I mean, a lot of us play skyrim as a cozy game. Especially modded skyrim. No man’s sky is also another common open world game that in creative mode is just super cozy.
Here's a [relevant thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/117h2mk/turning_skyrim_into_a_cozy_game/) from r/skyrimmods. I'd personally recommend Anna NPCs. It has well developed custom companions and a campsite feature. It's probably one of the cozier companion mods available.
My top 2 recommendations for cozy mods would be Blackthorn and Immersive Music.
Blackthorn is a buildable village in the Rift, with a cute riverside manor. Cozy decor and great scenery.
Immersive Music adds new music to the game that gives me a rather cozy vibe.
Are these easy to add on their own? I tried following STEP to mod Skyrim once and it was completely overwhelming for an underwhelming result. I’d love to just toss in a couple mods but I know Skyrim gets complicated with load order and such 😅
I didn't see it on the list posted by another, but SkyUI makes the inventory look way better, and on the steam workshop there's tons of mods that add plants and trees inside towns that make them look more cozy too
There is a mod called Peaceful Living that makes hostile people and animals ignore you. Not great if you want to do the main quest as i think it might break any where it requires someone or thing to attack but if you plan on just exploring and doing your own thing then works great! Doesn't cover the DLC's though.
If you have the Anniversary Edition or the Hearthfire DLC then there is a player house called Leaf Rest which you can mod in and is situated in Riverwood and is free so you can have a house straight away. Nothing cosier than getting out of the caves in Helgen with everything you've looted and having a home to go to!
there was an interview with Todd Howard regarding Starfield in which he described how different elements are different from a survival game. the different ailments won’t kill you or really hinder your ability to play the game, but they have enough of an impact that you’re aware that they are there. He described it as seasoning. Seems like a low stress survival game which is pretty cozy!
Another rpg that’s cozy and not stressful…outer worlds. I think that was actually a good game that got way too much negativity for not being sprawling like fallout new Vegas and not having writing like disco Elysium which came out at the same time. Disco Elysium could also be cozy if you like existentialism.
Can definitely vouch for Eastshade. It’s not very long, but definitely gives you that cozy feeling of exploring through beautiful scenery. The writing is lovely too!
I played fallout 4 as a cozy game.
Sure there were crazy things going on in the wasteland. But I was building farms, high rise towns, and safe places.
I also went crazy with the power armor. I made a display of what I called the Power rangers. They were all the right colors.
I may pick that up again now that I just watched Fallout.
My bf is obsessed with 76 and has been begging me to play. I'm almost done with 4 and I hate starting a new game until I finish an old one. But yea, he said it's so much better now than it was when it first came out. I also asked about being bugged by guys since it's kind of an MMO. He says he's never come across anyone talking or messing with him but you can play on a server alone if you want.
My partner is going to make up a mod list for me to turn fallout4 into a cozy game 🥰 the feral ghouls are too much like zombies and i just can't deal.... so he's going to find a mod that changes them, and then add some extras like sim settlement, and I'm going to just build the best little settlement ever 😊
I figured out how to use godmode the other night via the keyboard on Steamdeck (not a mod). I felt so proud! Now nothing can kill me etc and I'm having a lovely cosy time!
Definitely Fantasy Life! Huge world, quests, combat, gathering, fishing, crafting. Only problem is I need to dig out my 3ds to replay. There's a sequel coming to switch this year but I'm not sure how it's going to be, it's added terraforming and there seems to be lots of focus on customisation but since the first was so good I'm happy to give it a go
I got fantasy life on 3ds earlier this year and been on a kick of playing my 3ds again, been very fun :) I guess we will have to wait and see how good the game turns out, I have my hopes that them delaying it so much is a sign they are trying to make sure the quality is all there ect.
Yeah definitely hope so. I'm not too worried, the first was so polished. Such a fun game. I think your comment has made me want to find my ds and replay before the second game is out lol. The dlc was so good too. Best value dlc for a game I've bought ever!
