2023 was chalk full of cozy games. Sometimes it even felt like it was hard to keep up with all the releases. This is both wonderful and stressful – which kind of led to a personal burn out in my cozy game journey. Luckily things have slowed down since my last update on upcoming cozy games and 2024 is starting off a bit bare. With only a handful of releases this month, there’s time to get into your backlog. When you’re ready, here are a few cozy titles to look forward to.
Paws Trail
With the full game release coming out January 10th, Paws Trail is a wonderfully relaxing and cute game to start the month. You play as a small black kitty venturing through the woodlands. There’s many secrets to discover along the way as you find your way back home safely. In this enchanting forest full of wonders and trials, you can even make some kitty friends to stick by your side along your adventure. The visuals are beautifully detailed, whimsical, and provide a magical getaway to get cozy with. There’s something soul-warming about being a little cat exploring the forest.
Currently, there is a two minute demo available on Steam that was released January 3rd. The full game will also only be available to play on Steam. While there’s not any confirmations of it expanding to platforms, I think it would be a great game to experience on Nintendo Switch.
Seasons of Rocco
Seasons of Rocco is releasing January 12th on Steam. The graphics of this world remind me a lot of the game Mail Time that was released last year. In this game you play as a friendly raccoon, exploring the big forest around you while completing simple tasks for yourself and other creatures. As the title states, there are four different seasons that Rocco plays through – each with its own special set of tasks.
Following the simple life of your average raccoon, you begin in the fall season collecting items such as nuts and seeds in order to prepare for winter. In the winter you get to settle down for a moment and bundle up with the snow before you get to work planting all those seeds you collected for the springtime. Rocco’s summer is all about enjoying the fruits of your labor, reflecting on all the work you put in to staying cozy throughout the seasons.
Here is some behind the scenes footage of how the developers are finishing up the game in order to be ready for launch.
I feel a soft spot for this game especially because it is Vivid Vision’s Studio first debut. The studio is made up of 17 university students looking to bring positivity to the gaming world. I really value projects and ideas like this because as we all know, the gaming community can be very toxic at times. But with studios like this, creating a cozy corner for all to relax in, it’s proof that a good and friendly community can exist.
Eastward: Octopia
Eastward: Octopia is an expansion DLC of the 2021 indie game Eastward. The original game revolves around surviving an apocalyptic world where some mysterious toxin has taken over and led to the near-collapse of society. You tag team the adventures with characters Sam and John, making your way across the beautiful yet decaying pixelated land to a better life.
Luckily to play the DLC you do not have to have played the original game at all as they follow different stories, but you do have to have access to it. I would recommend playing the original anyways since there are some familiar faces you run into on this new adventure. The game will be released on January 31st on Steam and Nintendo Switch.
If Eastward wasn’t intricate enough, the Octopia DLC has added on a farming sim! You’ll be able to collect supplies to help transform abandoned land into a thriving safe-haven. You’re in charge of revitalizing the land, building a fun theme park where you, catching up with your old and new neighbors, tending to farm tasks, and cooking up some delicious meals to keep you cozy after a long day’s work. While I think farming sims are tired and true, I think having this addition to an already well made game will only boost my will to want to create a cozy and successful world for the community to thrive in.
Frogsong
Coming to the Nintendo Switch on January 12th, Frogsong is an action packed frog filled world where you’re on the quest of protecting the world! Instead of complying to tree frog tradition and focusing on religious studies, you take on warrior training in order to prepare for the adventure ahead. This fantasy realm is magical, cute, and sends the message that it’s not about size, it’s about willpower.
This game originally released in June of 2023 for PC, but this additional release to the Switch will allow even more players to enjoy their quaint yet adventurous life as a frog. I can already picture myself bundled up at night with this game in my hands. I’m ready to save the world, are you? From fighting some unfriendly bugs to discovering the truth behind a mysterious rumor, Frogsong will lead you to a path of greatness.
