New year, new cozy releases. If you’re new to the cozy gaming world, welcome! I’ll be your Keen guide for upcoming cozy releases each month. The first half of the year will be like a bear coming out of hibernation, slow and steady. But don’t worry, the cozy gamer party is just getting started. With that said, this month’s releases are only a handful but definitely worth checking out. This is a great time to ease into new games or catch up on backlog from last year.
If you’re looking for some of last year’s biggest cozy hits, check out these articles.
Reviver
This game I haven’t seen talked about much but I believe it’s definitely worth a try. Releasing to Steam on January 8th, this narrative puzzle game tells a tale of connection. With themes of love and fate, it’s up to you to influence how two strangers flow through their destinies. The artwork is hand drawn and really adds an extra layer of coziness to the storytelling. It’s like a story book come to life with immersive animations over 50 different puzzles. Personally, I love choice based games like the Life is Strange series or The Walking Dead trilogy. This will be a nice, cozier, addition to my list.
Every scene tells its own beautiful story on this journey of fate.
S4U: Citypunk 2011 and Love Punch
This game is throwing it way back with its 90s cyber style, making your cozy experience even more nostalgic. It will be available to play on January 8th on Steam. The title is a bit wordy, but the game itself looks promising. It’s a text-driven and choice based game that is powered by keyboard actions. Don’t worry, you won’t just be staring at your screen blankly the entire time. There is still all of Castor Yard to be explored, memories to be made, and actions to be taken. There are over 20 different characters that your decisions will matter for the relationship, and finding your special someone is all under your control. If you think Reviver sounds interesting, then add this game onto your list too!
What choices will you make during your time travel back to 2011?
Dreaming Isles
Dreaming Isles will be releasing to Steam on January 13th. It’s like Stardew Valley‘s pirate cousin. Embark on a high seas adventure where you’ll choose to either side with the scummy Pirates or help restore the Global Trade system that they disrupted. Of course, like most farming sims. there is room for romance along the way. There’s islands to explore and enemies to be fought matey! I think this is a super interesting take on a farming sim – a genre that gets tiring after a while. It keeps the foundation of the genre while throwing in a new way of adventuring.
Are you up for the pirate lifestyle?
Hello Kitty Island Adventures
This beloved game has been out since 2023 on mobile only and will finally be releasing to Steam and Nintendo Switch on January 30th. Other consoles will be joining later in the year. Join Hello Kitty and her friends on the adventure of a lifetime as you slowly restore an abandoned island. With eight different regions to explore, there’s surely some hidden secrets to discover along the way. Customize your avatar with a wide selection of adorable clothing pieces and furnish your home with all the aesthetic pieces available. Play solo or with friends – either way it’s going to be your cutest adventure yet.
One of my favorite Sanrio characters is Badtz-Maru.
