Cozy games are for people who rage-quit real life. Let’s be honest — you’re paying $30 to roleplay as a broke farmer with zero riz, zero money, and a watering can smaller than your attention span. “Relaxing”? Nah, bro. It’s unpaid digital labor in a pastel skin. If that’s your idea of mental health, congratulations — you’re Pok Gai in both real life and the game.
And yet, cozy games in 2025 are booming. Search “best cozy games” and Google vomits out the same list: Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, Palia. Bloggers write about it like they discovered fire, when in reality they’re just reselling you chores with a kawaii filter. This whole genre is capitalism cosplaying as self-care. But first a word from today’s sponsor, a sponsor for HR advice should you ever need it:
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Every cozy game script goes like this:
Grandpa dies.
You inherit farm.
You till soil, water carrots, marry NPC with three lines of dialogue.
Congratulations, you just wasted 200 hours to unlock a bigger watering can. That’s the Pok Gai achievement unlocked.
These games are copy-paste with one tweak: “Now your carrots sparkle” or “Now you can fish while your chicken lays eggs.” Bro, that’s not innovation, that’s a scam with cute shaders.
Palia: MMO Stardew but with lag spikes so bad it feels like 2005 MapleStory.
Coral Island: Animal Crossing underwater. Cute for 5 minutes, then you drown in chores.
Fae Farm: Magic farming. Carrots glow. Still boring.
Developers discovered the cheat code: slap pastel art + fishing mini-game = instant cozy label = instant sales.
Let’s be real — cozy gamers don’t play for gameplay. They play to post screenshots: “Look at my wholesome pixel farm 🌸✨.” Translation: “Please validate my fake cottagecore lifestyle because my real apartment smells like cup noodles.”
Streamers are worse. They farm donos by acting soft and wholesome. Off stream? They’re flaming in League, chain-smoking, and calling teammates “Pok Gai dog.”
Expect 2026 to drop:
Cozy Souls — Dark Souls where bosses give you hugs.
Cozy GTA — Rob a bank, then water your sunflowers.
Cozy Assassin’s Creed — Stab targets gently, then bake bread.
And yes, people will still buy them. Humanity is doomed.
Cozy games are fine if you’re into fake farming therapy. But don’t act like they’re gaming’s second coming. For sweatlords like us, cozy is what you play when you’re too depressed to queue ranked.
Pok Gai Verdict: Cozy = bubble tea. Overpriced, aesthetic, and everyone lying that it’s special.
Q1: What are the best cozy games in 2025?
Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Palia, Coral Island. Same farm, different skins.
Q2: Why are cozy games so popular in 2025?
Because devs learned “self-care” marketing sells faster than NFTs.
Q3: Are cozy games relaxing?
Yes, until your crops die and you rage harder than in League.
Q4: Do cozy games have combat?
Not really. If they did, cozy gamers would uninstall in fear.
Q5: Are cozy games worth the money?
If you like grinding fake chores, yes. If not, save your Pok Gai wallet.
Q6: Who plays cozy games?
Casual gamers, streamers farming donos, and people who peaked in Animal Crossing.
Q7: Will cozy games stay popular?
Yes, because capitalism + fishing = eternal formula.