The 25 most comforting video games ever made

This puzzle game is simple. You're given a little stack of household items, and you just have to move them into pleasing arrangements. Your only "foe" in A Little to the Left is a cheeky cat who sometimes knocks your work askew. There are over 75 messes to tidy, and it's easy to get lost for hours in this inventive title.

Few sights are more breathtaking than a vibrant ocean's clear waters. Unfortunately, most of us don't have the opportunity to scuba dive, but we can do the next best thing in Abzu. This peaceful game allows you to swim throughout multiple ecosystems and swim amongst schools of fish, whales, and other creatures who realistically react to your presence.

During the height of the pandemic, Animal Crossing: New Horizons took the world by storm with its stress-free gameplay and excellent pacing. You can only do so much daily, which removes your ability to rush through the game. Instead, you can visit your island for a relaxing half-hour or so, accomplish a few goals, and chill with your island pals.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a top-down adventure game in a coloring book world. Here, you can draw on anything, and you'll have to use this power to solve puzzles, open new secrets, and help your animal friends. We love the aesthetic, and you can even bring a friend into the mix with co-op. 

Getting a city off the ground can be tricky, but once you've got the hang of Cities: Skylines, running a town is incredibly relaxing. Something as simple as placing roads is very involved, and you can spend hours curled up optimizing traffic flows and watching your city grow.

Put another shrimp on the barbie and enjoy this Australia-themed spin on Animal Crossing. If you're not content to wait to play each day, Dinkum is for you. It allows you to advance time by sleeping in your bed and features a much larger game world. You'll move in droves of villagers, craft your head off, and explore multiple biomes to create a little slice of paradise. Oh, and it's co-op too!

Disney's take on Animal Crossing is way better than it has any right to be. Like that game, you build a house, customize it, and interact with a neighborhood of characters. You have a bit more freedom here, though, and the bonus of living next to some of the most popular Disney characters ever created.

Dragon Quest Builders 2 is the game for you if you love Minecraft but want a bit more structure and better NPCs. The game concentrates on exploration and building, but there's some combat to switch things up. Luckily, it's not too difficult, and the end goal is to basically make each world as comfy as possible for its inhabitants.

There's a story in Fantasy Life, but it's not that important. Most of the focus is around learning and leveling up your 12 jobs so that you can solve people's tasks and earn their "wishes." You'll rise from Fledgling to Legend in each occupation and eventually buy a house and save the world. Unlike many RPGs, Fantasy Life allows you to progress in any direction you'd like, making this overlooked gem so cozy.

For many who started gaming in the '90s, few games will trigger a cozier, more nostalgic feeling as Final Fantasy VII. Few have ever done the genre better, and from top to bottom, this is a must-play for anyone who loves games. The soft pre-rendered backgrounds and early 3D graphics are like a warm blanket, and this is a game we'll curl up with over and over again.

Who knew tending a graveyard could be so fun (and lucrative)? As a fledgling gravedigger, you must learn the ropes, upgrade your equipment, and decide whether you want your graveyard to be immaculate or be willing to cut corners. This lighthearted romp is like a more adult Stardew Valley, and we enjoyed every minute of it (even if it gets a bit grindy).

Hidden Folks takes the charm and challenge of Where's Waldo and animates it. There's so much to love about this game, and it moves entirely at your pace. We love the incredible detail packed into each map, and you can spend hours just clicking around to discover new Easter eggs.

Want to chill out and put together a jigsaw puzzle but don't want to deal with the mess? Jigsaw Puzzle Dreams is a free-to-play game that allows you to get the whole jigsaw experience in a highly customizable digital space. It's even multiplayer, so you can spend hours puzzling things out with a buddy! Also, you can make your own images into puzzles (or buy new ones as DLC), so the fun never stops.

Minecraft is one of the OG cozy games. You can spend hours building in Creative mode without stress or exploring at your own pace in Survival mode. This game has so many choices that anyone can find that zen moment and chill out. Or you can go wild and build literal working computers that play real games. Up to you. 

New Pokémon Snap takes the formula from the N64 classic and makes it bigger and better. All you have to do is ride on a track and take pictures of Pokémon. There are a ton of secrets to discover and new areas to unlock, but the core journey is just relaxing and shooting pics of Pokémon doing Pokémon stuff.

If you find Pokémon a bit too violent but want to scratch that creature-collecting itch, try Ooblets. The adorable little titular creatures have dance-offs instead of engaging in fisticuffs, and the whole game has a Gen Z, comfy, pastel motif. It also has some farming elements because Ooblets are grown instead of captured. 

Make your dream zoo and watch your animals play and thrive. Planet Zoo isn't the easiest game to master, but your animal buddies put out plenty of cozy vibes when you meet all their needs. Plus, there are plenty of opportunities to flex your architectural meddle with the plethora of options available for building indoor and outdoor exhibits.

This unique game tasks you with crafting potions and running a shop. It can take a bit of getting used to since you have to physically interact with your tools and ingredients to make potions, but it's incredibly satisfying and relaxing once you get it down.

Life on the farm is kind of laid back. Stardew Valley tasks you with restoring a farm. Or not. It's up to you. The game doesn't make you do anything. You're free to get to know your neighbors, raise crops and animals, mine, and collect items to restore the local community center (or upgrade the JojaMart if you're a monster) at your pace. Or you can chill and watch the world go by.

You're just a little cat in a big, robot-filled world in Stray. While there are a few chase sequences, most of the game is spent exploring, talking to new robot pals, and finding clues to tell you why humans have vanished. The movement is excellent, and we love jumping from building to building and meowing like crazy.

Tetris is another game that lets you set the pace. The best version to date is Tetris Effect, which came from the minds behind the (excellent) puzzle game Lumines. Every stage is an art installation, and the soundtrack is fantastic. It's especially impressive in VR, where you can block out the world and absorb yourself in the visuals, movement, and music.

There's definitely some excitement in Breath of the Wild. However, there's also a ton of peaceful exploration and collecting to do. So, Hyrule might be wild, but there are plenty of opportunities to soak up nature and chill out. It's one of the best Zelda titles to ever hit a console, too, so there's that. 

When you feel like your own life is out of control, live someone else's for a while. The Sims 4 lets you build and control a household, and there's something comfy about worrying about a little video game person's needs for a while. 

You can learn a lot about someone from their possessions, which you must do in Unpacking. You get to know a girl by unpacking her boxes at different points in her life. It's a relaxing, peaceful experience with a unique storytelling device, and we love it.

Yarn Yoshi is the most adorable character ever created, and this game goes for cute with gusto. Nintendo did an amazing job turning Yoshi's Island into a yarn wonderland, and we're sad there hasn't been a Switch port of the game.