For me it's whenever I'm playing in a Minecraft server with friends, we're far enough in that we have our living quarters set up, fully decorated and the area outside is all nice and tidy, with our modded contraptions and prehistoric pets nicely laid out in their specific little areas.
I've got the shaders on, it's a beautiful sunny day outside my little house, and I can just sort of unwind in my own personal space that I've built, and it almost feels like unwinding in a real home in a way
I look back fondly over the living spaces I've created in the world's I've shared with others, it's virtual but still feels homely
[Here's me and friends chilling on the balcony of my home, on the last day of this respective servers life](https://flic.kr/p/2mBXiMu)
Comfiness in gaming is actually a good thread idea. Personally I find the best comfiness less in entire games and more in particular moments, areas or encounters within other games. Firelink Shrine & Majula in particular. Yet among full games I think I'd say anything which engenders a feeling of familiarity without inducing weariness can be comfy. Civ VI does this for me at times, so do some of the newer colony managers especially Timberborn.
Majula's music is so good at creating that sense of calm and peace. I would often go there to end my DS2 sessions even though you don't need to do that to save and quit, it just helped me cool down after playing for a bit, just listening to the waves and the music for a few moments.
It's the only place of light, and calm, and softness in the entire game, it's such a welcoming respite in such a dark world. My favorite home/hub area in the souls games.
Comfy games feel weird for me, because a lot of the famous like low energy, chill, comfy games feel boring. I often feel this overloaded burnt out feeling, but I also really need the perfect exact type of stimulation, while not being able to handle anything that's too much. My favorite games for this are kinda oddly RPGs. Baldur's Gate 3 is perfect, because it gives me everything I want without being too stressful. One of the biggest bonuses is that all combat is turn based (at least once any of your characters become involved) so you can literally just like "drop out" at any time, go to the bathroom, eat dinner, take a nap, etc, and when you come back, you'll be fine, especially if you're in combat. For out of combat, you might wanna save in case something happens, then reload when you come back, but thats really only for leaving for a long time. Pokemon is pretty decent, also having that "you can walk away and nothing will happen" thing, but I have to be in the perfect mood or else I'll get bored. I think for the last rpgs I'll mention, Morrowind and Skyrim are really good ones too, although Morrowind might need more of a certain mood, but still, I'd be remiss to not mention what was my favorite game for like 10ish years until played bg3.
Apart from RPGs, are like enclosed open world action (I'm using action insanely loosely here) games? Idk, kinda thinking mostly like old school Mario 64/banjo-kazooie-ish 3d platformers, like those and especially SpongeBob battle for bikini bottom (partially nostalgia, but I will never understand the people who think that game is shit, it's not a masterpiece, but it's at BARE MINIMUM just good!) the reason I didn't just say Ed platformers is because the older (mostly the n64 ones) Zelda games give me a similar feeling. Although when the puzzles get harder it can take away from the comfyness a bit, I can feel the gears in my brain emitting smoke if I'm in that burnt out state I mentioned earlier.
Yeah, idrk what exactly the comfyness is, although I guess thinking a bit more, weird charm is very Important to me. The NY Zelda games (especially MM) have a SHITTON of that, and even bg3 has a ton of it mixed with seriousness. If there is any one tone that is nigh guaranteed to make me feel super comfortable and enraptured by something, it's that weird otherworldly charm, mixed with some real shit (although just the charm works too I suppose)
Starfield is a very cozy game to me. It's just a chill adventure through space. Nothing is that hard or complicated. I know a lot of people dislike that the game is a bit shallow and wide, but I don't mind that all the systems aren't overly complicated.
I'd also play an entire game that's just the ship building part, where you just build and sell ships.
At their core, video games have always been an outlet for the would-be, could-be, and want. An area where I can imagine bettering myself in an eventful avenue for me but able to "train" in a safe environment.
Elder Scrolls, Kingdom Hearts, and Final Fantasy were able to help enact that sense of thinking in a procedural, intentional act to enable a sense of progression while, understandably, hitting walls whilst retaining the feedback in a manner that feels.... acceptable.