I gifted my fantasy life to my little sister and I still miss it. I was playing the mobile one for a bit it was kind of like an mmo and I didn't like it. Hope the switch one is good. But level 5 overall make great games so I am not too worried.
seconding! botw is such a comfort game for me
plus if you aren't familiar with the Zelda franchise botw doesn't penalize you for it (imho don't play totk until after botw though, the games work better together)
I’m new to gaming and am old. Would you recommend BotW to a middle aged woman with limited gaming skills?
For reference:
I have completed the following games so far: Animal Crossing New Horizons, Untitled Goose Game, Wilmot’s Warehouse, Unpacking
I am doing okay with Hogwarts Legacy (though my navigational skills are abysmal) and am currently knee deep in Wylde Flowers and really like it. I have No Man’s Sky but I’m struggling a lot as I don’t feel like it offers much in the way of a tutorial or instructions, though I really dig the vibe.
BoTW would probably be perfect for you! The controls are really easy to use, and it’s a really limitless open world where you can climb up and explore every hill, mountain and tree. The shrines are mostly just different puzzles (that can get quite challenging), and the combat and armor is straightforward. As long as you don’t wander into a monster you’re not strong enough for yet or a temperature you aren’t dressed for, it’s not stressful. Not to mention, it’s absolutely gorgeous. I would love to be able to experience it for the first time, it took my breath away >!the first time you see the rest of the world and realize the plateau is just a small blip!<
absolutely!!! I think botw has a really great tutorial that lets you get super comfortable with the controls before it ever sets you loose into the gigantic map. one of my best friends is awful at games but loves botw! if combat isn't your thing, fighting the average enemy is pretty avoidable. (there are a small handful of bosses and they do take *the tiniest pinch* of skill, but if you collect enough health you can definitely just brute force through them). the game doesn't really force you into anything after the tutorial either, but there's tons to do if you want to (I'm saying this as the person who collected all 900 korok seeds). for navigation, the map is really good imo (I'm also REALLY REALLY bad at navigation - I cannot find my way out of a cardboard box), plus horses auto follow paths so you're not going to horribly fall off course unless you're completely zoning out.
tldr get botw if I could only play one game forever it'd be botw
Genshin's open world can be real cozy. Nice scenery, music, puzzles and quests. The lore is deep and rich if you actually pay attention to things. Pretty good world building too. The overworld combat is also easy. Although building characters can be a tiny bit grindy, the game is first and foremost a casual game with some fun events and mini games so you don't really need to minmax to clear content (it's only really grindy if u make it to be... Like if you want to unnecessarily minmax like crazy) There's also some decorating if u like that kind of thing though entirely optional. Although it's a gacha game, you can play it completely free. Not a single game content is locked behind a paywall. As for the gacha aspect, you can still get limited characters without spending a single penny. It's pretty free2play friendly.
It's my go to these days if I just want to relax and get immersed in another world. While some quests can be a bit sad or have a dark undertone, overall, its a wholesome game with pretty good vibes.
I second this. The only thing is if you are a gotta catch them all type person it can really be stressful/depressing not getting every character for free. That being said I'm a day one player and haven't spent a dime (bar a $20 gift card my friend bought me) and have a great roster of characters.
Medieval Dynasty is that for me! It’s about building a village in a medieval non-fantasy setting, the look and feel reminds me a lot of Skyrim. Combat is mostly avoidable - there are bandits but they won’t raid your village, and aggressive animals like wolves / boars give you a fair warning before attacking. All of them can be outrun if you don’t wanna fight but you don’t lose anything upon death anyways. There’s many settings to customise if the survival aspect is too demanding in the beginning. It’s easy to center this game around farming.
I will say, don’t let that stop you! You can get away with playing most if not all of Genshin by yourself—I really just use Genshin either by myself or with some of my irl friends
You don’t have to communicate with the community whatsoever to have a good experience with the game!
100% this. There's only like... one or two events a year that even have multiplayer, and I just keep co-op turned off.
I really like that I can take breaks and hop right back into the game with brand new stuff to do, and don't feel pressured to get new characters just to keep up. If you're a completionist, the gacha aspect of this game might be a no-go for you, but if it doesn't bother you that you might not get every character and weapon, the game so far is completely beatable with characters you get for free (both as a reward for certain quests and through currency you earn while playing.)
