Often, AAA titles consume Steam’s front page, causing indie titles to fight an uphill battle in order to be seen. In my experience, some will make it and others slip through the cracks. Just because they don’t have as much hype doesn’t mean they aren’t great games, though! With that in mind, I’d like to share 10 upcoming cozy games that I think look fantastic and haven’t received the love they deserve.
Cozy games are a somewhat new genre in gaming. It’s heavily debated within the community as to what might qualify as a cozy game. Some people are adamant that cozy games don’t include combat, must be story driven, have a certain art style, etc. Others find games like Subnautica or Baldur’s Gate 3 achieve peak coziness, going more by the ‘vibe’ they get while playing. For this list, I’ve chosen games that fit more into the ‘traditional’ definition of cozy games. The games below are not in any particular order. They all look amazing, and they’re all still coming in 2024!
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Petit Island – Preserve Your Grandpa’s Memories & Make New Friends
Coming soon to Steam in 2024
In Petit Island, you play as an adorable little cat named Lily. Lily grew up listening to her grandpa telling incredible stories about his adventures, but as he ages, his memories are beginning to fade away. The only shreds left are the stories he told Lily, and a few immortalized within his journal. In order to help grandpa remember, and save the stories forever, Lily journeys to Petit Island. For all intents and purposes, Petit Island is a tropical paradise. As Lily, you will explore this stunning island, reliving grandpa’s adventures for yourself and using your camera to capture those precious memories. Along the way, you’ll meet a whole cast of endearing characters inhabiting Petit Island.
Petit Island stands out to me for a few reasons. The first one is of course the heartwarming story. I mean, does it get any sweeter than a grandchild trying to preserve their grandparent’s stories? I also love that there’s customization options, so you can choose how Lily looks as you go on your grand adventure. You can even change what type of cat she is! Lastly, the game seems to focus on player exploration, which is something I really love in a game. Petit Island looks very promising, and was featured at Wholesome Direct in both 2022 and 2023. I can’t wait until the official release date is announced!
Fruitbus – Run Your Own Food Truck in This Culinary Campaign
Coming to Steam on October 28, 2024
Fruitbus is the game that will make your food truck dreams come true! Set on the Gustum archipelago, you’ll be able to explore all that the island has to offer while creating delicious (and sometimes not so delicious) meals for all of the locals. You’ll be able to upgrade and fully customize your Fruitbus along the way. Perfect your recipes and hone your skills to make new friends, and discover how food can be the thing that brings us all together!
I used to love games like Cooking Mama, Diner Dash and the Papa Louie’s series when I was younger. I’m excited for Fruitbus to bring back the fun of cooking, but with the added bonuses of map exploration, ingredient gathering, and building real relationships with your customers. The trailers show that the game has a lot of personality, and I can’t wait to play it in October!
Neva – Survive Together in a Dying World
Coming to Steam on October 15, 2024
From the same developers who made Gris, Neva is another visually stunning emotional journey. You play as Alba, a young woman who is bound to a wolf cub. Together you must navigate and survive in a hostile, dying world. As you progress, your relationship will also grow and change, bringing forth new challenges.
Neva is a 2D platformer with some puzzle elements and a darker undertone than we usually see in a ‘cozy’ game, which may lead some to think that this is a controversial pick for this list. However, I’d argue that the overall story of friendship and love, and the enchanting visuals paired with what seems to be a promising soundtrack edge it into the category of ‘cozy.’ I understand if you disagree, but Neva is too captivating to exclude it from this list.
Sunkissed City – Can You Save Apollo City?
Coming soon to Steam in Q4 2024
Sunkissed City is a life sim with a bit of a twist: Apollo City is afflicted with a mysterious problem. Something is draining the city of all its color! You can take on the problem and find the source of this issue, or you can spend your days meeting locals, relaxing in the park, and tending to the garden. It’s entirely up to you!
This game definitely gives me Stardew Valley vibes (as it should, the dev actually worked on Stardew Valley!) but with slightly higher stakes. I think it adds some flair to the genre while also offering all of the classic components of life sims. You can choose where you want to go and who you’d like to speak to at your own pace. You can make new friends, give gifts to the locals, and maybe even find a love interest or two! Sunkissed City also boasts ‘endless, deep customization options’ as well as both split-screen and online co-op, with player exclusive difficulty settings. Seriously, what’s not to love here?!
Last Time I Saw You – An Endearing Tale About Growing Up
Coming to Steam on October 10, 2024
Set in Japan in the late 1980s, Last Time I Saw You is a hand-drawn 2D coming of age story. You’ll play as Ayumi, a young boy battling the burdens of growing up, as well as a peculiar curse that has plagued his hometown. This game includes ‘light action’ aspects, as well as puzzles, a large, captivating cast of characters, and collectible items. This is just scratching the surface on what Last Time I Saw You has to offer, though! It seems to have a little something for everyone, which is always great to see.
