There’s nothing quite like a «cozy game.» I’m talking about the games that don’t raise your heart rate. They don’t put you in violent situations and make you do unspeakable things. They don’t stress you out with enemy combat and tricky NPCs. They’re simply nice little worlds that you get to exist in for as long as you’re playing them. These are games like Stardew Valley, a farm simulator, Animal Crossing (which does get weirdly stressful sometimes when you’re in the middle of a turnip trade war), or Cooking Mama, where you can learn how to make animated squid tempura if you so choose. 

Cozy games are a reprieve from the big, bad, world. They make you feel safe and sweet. And they let you finally unwind after a long day of heck. However, stressful games can also have the same effect. Even though you’re shooting zombies, there’s still something relaxing about it. Maybe it’s about releasing tension.