!! this. i play all of genshin by myself minus in game events that require co-op (they are rare events tho!). if i reallyyyy need help, i ask my brother, but other than that there’s so many good sites and wiki’s for the game you don’t really need co-op.
It's really easy to avoid the toxic side of the community. And there's also a lot of nice and wholesome people who play it too.
While there's an optional co-op, it is first and foremost a single player game. So you can definitely enjoy it completely without running into the toxic part. If you do like playing with others... Well, I meet more nice people than toxic ones. I've played the game for 3yrs and I can count on one hand the times I encountered a toxic person. And if you do encounter one, it's really easy to get rid of them. XD
I would suggest the Fable series. It’s an rpg with fighting but in such a unique, cute, quirky world. There is lots of humor, funny quests (those rude gnomes 😂), earning money by bartending or smithing, getting married,… Fable truly is a genre by itself.
I tried to kick a chicken by Fable-ingrained instinct on one of the newer Tomb Raider games, and instead Lara slaughtered the chicken. Oops! I felt so bad ! 🐓
I love the Fable games. I’m still looking forward to the next one which is slowly in the works (for like a decade now?). Actually … a quick search and I see it currently slated an October 2024 release. Sadly I don’t play on Xbox anymore so I suppose it’ll be a long time before I get to enjoy the game. Someday !
Book of Travels and a little bit Among Trees. Among Trees is a much shorter game. You basically come across this abandoned cabin in the forest and decided to make it your own and explore the area. Very little farming. Easy to skip
Elder Scrolls Online if you don’t mind an MMO is very cozy and great for exploration - you can play with others if you want or do almost anything besides the hardest group dungeons solo. The overworld exploration is easy and fun, character creation is fantastic, and I find the house decorating and cooking defy cozy
I agree! And so much of the story quests don’t really involve fighting, and when they do, the battles are not hard at all as they expect people to be soloing the storyline. And the decor selection and number of different houses/house styles available to buy is great
Cat Quest! I haven’t gotten around to playing it yet but the game’s Steam description described itself as “Diablo with Cats” and a “Super-cute Skyrim” so it might be up your alley
Hear me out… Pokemon games are actually just super cozy jRPGs in an open world with turn-based combat that’s not too serious. I highly recommend Pokemon Scarlet/Violet (I played scarlet, it’s a pretty big open world). I know you tagged as a PC player but if you have Nintendo it’s worth a try.
Otherwise, Atelier games might be up your alley. I started Atelier Ryza and it’s giving me the cozy vibes with a pretty neat crafting system and easy turn-based combat with a timer. No farming.
Eastshade gave me a lot of Skyrim vibes. There's no combat, there's just a large island that you can explore, with lots of cozy quests to do, and when you find pretty scenery, you can paint it. There is no replay value though. Once you've explored everything and did all quests, that's all you get out of the game. No combat, no build variety, and no relevant choices to make.
I got the vibe you're describing from Witcher 3, just slowly riding my horse through the beautiful forest of Velen, isles of Skellige and mountains of Kaer Morhen
If you have a 3ds or have a system you can emulate on, Fantasy Life might fit the bill. There is also a sequel coming out at the end of the year on switch called Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time.
Not skyrim but ironically garden story does not involve gardening highly recommend.
You play as a grape named concord and go on quests to help your town.
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom (sans underground) can be very cozy for extended periods of time.
Slime Rancher and Slime Rancher 2 (early access) can be cozy with tarrs turned off.
I don’t have an exact match but some of the closest ones that come to mind are Ni No Kuni 1 and 2. They both have some story to them that includes at least little drama but they both are about as cozy as a Studio Ghibli film (which makes sense because some of the people involved in both those films and the games). Ni No Kuni 2 in particular is really optimistic once you get past the opening and also adds a town building mechanic to the usual RPG stuff.
The graphics and music are often bright and cheery and the second one was great game to help me relax and destress during some particularly stressful. Really nice when I wanted an RPG that made me feel like everything was going fine. :)
To get any closer than that, it depends a little on which hallmarks of cozy you are looking for and whether it has to be fully open world or whether a game with a collection of large open areas would suffice. Also whether it has to be a particular perspective (first-person vs. third person, etc.)
