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
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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
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
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
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.
