Cozy video games can quell stress and anxiety

Subjectivity of “cozy” and how games relieve stress

• Commenters give a wide range of “comfort games,” from stereotypically cozy titles (A Short Hike, Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Dorfromantik, Unpacking, Tiny Glade, No Man’s Sky, Euro Truck Simulator, House Flipper, Walkabout Minigolf VR) to puzzlers and exploration games (Myst/Riven, The Witness, Monument Valley, Breath of the Wild, Mutazione).
• Others relax with what look like “un-cozy” games: Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Doom, Factorio, MTG Arena, Cyberpunk 2077, Warzone, Valheim, etc. For them, flow state, mastery, repetition, or escapist immersion—rather than aesthetics—reduces anxiety.
• Several note that even solitaire, simple web games, or old titles played without FOMO can be deeply soothing.

Stardew Valley as comfort vs. chore simulator

• Some describe Stardew as profoundly comforting: an idyllic world of predictable routines, controllable problems, and the ability to improve NPCs’ lives.
• Others experience it as stressful: time pressure, energy bars, crop calendars, “never-ending to‑do lists,” min-max spreadsheets, and fishing or collection mechanics that feel more like work.
• People highlight darker themes (corporations, homelessness, PTSD, war) and argue it still feels cozy because you’re empowered to help—though some just ignore the story and farm.

Hard games, flow, and coping with hardship

• Multiple anecdotes claim FromSoftware-style difficulty helped with depression, heartbreak, or layoffs: overcoming tough but “fair” challenges counters learned helplessness and provides structure.
• Comparisons are drawn to religious ritual or “risky play” as ways to shift mental focus and reclaim agency. Others argue soothing, low-threat activities are equally important.

Design of “cozy”: beyond genre and violence

• Several argue “cozy” is less about farming or cuteness and more about: low penalties, optional combat, gentle pacing, clear control, and the freedom to ignore systems you dislike.
• Others prefer cooperative or sandbox games over competitive ones, seeing standard adversarial multiplayer as inherently non-cozy. Some find cozy aesthetics uncanny or pointless and instead relax with horror or violent shooters.

Psychological, social, and societal threads

• Games are framed as coping tools, not cures; underlying environments and stressors still matter. There’s discussion of anxiety theories (overactive threat vs. underused soothing systems, or need for tolerable risk).
• Some push a bleak view that life is inherently nightmarish; others counter with philosophical arguments about attitude, meaning, and helping others.
• Debate arises over games’ net societal impact, gender participation (with pushback against the claim that “few women play”), and comparisons to other leisure (books, TV, walking, sports).

Article UX and “cozy” media contradictions

• Many praise Reuters’ scrollytelling presentation as beautiful and calming; others find the scroll-hijacking, nonstandard navigation, and heavy visuals anxiety-inducing or inaccessible.
• A few note the irony of a soothing piece ending with links to grim geopolitical stories, and question whether “cozy escapism” is being promoted against a backdrop of worsening news.