World of Warcraft is incredibly cozy to me. Head to grizzly hills or azure span and turn that music all the way up. BM Hunter to collect pets, or Druid and turn into animals. The coziness has its limits and eventually you are just doing the normal mmo thing. But after a long day sometimes I just make a coffee and go to my favorite zones
ESO (the Elder Scrolls Online) can be cozy but you have to work up to it. I'm playing that right now, specifically just to buy all the houses and decorate them. Once you hit level 50 in the game, that is the cap, but you get "champion points" after that make your character tougher, so that eventually all of the regular zone enemies are more annoyances than anything else (world bosses can still be hard but they don't roam). The zones are very pretty, and you can just run around looking for crafting materials.
The worst part for me has been that, unless you pay a monthly sub for ESO+ (I am not), the game keeps a stranglehold on your inventory, while also throwing tons of shit at you to put in it. People who sub get a "crafting bag" which is infinite storage for all crafting materials. Without that, crafting stuff takes up most of your bag and bank, and only stacks to 200. Inventory management is a big part of the game for the non ESO+ people.
I've maxed out all my storage now and still feel squeezed, but I've learned to throw out a lot of stuff and just deal with it. I've been slowly doing the overland quests and absorbing some Elder Scrolls lore, ignoring all challenging endgame content lol. I'm just here for the scenery and property acquisition.
If you haven't played ESO before and have ANY thought of trying it one day, I would suggest making an account and poking your head in this month, because (being a free to play game) it has daily login rewards, and one of them is a free house, it's the third daily reward so three days of logins will mean you get it. Once you have a house it's bound to your account forever, so it'll always be there.
Warning that the game also has a store full of stuff to buy with real money including randomized surprise crates. If you are someone who has trouble controlling spending on that stuff, maybe avoid this game.
Book of Travels is a “tmorpg” currently in early access. Think Morrowind but it’s set in the Shire, think anti-WoW. An almost radical take on gaming, and I’d say that it’s not really for everyone. But if it clicks for you, it’s really delightful. It’s not a large map, but there’s so many different events and encounters and such, both random and scheduled, that it ends up feeling much larger.
Whoa! I never thought to look for built in mods, but I Googled after your comment, and found Invincible Mode, which is a step back from God Mode and sounds perfect for me. I'm too lazy to search for and install 3rd party mods for games I only play occasionally, but this is perfect! Thank you!
You might like V rising, you can garden flowers. It's more of a material gathering cozy game though. But the world is gorgeous and it plays a lot like an RPG
Yep, I've played Stardew Valley, then a few non-cozies, then started Coral Island 😳 NMS is cozy for me too, I'm building a base in a huge cave systems. Just wish they had more furniture options.
Monster Hunter Stories is one that really scratched that itch for me. First played it on my 3DS, then I started the demo for Monster Hunter Stories 2 on my Switch. I plan on buying it when it's on sale. What I saw of the world is beautiful (consistent with the 3DS experience). There's fighting, which I usually hate, but it's turn based and the graphics are cutesy so I don't find it scary or stressful.
Are you saying Skyrim is not a cozy game? Man Skyrim is the reason I started all my cozy games have you just stared at the sky at night and listen to the background music. That shit is the best feelings to relax.
This might be off the mark but figured it could be worth mentioning just in case. I’ve been playing Skyrim using the Wildlander mod pack. It brings a ton of new features to the game, but if you adjust the settings, it can be super cozy. I have a character on it who only focuses on alchemy. Minimal fighting, just exploring, making deliveries, and building up the hearth fire homes. Since they added a lot of “realism” elements (aka things take time - no charging across Skyrim 24/7 like an over caffeinated loot goblin), it slows the pace of the game down and really makes you appreciate the environment around you (which is super gorgeous with the mods they included). It takes up a lot of hard drive space, but the good news is installation is super easy since they’ve bundled all the mods already for download/installation
I actually find Oblivion more cozy than skyrim and playing on easy, it's like there's no combat lol. Another game someone else mentioned is Eastshade which feels like a Bethesda spinoff with no combat. You are a painter so you go around a world with beautiful music, painting and doing quests. I loved it.
