I feel like it’s safe to say that when Stardew Valley was released in 2016, it changed the game industry for the better. It helped create the genre of cozy gaming. But its inherent coziness is not the only reason why people play Stardew. From a narrative viewpoint Stardew allows you to get to know different townsfolk and become involved in their lives even if they are not your romantic partner. It gives the player a sense of community.. You feel like you make a difference. If you are a gamer who enjoys the mechanics and playstyle of a game, Stardew offers everything. In one game, you get a rpg, a farming sim and dating sim all in one.
Outside of general semantics a hat must be tipped to the developer ConcernedApe as he puts so much effort and detail into the game. This leads me to the best part of Stardew. It is a game that is continuously changing and growing while keeping the original charm. This keeps the players involved in the game even after they played through the first time. But if you have exhausted your Stardew save, here are ten games that can hold you over:
10. Tales of the Shire (Unreleased)
Have you been desperately waiting for a game to allow you to fulfill your dream of being a hobbit? Well you only have to wait a bit longer. The game is set to release sometime in 2024 and as we have gotten our first real trailer of the game, I believe that it will be soon. This game is about living your best hobbit life in the familiar setting of the Shire. You get to fish and farm. The player can go forage in the woods, maybe running into Tom Bombadil. You can also make friends with other hobbits in the Shire. This game promises to be ultimately cozy and lovely to play.
You will be able to explore familiar places such as Bywater and the Green Dragon Inn. The setting is pastoral with rolling hills and beautiful greenery. The graphics themselves are filled with warm light and sparkling water.
The goal of the game is to essentially live out your LOtR nerd dreams. The trailer so far doesn’t offer much narratively yet but definitely some goals are cooking and decorating your hobbit hole. An ultimate cozy game offers more than just gameplay but I have no doubt that the studio will include storylines that add to the charm of the game.
The unique aspect of this game is that there has yet to be an officially sanctioned hobbit game. Even if the game does not turn out as good as we hope, it will be a joy to play for nostalgia alone.
Just remember who else liked fish a lot...Gollum
9. Lemon Cake
If you have ever had a tiny meltdown and wanted to run away and start a bakery. Or just wanted to start a bakery, this is the game for you. In Lemon Cake you buy a run down bakery in need of some major tlc. You make the decisions about what to make and how the bakery should look all while interacting with customers. It is the joy of customer service without the minimum wage and actual customers.
The setting begins as a dilapidated, possibly haunted bakery. But as you play you build a business that is cozy and welcoming to customers. The graphics of the game lean towards cutesy making it an enjoyable experience to play.
The main goals of the game are farming ingredients to make your pastries, candies and even desserts like ice cream but also keeping your customers happy. You can customize your bakery into whatever you like, such as serving coffee or adding cats to make it an experience you will always remember.
The unique aspect of this game is that you are able to farm and forage for the ingredients that you use in your recipes. The fact that you can also decorate and choose the direction of your bakery also makes this game especially charming.
Be your own cake boss
8. Cozy Grove
Have you ever thought that the power and determination of the Girl Scouts could be put to bigger things than cookies? Well welcome to the Spirit Scouts! As a scout your duty is to find lost souls and help them solve their problems so that they may rest in peace.
Your next mission is on an island called Cozy Grove. As your job is to be a spirit wrangler, you can bet your coin that this island is haunted. The even better part? It is haunted by bears. The island is lacking a little color and it is your job to bring it back by decorating and helping the island residents. The artstyle is adorable and leaves you wanting more. The island itself is filled with trees and rocks that make it for a wilderness test to beat all tests.
On the island fish, cook, craft and photograph your way into the hearts of the resident ghosts. As a life sim you build relationships with the other characters and help them find their way into the afterlife. Build your camp and feed your spirit flame, Flamey to achieve peace and harmony bringing back life to Cozy Grove.
