You’re getting stood up, as Sassy Chap Games has announced that they won’t be making the Valentine’s Day launch date for Date Everything as they had planned. Instead, Date Everything wi?ll be coming to PS5??, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC on June 25.

This is actually the second time the game has been delayed, as it was originally supposed to arrive on October 24, 2024 before getting moved to February 14, 2025. The Valentine’s Day launch would be very appropriate, but according to th?e release from Designer Ray Chase, “I was too confident that we could prope??rly test ALL the wild amount of content that exists in this massive game, and unfortunately, we ran out of time on our current release date.�Fair enough.

Date Everything is, of course, the dating sim that allows you to date everything. You wander a house and interact with anthropomorphized versions of, well, everything. From the couch to the icebox. More importantly, you can romance them, because no one understands your problems quite like your bed. I have to wonder if the genre pioneers who worked on games like Tokimeki Memorial thought that this is where things would end up.

The delay is unfortunate, but you don’t want bugs getting involved in your passions. Visual novels can get pretty messy, especially when they branch as much as Date Everything promises to. Even with a lot of planning, every variable you add to the mix has the chance of ?throwing a ??wrench into the mix. So, I guess what I’m saying is: I’m sorry your date stood you up, chum. I'm sorry everything stood you up.

Date Everything is now coming to PS5,?? Xbox Series X|S, Switch, and PC on June 25??.

The post It’s going to be a lonely Valentine’s Day as Date Everything gets pushed back to June appeared first on Destructoid.

Whether you want to start life over on a run-down farm or you want a new challenge to absorb all of your spare time, there’s never a shortage of cozy games ready and waiting to distract you ?from reality. 2025 is set to be a big year for the genre, with a myriad of announced titles set to release. 

Although games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing s??erved to propel the cozy gaming genre to a huge number of new players, the genre has been around for far longer. Some would pinpoint the birth of cozy games with Little Computer People, released for multiple platforms in 1985. We’ve come a long way since then, but cozy games are still a firm favorite for?? many. 

Many cozy ti?tles are set to release this year, make their way to new platforms, or leave early access behind?. As something of a cozy gamer myself, here are 15 that I’m looking forward to getting into. 

Kitori Academy

Although there is no set release date for Kitori Academy yet, and the Kickstarter page still su??ggests that the game should have been fully released in 2023, all signs point to this magical cozy game being released at some point in 2025. Of course, that’s not set in stone, but the gorgeous art style and promising concept of the game are hard not to be hopeful about. 

In Kitori Academy, you take on the role of a wizard apprentice who attends the academy alongside their pet cat. If you’ve ever wanted to head off to Hogwarts, this will definitely appeal to you. Not only can you train in the arts of potion brewing and spellcasting with an aim to tackle the curse that threatens the land, but ??you can also grow vegetables and build relationships with those around you. 

Discounty

Discounty is what would happen if Jojamart were in charge of Stardew Valley. Rather than trying to save the town from a money-hungry conglomerate, Discounty will give you control over the local town store and hand you the power to pour contamination into the water stream. Or, you could take the other, more honorable?? route, but that’s been done before, right?

There are plenty of townsfolk to make friends with in Blomkest �or turn into enemies if you disturb the peace of the qu??iet town by growing your business too ra??pidly. You get to pick your stock, set the prices, and make trade deals to thrive one way or another. Essentially, you get to become Pierre, and that’s weirdly appealing. 

We Harvest Shadows

Admittedly, We Harvest Shadows can only be described as ‘cozy�if you ignore the large number of horror elements at play, but there are some who find relaxation in creepy surroundings. The game takes inspiration from the ?terrifying folklore surrounding the Appalachian mountains. You know the ones �“i??f you hear someone calling your name, no, you didn’t� 

But that’s just one side of We Harvest Shadows. The cozy elements come in the form of farming, fixing up your house, looking after your animals, and getting to know those who live in the area surrounding the farm. There’s a huge focus on slow-burn storytelling, rather than throwing you in at the deep end w??ith pure horror and jump scares, so you can take your time enjoying the cozy before giving yourself nightmares. 