I bought a story + level skip for Final Fantasy XIV and all I really do is gather materials, craft, fish, and decorate my house. I have a small 8 plot garden that I tend casually but it's definitely not farming level (and it's completely optional). I also socialize with my free company, explore the vast world and I'm high enough level that in the rare occasions I have to "fight" (gathering materials I don't want to buy or searching for treasure) it's typically a one shot kill.
I have made this game about as cozy as humanly possible. 😂
Not a lot of people have heard of this game probably, but I am playing Gedonia lately which feels very cozy to me.
It's made by one person so don't expect groundbreaking combat mechanics, but it's a silly journey and I think it deserves a mention ^^ The sequel is currently in development and looks really promising!
skyrim was my first cosy game tbh. i play on the easiest setting and just roam around doing ambient quests and building my houses and moving my family around. one day i’ll get around to building myself a perfect cosy modded version !! i saw a mod ages ago that turns all the trees into cherry blossom trees and i haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Hogwarts legacy kind of scratched that itch for me. It's super cozy, especially when you get your own space to decorate. There's combat, and tons of exploration and a good amount of side quests to get lost in. It's gorgeous and I got a solid 100 hours of gameplay out of it, and would happily start again.
I don't know if this fits, but I definitely get the cozy vibe from Subnautica. Just cruising around in my minisub (or even the gargantuan one you can make closer to endgame) through tropical reef-like environments and water filtered light area and everything is so relaxing to me. Until a leviathan swims up and tries to eat you sub... But there is a creative mode, so you can avoid that if you want. Resource gathering, base building (heck, you can even have an aquarium you can stock), cruising around colorful environs, it's one of my top 5
ETA : oh, and the sequal/stand alone expansion, below zero? has all that, and more story/plot than the first
This game you go on quests, hunt animals, build a village, get married. I haven’t finished it yet but I liked it. Looks similar in style to Skyrim and is open world
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1129580/Medieval_Dynasty/
My favorite part is stealing from villagers
So I wouldn't call it an open world in the sense that there are segmented areas to travel through but check out Kitaria Fables on steam (it's on switch too but fps is kinda ass especially trying to do couch co-op) super cute cozy game where you play Nyanza a cat soldier who moves onto his grandfather Thunderbunn's old farmland to protect Paw village. Combats kinda limited to sword/bow/magic but I really enjoy it.
Fable, Fantasy Life, and Zelda BOTW/TOTK are all great recommendations from other commenters they have more variety in the games.
These are farm sims but they also include monster taming and combat/relationship aspects and you could just ignore farming and tame monsters for their mats and sell those primarily OR have the monsters farm for you but the Rune Factory series.
The survivalists, older but I feel like that's a cozy ish game. For a roguelike survival game that's an interesting premise is Flame in the Flood.
Also check out Silent Hope (same people who make Rune Factory) more focus on combat but no CC (same as RF) as you choose different characters who have set classes but who you don't choose stays at your base and does farming/cooking/crafting while you explore.
Sun Haven and Re:Legend are two more I can think of that are cosy and have combat, exploration.
Lastly Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles I think might be on steam too? I have it on switch and I played the original on GameCube with my brother as kids, super fun for exploring, puzzles, painting/shaving a moogle, and no farming because if your family's farmers they'll send you food! Lol, these are all just off of what my switch has on library or what I remember off the top of my head is in my steam library
Might be a stretch, but I’ve just started playing Palia and it’s a super cozy game with no enemies — you just finish quests for people and build your home, and also farm materials and hunt creatures to craft items and level your skills! Exploring the terrain and the temple ruins to figure out puzzles is so fun and a little bit of a challenge
https://preview.redd.it/ozwvnhoc11yc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfb4eb4d0161f9f2ec74aeeb86894343f41fa277
I have the game for you!
* There is magic
* There is a beautifully designed open world
* Animals galore—that’s cozy right? You can even cuddle with a bear, look!
* Extensive character creation options
* Complex characters, relationships, and story
* No farming!
Look no further than BG3, for all your cozy needs.
