Whethe?r 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 served 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 favo??rite for many. 

Many cozy titles are set to release this year, mak?e 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 suggests 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 gorg?eous art style and promising concept of the g?ame 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 wit??h 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 happ??en 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 t??he peace of the quiet town by growing your business too rapidly. 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 terr??ifying folklore surrounding the Appalachian mountains. You know the ones �“if 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 with pure horror and jump scares, so you can take your time enjoying the cozy before giving your??self nightmares. 

Fields of Mistria

Fields of Mistria is tec??hnically 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 already have fallen in love with the wo?rld and the 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 if 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 th?ere’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 farming, crafting, and gathering skills and harnessing natural energy to power it all, there’s also an exploration element to Solarpu??nk. Eventually, yo??u’ll be able to build a private airship, facilitating travel to islands further afield so that 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 that 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, g?row plants, forage, and even soar through the skies on a broom. Eventually, you move on to postgraduate studies 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 t??imes, 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 rain 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 exclusive 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 wh??ole 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 rewards 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 arou??nd growing herbs in a magical 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 August 20??24, 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 fiel?ds to?? treacherous mountains 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 fishing be??cause 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 lamps to the dishwasher. How many times can ??I say “date everything�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 intri?gued 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 furniture 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 some??thing infinitely appealing about life in Hobbiton, The Shire, Middle Earth. It’s p?icturesque, quiet, laid back, and outside of the appearance of Gandalf and Pippin and Merry’s insistence 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, and, of course, the most important task for any Hobbit, cooking. No Hobbit hole is complete with?out 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 connec?tions 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 sustaina??ble 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 tak??es 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.

The post Best cozy games coming out in 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

It was just earlier this month that Private Division announced a delay for Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game, pushing it to early 2025. It didn't take long for them to follow up, and?? now the chill, hairy-footed sim is due out on March 25, 2025. 

The official accounts shared a trailer along with the new release date. The folks at developer Weta Workshop open this one with a booming proclamation that "Tales of the Shire is a Lord of the Rings gaming experience like nothing that's come before." A much quieter voice ??follows suit, briefly touching up??on how the team used their years of experience with Tolkien's work to make something that draws a lot from said source material. 

"Most importantly, it's a game about living as a Hobbit," they add. Judging from the release date tra?iler, it's got a s??????????????????????????olid aim on that very specific niche. 

For Tolkien nerds, the significance of March 25 probably doesn't need to ??be explained. But for everyone else: following a journey of 11 months, one week, and six days, the One Ring and Sauron were ultimately destroyed on March 25 of Third Age 3019. 

If that little trailer peeking into the world of the Hobbits isn't enough for you, the game's YouTube c?hannel also celebrated Hobbit Day in style. A special Hobbit Day stream we??nt live on September 22, offering an exclusive look deeper into the Shire. Let's see what's going on in the absurdly cozy town of Bywater: 

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is in the works for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Unless they pull a brutal bait-and-switch, somet??hing tells me we won't have to worry about a nasty scouring of these idyllic accommodations. 

The post Tales of the Shire sets a new release ?date for March 25, 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.

If you were growing out your feet hair in preparation for Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game [sic], then you may want to shave them, lest they become dreadlocked. Private Division has announced that it has been delayed to 2025.

To be fair, the only rel??ease window we had previously was 2024. If we want to be technical, maybe they had an internal launch date of December 31, 2024, and now they’ve moved it to J?anuary 1st, 2025. We don’t know! Maybe the delay is only big in our minds.

Sorry, I got on a tangent there. Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game �yes, I’m writing that out every time. It’s ridiculous even without the fat �after “rings �is a game about being a hobbit and living in the Shire. After all, who doesn’t dream of living in the Shire? The rest of the story might be gloomy and adventuresome, but the Shire is cozier than a pillow fort. Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game takes you there and has you fish and garden so you can share food with your neighbors. I’m not even a big The Lord of the Rings fan, and I love the idea.

While the game may be delayed, Private Division suggests tuning into their “A Hobbit Day Showcase�for another look at the game on September 22. I’m sure watching someone else enjoy the game wi??ll really make the wait that much easier.

Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game ??is coming to Swit??ch, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC sometime in 2025.

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