Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
    Battlefield 6 Multiplayer Reveal promotional image

    Battlefield 6 Classes, Maps, And More: Everything You Need To Know

    07/31/2025
    A glimpse at all the upcoming Star Wars stories coming to the galaxy

    Star Wars Stories: What We Learned At SDCC 2025

    07/25/2025
    Blindspot episode still

    It’s been 5 years since ‘Blindspot’ ended. Why haven’t you watched it yet?

    07/24/2025
    Strange Scaffold

    Strange Scaffold Summer Showcase Delivers Bizarre And Brilliant Games

    07/22/2025
  • Fantasia Festival
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Switch 2 Games
But Why Tho?
Home » BWT Recommends » Cozy Games To Wishlist After PAX West

Cozy Games To Wishlist After PAX West

Matt DonahueBy Matt Donahue09/10/20246 Mins Read
Gameplay art from Lou's Lagoon, The Herdling, and Moonlight Peaks
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

While some put cozy games into one vibe box, the truth is that they span a variety of game types, with the core feature of relaxation and immersion coming front and center. Regardless of whether you’re maintaining a garden, building a fish tank, or herding majestic beasts, cozy games are the ones that you can sit back, relax, and spend hours upon hours playing in. Here are our top cozy games from PAX West 2024, starting with Dracula’s Daughter in Moonlight Peaks and ending up in an aquarium with the aptly named Fish Game.


‘Moonlight Peaks’ Is The Cozy Game For All The Spooky Players

Moonlight Peaks

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Developer: Little Chicken
Publisher: XSEED Games & Marvelous

Billed as an Animal Crossing-style game with a horror twist, Moonlight Peaks hits all the right cozy game notes and does so while also making you play as Dracula’s daughter. With spookiness running through every mechanic, the game has thoughtfully approached cozy game staples by viewing them through the lens of a horror lexicon we all know and love. With a color palette that hits on midnight blues, purples, greens, and pinks, the game is adorable aesthetically but never loses the spooky edge.

Need to get around quickly? Change into a bat and zip across the map. The day-night cycle has been inverted, with your daytime starting at 6 am, which isn’t when you wake up but when you return to your coffin—lest you begin to smoke in the sunlight.

Dig, chop down trees, fish, and plant, and tend to your garden. But if you need some help watering your flowers, you can do a bit of magic to conjure up a watering can to take care of it for you for the day. Additionally, you can decorate your house and land by finding new decorations or crafting them as well. With cooking also comes potion-making at your cauldron; ultimately, everything is just a little witchy.

According to the developer at the booth, Moonlight Peaks may be in pre-alpha, but it is one of the most polished demos I’ve ever played on a show floor. The aesthetic and approach to embodying the gothic horror of vampires, witches, and werewolves work perfectly with a cool color palette. And did I mention you can romance characters?

Moonlight Peaks is set to release in 2026 on PC via Steam and currently has a playable demo. 

‘Lou’s Lagoon’ Offers Vibrant Gathering And Island Exploration

Lou's LAgoon

Developer: Tiny Roar
Publisher: rokaplay, Megabit

Set in the Limbo Archipelago, you travel the islands in search of your Uncle Lou, who mysteriously disappeared and left you his seaplane delivery service. In it, you’ll have to explore the islands, harvest resources, and hone your crafting skills to simultaneously complete jobs and grow your business.

Lou’s Lagoon, for the most part, has the traditional farming simulator parts, where you collect items, build items, and prepare food. However, one thing that makes Lou’s Lagoon unique is that you run a delivery service, which makes all of your crafting and travel immediately important to progressing instead of something optional. This pushes players to explore other islands within the lagoon, creating a satisfying gameplay loop.

The core of that is how items are harvested via a vacuum-like machine that pulls resources from the land and puts them into your inventory. That also includes resources you can get from animals, granted you’re doing them a favor by helping them, making sure that there is no combat or harm was central to the game’s development.

Vibrant in art style, Lou’s Lagoon’s visual style is inspired by animation. The gameplay can find its roots in Nintendo’s Luigi’s Mansion (vacuum and all) and Super Mario Sunshine. With a laid-back take on gathering resources, this game stands out in the genre.