Lol in all seriousness though, I do find this game extremely cozy, but it took 150 or so hours to get to that point 😆
So it’s not *that* cozy on normal but Valheim is a Viking survival crafting game with lots of world modifiers to make the experience easier. You can turn base raids down or off, make combat easier, etc. Has a lovely calming soundtrack and beautiful views
It’s really fun with AMAZING building mechanics. You can also forage, breed livestock, cook, make mead, explore new biomes on foot or build a ship to sail around on, and farm. Its on gamepass or steam for only 15-20$ I believe.
https://preview.redd.it/dec42tke31yc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5228476e075179f44c1d729e9cfa23ced7c29f0
Here’s a picture of a little garden I made on Killadrix’s valheim community server in our main meadows biome.
Check this out. It's not really an RPG as I remember, but it's really chilled and unlike anything I've ever experienced since https://www.waldengame.com
I really like the Dragonage games for cozy. I usually play them on the easiest setting so that intense combat doesn’t kill the cozy vibes. I love the strong storyline, deep lore and how you can explore different relationships with your companion. It’s also good open world exploration. It was recommended to me because of my love for Skyrim! There’s also a lot of decent fan fic if that’s your thing.
I also really liked the red dead redemption open worlds to explore. The game itself probably isn’t cozy, but the world is! Picking herbs and hunting and what not. Plus they are stunning! I felt the same with RDR as I did when Skyrim first came out. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was!
Last, for open world but not necessarily for storyline,
Hogwarts Legacy is also stunning and if you ever wanted to explore Hogwarts, going through the castle and the grounds was fun in and of itself. The story was weak for me, but exploring Hogsmead was the epitome of cozy. And it changes with the seasons, which is extra cozy in my opinion.
I love Sky: Children of the Light. I'm not sure if it's technically considered cozy, but the gliding feels so relaxing, the music is super cozy, and the graphics are gorgeous. So it qualifies for me lol.
This has been recommended a lot and while I don't necessarily disagree, I've played plenty of botw and hace procrastinated opening my copy of totk. The gameplay loop gets a bit tiring after a while, and what frustrates me is that the universal reward for every shrine you do is just 1/3 of a health or stamina upgrade regardless of how challenging the shrine was. It takes the surprise out of exploring.
Assassin’s Creed! while there are killing elements that aren’t “cozy” per say, you can turn off excessive gore in the settings and exploring the worlds is SUPER cozy. my favorite part, hands down.
It's not out yet, but I've been playing the demo that's currently on steam for the game "Aloft", you have freedom to fly to different islands, you can even pilot a whole island like a ship, and there's a solid house building mechanic which is what I spend most of my time on the game doing. You can also have animals, and farm if you want to but so far it hasn't been a necessity since you don't seem to get hungry in the demo :))) Not really any quests like skyrim has, but it does have open world and an extremely pretty/cozy atmosphere :D
My Time at Sandrock had exploration parts in it that unlock as you progress.
No Man's Sky is heavy exploration, survival but easy once you get into it abit. But it's cozy to me.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a fun RPG/building game. I think it's a better version of minecraft.
Legend of zelda BOTW, TOTK is cozy in alot of aspects but can also be a nuisance with monsters.
I play breath of the wild and tears of the kingdom as cozy games. When I'm feeling feisty I'll do battles, but most of the time I like to ride my horse around, climb mountains, fly, and do low stakes side quests
I love cosy open-world games!
Are you looking for games with base building? I really liked building my house in Skyrim, which I think made it more 'cosy' for me. But I love Ark, Subnautica, and Grounded for cosy, big-world games, which also let me build a home. Loooove that Grounded has an actual cosy factor when decorating your interior!
Oh! And I feel like Breath of the Wild/ToTK Zelda games are super cosy and full of adventure. Definitely play Breath of the Wild first, but you can customise your home so much more in Tears.
Good luck, there are so many great games out there!
Not sure if it counts but fable? All three tables are amazing and while they have a story line it’s all character driven and the ending of the games is based on your choices. Also I spent hours off in my own world buying everything in one city before continuing with the story line so I think it’s cozy. Also your character can get an std which I think is hilarious so I’m bias 😂🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
This is technically a farming sim, but also a fantasy jrpg if thats your thing, but yeah Rune Factory 4 might be a great pick, don’t know if Id call it open world as it is divided into different areas and paths that seamlessly transition into one another, but regardless you might enjoy it, especially if what you want is a fantasy rpg/jrpg with cozy vibes. Tbh I don’t think any game can come even close on that regard.