Fields of Mistria

Fields of Mistria is technically already available to play and has been since it entered Early Access in August 2024. There’s already so much to do, including over 40 hours of gameplay and endless customization, never mind all of the friends you can make along the way. However, it is set to leave early ??access behind at some point during 2025, fully packed with features that currently aren’t implemented. 

According to the roadmap, more levels are set to be added to the Mines, new NPCs are due to arrive, and many new items are likely to arrive, too. I’m very much a fan of Fields of Mistria, and those who have played it alre??ady have fallen in love with the world and t?he people in it. It’s easy to lose hours while playing, and it’s worth diving in whenever you’re ready. 

Solarpunk

If you’re looking for a cozy game with space to drag your friends along for the ride, Solarpunk might be it, although it’s perfect i?f you want to do some solo gaming as well. It is a survival game with an emphasis on rebuilding and thriving on futuristic floating islands, although there’s a huge amount of cottagecore goodness to be found even in the technologically advanced setting. 

While the game will center around building up a farmstead using farmi?ng, crafting, and gathering skills and harnessing natural energy to power it all, there’s also an exploration element to Solarpunk. Eventually, you’ll be able to build a private airship, facilitating travel to islands further afield so tha?t you can gather resources and materials or make new friends along the way. 

Witchbrook 

2025 might be the year of magic-based cozy games, with Witchbrook being the second on this list based in the more fantastical realm. With instantly familiar graphics and an emphasis on friendship building, Witchbrook has all of the elements th??at point to success and is definitely worth keeping an eye on as we get closer to release day. 

Once again, you enroll at a College of Witchcraft to learn everything there is to know about magic, but that’s not all there is to Witchbrook. You’ll be able to cook, grow plants, forage, and even soar through the skies on a broom. Eventually, you move on to postgraduate s??tudies and take on deliveries for the locals, allowing you to build friendships or romantic relationships with? those both inside and outside of the college walls. 

While Waiting

Sometimes, it can be hard to sit back and watch the world around you without any input, but While Waiting is a cozy game that aims to challenge the control freak in all of us, no matter how big or small that part of us may be. The ??game even comes with a warning that it might get boring at times, but that’s not necessarily the case.

While the aim of Just Waiting is overwhelmingly simple �just wait �there is no shortage of things to do or experience while you do. I mean, yes, you might technically be waiting for a bus or for the ra?in to stop, and nothing you do will make that waiting time go any quicker, but there’s still a lot to interact with in ?each scene and many puzzles to figure out to complete objectives. 

Hello Kitty Island Adventure

I know that Hello Kitty Island Adventure was first released in 2023, but thanks to the exc??lusive availability on only the Apple Arcade, many people have never had the chance to play. Now, it’s coming to both Nintendo Switch and PC through Steam, opening up the Sanrio world to a whole new influx of players. 

With all of the most well-loved Sanrio characters (including Gudetama, a fact that makes my heart sing), Hello Kitty Island Adventure has won a long list of re??wards for gameplay and design. There are 80 quests to complete, many friends to make, crafting and gathering to be done, and all of it in Sanrio’s telltale kawaii style. 

Ritual of Raven

Ritual of Raven isn’t the first cozy game from Spellgarden Games, but it is their first foray into the world of farming sims. You might be familiar with its previous cozy gem, Sticky Business, and the now familiar art style has been transformed into a lively, story-based life sim that revolves around growing herbs in a ?m??agical world while accompanied by your trusty raven. 

Not only can you cultivate your herb garden with the power of magic, but you can also truly personalize your space with decorations. A few friendly neighbors are waiting to form friendships with you, and you can even learn how to control the phases of the moon in your own self-interest. Ritual of Raven has been on my radar since it was announced in Augus?t 2024, and I can’t ?wait to dive in and play. 

