5 wonderfully cozy games to play on Game Pass
I absolutely love a cozy game. Give me a cutesy adventure with no threat, or a sandbox I can do my own thing in, and I’m in my element. They’re not everyone’s cup of tea, granted. You might prefer to go up against a fearsome boss or sneak around a dark, dank cellar in a survival horror. That’s fine, but for me, I’d rather cozy up, chill out and unwind in a game that isn’t out to punish me. Ahh, bliss. I know I’m not alone, so for my fellow cozy game lovers, I’ve rounded up the best that are available on Game Pass.
How have I classified what a ‘cozy game’ actually is? After all, ‘cozy’ isn’t really a genre, so games we class as cozy games come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. For me, a cozy game is one without threat, and one that can be played at your own pace. These games tend to have a cute and colourful visual style, they’re often whimsical in nature and cannot be ‘failed’ in any way. I’ve tried to choose a variety of different types of games, so no matter your favourite genre, you should find a cozy game on Game Pass to suit.
All the games I’ve chosen here are available on Game Pass Standard, so you don’t need to be paying for an Ultimate subscription to enjoy these titles.
1. Disney Dreamlight Valley
What would a list of cozy games even be if it didn’t contain Disney Dreamlight Valley? One of my all-time favourites, this adventure game combines sensibilities of farming sims, adventure games and crafting games to create something wholly engaging and exciting. Especially if you’re a Disney fan: you’ll find dozens of different Disney franchises here, from Mulan to Wall-E and everything in between.
After you create your own character, you’ll be left in charge of bringing magic back to the land of Dreamlight Valley. With the help of Merlin the Wizard, you’ll gradually introduce new characters, build new buildings, add decorations, and restore the valley back to its former glory. Along the way, you’ll have missions to complete, new realms to visit, and a whole lot more.
Read more about Disney Dreamlight Valley
2. Barbie Project Friendship
Alright, a Barbie game isn’t going to be for everyone, but I had a surprising amount of fun playing Barbie Project Friendship. The whole premise of the game revolves around restoring a holiday resort to its former glory. When you arrive, it’s covered in litter, it’s overgrown with weeds and its pavements are full of cracks. Hardly suitable for Barbie and her Malibu friends to hang out.
But over time, you’ll restore the resort to its former glory, decorating buildings, cleaning up outdoor spaces and more. Along the way you’ll engage in minigames. There’s everything from rhythm games to cooking to enjoy here, and as you progress through everything that Barbie Project Friendship has to throw at you, you’ll gradually start to see the resort take shape and become as beautiful as it once was. It’s seriously wholesome and surprisingly satisfying.
Read my full review of Barbie Project Friendship
3. House Flipper
Calling House Flipper one of the best cozy games on Game Pass might seem a little odd, but hear me out. There’s something seriously relaxing about renovating and decorating, especially if you enjoy changing environments into something pretty and hospitable. It’s a game that you can take competely at your own pace, tackling as slowly or as quickly as you like. Broken down into missions, you’ll start off on easy projects – picking up a bit of litter, painting a wall or two – before moving onto larger, more complex renovation projects.
Each one is a joy to complete, and my favourite thing about House Flipper is how easy the controls are to get used to. It makes even the most arduous of tasks feel like a doddle to complete. And seeing an absolutely wrecked building become something habitable is a real joy. If only real renovation work was as easy…
4. Little Kitty, Big City
From renovation to a super wholesome adventure now. If you’re a fan of cats, then you will undoubtedly find Little Kitty, Big City to be one of the best cozy games on Game Pass — it’s as simple as that. This little open-world adventure casts you as a kitty who simply needs to find his way home. But with home being a high-rise apartment, that’s easier said than done. In order to get there, you’ll need to complete tasks and make friends with other local animals.
Along the way you can cause as much mischief as you like. Stealing fish from a local shopkeeper will undoubtedly make you chuckle, or you can swipe at important businessmen as they walk past, making them drop their briefcases. Being a cat is utterly joyful, and while it’s not the longest game in the world, I guarantee you’ll have a blast playing it.
Read my review of Little Kitty, Big City
5. Unpacking
Unpacking is one of the most joyful games I’ve played in recent years. It’s super simple in concept — you unpack boxes as someone moves into a new home — but its execution is perfect. It’s the little things for me; the small sound effects of picking up cutlery, of opening a DVD box, the soft ‘thunk’ of putting down a folded blanket. Developer Witchbeam has put so much care into every detail of this game, and it really pays off.
I also love the narrative running through it: you’ll follow one girl’s life from unpacking her childhood bedroom to finally settling in her own family forever home. You’ll pass through university dorm rooms, a boyfriend’s flat, a house share with friends, and more, and the belongings in each place really tell a story. Finding a home for everything is seriously wholesome too. If you enjoy tactile games with a light puzzle element, and you somehow haven’t played Unpacking yet, fix that pronto.