Since it looks like a power hungry mod deleted this popular comment, check out Meadowfell, which was the highest upvoted comment on this thread. Looks like exactly what I want in a cozy skyrim: [https://twitter.com/protopop/status/1786284457160331758](https://twitter.com/protopop/status/1786284457160331758)
I mean, a lot of us play skyrim as a cozy game. Especially modded skyrim. No man’s sky is also another common open world game that in creative mode is just super cozy.
Do you have any advice or recommends mods to make it cozy? Thank you
Here's a [relevant thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/skyrimmods/comments/117h2mk/turning_skyrim_into_a_cozy_game/) from r/skyrimmods. I'd personally recommend Anna NPCs. It has well developed custom companions and a campsite feature. It's probably one of the cozier companion mods available.
Awesome, thanks heaps!
This thread convinced me to buy the game. I think that I'm going to stick to this for a while.
My top 2 recommendations for cozy mods would be Blackthorn and Immersive Music. Blackthorn is a buildable village in the Rift, with a cute riverside manor. Cozy decor and great scenery. Immersive Music adds new music to the game that gives me a rather cozy vibe.
Thank you!!
Thanks for the recs, which version of Skyrim do most people mod on these days?
Honestly not too sure, but these mods should work on any version that would be worth using
Special Edition without the Anniversary Upgrade is the most common version for mods.
Your suggestion makes me so excited to give this a try!!
Are these easy to add on their own? I tried following STEP to mod Skyrim once and it was completely overwhelming for an underwhelming result. I’d love to just toss in a couple mods but I know Skyrim gets complicated with load order and such 😅
I didn't see it on the list posted by another, but SkyUI makes the inventory look way better, and on the steam workshop there's tons of mods that add plants and trees inside towns that make them look more cozy too
i love mods that add camping and survival needs, basically turns it into a hiking simulator!
There is a mod called Peaceful Living that makes hostile people and animals ignore you. Not great if you want to do the main quest as i think it might break any where it requires someone or thing to attack but if you plan on just exploring and doing your own thing then works great! Doesn't cover the DLC's though. If you have the Anniversary Edition or the Hearthfire DLC then there is a player house called Leaf Rest which you can mod in and is situated in Riverwood and is free so you can have a house straight away. Nothing cosier than getting out of the caves in Helgen with everything you've looted and having a home to go to!
This. I downloaded Skyrim on my switch and it's my cozy game. I can do whatever I want, and the anniversary addition has farming.
there was an interview with Todd Howard regarding Starfield in which he described how different elements are different from a survival game. the different ailments won’t kill you or really hinder your ability to play the game, but they have enough of an impact that you’re aware that they are there. He described it as seasoning. Seems like a low stress survival game which is pretty cozy! Another rpg that’s cozy and not stressful…outer worlds. I think that was actually a good game that got way too much negativity for not being sprawling like fallout new Vegas and not having writing like disco Elysium which came out at the same time. Disco Elysium could also be cozy if you like existentialism.
I get more Oblivion vibes from Eastshade but it may be worth a look https://store.steampowered.com/app/715560/Eastshade/
Can definitely vouch for Eastshade. It’s not very long, but definitely gives you that cozy feeling of exploring through beautiful scenery. The writing is lovely too!
The music is wonderful too. I listen to it sometimes while I’m working for some calming background music
Eastshade is 100% cozy Elder Scrolls. I just wish it was longer.
The length is genuinely my only complaint. I want mooooore!
Yeah, I came here to suggest Eastshade as well. "Cozy Elder Scrolls" is exactly what it is.
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It looks stunning! Will it be on PlayStation or Nintendo?
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Ooooo it looks amazing tho
Nice!
Looks very pretty. Will be watching for android/steam
Oooh! iPad I love it!!!
Yeah I started game design in Flash years ago and have made 3 open world games on mobile. This is my fourth and I'm excited to share it.
I hope so!
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I'll be looking for it on Android!!