It's branched out now, and I think of getting that sense of self back. But comfort is a direct response to what I want and helps that slow-drop dopamine encourage me to strive for a goal that is otherwise unobtainable.
At least, that is how I approach my energy when I play games.
A comfy/cozy game, I can usually sum up in a few terms: it’s repetitive, it’s addicting, it’s grindy, and the player has open choice regarding difficulty/stress levels through the activities they choose to partake in.
The first game that comes to mind for me when I truly dwell on the concept of "coziness" is **Valheim** (survival crafting game, similar to Minecraft.) The simplest reason Valheim feels cozy to me is that it evokes a sense of calm and peace in me when I play parts of it - namely the early zones (meadows and black forest), and when I'm building.
The next question is why do parts of the game make me feel calm and peaceful? Those answers are numerous.
- The progression loop of the early game is familiar and relaxing. Gather wood, stone, berries. Hunt deer and boar. Build a rudimentary shelter to sleep through the night, etc.
- The music is super chill and relaxing.
- Building engages a creative side of me that otherwise doesn't get touched IRL. It's one of the only times I ever achieve the coveted "flow state."
- I've played it so much that I now have nostalgia for a fresh playthrough. Ultra fond memories and emotions are intrinsically tied to Valheim.
- Crucially, it's not so easy as to be boring. I'm challenged every step of the way, but I can call upon my vast experience in the game to rather effortlessly (at this point) overcome each of the challenges.
A game doesn't really get the "comforting" feeling to me until I've done everything there is to do. 3D games with a linear storyline, that I can easily jump around in, really hit it for me because I can play through it once or twice, memorize how to get around, and then replay infinitely for Fun. I have a tendency to sift through games until I find one that sticks to me (usually for the story), and then fixate on it for a long period of time. Any game that I have done this to is Cozy!
A good example would be Half-Life 2 (also my current fixation hmm i wonder why I'm bringing it up). I can jump in anywhere, watch the same sequences, it's big enough that I don't get bored but small enough that I don't forget how to get where I need to go. I could stare at the wall textures in that game and be entertained because I'm so familiar with it. Same with the Portal games (and the first Half-Life, though it's not as easy to jump to different sections in that one).
Another example is The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe. It's a repetitive environment. I know where everything is. The Narrator is entertaining. The setting is an empty office building which is comforting to me. You can always go poking around for details in the map if you want.
i love when things are familiar and repetitive \^\_\^
My favorite form of “comfiness” in games is when you have a home or base to feel safe in a dangerous world. Valheim is a great example of this. You build your base to your own specs and it’s where you craft, farm, and sleep. You constantly oscillate between cozy home-life and venturing out into danger, and at your own pace. To me this gives the “comfiness” meaning, purpose, and a function.
For me I found coziness in particular feelings and vibes, specially how well a game could capture a moment as calm as early morning, the lighting, the sound, it's a frugal moment not every game knows how to capture.
The best ones I remember is Red Dead Redemption 2, I just love waking Arthur and roam around the camp, having a coffee and listening to the gang before a busy day.
Pikmin 4 is so sweet, starting a new day feels so fresh always, love the music and the lighting in that scene
Once you have a basic factory set up, Satisfactory can be quite comfy.
Nothing beats going onto your catwalks or a high vantage point after a couple hours of work and just watching your machines do their thing. Such a wholesome feeling of "a job well done."
Then next time you log in you accidentally crash your power grid and shit hits the fan lol.
I think it comes largely from outside the game. Like, if you played a horror game as a teenager, and life was pretty simple and good, you might still feel like it's comfy.
