Updated on September 29th, 2025
AD – PR Product | With the constant release of new games, I wanted to take the time to review 10 cozy games I played so far in 2024. This post will cover a mix of cozy games released this year and older games from the last couple of years. I will also divide them by the best and worst cozy games I have played.
What are Cozy Games?
Cozy games are games you play to relax. The games often do not include combat and are not stressful to play. Cozy games have a mix of genres, from farming and simulation to puzzle and story-driven games. To determine if a game is cozy, you simply have to ask yourself, “Do I play the game to relax?” If you do, the game can be considered cozy. Now, let us get into the best and worst cozy games I have played so far in 2024!
The Best Cozy Games I Played So Far in 2024
Doronko Wanko
Doronko Wanko is a free game that released on March 26th for Steam. In the game, you play as an adorable Pomeranian who wreaks havoc on their master’s home. You make the home as messy and dirty as possible while finding hidden pomes and unlocking gifts and accessories. I have played through the game, and it is so fun. At the end of the game, you are given a receipt with the total amount of damages, which I thought was a funny addition. I definitely recommend checking Doronko Wanko out if you want to play as a cute dog who makes a big mess.
Lonesome Village
Lonesome Village released in 2022 for $19.99 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox. I received a free copy from the developer and publisher Ogre Pixel after playing through A Tiny Sticker Tale. In Lonesome Village, you play as a coyote who uncovers the mysterious past of Lonesome Village while saving the town from evil. I have finished playing through the game, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time. In the game, there is a puzzle tower with different levels, and when you complete a puzzle, you unlock villagers. I love that each level of the tower is different, and there is an option to skip the puzzle. Furthermore, I had fun doing the quests for the villagers, and I liked how easy it was to fish and mine. I definitely recommend checking out Lonesome Village if you enjoy puzzle adventure games with no combat.
Minami Lane
Minami Lane released on February 28th for Steam, and the game is $4.99. The game is a casual management sim where you build your own street, unlock and customize buildings, manage your shops, and maximize the happiness of your villagers to complete quests. The game has 5 missions, and I have completed them all. The art style is cute, and I love the customization options and finding the correct recipes to make the villagers happy. As you progress in the missions, you unlock more buildings, which keeps the game fun. The game is on the shorter side, but I had a lot of fun, and the price is not bad. Also, there is a sandbox mode and achievements to complete, which adds replayability.
Smushi Come Home
Smushi Come Home released in 2023 for $19.99 on Steam and Nintendo Switch, and it was on my Wholesome Direct Wish List. I played through the game last month and finished it. In the game, you play Smushi, the mushroom, who is lost in the forest and cannot find their way home. You explore different areas, chat with inhabitants, and take on challenges to get home. I like the art style of the game, and each area has a map, so you know where to go. Some of the challenges are difficult, like the obstacle course, but there is an option to change the difficulty. Once you finish the story, you can teleport to each area to finish the achievements. I enjoyed playing the game and recommend picking it up on sale.
Storyteller
Storyteller released in 2023 for $14.99 on Steam and Nintendo Switch, but I played for free through Netflix Games. You do need a Netflix subscription and either a phone or tablet to download the game. Storyteller is a puzzle game where you use backgrounds and characters to create a story that matches the description. Some of the stories are easy to figure out, whereas others I had to think about. Storyteller is a unique puzzle game with over 60 different puzzles to complete. If you already have a Netflix subscription, it is worth checking out, or you can wait for a sale to purchase the game.
SUMMERHOUSE
The game released on March 8th for $4.99 on Steam, and I received a copy from the publisher Future Friends Games. SUMMERHOUSE is a tiny build game where you create houses and neighborhoods using blocks. It is a relaxing game with no goals or challenges, and you are only limited by your creativity. You can also choose between four different settings and build homes, stores, cafes, and more with the blocks. SUMMERHOUSE is fun to play every now and then, and I recommend it if you enjoy building.
The Worst Cozy Games I Played So Far in 2024
Fall of Porcupine
I received a free copy of Fall of Porcupine from Keymailer, and I started playing it at the end of 2023 and finished it in January. The game is $19.99, and in the game, you play as Finley who is the newest doctor at St. Ursula’s hospital, but things are not what they seem in the town of Porcupine. After finishing the game, I have mixed thoughts.
I enjoyed the story and the Hibernation Festival. However, the stethoscope mini-game was bugged, and I always ended up getting a ‘C’ grade because I could not press three keys on the keyboard at the same time. Furthermore, the town of Porcupine feels deserted, and when you are walking around, there are hardly any characters you can interact with. Lastly, the ending is constant mini-games, which makes it feel rushed and left questions unanswered. Even though I liked the story, I cannot recommend paying full price for the game.