I feel like the concept of the game speaks to its uniqueness. I don’t believe there is another game on the market that deals with the ghosts of bears.
They’re so cute I can’t bear it7. Graveyard Keepers
Keeping with the theme of ghosts or more specifically just their bodies, here is a game with a similar premise but very different vibes. If the previous games made your masculinity bleed out your ears, this game will give you Stardew adventures but with a much rougher feel than Stardew. In the game you are tasked with the upkeep of a graveyard based in a medieval fantasy world.
The graphics for this game are pixelated and gritty, giving it a very nostalgic, dungeon delver feel. With the medieval feel of the game, the buildings are mainly stone and wood. The characters reflect this. There are donkeys pulling carts and talking skulls, everything you’d enjoy in a graveyard in the middle ages. It’s giving Black Death core.
As the graveyard keeper your duty is to manage and upkeep the graveyard. At the beginning you must spruce it up and as it gets better manage the burial plots. Throughout your mining, dungeon delving and grave digging you will get to know the people of the town you serve. Your main goal is to make your way home to your lover from the medieval world you are stuck in. Good luck!
This pixelated game stands out amongst its peers. This is based solely on the fact that the art style and story aren’t what you would traditionally call cozy. But plop me down on a couch with the game while it’s raining? It’ll get the job done nicely.
Don’t trust the spooky guy in a dungeon6. Ooblets
Hot take: Pokemon is overrated. There are no dance battles and that is frankly embarrassing. But Ooblets? Those funky little guys have got some moves. This is a game that doesn’t take itself seriously and that is one of the best reasons to play it. It will give you Stardew feelings but in a fresh funky way. This game starts in the best way by saying that your life has been a toot. You are journeying to a new island to start all over.
What a place to start over. Badgetown is bright and funky, every corner you turn there is a new character who is the definition of quirky. Don’t get me started on the mayor. The land of Oob is unique in the fact that you can collect ooblets, wild little critters that live in harmony with the people of Oob. There are different areas to explore with different vibes, yes even a goth one, where you can find different ooblet types.
The main goal of this game is to build your ooblet farm and be an active part of the community of Badgetown. You do this by fishing, recycling and completing quests for the townspeople. Oh and dance battles. These battles are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.
The concept of this game, while tried and true, Ooblets brings a fresh and unique twist to it. You can have a dance troupe of up to eight little weirdos, which is iconic in the way of many early 2000s movies. I mean there is an Ooblet called Gloopylonglegs for goodness sake.
I don’t think anyone can bust it down like these guys5. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
If you haven’t heard of this game or any Animal Crossing game, my first question is have you been living under a rock? This is a heavy hitter direct from Nintendo themselves. The characters vary between adorable and annoying. Tom Nook, your boss and dictator, will ruin your life, but he will be super cute while doing it. Build your neighborhood and island while helping out your neighbors.
The deserted island you travel to is full of potential. At first it's just trees and rocks and a tent that you call home. But then through the power of hard work and loans from Tom, you can create your own paradise. As you play the game you are also able to visit other islands. They can be your friends in real life or other deserted islands with different fruit trees.
The main goal of the game is to transform your deserted island into a thriving home for you and your neighbors. You do this through fishing, building, catching bugs and farming your way out of debt. You are able to build a museum (the best part), a shop and houses for your villagers. The end goal is to be a well established island that will tempt the artist K.K. Slider to perform a concert on your island.
The part of Animal Crossing that is so unique is how customizable your island is. You are able to craft or buy almost anything. Alongside that is the fact how each character has different personalities that you either enjoy or don’t.
Remember hitting your neighbors with a net isn’t nice
4. Wytchwood
If Stardew was ever too small-town and not enough village on the edge of the Black Forest for you, Wytchwood is a game sure to fill that need. You are the witch of the wood and it is your job to maintain balance throughout the lives of the characters around you. You do this by crafting potions and spells with the tools and ingredients you have around you.