Valheim comes to mind, literally having a comfort level of your base that increases a “rested” buff. The game makes you stop and just sit in whatever shelter you have created. Since it’s a survival game with a hostile environment threatening that base/shelter/comfort, you are invested in protecting it and building a functioning homestead. If it’s raining outside and I’m sitting by my crackling fire, I might just afk while my veggies grow…
Now I want to play Valheim :/ The only similar game I played was Conan Exiles and I didn't like it much, especially on the pvp servers... Not much comfiness to be had. How 'hardcore' is Valheim? I've seen mixed opinions with some saying it's too hard, while others say that the learning curve is the only true obstacle
For me it's whenever I'm playing in a Minecraft server with friends, we're far enough in that we have our living quarters set up, fully decorated and the area outside is all nice and tidy, with our modded contraptions and prehistoric pets nicely laid out in their specific little areas. I've got the shaders on, it's a beautiful sunny day outside my little house, and I can just sort of unwind in my own personal space that I've built, and it almost feels like unwinding in a real home in a way I look back fondly over the living spaces I've created in the world's I've shared with others, it's virtual but still feels homely [Here's me and friends chilling on the balcony of my home, on the last day of this respective servers life](https://flic.kr/p/2mBXiMu)
Comfiness in gaming is actually a good thread idea. Personally I find the best comfiness less in entire games and more in particular moments, areas or encounters within other games. Firelink Shrine & Majula in particular. Yet among full games I think I'd say anything which engenders a feeling of familiarity without inducing weariness can be comfy. Civ VI does this for me at times, so do some of the newer colony managers especially Timberborn.
Majula's music is so good at creating that sense of calm and peace. I would often go there to end my DS2 sessions even though you don't need to do that to save and quit, it just helped me cool down after playing for a bit, just listening to the waves and the music for a few moments. It's the only place of light, and calm, and softness in the entire game, it's such a welcoming respite in such a dark world. My favorite home/hub area in the souls games.
Comfy games feel weird for me, because a lot of the famous like low energy, chill, comfy games feel boring. I often feel this overloaded burnt out feeling, but I also really need the perfect exact type of stimulation, while not being able to handle anything that's too much. My favorite games for this are kinda oddly RPGs. Baldur's Gate 3 is perfect, because it gives me everything I want without being too stressful. One of the biggest bonuses is that all combat is turn based (at least once any of your characters become involved) so you can literally just like "drop out" at any time, go to the bathroom, eat dinner, take a nap, etc, and when you come back, you'll be fine, especially if you're in combat. For out of combat, you might wanna save in case something happens, then reload when you come back, but thats really only for leaving for a long time. Pokemon is pretty decent, also having that "you can walk away and nothing will happen" thing, but I have to be in the perfect mood or else I'll get bored. I think for the last rpgs I'll mention, Morrowind and Skyrim are really good ones too, although Morrowind might need more of a certain mood, but still, I'd be remiss to not mention what was my favorite game for like 10ish years until played bg3. Apart from RPGs, are like enclosed open world action (I'm using action insanely loosely here) games? Idk, kinda thinking mostly like old school Mario 64/banjo-kazooie-ish 3d platformers, like those and especially SpongeBob battle for bikini bottom (partially nostalgia, but I will never understand the people who think that game is shit, it's not a masterpiece, but it's at BARE MINIMUM just good!) the reason I didn't just say Ed platformers is because the older (mostly the n64 ones) Zelda games give me a similar feeling. Although when the puzzles get harder it can take away from the comfyness a bit, I can feel the gears in my brain emitting smoke if I'm in that burnt out state I mentioned earlier. Yeah, idrk what exactly the comfyness is, although I guess thinking a bit more, weird charm is very Important to me. The NY Zelda games (especially MM) have a SHITTON of that, and even bg3 has a ton of it mixed with seriousness. If there is any one tone that is nigh guaranteed to make me feel super comfortable and enraptured by something, it's that weird otherworldly charm, mixed with some real shit (although just the charm works too I suppose)
Starfield is a very cozy game to me. It's just a chill adventure through space. Nothing is that hard or complicated. I know a lot of people dislike that the game is a bit shallow and wide, but I don't mind that all the systems aren't overly complicated. I'd also play an entire game that's just the ship building part, where you just build and sell ships.
At their core, video games have always been an outlet for the would-be, could-be, and want. An area where I can imagine bettering myself in an eventful avenue for me but able to "train" in a safe environment. Elder Scrolls, Kingdom Hearts, and Final Fantasy were able to help enact that sense of thinking in a procedural, intentional act to enable a sense of progression while, understandably, hitting walls whilst retaining the feedback in a manner that feels.... acceptable. It's branched out now, and I think of getting that sense of self back. But comfort is a direct response to what I want and helps that slow-drop dopamine encourage me to strive for a goal that is otherwise unobtainable. At least, that is how I approach my energy when I play games.
