By Staff Writer: Cyrena Nielsen
During the pandemic, we saw the video game market look for ways to push for self-care during a time of uncertainty. With games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley, you were able to tune out the world and even visit your friend’s islands to get some social interaction. While we are now on the other side of the lockdowns, it seems cozy gaming is still making its mark on the industry. Here are some that we can look forward to in 2024 to help us continue finding a moment of peace in a chaotic time.
Everholm (TBA 2024)
From developer Chonky Loaf, Everhom is a game where you play as Lilly who is on a journey to find her sister, Melanie. She finds a portal that takes her to a cozy island that shares the same name as the game. Characters on this island seem to already be familiar with Lilly, including a witch who helps her gather clues to unravel the mystery of Everholm.
SunnySide (TBA 2024)
Similar to other farming games, your character has purchased a plot of land in an old Japanese town. With this land, you can create a homestead with crops and areas for livestock. What makes this a little different than other farming games is you have technology to create a better experience, such as online shopping and communicating with new friends. Building solar panels and electric water pumps also adds to the ease of creating a farm. Just make sure to stop and look at all the wonderful Japanese scenery around you!
Mika and the Witch’s Mountain (TBA 2024)
If you have ever seen the movie Kiki’s Delivery Service, it seems to share a similar premise to this coming-of-age game. A young witch who delivers packages throughout a small island! You also can explore every nook and cranny of the town and get to know the quirky characters who live on the island. This sounds like it is going to be the perfect unwinding game with not a lot of commitment.
Loftia (Early Access: December 2024)
If you loved Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, this game is said to be a mix of both games. There is not a lot known about this game since it is still in development (its Kickstarter surpassed the goal by $750,000!). From what is known so far, it will be a farming simulator like other cozy games that are out. Plenty of opportunities to get to know townspeople and be able to customize characters are both presented in the trailer. One to look out for as we learn more!
Those are just some of the exciting games that we are looking forward to. However, there are even more small developers who are making their mark in the genre, so I encourage you to research to find even more! We witnessed this with Palia in 2023, a free game that has a huge fanbase. Happy gaming!