The Nintendo Switch is – in my opinion – the coziest console to own. The Lite version is decently affordable for a gaming system and since it’s portable, you choose when and where to play it. Being a cozy gamer myself, it’s not about the cost of a game that makes it cozy – it’s the experience. More often than not I’m balling on a budget, so here’s a list of cozy budget friendly games for your next Nintendo Switch session.
Coffee Talk – $12.99
Coffee Talk is without a doubt one of the coziest games I have ever played. From the lofi soundtrack to the 8-bit art style, this game tells a great story in the coziest way possible. You’ll play as an untitled barista working in Seattle and using your love for coffee as a vessel for insight into your regular’s lives. The entire story is repayable, there’s a creative mode that allows you to practice recipes, and the plot is super interesting and oftentimes relatable. Oh yeah – the world you exist in is a world where fantasy creatures and humans live amongst each other. So you get a bit of fantasy, realistic topics, and a cozy coffee shop experience all in one!
Coffee Talk 2 is of course just as beautiful and held dear to my heart, but the price point is not budget friendly right now. When you’ve got some extra funds and feel like treating yourself to a cozy night in, this game is definitely worth it!
Get an insight look into regular’s lives.
Wytchwood – $19.99
If you’ve ever wanted to be a little old witch in a gothic fairytale village, Wytchwood offers you that and more. In this game you’ll adventure about as the village’s renowned witch collecting ingredients for crafting and sorcery. You’ll be the judge of the characters you meet along your path, and use your devious spell casting skills on those you deem wicked. The art style is that of a classic fairytale storybook and lets you explore your fantasy life in the coziest way possible.
Cozy Grove – $14.99
Cozy Grove is an adventure life-sim that centers around you camping out on a haunted island that seems to always have something new going on. Your character is a Spirit-Scout which entails you to explore the forest around you every day in order to find hidden secrets and help the local ghosts. The cool thing about this game is that it’s synced to real-world time and provides a new in-game quest every day – once that’s done you can continue adventuring and decorating for as long as you like. Every scene is hand drawn too! Hand-crafted artwork will always make me feel in awe of a game.
Help out the local ghosts around the island.
Unpacking – $19.99
Now, Unpacking has been on my wishlist since it was released but I never got around to purchasing it. Writing out this list has definitely inspired me to get back into playing more on my Switch, so I’ll finally be purchasing very soon. Unpacking is a short and sweet puzzle game about unraveling someone’s life story through the items you unpack from the boxes. You’ll be able to live your home decorator dreams with this one while also learning the meaning behind the character’s collected possessions. As you unpack boxes in eight different life stages, you’ll unravel more and more of the story.
Unpack boxes full of memories and life lessons.
Stardew Valley – $14.99
I feel like Stardew Valley is one of the most well-known cozy games available on the market right now. Since its release in 2017, there has been countless of gameplay videos, reviews, and guides created to aid players all over the world. Throughout four different seasons. you’ll be able to uncover the secrets hidden amongst the little town of Stardew Valley. You’ll progress your farmland experience by plotting seasonal veggies and fruits, raising livestock, completing tasks for neighbors, and even have potential romantic interests along the way. This cozy farming-sim laid out a blueprint for numerous other farming-sims to follow, so if you haven’t played this game then you’ve probably played something similar to it.
Expand your farmland and live a successful, quaint life.
Cat Cafe Manager – $19.99
If you love being cozy, decorating, and being surrounded by cats – this is the game for you! Cat Cafe Manager lands you as the new tenant of an abandoned tavern in the town of Caterwaul Way. Of course, the quaint village holds a few mysteries that you’ll have to figure out along the way as you rebuild the cafe. You’ll need to rebuild this cafe to create a warm space for both townsfolk and cats alike, hire on a great team to help keep business running, and build extraordinary friendships with all those you encounter.
Rebuild and grow a cafe for the locals to love.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood – $17.99
Another personal favorite, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is just magical to experience. In this game you play as Fortuna, an exiled witch trying to regain her freedom after making a pact with an other-worldly magical creature. This game relies on your responses and decisions, attuning the world to follow them and give you a crafted ending. My favorite thing about this game is that you are able to create your own tarot deck. As you come to terms with your powers and reconcile with old witchy friends, and make a few new ones, you’re completely enveloped into this magically cozy 8-bit world.
Build your own tarot deck.
A Short Hike – $7.99
The cheapest and shortest game on this list is awarded to A Short Hike – a game focused on the beauty in things as simple as a hike. The saying “small but mighty” is the soul of this game. Even though the main story can be completed within two hours, that’s not the point. A Short Hike reminds you to take in the beauty around you as you make your way to the summit of of Hawk Peak. You can take a designated path or follow your own – either way you’re bound to find some hidden treasures and bump into fellow hikers. Have some chats, explore the park in anyway you wish, and remember that there is always something beautiful about the world you’re in.
Meet fellow hikers and get to know them.
Good Pizza, Great Pizza – $9.99
For all my Papa’s Pizzeria lovers out there, this one’s for you. Good Pizza, Great Pizza is a pizza building game where you’ll be able to create speciality pizzas for over 100 different customers. Keep your business running successfully by updating your spot to be better than your rival’s. I remember playing this game on mobile back in the day and I remember how addicting it was. Super cozy art style, pizza creations, and even side missions are offered by this game. Plus, they are still updating and adding new content regularly.
Meet over 100 customers with different specialized pizza requests.
Mineko’s Night Market – $19.99
Another cozy cat filled game, Mineko’s Night Market celebrates Japanese culture through a heartwarming story of friendship and tradition. Here, you’ll play as Mineko, a young girl that just moved into a new island that worships the Sun Cat named Nikko. Every week you will prepare for the weekly night market where you’ll be able to have your own stand to sell good you’ve collected or creations you’ve conjured. There’s something mysterious going on around the island as apparent sightings of Nikko are reported, and you’ll meet more and more cats along the way to figuring out what is really going on. There’s mini games to enjoy, cats to pet, and items to be bartered – oh my!
Set your own booth up for the weekly night market.