Between the lovely hand-drawn art and the rewarding storyline, I knew I had to include this game on the list. With it being set in the late 1980s, it really gives you that nostalgic vibe, but with all of the modern luxuries we’ve become accustomed to. I can’t wait for its release!
Kloa – Child of the Forest – Clear the Ikari Curse & Save the Forest!
Coming soon to Steam in 2024
As with many other cozy games, your goal in Kloa – Child of the Forest is to destroy a mysterious curse that is killing the forest. As Kloa, a human child, you must explore the many biomes of the forest, fighting off cursed animals and uncovering the secrets of the land. This game is a bit more combat-heavy than the rest, but I think the beauty and the emotional aspects of Kloa make it more cozy than anything else.
The game also honors the classic top-down style of games, with the added bonus of absolutely gorgeous hand-drawn pixel art. It also includes puzzles. I was originally drawn to Kloa by the visuals, but once I looked into it more I was completely sucked in by the gameplay and narrative. I want to save the forest and get to the bottom of this curse!
Amber Isle – Serve and Befriend the Paleofolk
Coming to Steam on October 10, 2024
Amber Isle is a management/social sim in which you have been given permission to run the one and only shop in town. Your ultimate goal is to put Amber Isle back on the map, as well as serve and befriend the Paleofolk. Along the way you’ll learn more about the history of Amber Isle and what lead to its demise.
You’ll be able to customize your character and your shop to your liking. Find out what each customer prefers, rise within the shop rankings, and help bring Amber Isle back to its former glory. As you progress, you’ll unlock new areas within the island. Rebuild and decorate them to help save Amber Isle! The art style in this game is adorable, and I can’t wait to meet all 48 of the Paleofolk (who aren’t all dinosaurs, by the way). With plenty of customization and a promising story, Amber Isle seems to have a bright future ahead!
Pixelshire – Customize the Entire Town
Coming soon to Steam in 2024
Pixelshire is sort of what I think the result would be if Stardew Valley and Minecraft had a baby. What really sold me on the game is that you can customize the entire town. You choose where each building goes. There’s even terraforming! Pixelshire is a life sim at its core, but it also includes sandbox and RPG elements, which I think will lead to a very unique experience overall.
I’m just really excited to see what this game will look like when it finally comes out! It seems like there will be a lot to do with all of the customization options, combat, and plenty of new areas to discover and explore. I also really like that you can choose to take NPCs with you on your adventures. I think it’ll give the relationship aspects a really ‘personal’ quality. Overall, Pixelshire promises a lot. I have high hopes that the developers will deliver on those promises! If they do, I think Pixelshire could be a favorite for a wide variety of gamers.
Fantastic Haven – Rehabilitate Magical Creatures & Restore the Magic
Coming soon to Steam in Q4 2024
In Fantastic Haven, your goal is to build a successful animal refuge in order to help the local wildlife. The residents of the land are overhunting the creatures and abandoning their magic, but you’re here to fix all of that. You can choose from a variety of starter locations. Each one has its own difficulty level and has unique traits, so choose wisely! As you take in new creatures, you’ll have to consider their habitat needs as well as aspects like their compatibility with the other creatures in your care. Eventually, you’ll restore the magic in the region and move onto the next one!
I personally love games that are centered around animals as I’m a huge animal lover, so Fantastic Haven is right up my alley. I love the fact that you’ll be caring for fantastical creatures, learning what each one needs and eventually reintroducing them to their natural habitats. However, the game also includes features like negotiating with ‘hostile populations’ and managing your refuge’s reputation. So if just caring for the animals isn’t quite your cup of tea, Fantastic Haven offers other aspects that may appeal to you!
Little Sim World – A Life Sim Lover’s Dream
Coming soon to Steam in Q4 2024
I think one of the most impressive things about Little Sim World is the fact that the developers surveyed over 10,000 life sim players to find out what the community wanted before adding it all to their game. Talk about dedication! You’ll be able to fully customize your character, from their clothes to their personality traits. Explore an adorable, bite-size version of London and live your dream life! As you explore the world and meet new NPCs to befriend, your sim’s persona will evolve over time based on what you choose to do.
There’s just so many little details in Little Sim World. Unfortunately, I can’t do it much justice in a few short paragraphs. I’m just getting to the fact that there will be romanceable characters and multiplayer features, and I’m seriously just scratching the surface. All I can do is tell you that this game looks spectacular if you love life sims, and if you don’t, this one just might be worth checking out anyway.
Conclusion
This year has been truly great in the world of gaming. From AAA releases like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 to indie games like Crypt Custodian, there’s been something amazing for everyone. While we’re nearing the end of 2024, there are still plenty of absolutely magnificent upcoming cozy games in these last few months! These 10 are only some of my most anticipated releases for the end of the year. If you do a little digging for yourself, you’ll find that there are still tons of great games to look forward to!
Do you have any games that you’re looking forward to that didn’t make the list? Share them with our Facebook community or tweet them to us on Twitter!
