It’s not your imagination: “cozy” as a genre has really taken off in recent years. From literature to TV shows to games, entertainment has begun leaning into approachable, calming vibes—even (often especially) for genres like murder mysteries that tend to be more emotionally fraught. Japan has long had a word for this: iyashikei, or “healing,” series. Think Studio Ghibli, Pokémon Concierge, and the like. Similarly, the West has entered its iyashikei era, and it looks like we’re not leaving it anytime soon. Not that that’s a bad thing.
When it comes to entertainment, we tend to both create and seek out what we need. The lavish Broadway and movie musicals of the 1950s and the giant robot anime boom of the 1970s were both responses to the fallout of World War II—albeit for very different sides. Between the World Wars, women whose families were killed overseas found solace in detective stories where killers were brought to justice. More recently, I’ve seen the wave of “COVID books” finally begin to break: a seemingly ceaseless wave of zombie/plague novels as writers the world over contend with the fallout of a global pandemic. That same pandemic brought on a desire for calm and companionship.
With many fewer new games coming out during lockdown, we elevated games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Among Us to new heights. The camaraderie of both, and the former’s combination of peace and productivity, were healing. Many of us who hung up our farmer’s tools came back to Stardew Valley or hunted down older games that brought us solace. (For my best friend and me, that meant the first two Golden Sun games.) And it wasn’t just vibes that elevated games during this time: indie studios, people working from home on passion projects, had chances to get out into the world.
Nowadays, cozy games are still largely the purview of smaller studios and indie developers, but they haven’t slowed down at all. Nearly 900 cozy games are waiting for you on Steam, from Little Kitty Big City to Coffee Talk (the latter of which is getting a sequel this year). And while good storytelling isn’t limited to any size of studio, this style of games opens the door to quiet contemplation that bigger games aren’t always in a position to tackle. Take Unpacking, a game ostensibly all about unpacking and organizing as you move into new homes. Using only household items, this game tells a heartrending story of a woman trying to find her place in the world. (Few will forget the heartbreak of having to find a place for the main character’s diploma.) Again, this isn’t to say bigger non-cozy games can’t tell quiet human stories; just that a certain genre is ideal for it.
The world, sadly, is still full of bad things. The good news is, it’s also full of creative people with things to say. Even though the instigating event of the cozy entertainment boom is behind us, we can look forward to many more healing moments as we pursue our hobby. Best of all, it’s a chance to bring smaller creators to the forefront, as we work together to find solace in the world.
Image Source: Nintendo
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