So-called ‘cosy’ games are designed to help you breathe out. They focus on cute, calm routines rather than fast reactions, inviting you to settle into a rhythm. You tend to look after a small environment, chat to a handful of characters, or gather useful items in your own time. This kind of play can become a form of mindfulness, with no real rush or consequence to your decisions.
If you want to ease into the genre, choose something that encourages small daily habits. Set aside ten minutes to tend a garden or arrange a room, for example. These pockets of activity give you a sense of progress without demanding hours of commitment or high performance.
A few weeks ago, I came across a list of a few games that stood out to me and I thought I’d – again – try to get hips deep into the world of mobile gaming, initially through the medium of two games. Dawncaster, a deck-building ‘cardventure’ developed by the Netherlands-based studio Wanderlost Interactive, and Caves of Lore, an RPG in a more classic vein from solo developer Mike Robins. I have to say, these titles have both been incredible discoveries, and have reinvigorated gaming on a mobile device for me, with Dawncaster taking the place of a game that is fun to both dip in and out of as well as have lengthier session on (my four year old is also a fan, loving the character and card designs), whilst Caves of Lore really connected with me with its pixel visuals, dynamic lighting and classic, open-world sensibilities that fill the game with quests and quirks, very clearly the vision of a single individual, which makes the scope of the game all the more impressive, and the vibe very personal.
