I met my younger sister's friend for the first time, and we got to the topic of games. I told him that I play on the Switch often. He replied (verbatim), "You must be one of those Animal Crossing losers."

I replied, "Why yes, I like Animal Crossing. What do you play?"

"League, maybe some Valorant."

I've dabbled in some League of Legends (mobile mostly, desktop is hard with my ergonomic mouse), and it's the single most stressful experience out there. Additionally, with the amount of trolls, it's hard to believe people genuinely have fun with this game anymore.

So why are cozy games so looked down upon? And why should it be respected more as a game genre?

The Rise of Escapism

The one game that brought the cozy game genre into the spotlight was the Animal Crossing franchise, and New Horizons just so happened to launch when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It sold 22.4 million copies worldwide in 4 months. It managed to sell more than double that today.

So what's the big deal with Animal Crossing? Well, it offered a different reality for us to escape into indefinitely, since it doesn't have a final goal. After you reach 3 stars, you can do whatever you want. Most found solace in the experience of decorating their own island, or collecting all the creatures therapeutic. It offered them hours of gameplay that do not require conscious strategy or effort to play (unless you are plotting which month to time travel to get the sharks), and for a society so burdened by the ongoings of the world, the island and the villagers offer comfort to them.

Since then, the cozy game genre has skyrocketed. If there were games that were appreciated by a smaller community before, they were pushed to the top of the charts—Stardew Valley (though I argue it was already popular beforehand), Ooblets, Coral Island, and the list goes on. These simulation games are popular for the same reason: it's a perfect way to escape the ongoings of life, because you can spend hours tending to your farm, and if you're bored of it, there are tons of other content for you to consume within the game as well.

The Rise of Haters

Following the popularity of this genre, a lot of people voiced their dislike for it. Here are a few of the arguments I've heard:

1. It's Toxic Positivity: A lot of these games are basically separate realities, and it's potentially glorifying people's tiring jobs every day. Most of us would not tend to a big farm every day because of the sheer exhaustion it would cause us, but yet here we are watering our crops every day in Stardew Valley.
2. The Games Overemphasise Aesthetics: This makes them boring over time. Who would want to spend money on a game that makes you do the same things every day without any plot or lore? A lot of gamers think the developers just want to make things pretty, and that's it. What a waste of money.
3. The Games are All the Same: Aren't Fae Farm, Coral Island, and, to an extent, Dreamlike Valley all variations of Stardew? How many times do games have to use the farming mechanism before we get bored?
4. Can't Even Handle a Little Bit of Stress?: Essentially, my new friend's perspective. Not sure what kind of people he's been hanging around with, but he sees this genre as similar to when people choose Easy Mode in combat games. Chickens who are afraid of even a little challenge. (alright…)

Sometimes All We Want is Some Relaxation Time

I hate giving up on games when it's too stressful for my little brain. I spent a lot of money on them, so I would hope that I can at least get through them. I struggled with getting through Assassin's Creed II when I had to race Ezio's brother to the top of the chapel. Seeing others also struggle after failing the first time online made me feel better about myself, but it didn't give me much motivation to continue the game.

What cozy games give me is peace of mind, so I never need to stress about the difficulty of the game. I don't expect all people to enjoy cozy games, but it'd be nice to acknowledge that they can be a source of fun and relaxation for many players.

Accessible for New Players

This is probably one of the biggest reasons why people advocate for cozy games. Following the point above, it can be easy to deter new players from games as a whole when it's difficult to grasp controls on top of a complicated story or questline.

What this subgenre offers is an easy platform to ease players into the game landscape, and now, more people can enjoy types of games that were previously scarce and overlooked.

Opportunity to Introduce a New Set of Diverse Characters

The influx of cozy games comes with a new set of characters that are supported by strong backstories. While games like Stardew Valley lack complicated fighting mechanics (going through the dungeon is still no easy feat), they make up a diverse group of well-written characters that you can spend all the time you want to get to know.

Character design has been an important part of storytelling in games, but I feel like it's been further elevated with the introduction of cozy games. Now, players can choose to interact with the characters they love in non-story-related settings and really immerse themselves in the world. It is fascinating to see the focus placed now on good character writing, because it really has become an irreplaceable part of characters—creators now have way more time to dive deeper into each personality.

Storytelling!

I love games with good storytelling. I know some of my friends often skip dialogues (and that's okay), but I read them all. There is so much to learn about the settings, the characters, and the motives behind the characters through good storytelling, and I think this really shines in cozy games.

A major argument I place against people who think cozy games get repetitive is that they do not see outside of the farming sim scope. Games like Coffee Talk, Florence, and Journey are all cozy games that may not be the typical simulation game, but shine in their storytelling, and they're not as lighthearted as you think.

It's beautiful to see how game designers use different mechanics to enhance storytelling. Florence, for one, does not include actual dialogue, but the inclusion of jagged speech bubbles and puzzles perfectly illustrates the hopelessness of arguing against an aggravated partner.

Cozy games feel like a great gateway for designers and writers to pour their hearts out since they do not need to focus on storylines that are built on top of more aggressive mechanics and gameplay.

While there are criticisms towards the genre, I find joy in seeing so many people enjoy and start their gaming journey through cozy games. Maybe the next time someone dismisses Animal Crossing, I'll force them to play through a week of it first.

Thanks for reading another one of my daily game rants! If you enjoyed my writing, feel free to check out my other articles on Medium. You can check out my socials here too!