2024 saw a string of cozygamereleases onNintendo Switch. With a variety of different types of cozy games to choose from, including life sims, farming sims, visual novels, and RPGs, there was a release for every type of cozy gamer. However, there were some game releases last year that truly were the cream of the crop, making waves among the cozy gaming community due to theirunique features, art styles, and overall cozy vibes. Now that it is 2025, there are many games from 2024 that are still worth trying this year.
What makes a cozy game good are a variety of factors. These include the art style for the game, where some players gravitate more towards a 2D pixel-art style similar to the likes ofStardew Valley, and others prefer a 3D open-world animation style likeInfinity Nikki. How relaxing a cozy game is matters, too, as the goal of the perfect cozy game is that a player can pick it up at any time, no matter where they are or what they’ve been doing, and be able to completelytake it easy andescape the stress of day-to-day life in a good video gaming session. This list features 10 game releases from 2024 that feature the most relaxing and cozy vibes and beautiful art styles that are worth trying in 2025.
10Botany Manor
Released In April 2024
Released in April 2024 on PC and console,Botany Manorwas one of the most aesthetically beautiful cozy gamesto launch last year. In the game,players can experience setting foot in a 19th-century English manorwhere they will play the main protagonist, Arabella, who is a retired botanist.
Botany Manor
The cozy puzzle game focuses on players being able to explore the manor while stumbling across a variety of clues which describe exactly how to look after the range of plants that are growing in the manor’s gardens. Therelaxing narrativeand gardening-focused gameplay features makeBotany Manoran incredible cozy game to cuddle up with.
9Snufkin: Melody Of Moominvalley
Released In March 2024
Based on the belovedMoominstories written by Tove Jansson,Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalleywas a popular game last year after its release in March 2024.What makes this game particularly unique is its focus on revolving around musicand various musical mechanics, which makeSnufkin: Melody of Moominvalleya game that one won’t forget after picking it up.
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley
The hand-drawn art style provides an overall whimsical look in the game, andthe immersive soundtrack truly sets the atmosphere. With the primary goal of the game being accompanying Snufkin while restoring harmony to Moominvalley, this game is a perfectly cozy game with an engaging story.
8Bandle Tale
Released In February 2024
Bandle Taleis a whimsical life simulator gamefrom theLeague of Legendsuniverse that made waves in 2024. One of the charms of this game is that a player does not need to have any knowledge or interest inLeague of Legendsin order to enjoyBandle Tale, being able to simply pick up the game and enjoy it.
Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story
Set in the League of Legends universe, Bandle Tale is an adventure simulation game where players will help rebuild their home in Bandle City. Players will engage in an adventure as they craft, cook, farm, and more as they strive to stitch together their community and build a cozy home to help their residents thrive.
Bandle Talecombines the usual farming sim activities like crafting and farming, butboasts a severe focus on the adorable hobby of knitting. Featuring lots of opportunities for exploration, the game also offers quite a rich and engaging storyline, while giving off a uniquely cozy aesthetic.
7Little Kitty, Big City
Released In May 2024
One of the more wacky releases of 2024,Little Kitty, Big Cityis an exploration gamewhere players can play as a cute stray cat. Offering the opportunity to escape day-to-day stress and envelop oneself inthe game’s unique, cartoon-like visuals,Little Kitty, Big Cityis a very lighthearted game with many humorous twists within its storyline.
Little Kitty, Big City
The gamefeatures lots of problem-solving opportunitieswhile the protagonist kitty learns to navigate the big city, stumbling across a variety of quirky NPCs and all sorts of side quests which keep the game fun and interesting.
6Sticky Business
Sticky Businessis one of the most relaxing and stress-free cozy games to be released in recent times, and it is scarily easy how much time one can sink into the game without realizing it going by. InSticky Business,players can run their very own sticker shop, designing and printing their own unique stickers. From the sticker design to the packaging, everything in this game is customizable, allowing endless opportunities for player creativity.
The endless sticker design options are what can hook a player in easily, with no real objective in the game other than to be creative.
Players will need to check their customer orders every day and carefully select the appropriate items to fulfill each order, ensuring the success of their store. The art style ofSticky Businesswas evidently a very important factor in the game, as it presents the most adorable pixel art animation with colors like pink and purple being its primary ones. There is also a sticker design for everyone.
Sticky Business
Whether someone would like to create whimsigoth-style stickers with celestial elements, or they would like to make Halloween-themed, spooky stickers, there are so many designs to choose from.The endless sticker design options are what can hook a player in easily, with no real objective in the game other than to be creative.
