Lack of a fail-state is an excellent descriptor! I'm going to add it to my arsenal of tools to describe cozy games. I'd argue that Stardew Valley doesn't really have a fail-state, but calling it cozy isn't the hill I'm dying on.
Also thank you for the list of titles you find cozy, adding a bunch to my wishlist too.
Really, pitchforks aren't needed here. I'm just stoked that we're trading essays and inspiring conversations!
Yeah honestly I don't need pitchforks at all. I hope everyone feels free to enjoy what they enjoy and give everyone else the benefit of doing the same 😊🙌
I was going to say Stardew Valley is cozy but then I do find it a bit stressful and I want it to go well and make money quickly and build a nice farm and that gets a bit overwhelming :D
Cozy for me are games where I know it well and can relax. Most recently my brief 15 minutes relaxing game is Mario Kart World, despite the research that it is the most stressful game. haha.
For me it is more that I know it reasonably well. Controls are easy and I can just pick it up for a few minutes and then leave it. (I am bad at mario kart so have no expectation to win haha).
Free roam is the ultimate cozy experience I think. Reminds me of riding the horse through Red dead :D
Haha yea when I think cozy Mario kart does not come to mind but I can see the open world of the new one have some elements of just exploring that can be cozy.
'Lack of a fail state' is a great way to describe it. And not just overall but in smaller increments too. I don't look for cosiness but my wife plays Skyrim like it's a mushroom-picking sim. Hundreds of hours over the years and I don't think she's ever gone further than Riften. (She's going to love Solarpunk.) So I hear a lot about it.
You and Katya both make good distinctions between cosy and comfort games and I appreciate that.
Hmmm seems like she would enjoy MMOs for the crafting and gathering, I think. And you may not look for coziness, but it's somewhere in there. I sometimes think that cozy may be the same thing as comfort food.
Thank you for noticing the distinction and appreciating both post. I really didn't want to seem like I was copying anyone.
Lack of a fail-state is an excellent descriptor! I'm going to add it to my arsenal of tools to describe cozy games. I'd argue that Stardew Valley doesn't really have a fail-state, but calling it cozy isn't the hill I'm dying on.
Also thank you for the list of titles you find cozy, adding a bunch to my wishlist too.
Really, pitchforks aren't needed here. I'm just stoked that we're trading essays and inspiring conversations!
The fail-state thing is the first thing I noticed! I honestly had no idea about the cozy genre until my wife go into it.
Hopefully those titles do you well!
I guess you can save those pitchforks for something else.
Yeah honestly I don't need pitchforks at all. I hope everyone feels free to enjoy what they enjoy and give everyone else the benefit of doing the same 😊🙌
The perfect gaming world. The day that I can say LoL is fun and no one will insult me.
But I agree, let people enjoy things.
I was going to say Stardew Valley is cozy but then I do find it a bit stressful and I want it to go well and make money quickly and build a nice farm and that gets a bit overwhelming :D
Yup I can see that! I find those aspects addicting rather than stressful, but so many people echo what you're saying, it's totally valid.
Cozy for me are games where I know it well and can relax. Most recently my brief 15 minutes relaxing game is Mario Kart World, despite the research that it is the most stressful game. haha.
I've never been able to relax in a Mario Kart game. Although, was it during free roam? I could see that being super nice.
For me it is more that I know it reasonably well. Controls are easy and I can just pick it up for a few minutes and then leave it. (I am bad at mario kart so have no expectation to win haha).
Free roam is the ultimate cozy experience I think. Reminds me of riding the horse through Red dead :D
Horse riding in Read Dead was so goooooooood.
Simplicity is the foundation of all that is cozy. I get it.
Haha yea when I think cozy Mario kart does not come to mind but I can see the open world of the new one have some elements of just exploring that can be cozy.
'Lack of a fail state' is a great way to describe it. And not just overall but in smaller increments too. I don't look for cosiness but my wife plays Skyrim like it's a mushroom-picking sim. Hundreds of hours over the years and I don't think she's ever gone further than Riften. (She's going to love Solarpunk.) So I hear a lot about it.
You and Katya both make good distinctions between cosy and comfort games and I appreciate that.
Hmmm seems like she would enjoy MMOs for the crafting and gathering, I think. And you may not look for coziness, but it's somewhere in there. I sometimes think that cozy may be the same thing as comfort food.
Thank you for noticing the distinction and appreciating both post. I really didn't want to seem like I was copying anyone.
I agree with Katya that lack of a fail-state is an excellent descriptor.
As an almost 40 year old with a kid sometimes I want very very very easy mode. That is cozy to me!