There’s never enough time to play all the games I want to, but I like to keep up to date with as much as I can. Even if I might not be able to play them for a while. And let’s be real, there’s a lot of AI “upcoming cozy games” videos out there that feature fake thumbnails and talk about the same cozy game’s week in and week out.
But I thought, “I wonder if anyone else might like to know some of the games coming out?” Or if anyone else is interested in the hype and reviews on recently released cozy games? I wonder if anyone is looking for hidden gems or other cozy gaming news that’s not about the 15th delay of a certain magical life-sim game, or the 20th video in the last two weeks about the latest farming-sim game that just released update 15.4.3.6.
No shade to anyone who wants the latest update on only specific games. I like to know the updates for certain mainstays in cozy gaming as well, but I’m always on the lookout for something new.
So, I present to you, Cozy Gaming News. I’ll try to do this every week, highlighting some games that have recently come out, what people are saying about them, and if I’ve played them what I thought. Plus, I’m going to try and find some possible hidden treasures out there too.
With that being said, let’s get into it.
POKEMON POKOPIA
Of course, last week the biggest cozy game of the month, and some cozy gamers are saying maybe the biggest one of the year, dropped. Pokémon Pokopia. In this game you play as a Pokémon who has taken the form of its Pokémon trainer. Now it’s your job to building a town full of Pokémon, with the little monsters living their lives while you create the ultimate island home.
It’s incredibly fun. If you haven’t already checked out my “First Impressions” video I posted over the weekend, please go ahead and give that a watch.
When it was first announced, it looked like we might only have a small area to terraform and search, but the gameplay actually shows a substantial area for not only your island, but exploring other places, whether that be hidden spots on your island, or doorways to entirely new lands.
Over on MetaCritic, the game is sitting at a score of 88. GamesRadar said, “Pokémon Pokopia has got all the hallmarks of a great life sim game – the creativity, independence, customization, and optimization – just without the true blank slate that you’d usually get with games like this. Having a backstory is really interesting and has such wonderful tie-ins to Pokémon lore and mechanics without it being a turn-based RPG that there’s a lot to dig into, for fans of Pokémon and life sim games alike.”
Pokémon Pokopia is out now on Nintendo Switch 2.
PLANET OF LANA II: CHILDREN OF THE LEAF
Yes, Pokémon Pokopia is currently taking up all the headlines but that doesn’t mean there weren’t other cozy games that came out last week.
Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf came out and has 87 reviews on Steam, with a “Very Positive” rating. In this game you continue as Lana, along with her companion, Mui, and stand against forces not just for survival, but for the soul of their home.
Over on MetaCritic, the game’s rating is at an 83. Games Radar had a very positive review, saying, “Planet of Lana 2 won’t tickle the dopamine centers of your gamer brain, but there’s a very strong chance it will pull on your heartstrings. More than this, it will engage your imagination like few other games can, presenting its one-of-a-kind world with the utmost confidence and panache.”
I do plan on forcing myself to break free from my recent addiction to Pokopia and playing this game within the next few days and will have a review for it later in the week.
CUPICLAW
If you’re looking for a cute cozy version of a roguelike deck builder that all takes place as one of those arcade claw machines, then Cupiclaw is probably for you.
In this game, you’re a character named Morris who has lost his engagement ring and can’t afford to buy another one. Of course, what better way to get a new ring then to win one in one of those claw machine games. In the game you win prizes, build powerful combos all in an effort for Morris to keep his relationship.
If that’s not a fun premise for a game, I don’t know what is.
Throughout the game you add or remove powerful prizes in order to upgrade the claw for greater success. I’m not going to pretend to know how good this game is compared to other, more traditional roguelike and deck building games, but it does have a “Positive” ranking over on Steam.
Int’l Crab Cakes over on Steam said, “This is such a fun little game! I saw Cupiclaw during next fest and played the demo for several runs. I’m finding the full version of the game to be pretty replayable so far, especially with the rogue-lite mechanics of unlocking new items and upgrades. Cute prizes, appropriately annoying anti-prizes, and watching numbers go up? I am here for the claw game!”
LOST & FOUND CO.
If you’re looking for a new great hidden object and puzzle cozy game, then Lost & Found Co. might be the one for you. In this game you join a cast of characters on an epic journey across magical locations.
You solve puzzles, find lost objects, and even help magical creatures.
I’m not a big puzzle game guy, but at the time of this writing, the game is nearly at 200 reviews over on Steam with a “Very Positive” score. One Steam reviewer said, “What a beautiful game… colorful, funny and sometimes quite challenging. The music is very high quality and fits the atmosphere perfectly. You can really feel the fun, professionalism and heart that went into developing it.”
So, yeah, if puzzle games are your cozy jam, check this one out.
I’m sure there are a ton more cozy games out there that came out, but those are the ones that caught my eye this week. I won’t be covering every single game that releases, but ones that look fun, interesting, and are making some cozy gamers happy.
But I will finish out my cozy gaming news with a hidden treasures segment. These are going to be games that catch my eye for one reason or another. So, with that being said, check this out.
ANIMALKIND
In Animalkind you play as a cute little animal, where you go around searching for tools and resources where you can shape the world around you, alongside a cast of other animals.
Oh, yeah, you do it while roaming the land in a mech suit.
This game looks totally awesome and adorable at the same time. No release date set for this one yet, but I already wish listed it on Steam. If adorable animals and mechs are your thing, you can too.
Okay, that’s a wrap on the very first episode of Cozy Gaming News. What’d you think? Let me know in the comments if I missed anything or if you have any ideas for other segments I can include.