5Magical Delicacy
Released In July 2024
There was a lot of hype prior to the release ofMagical Delicacyin 2024, as many players in the cozy gaming community look forward to more witchy-themed games akin to the likes ofWylde FlowersandThe Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood. InMagical Delicacy,players get to play a young witch who sets up a shop in a fantasy town.
Magical Delicacy
Merging together a unique experience of platforming and cooking mechanics, the pixel-art-styled game allows players to explore, manage resources, and concoct a variety of magical recipes to build the community and cement connections with the interesting NPCs in the game.
4Stardew Valley (1.6 Update)
Released In November 2024
Stardew Valleyhas become the gold standard of cozy gaming, but dedicated solo developer ConcernedApe released even more content for the beloved farming and life sim in 2024. The1.6 update brought plenty of new contentto the game, including festivals, a farm type, many lines of NPC dialogue, and much, much more.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a charming indie farming scene that took the world by storm. After inheriting a run-down farm from their grandfather, the player moves to Stardew Valley to start a new life away from the city. Grow crops, raise animals, befriend the villagers, and discover the secrets the valley has to offer.
Stardew Valleyis a must-playfor anyone that enjoys the cozy gaming genre, but even for those who have played it (perhaps many times),the 1.6 update adds enough content to make another playthrough more than worth it. Even though it’s a free update,Stardew Valley1.6 was good enough to qualify as one ofScreen Rant’s best games of 2024.
3Tavern Talk
Released In June 2024
From the makers of the popular cozy game,Coffee Talk,Tavern Talkis a visual novel experiencewhere players can take on the role of a bartender in a fantasy medieval tavern. Players will experience the locals popping in for chats and beverages, all of whom take a unique fantasy creature form.
Tavern Talk
The gameplay’s mechanics switch between narrative storytelling as players engage in conversation with their customers and the art of concocting the correct beverages for each of them. What makes this game such a hit isits immersive storytelling, and its drink-making mechanics are therapeutic.Tavern Talk’s visuals are also exceptionally beautiful, with a stunning folk soundtrack to match.
2Minami Lane
Initially releasing on PC and releasing later on in 2024 on the Nintendo Switch,Minami Laneis a short but very enjoyable game to try. One of the coziest games on the market right now,Minami Laneseesa series of Japanese-inspired towns that players need to upgrade through problem-solvingas they figure out what the local residents would like for their town.
Minami Lane
From curating the most perfect Boba in the local Boba café to cooking up the perfect Ramen recipe in the town’s main restaurant, players will be able to see what the residents of the town like, with the goal being to make them happy. This game is perfect for those who enjoy the likes ofAnimal Crossing: New HorizonsandStardew Valley.
1Moonstone Island
Moonstone Islandbecame prominent after its release in 2024 due to its many innovative gameplay features. The pixelated life sim boasts creature-collecting as its primary feature among others, including collecting spirits, brewing potions, exploring dungeons and temples, and more.
With an art style that is sure to appeal to fans ofStardew Valleyand a theme that will likely entice players who enjoy a witchy theme,Moonstone Islandis an excellent go-to to try in 2025.
The reason whyMoonstone Islandis so fun is because ofthe amount of different types of gameplay content it features, with an engaging storyline and fun minigames. With an art style that is sure to appeal to fans ofStardew Valleyand a theme that will likely entice players who enjoy a witchy theme,Moonstone Islandis an excellent go-to to try in 2025.
Moonstone Island
Moonstone Island is a monster-collecting adventure-simulation game from the developers at Studio Supersoft. Players will craft, adventure, and collect unique monsters as they travel across 100+ islands to become an alchemist. Players can meet others, build relationships, and have a cozy life in this comfortable simulation title.
Each of the cozy games featured in this list offers something different, with a unique gaming experience within all of them. Whether someone is looking for a cozy adventure, a relaxing town management sim, or a game revolving around problem-solving, there is always a cozy game available for everyone.
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One of the brilliant things about each of the games on this list is that not only did they have a successful launch in 2024 and accumulate a devoted fanbase, but they also offer a timeless quality, allowing new players to be able to pick them up at any time to try them out onNintendo Switch.
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is the successor to 2012’s Wii U console. The Nintendo Switch allows gamers to easily switch between playing on a TV to a handheld console. The first model was released in 2017, followed by the Nintendo Switch Lite, which is strictly a handheld console. In October 2021, Nintendo released an upgraded Switch console with an OLED screen.
