Cozy games with the best stories

Key points

• Emotionally impactful narratives in welcoming games provide rewarding experiences for players.
• Strange horticulture
  it shapes narratives based on plant choices, adding magic and mystery to the story.
• Cozy games like
  Behind the frame
  use environmental narratives and short periods for immersive experiences.

Cozy games are known for their relaxing, stress-free gameplay and span a multitude of genres. Emphasizing good vibes over rigid rules, these games often promote creative freedom, player agency, and soothing visuals to create inviting play spaces in which narratives can unfold.

Great storytelling in a welcoming game needs to have themes of great emotional impact while remaining light and comfortable in tone. The following games masterfully blend emotion and intrigue with gameplay, offering narratives that are both conceptually compelling and practically engaging, resulting in memorable and rewarding experiences for players.

1 Elsinore

Shakespeare's Hamlet reinvented

• Platform(s).: Windows, macOS, Mac operating systems, Linux
• Released: July 22, 2019
• Developer(s).: Golden Glitch Studios
• Gender(s): Adventure

Elsinore is a captivating point-and-click that blends history and humor, transporting players into Shakespeare's world Hamlet. With its charming art style and engaging thematic soundtrack, this time-loop choose-your-own adventure game offers a fresh, relaxed twist on a classic story.

In Elsinoreplayers take on the role of Ophelia, a character often sidelined and overlooked throughout the original work. This unique perspective invites players to experience the famous story through the eyes of a spectator, inserting new narratives and background information left out of the source material. The careful modernization of the game and the introduction of new characters transform what is traditionally a dark and complex story into a welcoming narrative experience with mystery, social commentary and great emotional depth.

2 Strange horticulture

Sell ​​plants to uncover mysteries

Strange horticulture allows players to take on the role of Undermere's horticulturist, selling plants to residents that alleviate their various ailments or concerns. The plants chosen directly influence the story, shaping the unfolding of the narrative and even determining its conclusion. The story is full of magic, mystery and the occult.

Taking care of plants is relaxing, as players can label and organize them as they wish. Additionally, the resident black cat on the counter absolutely loves to be petted, adding comfort to the daily routine. To advance the story in Strange horticultureplayers engage in a variety of tasks, including sifting through letters for information, exploring the map, and finding clues with particular devices, such as Bryer's disk and the mirror.

3 Unpacking

A mastery of environmental storytelling

Unpacking offers beautiful, touching and clear narration without using words. The game's environmental narrative does all the talking as players move a person from their childhood home to their family home, living in different locations throughout their life.

A standout moment in the narrative occurs when the players automatically assume that the person's college diploma should be on display in their 2010 apartment, only to discover that there is no space because their partner's belongings take priority. As a result, the diploma ends up hidden under the bed, a small but shocking reflection of the couple's dynamic.

4 Wylde flowers

Discover the magic within

Wylde flowers reveals real-life themes such as heartbreak, grief and discrimination while keeping a light and optimistic tone. Set over the course of a single year, the emotionally rich and haunted storyline seamlessly blends social game mechanics with classic farming simulation activities such as farming, fishing and mining.

The game is fully voiced, which elevates the narrative immensely, as all the voices are very appropriate and executed extremely well. The cutscenes are a particular highlight of this game, as they bring the gameplay mechanics and narrative together beautifully.

5 Stardew Valley

Some very emotional character arcs

Stardew Valley is perhaps one of the most famous cozy games of all time, but it's not known for its narrative quality. However, some villagers undergo a true narrative transformation during players' time in Pelican Town.

Shane's struggles with alcoholism are touchingly explored during his cardiac events and are believed to impact both his mental health and his relationship with his family. With the support of the player and Marnie, Shane eventually rebuilds his life and becomes a better person. The writing of the character of Shane – once a despondent and rude individual who transforms into a kind and caring father figure to Jas – is masterfully done and still manages to fit into the overall welcoming nature of Stardew Valley.

6 Talk about coffee

Discover the life of mythological creatures

Set in an alternate universe of Seattle, where mythological creatures walk the Earth alongside humans, Talk about coffee explores themes of social inequality from the picturesque location of a bar. Players take on the role of the bartender, where the objective of the game is to serve customers the right drinks to advance the story to its good ending.

The rainy atmosphere and soothing music set a welcoming tone for the game, blending seamlessly with the plot and enhancing the atmosphere without overwhelming the narrative.

7 Behind the frame

Creativity and emotion are intertwined

• Platform(s).: Windows, macOS, PS4, Switch, mobile devices
• Released: August 25, 2021
• Developer(s).: Study of the silver coating
• Gender(s): Adventure

Behind the frame showcases an open-ended narrative woven within a captivating puzzle game. The puzzles are intricate without being too obvious, replicating the style of an escape room in design. While the game features some tonal shifts, they all serve to support the overarching narrative of pain, love, and creativity.

The game's beautiful art style complements the story perfectly, highlighting the role of painting as a means of processing difficult emotions. As Unpacking, Behind the frame is based on environmental storytelling and can be completed in a short amount of time.

8 Venba

A journey through cuisine and culture

With branching conversations, a focus on the difficulties of immigration and the goal of restoring family cooking recipes, Venba it's a welcoming, heartfelt and emotionally strong game. The cooking mechanics are fun and replayable, while the overall narrative keeps the player engaged throughout.

The game beautifully captures South Indian culture through radio soundtrack and authentic Tamil cuisine. While the story can be emotionally taxing at times, it consistently emphasizes optimism and the possibility of a positive resolution in the face of difficulty.

9 Spiritfarer

Face the pain on a ship to the afterlife

Combining management mechanics with exploration, Spiritfarer weaves adventure and narrative into a beautiful journey through loss and grief. Carefully designed animal spirits and visually stunning minigame events greatly enhance the game's welcoming atmosphere, blending seamlessly into the otherworldly essence of the story.

You take on the role of Stella, accompanied by her cat Daffodil, to take familiar spirits to their final resting places beyond the Everdoor. The ship upgrade improves passengers' experiences, helping them progress on their journeys to acceptance.

10 The Sisterhood of the Cosmic Wheel

Fight for freedom, friendship and coven

• Platform(s).: Windows, Change
• Released: August 16, 2023
• Developer(s).: Deconstruct the team
• Gender(s): Adventure

The Sisterhood of the Cosmic Wheel is a beautiful game about the importance of social connection, love and emotion. Players build their own tarot deck as Fortuna, a witch exiled to a floating rock in space, and must make a deal with the devil to reclaim her freedom. Fortuna must make difficult moral decisions to protect the coven and use her powers of divination to maintain friendships.

The game reveals its narrative through branching paths, multiple endings, and visual novel elements, highlighting themes of destiny and free will. Overall, the narrative is incredibly rich and layered and evokes a wide range of emotions while maintaining a welcoming and magical atmosphere.