Plucked straight out of a storybook, the woods around you are filled with stories and characters you must help. The artstyle is gothic and a bit grittier than that of Stardew. It is cozy in the way a rainy day in the woods is cozy. You will want to cuddle up and play this game for hours.
You wake up, as the witch, in the woods missing memories and pages from your grimoire. You know there is a maiden who you are supposed to help but to do so you need 12 souls. You do this by crafting potions and spells to capture the souls of storybook characters to help wake the woman. By exploring the woods you can solve the mysteries within and maybe the mystery of yourself.
The unique aspect of this is the art style, but also the weaving of classic fairy tales into the narrative of this game. We tend to recycle these stories over and over again, but there is something satisfying about having a hand in how they turn out.
You get a doggo
3. Potions: A Curious Tale
Welcome to your chance to become a witch! In this game you play as Luna who overcomes obstacles and fights monsters to brew potions. You run into different characters who will either help or hinder you on your quest.
You explore different fantasy settings such as a pirate ship and the deep frozen terrain of a glacier. By exploring these fantastical places you gather the ingredients needed to make potions to help others. Hidden amongst these places are fantastic relics that will aid you on your journey.
As Luna, you play as a young witch who is trying to make her way in the world. You are on the quest to go from an apprentice to a potions master. You have a familiar which is amazing and you learn lessons that you can carry with you all your life. This game is incredibly engaging and laces puzzles, crafting and story into a game that gives the nostalgia of growing up.
The aspect of this game that is unique is like Stardew, it is created by an indie developer. This shows through the thought and detail put into every aspect of the game.
Why does the cat have better hair?
2. Spiritfarer
A pirate? A witch? No it’s a spiritfarer! This game will make you cry if you have any form of a heart. Like Stardew it intertwines story into gameplay, though it is much heavier handed in this game, giving the narrative a bit more weight. You play as Stella, the next guide to the Underworld. All the while you build up your boat to make guests comfortable and ease their passing.
The setting is based on a sea that you explore in search of lost souls. You transverse this ocean on a boat that you can improve in time, making it larger and more equipped to handle the people you care for. You travel to islands speaking to the souls of the dead and helping them with their quests.
As Stella your goal is to guide souls to the Everdoor. You gather spirits in need from the islands of the dead and you help them prepare for their journey through the Everdoor. You do this by gathering materials to build cabins aboard your ship. You also farm for ingredients to make the spirits their favorite meals. The trick to this game is that though you are their guide, they know you from before and your life is entangled with theirs. Aided by your cat, Daffodil, you uncover their lives and yours. Again be prepared to cry.
The emotional depth and story are what make this game stand out amongst the others. Every character has some connection to Stella and they will break your heart, each and every one.
Invest in some tissues
1. Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos
This game is the quintessential farming sim and its predecessor is cited as one of the inspirations for the creation of Stardew Valley. Though it may be hard to find a copy of the original, the franchise’s most recent release captures the heart of the game. It also allows players to enjoy the spirit of the game but with updated graphics and gameplay mechanics.
You are a farmer in the land of Anthos. Your environment is very pastoral, ranging from forests to beaches. You are able to unlock 5 different towns that have different climates and environments as you play the game. The graphics are chibi and bright, reminiscent of Pokemon Legends: Arceus.
Your main goal is to bring back the Harvest Goddess and her Harvest Sprites to reconnect the land of Anthos. You begin this quest by finding a message in a bottle at the beach. You do this by exploring, farming and crafting your way into the hearts of the towns that have been disconnected for so long. Like any game that has Stardew qualities there are romances to be had with ten different love interests in the game, bringing connection to a whole different level.
This game studio is the studio that inspired Stardew Valley, so any game made by them in the Harvest Moon franchise is bound to be amazing. This celebration of the 25th anniversary is no exception, with the art and story standing out amongst the heavy hitters.
Pokemon for people who don't like Pokemon
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