How I review cosy games
Reviewing cosy games can be pretty difficult because of the variety of the genre. From life simulation games to farming games, there is something for everyone and it can be a minefield to find the best cosy game to play in that moment. As a cosy gaming content creator, I want to find and play the best games and that’s why I do cosy game reviews to help you pick the next title for you.
When I review cosy games, I endeavour to be open, transparent and honest about my experience with the game.
I will play every cosy game for as long as possible to experience as much of the game as I can before giving a final opinion on my time with the title.
I use a 5 star rating system in my cosy game reviews to rate games and use half star increments where appropriate.
Every game I play needs to be fun, entertaining and relaxing, which is in keeping with the values of cosy gaming.
Here is the breakdown of what matters to me when I am reviewing cosy games.
Cosy game review criteria
Credit: Singularity Six
Music/Sound Effects
Sound is one of the most important aspects of a cosy game as it sets the tone of the game itself and it can increase your immersion in the cosy game. If I’m playing a game and I’m not fully immersed in the world or task at hand, it is lightly because the music or sound effects are not quite hitting the right notes. However, if I find myself listening to game music on repeat, then I know it’s a good soundtrack.
Controls
Honestly, out of anything else which can put me off a game, having clunky controls is a big one! For the vast majority of games, you will never notice that there is an issue with controls. Your character moves smoothly and does everything you tell them to do. However, if I’m finding that I’m pressing buttons multiple times to get a response from the game, then it is not working out. Likewise, if a character doesn’t respond in a way I expect and something about the way the game controls feels weird, it can break my immersion will very quickly make me put my controller down.
If a game does something unique and different with controls which makes the gameplay easier than I see in other games, then they do get brownie points for it. For example, in some games fishing can be a bit of a nightmare. If that’s made easier, I am more likely to do it and enjoy the experience.
Ease of play
I will make no secret of this now - I play games on the easiest difficulty, and I’m not ashamed to admit it! I don’t like games which are hard in nature and if there are games which have one difficulty which is just the title of the game, I’m not playing it. I will always try games on their normal game difficulty, but if I’m finding that too difficult or I just want to experience the story more, I will turn the game down to easy if there is the option for me to toggle the difficulty.
When I’m looking at ease of play, I’m looking at how hard the basic gameplay is. If there is a complicated tutorial in a cosy game it can be difficult to follow everything you need to do and you can sometimes miss out on crucial information which you actually need in the game way later than you were originally introduced to. If I’m having to refer to a guide early on in playing a game to find out where I need to go or what I need to do to make progress that is a red flag for me as it has made my game harder and more stressful. Cosy games aren’t supposed to be too taxing. A little bit of puzzling is fine, but if I’m finding I’ve been starting at my screen for 30 minutes and I’m still confused, it’s too hard for me.
However, there are ways to make a cosy game easier to play which don’t break immersion, clear instructions or a simple in game guide or path finder will make it much easier to navigate the world and follow with what I’m supposed to be doing.
Credit: Tiny Glade - Pounce Light
Gameplay
There’s so much we can talk about within the gameplay and that’s what we’re all here for when we’re looking at the best cosy games. Given a lot of what we’ve already covered is the technical stuff, this category for me is all about how I feel playing the game itself. I will always ask myself, “am I having fun?” Do I really enjoy the experience of playing the game? If the answer is yes, we’re onto a winner.
What is important to me within gameplay is that I’m really sucked into the world. I want to have a good storyline which keeps me engaged if storytelling is a big part of the experience. But, if the cosy game is more character driven, I want there to be diverse mix of pleasing characters. To be clear when I say this, I don’t just mean diverse in terms of the ethnicity of characters. I am looking at a mixture of genders, different attitudes, likes and dislikes, backgrounds. Anything which makes the characters feel more fleshed out, I want that out of my cosy games so that I can remember each character for who they are.
The only part of the technical aspect of gameplay which I want to see is that the game loads and performs as I expect. As mentioned when I was talking about graphics, there are going to be some limitations based on the hardware I review the game on, but if I can confidently say that there is a loading issue which is causing me to drop out of the cosy vibes, then I will be making notes of it.
Accessibility
Cosy gaming is for everyone and I stand by that every game should be playable by every person, regardless of how they need to connect with a game. Accessibility is really important and increasingly players need to make some adjustments to their game to make the experience more enjoyable. If I’m not finding options to even make simple adjustments to the game such as the option to turn on subtitles or turn down the game music, I’m disappointed.
It’s important to know what features are available to you if you need to make adjustments to be able to access cosy gaming and as someone who does make simple adjustments to enhance my comfort and enjoyment of games, I want you guys to know that I can find them and can make them.
The big ones for me are that I need subtitles to be able to understand the context of the game, and I want the ability to turn down music separately from sound effects or dialogue. But, if I’m getting frustrated with a game’s mechanics, having the option to remap buttons is also important to me to make the gameplay smoother. At a minimum, I would expect those three options to exist depending on the style of gameplay.
Cost vs Benefit
Games are increasingly becoming more expensive and I want to be able to play games which are going to give me the play time I expect for the cost I pay. Whilst game prices do fluctuate, I will be looking mostly at the normal price at release of the game (RRP) and dividing that by the number of hours it takes to complete the game. This gives an idea as to how much it would cost for you to complete the game if it were paying you an hourly minimum wage. Based on that calculation, I will be looking at whether it is worth the amount of money you are about to spend on the game or whether you should wait for it go reduce in price before you buy it.
It’s not just about the cost of the cosy game though, I am also looking at how I feel playing the game as well because some games may have higher cost per hour of game time but it’s the best experience I’ve ever had. In that case, I would be recommending purchasing at any price. If a cosy game makes me feel calm and relaxed and I’m enjoying the game, then for me it is worth the amount I spent on it, but if I’m getting frustrated or feel let down with the game then I’m likely to not pick it up again and wouldn’t recommend it at the price I paid.
Examples of cosy game reviews
Disclaimer
From time to time, I may take paid sponsorships in exchange for a cosy game review. All paid collaborations or free games will be fully disclosed within the review.
Regardless of whether there is payment or not, my opinions on a cosy game are my own. I will never accept payment or a free game in exchange for a positive review.
I review each game fairly and will give my honest opinion based on the criteria given here.
If you are a brand or game developer and are interested in your cosy game being reviewed, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to working with you.
Cosy gaming reviews
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a cute game full of Sanrio characters, but does it perform well outside Apple Arcade?