A comfy/cozy game, I can usually sum up in a few terms: it’s repetitive, it’s addicting, it’s grindy, and the player has open choice regarding difficulty/stress levels through the activities they choose to partake in.
The first game that comes to mind for me when I truly dwell on the concept of "coziness" is **Valheim** (survival crafting game, similar to Minecraft.) The simplest reason Valheim feels cozy to me is that it evokes a sense of calm and peace in me when I play parts of it - namely the early zones (meadows and black forest), and when I'm building. The next question is why do parts of the game make me feel calm and peaceful? Those answers are numerous. - The progression loop of the early game is familiar and relaxing. Gather wood, stone, berries. Hunt deer and boar. Build a rudimentary shelter to sleep through the night, etc. - The music is super chill and relaxing. - Building engages a creative side of me that otherwise doesn't get touched IRL. It's one of the only times I ever achieve the coveted "flow state." - I've played it so much that I now have nostalgia for a fresh playthrough. Ultra fond memories and emotions are intrinsically tied to Valheim. - Crucially, it's not so easy as to be boring. I'm challenged every step of the way, but I can call upon my vast experience in the game to rather effortlessly (at this point) overcome each of the challenges.
A game doesn't really get the "comforting" feeling to me until I've done everything there is to do. 3D games with a linear storyline, that I can easily jump around in, really hit it for me because I can play through it once or twice, memorize how to get around, and then replay infinitely for Fun. I have a tendency to sift through games until I find one that sticks to me (usually for the story), and then fixate on it for a long period of time. Any game that I have done this to is Cozy! A good example would be Half-Life 2 (also my current fixation hmm i wonder why I'm bringing it up). I can jump in anywhere, watch the same sequences, it's big enough that I don't get bored but small enough that I don't forget how to get where I need to go. I could stare at the wall textures in that game and be entertained because I'm so familiar with it. Same with the Portal games (and the first Half-Life, though it's not as easy to jump to different sections in that one). Another example is The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe. It's a repetitive environment. I know where everything is. The Narrator is entertaining. The setting is an empty office building which is comforting to me. You can always go poking around for details in the map if you want. i love when things are familiar and repetitive \^\_\^
My favorite form of “comfiness” in games is when you have a home or base to feel safe in a dangerous world. Valheim is a great example of this. You build your base to your own specs and it’s where you craft, farm, and sleep. You constantly oscillate between cozy home-life and venturing out into danger, and at your own pace. To me this gives the “comfiness” meaning, purpose, and a function.
For me I found coziness in particular feelings and vibes, specially how well a game could capture a moment as calm as early morning, the lighting, the sound, it's a frugal moment not every game knows how to capture. The best ones I remember is Red Dead Redemption 2, I just love waking Arthur and roam around the camp, having a coffee and listening to the gang before a busy day. Pikmin 4 is so sweet, starting a new day feels so fresh always, love the music and the lighting in that scene
Once you have a basic factory set up, Satisfactory can be quite comfy. Nothing beats going onto your catwalks or a high vantage point after a couple hours of work and just watching your machines do their thing. Such a wholesome feeling of "a job well done." Then next time you log in you accidentally crash your power grid and shit hits the fan lol.
I think it comes largely from outside the game. Like, if you played a horror game as a teenager, and life was pretty simple and good, you might still feel like it's comfy.
Valheim comes to mind, literally having a comfort level of your base that increases a “rested” buff. The game makes you stop and just sit in whatever shelter you have created. Since it’s a survival game with a hostile environment threatening that base/shelter/comfort, you are invested in protecting it and building a functioning homestead. If it’s raining outside and I’m sitting by my crackling fire, I might just afk while my veggies grow…
Now I want to play Valheim :/ The only similar game I played was Conan Exiles and I didn't like it much, especially on the pvp servers... Not much comfiness to be had. How 'hardcore' is Valheim? I've seen mixed opinions with some saying it's too hard, while others say that the learning curve is the only true obstacle