Lou’s Lagoon does not currently have a release window but will be available on Steam. 

‘Herdling’ is Simplicity at its Finest

Moonlight Peaks, The Herdling

Developer: Okomotive
Publisher: PANIC

I don’t really know if The Herdling fits neatly into the cozy game moniker, but I was relaxed and immersed in waving my stick, watching the flowers grow like a streak of paint guiding the majestic Calicorns through the demo. I went back to play Herdling twice at PAX West, primarily because I didn’t wear headphones the first time. The score and the visuals of Herdling are emotionally resonant, lulling you into a sense of ease as you traverse the environment and lead the Calicorns to the open spaces they’re dreaming of.

Herdling‘s artistic style makes it an all-time standout on the show floor and, ultimately, a must-play. The juxtaposition between the city-like structures you begin in and the beautiful landscapes you walk towards is gorgeously done, allowing the player to become invested in the journey even with the limited amount of time I spent with the game. Plus, the Calicorn animations include an adorable little tail wag when the smaller ones walk, and that just sparks joy.

With no dialogue, the story will depend on the player’s investment in the creatures they herd. If this demo is any indication, Okomotive may have the right formula to make that all stick.

Herdling does not currently have a release window but will be available on Steam. 

Fish Game

Fish Game

Developer: A Shell In The Pit Games
Publisher: A Shell In The Pit Games

Fish Game was released in October 2023, and A Shell in the Pit Games has been updating the game, adding more and more content for players to explore. Fish Game is an aquarium simulator where players create their aquariums. This may seem simple, but the developers have spent a great deal of time making it the most authentic aquarium experience possible if players choose to.

Talking to the developers at PAX West 2024, they talked about how many people are interested in having an aquarium; however, they are expensive and take a ton of work. So, they could allow people to learn how to make an aquarium without all the wasted money or, worse, dead fish. Whether players want to have fun with fish or get into the nitty gritty like temperature, CO2 levels, and all, there is something for everyone in Fish Game.

Fish Game is out now on Steam.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous Article‘Whisper Mountain Outbreak’ Merges Old And New For A Bloody Good Time
Next Article REVIEW: ‘I Am Your Beast’ Is A Fast And Brutal Revenge Story (PC)
Matt Donahue
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)

Host of our flagship podcast and convention contributor. Responsible for creating the site’s content strategy plan and keeping the lights on. Sports trivia encyclopedia, Spider-Man and Dr. Strange fan, with a love of video games.

Related Posts

Mamoru Hosoda But Why Tho

Mamoru Hosoda: The Iconic Animation Directors Best Feature Films

07/28/2025
Razer Pokemon Edition Collection promotional logo

PRODUCT REVIEW: Razer’s Pokemon Edition Additions Are A Must-Have

07/19/2025
The Best Teams to build a Dynasty with in CFB 26

5 Best Teams In CFB 26 To Build A Dynasty Online or Solo

07/15/2025
Animation to look out for at Fantasia Film Festival

Fantasia Film Festival 2025: 5 Animated Films You Need To See

07/15/2025
Dr. Strange, Invisible Woman, Cloak, and Dagger in Marvel Rivals

4 Great ‘Marvel Rivals’ For A Phoenix Team-Up

07/11/2025
Anime villains

The 15 Greatest Anime Villains Of All Time

07/09/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Wildgate promotional key art
9.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Wildgate’ Is Co-Op Space Mayhem Done Right

By Adrian Ruiz07/25/2025Updated:07/30/2025

Built for friends and tuned for competition, Wildgate is messy in the best way: smart, surprising, and bursting with room to grow.

Glass Heart
7.0
TV

REVIEW: ‘Glass Heart’ Offers Messy, Musical Catharsis

By Allyson Johnson07/22/2025

The musical drama series ‘Glass Heart’ soars when it focuses on the epic performances of it’s fictional band, TENBLANK.

Simon in An Honest Life But Why Tho
3.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘An Honest Life’ Is Terribly Dishonest About Its Own Politics

By Jason Flatt08/02/2025

An Honest Life is an overly severe misfire about a law student who falls in with anarchist burglars that can’t decide who it resents more.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here