5 Cozy Video Games To Calm Your Mind (and Still Feel Accomplished)!

Not every game has to contain a high-stakes boss fight or intense, soul stirring music. These days, things can feel stressful and it is helpful to have calming places to go and things to do. Cozy video games in that regard -- ones that let you farm, decorate, or just vibe out -- have exploded in popularity as players are craving ways to unwind. Each of the games on our list not only offer a peaceful, feel-good experience, but they are also very popular and have earned strong reviews by many accredited gaming sites!

1. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley earned IGN’s review score of 10/10, calling it a "modern classic." This review, and many similar to it, regard Stardew Valley as, "the model for farming games now" and it’s for good reason. The game has all of the classic, cozy type elements; however, the game itself is still challenging. There are a lot of different tasks and objectives, and most of them involve remaining productive and continuing to chug along as you move through this open-world game at your own pace. Along the journey, once you leave the big city and get to the farm, you get to do a lot of actual farming, make friends with townsfolk, and see what side quests/different paths look like fun that day. It’s a relaxing, rewarding game, and it’s one that you can play across Switch, PC, mobile, Xbox, and PlayStation.

2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing is similar in nature to Stardew Valley, but there are far more "meeps", "moops", and talking animals. It’s a very popular game, as it broke many records for Nintendo, becoming the second best-selling Switch game ever (only behind Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), and the #1 best-selling game of all time in Japan. The graphics differ from Stardew Valley’s pixelated aesthetic to what can be best described as Animal Crossing’s whimsical, cute, and soft environment where characters are inviting, fuzzy, and furry.  The scariest part of this game is when you leave for too long and run the risk of bugs entering your home, or weeds growing all over town. Mr. Resetti, a mole character will also yell at you if you close the game without saving; however, besides these three not actually so scary things, this game allows you to be futzing around as you wish, catching fish, paying off your debt, or just talking with the locals.

3. Minecraft

It’s impossible to talk about popular games (cozy or otherwise) without mentioning Minecraft. Importantly, however, for the purposes of our cozy list, it features a "Peaceful Mode" with no monsters, allowing you to run wild, building, collecting materials, and exploring as you want, free from harm. The game is extremely simple on its face, with chill music and graphics that don’t strive to impress or overwhelm, but rather they just add to the overall style of build-whatever-you-want; there is no rush. Minecraft also has more sales than any game ever. So, although to some the game doesn’t technically appear cozy or super relaxing, it’s close enough for us in terms of its no-rush attitude and tranquil creative outlet gameplay. It’s as if you opened up a giant digital LEGO box, and you have an entire world to build on.  It can be played by gamers of all ages, and it’s available on all different platforms.

4. Journey

A somewhat complicated yet beautiful experience, with Grammy-nominated music and IGN’s nod for 2012’s GOTY, this game is by far the shortest game on our list, as you can complete the game in under 3 hours. It’s described as a beautiful, explorative journey where characters don’t even speak to each other. You’re exploring a seemingly huge, expansive desert, figuring out puzzles and taking in the detailed art work along the way. In efforts of highlighting Journey’s quiet aesthetic, we won’t speak much more on this game; we’ll let the meditative, incredible scenery and art behind this game speak for itself.

5. The Sims

Rounding out our list, The Sims has been around, in one form or another, since 1989, and it’s regarded as one of, if not the, single best life simulation franchises. It can get a little less cozy if you set something on fire, or choose to remove the ladder in the pool, but this game successfully lets you do your own thing and attempt to guide your characters’ lives. The Sims 3 went on to be ranked in IGN’s Top 100 Modern Games list, showcasing its quality and impact. It’s this every day, player-driven gameplay that keeps the cozy feelings alive. The Sims games let you play at "life' without real consequences. It’s even been described as a virtual dollhouse, which has many elements of cozy and offers a creative unwind.

All of these games on this list are great ways to calm your mind, and through that classic video game approach, they still leave you feeling accomplished and stimulated if you ever need a wind-down, or just a few hours to go explore a new world. In times like these, when things can feel stressful, these games are great outlets and tools, and they can be a lot of fun too.