Letter #40: Honorable Mentions for Cozy Games of 2023

Cozy but... spooky!

Dear reader,

This is a bit of a continuation of last week’s post, as I originally wanted to include these but ran out of both space (at least in the email version) and energy! 😭

These games are all pretty cozy and relatively casual, but there’s that element of mystery, darkness, and potentially *danger* that was absent from last week’s list.

As with the last post, some disclaimers/notes: I am not sponsored or affiliated with/by any of these games, studios, or creators. I have either bought these games myself, played the free game version, or played the free demos and enjoyed each of these games so much that I wanted write about them.

I have played some of these games for only about 30 minutes, while I’ve played some for 3 hours. I haven’t finished any of these games, so these are my thoughts based on what I have played thus far. I’ve included my playtime for each game below for full transparency.

**All images are screenshots in-game, taken by me, as examples of the gameplay and style. (Visuals are very important for me personally!)

Book of Hours

[In-game screenshot of visiting different places of business in the town. The gameplay looks a bit like that of Cultist Simulator, though it’s more forgiving and slower-paced than Cultist Sim.]

Description: Uncover a forgotten occult library’s secrets

Tags: Exploration, card game, time management, RPG

Hours played so far: Just under 3.5

As those of you who have been here for a while are likely aware, I will never pass up a chance to mention Weather Factory if possible. Their newest game, Book of Hours, released in 2023, to my delight! (It had been on my calendar and wishlist for months!)

Like all the games they have worked on, this one has an air of mystery. It’s fairly cozy (definitely the coziest of all their games!) and the graphics are as stunning and unique as all of their other work. The mechanics can be a tad confusing and ever-winding, similar to the way their earlier game Cultist Simulator functions. (However, this game is significantly cozier!)

I’d also like to highlight that the soundtrack is gorgeous!

You can find the game on Steam here.

Strange Horticulture

[In-game screenshot of helping a rather grumpy customer on Day 2.]

Description: Tend to the needs of a community as the new horticulturist in town

Tags: Mystery, puzzle, exploration

Hours played so far: About 30 minutes (just got past the demo!)

The vibes of this game almost instantly reminded me of Weather Factory and Book of Hours.

The gameplay is nothing alike though: this game centers on a horticulturist taking over the running of her family’s local plant shop and the mysterious circumstances that follow as she unravels secrets of the surrounding areas.

Beautiful and spooky environment, ominous music a little reminiscent of Over the Garden Wall, plant identification, exploration (but only via map), and mystery!

Also, breaking news: You can pet the cat!

Find it here on Steam here.

*I played the demo first then bought the game right after because I loved it! I haven’t gotten much of a chance to get back to the game since buying it after the demo, hence only the 30 minutes of playtime.

Dredge

[In-game screenshot of my little player vessel leaving the harbor just after dawn on Day 17. I love the stars fading out as the morning sun begins to dawn!]

Description: It’s just a fishing game… right? Right?

Tags: Exploration, fishing, Lovecraftian, adventure

Hours played so far: Just under 2.5 hours

This was my husband’s almost-instant “Game of the Year” pick, so that’s saying something, especially given how much he loved Alan Wake 2.

I have just shy of 2.5 hours in this game currently and have barely scratched the surface of the story, content, and collectibles (like different fish).

This game has made me very angry (my fault for unknowingly attempting one of the harder dredges the first time I tried the “dredge” mechanic) and quite frightened (again, my fault for staying out fishing outside the harbor after dark when things start to lurk).

This game has its cozy moments during the daytime, sailing across the beautifully animated waters surrounding these island towns. When you go to sleep in the game, you can wake up whenever you like, so I tend to wake up right as the sky begins to lighten at dawn because 1) it’s prettiest at that time nd 2) time moves incredibly fast in the game so I want to get a head start on the day. I sail out of the main harbor just as the sky turns these lovely shades of pink and orange to get a head start on fishing for the day.

But, during the night… this game also has its oh-my-gosh-that-is-a-HUGE-fish-I-am-going-to-get-eaten-ohhhhh-noooooo moments. Moments of nights so inky black that you can’t see the rocks in front of your ship right before your little boat crashes. Eldritch creatures rising from nowhere to attack your boat in the darkness. Sinister, Lovecraftian undertones (and honestly, sometimes they’re overtones) as you meet other inhabitants of the surrounding area, catch strangely mutated fish, and dredge up relics of a past best left unfound.

… spooky.

Find the game here on Steam.

And that’s it!

I know, a much shorter list today!

I just had to talk about these games after I couldn’t fit them in last week, but I’ve gotten it out of my system now and will be moving on to a different topic again next week for those of you who aren’t interested in me raving about video games. 😅 (I know they won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, which is fine!)

Thanks for reading! Have a lovely week ahead!

Best wishes,

Works Cited (MLA 9th Ed.)

Nothing to cite!