Other than the crappy, ad-infused word game that I keep on my phone to occupy my brain on my commute (and which I will not promote here because of said ads), I haven’t been playing too many video games lately and certainly not making ample use of the monstrous Playstation 5 in my living room entertainment unit. This isn’t for any particular reason besides not being overly excited for the offerings on that system of late and my kids monopolizing the TV with episodes of The Amazing Digital Circus and Assassination Classroom. But I’m looking to get back in the virtual saddle.

It might seem counterintuitive that this website’s resident superfan of Japanese underworld crime, underwater carnage, fighter jets, and general fisticuffs would be penning yet another article about cozy games. And I’ll agree that it’s surprising even to myself that my tastes have mellowed somewhat (though I’m still looking forward to the newest Yakuza-adjacent and Ace Combat installments coming this fall). But the world in general is becoming a nastier, more stressful place in so many ways that sometimes you just want to make both a real-life and a virtual cup of tea. Last week’s Wholesome Direct event previewed some of the best and most buzzworthy cozy games that are coming to your screens, big and small, over the next while and the following completely unorganized list is composed of the ones that stuck out to me the most as the ones I’ll be looking to for relaxation over the next year or so*. 

Hidden Folks 2 (Hidden Folks B.V., Steam/Nintendo Switch/Android, 2027) 

The sequel to the much-loved Hidden Folks (2017) continues the often-imitated Where’s Waldo-esque gameplay where you search through simple-yet-complex hand-drawn areas with dozens of interactive features. The soundtrack is entirely composed of lovingly-crafted mouth sounds and the visuals are even more gorgeous, creating an end product that feels like a piece of playable art. Personally, if I had this on my commute I might never get off the subway for work. 

Design and Conjure (Tiny Kiwi Games, Steam, “Coming Soon”) 

Design and Conjure looks very much in the same vein as Unpacking as it has you take on the role of Nature Witch Dalia who is on a quest to rebuild and re-establish her home town which has befallen some kind of corruption. Rather than fighting her way back to normal, Dalia will tidy up living spaces, re-decorate rooms, and comfort distressed creatures at a laid-back pace. I love the idea of a cozy game tasking you with a seemingly mundane set of chores, all while an off-kilter story and world unfold in the background. 

Froggy Brews (Komodo Range Studio, Steam, “Coming Soon”) 

Speaking of reconnecting with your hometown, Komodo Range’s Froggy Brews asks you to take control of a frog who’s come back to their town of Bloomville to open a tea shop. You’ll forage for ingredients and design custom cups of tea, each communicating something unique to your fellow community members and unfolding the narrative of how you fit into your town again. I’m not the biggest tea drinker in real life, but I think making custom cups as a way of bonding and communicating in Froggy Brews might make me a fan of, at least virtual, leaves. I’m also intrigued with the way that a task like serving tea becomes a means of forming meaningful relationships with others. 

Beastfolk Barber (Safe Flight Games, Steam, “Coming Soon”) 

Beastfolk Barber allows you to style a series of anthropomorphic creatures and develop connections with them. “Every haircut is a conversation,” says the developer and while styling hair is the main part of the game, there’s deeper chats to be had about what’s really happening in town. Like Froggy Brews, it uses a service – in this case hairstyling – as a means of bonding with other characters. This also appeals to me in terms of its similarity to a character customization format not unlike a creation suite, but where the creation suite is almost the whole game. That’s exactly my jam. 

Book Nook (Malapata Studio, Steam, 2026)

What’s more satisfying than setting up a cozy place to read? Book Nook has you setting up little diorama sets, placing your furniture and decorations just so, all while experiencing the purestrain satisfaction of seeing it all come together in the exact way you envisioned. Arranging furniture and spaces in houses has always been my favourite part of the Sims (and Sims-a-like) games, and I completely understand the appeal of having a book nook realized in the specific way you had in your head. 

Discounty (Crinkle Cut Games, Steam/PS4/PS5,Nintendo Switch, Xbox,Available Now)

In Discounty, you’ll manage your own supermarket after having it handed down to you by your mysterious aunt. This one might lean a little more capitalist than you’d want from your cozy experience, but organizing your store’s layout, stacking the shelves, managing your stock, and working the cash register might just scratch a particular itch. Sure, you’re a tool of the capitalist overlords but you’re also helping your community by selling them cereal! Seriously, there’s more than meets the eye in the story here with some sinister similarities to Buffet Infinity, but that makes it even more compelling to think about as you do inventory and arrange your shelves.

While we’re on the subject of things to help you detach from the world, I know everyone’s telling you to watch Apple TV’s ‘Widow’s Bay’ just like they bugged you to watch HBO’s ‘The Pitt’ (including me, if we’ve interacted at all over the last year). But I feel strongly that it’s one of those shows that, regardless of when you watch it, you’ll wonder ‘why did it take so long for me to watch this?’ After last week’s finale, I’m convinced that this show that started out as a ‘Parks and Recreation’ episode pitch from creator Katie Dippold and ballooned into my favourite series of the year, is something perfect and special. It’s about a cursed island off the coast of New England whose hapless mayor (Matthew Rhys) and his team of public servants, especially Kate O’Flynn’s Patricia, my favourite onscreen character of 2026 so far, attempt to drum up and maintain a tourism business for “the next Martha’s Vinyard.” It’s the purest blend of horror, comedy, and emotional drama that I’ve seen in some time and this first season at least is so perfectly attuned to my tastes that it’s destined to become one of those comfort (if not exactly cozy, due to the actually-scary moments of horror) watches that I revisit again and again. It’s neither exactly cozy nor a game, but I felt it important to mention here as the hot, lazy days of summer demand new and interesting forms of entertainment. An episode of Widow’s Bay and one of the above cozy games, perhaps paired with a fruity cocktail or fizzy drink, might be just the ticket.

Sachin Hingoo is most cozy when watching two people pummel each other with chairs, but will happily settle for virtually foraging for ingredients and making a cup of tea.

*Also, Wholesome is an organization very much worth supporting and a portion of their merch sales go to supporting the Transgender Law Centre, if you needed another reason to give them a look.