have a more negative viewpoint. Cognitive distortions are irrational thoughts that can impact the way you view the world around you. By being able to name and challenge these thoughts, it can help lead to a more positive outlook.
Steam | Our Review
Smushi Come Home
If you’ve been reading my articles long enough, you’ll know that this isn’t the first or even fifth time that I’ve mentioned Smushi Come Home. There’s no greater meaning behind this recommendation other than the fact that this game made me feel so warm and cozy that it’s still the only game to break my cozy rating that I put on every review. It’s a perfect little game to explore and turn your brain off with. It almost seems impossible to have a bad thought when you’re immersed in this tiny world.
Steam | Our Review
Botany Manor
Sometimes, it’s not so easy to just shut your brain off and it’s not enough to rely on cozy. You need a distraction to keep your brain away from the spiky thoughts. Botany Manor is a little exploration, but mostly puzzle-based. You walk around a gorgeous estate figuring out flower-based puzzles and the balance in difficulty here is perfect to help keep your brain engaged and busy. The puzzles weren’t too hard to upset me, but they were difficult enough that I had to ruminate over them.
Steam | Our Review
Wylde Flowers
When I stopped to think about games that embody coziness and methodical escapism, a farming game only seemed right to include; it’s almost the poster child of cozy gaming. However, I didn’t find the easy joy in farming games until I played Wylde Flowers. This game hits everything just right. You’ve got a bigger story, customization, farming, mining, relationships, fishing, and an undercurrent of magic to discover. A lot of the time, farming games feel like it’s hurry up and wait, but not with this one. There were things to do in every moment of waiting for crops that I never felt the slog of it.
Steam | Our Review
I’d love to know what games you’ve played that have helped you to combat mental health. I’m always on the hunt for more feel-good games and your suggestion might help someone to decompress from what is weighing them down.
If you’re unaware, there is a great organization that is called Take This that focuses on the mental health of gamers. Comfy Cozy Gaming is an ambassador for Take This and if you’d like to check them out, you can do so at TakeThis.org.
If none of these games struck your fancy, you can always check out some of the other lists that I’ve put together. The latest are 3 incremental games to slow down with and 4 dope (figuratively and literally) games that we posted on 4/20.
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