Hairdresser Simulator
Hairdresser Simulator released on March 6th for $19.99 on Steam, and I received a free copy from Keymailer. The game has the same publisher as House Flipper, so I was excited to check it out. In the game, you become a hairdresser and run and renovate your own salon. The game is fun at first because you slowly unlock more you can with hair, such as dying and styling. The game also has elements of House Flipper with cleaning and renovating the salons.
However, as you progress, the game becomes grindy. In order to do more hairdressing courses, I have to own four salons. The fourth salon is twice the price that I had to save up for the third salon! I also experienced a bug where the game became stuck on a loading screen, and I lost my progress for the day. In short, Hairdresser Simulator is fun at first, but it becomes quite grindy and repetitive. There are also numerous people, including myself, who have encountered game-breaking bugs, so I cannot recommend playing.
Mail Time
Mail Time released in 2023 for $19.99 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation. I got around to playing and finishing it in February. In Mail Time, you play as a newly trained Mail Scout who delivers letters to the animals in Grumblewood Grove. To start with, I love the art style and meeting the cute critters. However, the game is open-world, but there is no map, so I occasionally struggled to find the the characters. Furthermore, the game is rather short and filled with non-stop fetch quests. For the quests, you talk to character A, give a letter to character B, then return to character A, and repeat. Even though the game is cute, there is no variety in the gameplay, so I do not recommend playing it, especially at the current price.
Real Estate Simulator
Real Estate Simulator released on March 22nd for $12.99 on Steam, and I received a free copy from Keymailer. In the game, you build your real estate empire by buying, renovating, and selling properties. However, the game is not fun at all. When you start out, you can only buy 2 tents a day in the first neighborhood, place a sleeping bag in them, and then sell them. Then, you have to find the right client who will buy the tent. Finding a client is time-consuming because a majority of clients are looking for homes in a different neighborhood.
Once you sell the 2 tents, you end the day and repeat the process until you have around $8,000 to buy a container or school bus along with the 2 tents. You continue to repeat the same process until you reach level 2. At level 2, you unlock the next neighborhood, but the homes range from $50,000-500,000, so you have to do more grinding to buy the cheapest house. Since the game is so grindy and you are essentially doing the same thing over and over again, it is not fun to play. I would definitely not recommend playing!
What a lovely roundup of cozy games! I’m totally intrigued by the Summerhouse and Doronko Wanko! xx
Lenne | lennezulkiflly.com
Thank you! SUMMERHOUSE is great if you like building, and Doronko Wanko is a ton of fun!
The Storyteller game has an interesting concept. I would enjoy playing that game because I love puzzles and stories.
I definitely recommend it because the puzzles are fun and can be challenging! Also if you have a Netflix subscription, you can play it for free on your phone or tablet.
I love the sound of Summerhouse! I don’t have a PC or any console to play games at the moment, but I definitely want to invest in one. Thank you for sharing your honest thoughts!
You’re welcome! SUMMERHOUSE is such a relaxing game because you can take your time and build pretty much whatever you want. I have a gaming laptop that I use for both blogigng and gaming
I like the sound of Smushi Come Home – need to start playing some cosy games!
Smushi Come Home is such a fun game! I loved the story and completing the achievements!
No cozy games played yet, although I do like the sound of the hairdressing game!
Hairdresser Simulator is a fun game at first, but it is repetitive, and to progress in the game, you have to earn A LOT of money.
I have not played any cozy games (yet), but it’s something that I would really like to get into. The ones you enjoyed sound really great, and a nice way to enjoy spending some quiet time doing something relaxing.
I definitely recommend playing a cozy game or too because it is a great way to relax and destress. There are so many different types of cozy games from simulations to puzzles, so you’ll hopefully be able to find one that you’ll like.
I like the sound of the Summerhouse game! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
SUMMERHOUSE is such a great game because you can just relax and build!
Some of the games sound like so much fun, especially the Pomeranian one. The mail game sounds a bit like Animal Crossing delivering good to the characters.
I highly recommend Doronko Wanko, and you can’t go wrong with playing it because it’s free! Mail Time does have cute animals like in Animal Crossing, but Animal Crossing is by far better. In Animal Crossing, you befriend the villagers, but there’s also fishing, bug catching, farming, decorating, etc. In Mail Time, you literally just deliver mail between the characters, and that’s all. That’s why I don’t recommend Mail Time!