Outbound

In Outbound, you’re in control of a camper van with a huge map to explore, materials to be scavenged, and endless customization options as you turn the camper van into your own ideal home on wheels. You can play both solo or with up to four friends, and there’s no right or wrong, making Outbound truly cozy in every sense of the word. 

You’ll need to adapt your play style depending on how far you venture, with everything from expansive fields to treacherous m?ountains to explore, but your trusty camper van can go everywhere with you. You can also establish a ??base camp by building around the camper van, growing plants, and learning to cook the ingredients you cultivate. 

Crimson Hollow

And just like that, another magic-based cozy game is waiting to be tried. Crimson Hollow will allow you to try your hand at skills like mining, blacksmithing, herbalism, alchemy, and fis?hing because what would a cozy game be if there was no fishing? It’s almost a basic requirement at this point. Almost. 

Outside of your own farming and gathering tasks, there are also quests to complete and townsfolk to meet, befriend, or become romantically entangled with. Building relationships will uncover new secrets or perks, and you’ll also be able to customize not only your character but also your home. With a cute cartoon art style and an intriguing story waiting to be told, Crimson Hollow is worth keeping on your radar.

Date Everything

Date Everything is proof that there’s a fine line between just-plain-weird and weirdly-cozy. Dating sims aren’t exactly a new thing, but Date Everything takes, well, everything, to the extreme. Rather than meeting and picking up regular people, Date Everything puts you in a house and offers you the chance to date everything from the lam?ps to the dishwashe?r. How many times can I say “date everythingâ€?in one paragraph?

The concept is bizarre, but there’s a lot of appeal there. While I can’t say I’ve ever thought about the potential personified appearance of my TV cabinet, I’m intrigued to see what it could look like if given the chance to become something more than it currently is. There are 100 characters waiting to be pulled from the furn??iture and appliances; the whole pun-filled experience is fully voice-acted by a large number of recognizable voices, featuring three endings per character. That’s a lot to get absorbed in.

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game

There’s something infinitely appealing about life in Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth. It’s picturesque, quiet, laid back, and outside of the appearance of Gandalf and Pippin and Merry’s ins??istence on causing chaos, there’s very little drama. That sounds relaxing, peaceful, and, dare I say it, ultimately cozy. 

In Tales of the Shire, you can immerse yourself in Hobbit life. Farming, fishing, foraging, an??d, of course, the most important task for any Hobbit, cooking. No Hobbit hole is complete without a well-stocked pantry, and second breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Stock up on potatoes, and explore the village of Bywater to create connections with your fellow Hobbits, which is greatly helped by sharing meals.

Loftia

Loftia is a cross between a life sim and a small-scale MMO. You have your own floating island that can be customized and used to farm, forage, and craft your way to a brighter future. You can then join players nearby to form neighborhoods, using ethical energy to power your creations in this sustain??able new world. 

Through the use of hydroponics, trellis farming, repurposing trash into usable furniture, and scavenging from abandoned factories, you can create a utopia while uncovering hidden stories to play through and locations to explore. There’s also the ability to adopt companions, including capybaras, turtles, and even some as-yet unrevealed endangered creatures. As if that’s not enough, you can dress them in adorable outfits, instantly making Loftia worth your time. 

inZOI

It’s been hard to avoid hearing about inZOI over the last few months, especially for those heavily into The Sims and other similar titles. inZOI takes the proven life sim concept and throws it? into the 21st century with almost photo-realistic graphics and endless customization possibilities powered by what KRAFTON has promised to be ethical generative AI. 

There have been countless videos of early gameplay released through YouTubers such as MadMorph, and KRAFTON also released the character studio demo for a few weeks toward the end of 2024, allowing players a glimpse of what’s to come. And what’s to come looks incredibly impressive. With ultimate control over everything from the weather to the type of wild creatures you can encounter and the possibility to upload photos of your own items to import and use in the game, there’s no end of new things to try when inZOI eventually gets a full release on March 28.

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