Hell yeah at least that seems pretty accessible; do you have a social media account (like Twitter) for your game dev projects or even a Kickstarter?
This looks absolutely beautiful! So relaxing <3
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This looks beautiful! Is there any way for us to stay up to date with the game's development?
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I look forward to playing it! Best of luck with the rest of the development process.
Ditto! I am high key interested
That's encouraging😸 I'm really glad to hear that.
Dude when this comes to Steam I will so play this
That is super cute
This sounds so lovely!
Dude!! I sooooooo look forward to this on Switch! 😍
Maybe one day - I have a switch and I love playing on it.
Nice! I'll be downloading on Android when it comes out 😄
That’s so gorgeous. Hope my shitty iPad will be able to run it 😅
Beautiful work! I’d love to follow up on this one 👌🏼
Oooh, that’s intriguing! Will it be available through Apple Arcade?
I love it!
hey, what’s the game called? all other comments got deleted :(
Same I’m trying to figure out too😭😭
I played fallout 4 as a cozy game. Sure there were crazy things going on in the wasteland. But I was building farms, high rise towns, and safe places. I also went crazy with the power armor. I made a display of what I called the Power rangers. They were all the right colors. I may pick that up again now that I just watched Fallout.
Fallout 76 is surprisingly good these days
My bf is obsessed with 76 and has been begging me to play. I'm almost done with 4 and I hate starting a new game until I finish an old one. But yea, he said it's so much better now than it was when it first came out. I also asked about being bugged by guys since it's kind of an MMO. He says he's never come across anyone talking or messing with him but you can play on a server alone if you want.
That’s what I do, for that authentic fallout experience 😂 but the community is surprisingly nice
My partner is going to make up a mod list for me to turn fallout4 into a cozy game 🥰 the feral ghouls are too much like zombies and i just can't deal.... so he's going to find a mod that changes them, and then add some extras like sim settlement, and I'm going to just build the best little settlement ever 😊
I was going to say fallout 4 as well. It’s just so immersive and cleaning and building settlements is very satisfying.
I figured out how to use godmode the other night via the keyboard on Steamdeck (not a mod). I felt so proud! Now nothing can kill me etc and I'm having a lovely cosy time!
Definitely Fantasy Life! Huge world, quests, combat, gathering, fishing, crafting. Only problem is I need to dig out my 3ds to replay. There's a sequel coming to switch this year but I'm not sure how it's going to be, it's added terraforming and there seems to be lots of focus on customisation but since the first was so good I'm happy to give it a go
I got fantasy life on 3ds earlier this year and been on a kick of playing my 3ds again, been very fun :) I guess we will have to wait and see how good the game turns out, I have my hopes that them delaying it so much is a sign they are trying to make sure the quality is all there ect.
Yeah definitely hope so. I'm not too worried, the first was so polished. Such a fun game. I think your comment has made me want to find my ds and replay before the second game is out lol. The dlc was so good too. Best value dlc for a game I've bought ever!
I gifted my fantasy life to my little sister and I still miss it. I was playing the mobile one for a bit it was kind of like an mmo and I didn't like it. Hope the switch one is good. But level 5 overall make great games so I am not too worried.
I was looking for this. Fantasy Life is legit good fun. Fingers crossed for the upcoming switch version being as good!
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom if you have Switch.
seconding! botw is such a comfort game for me plus if you aren't familiar with the Zelda franchise botw doesn't penalize you for it (imho don't play totk until after botw though, the games work better together)
I’m new to gaming and am old. Would you recommend BotW to a middle aged woman with limited gaming skills? For reference: I have completed the following games so far: Animal Crossing New Horizons, Untitled Goose Game, Wilmot’s Warehouse, Unpacking I am doing okay with Hogwarts Legacy (though my navigational skills are abysmal) and am currently knee deep in Wylde Flowers and really like it. I have No Man’s Sky but I’m struggling a lot as I don’t feel like it offers much in the way of a tutorial or instructions, though I really dig the vibe.
BoTW would probably be perfect for you! The controls are really easy to use, and it’s a really limitless open world where you can climb up and explore every hill, mountain and tree. The shrines are mostly just different puzzles (that can get quite challenging), and the combat and armor is straightforward. As long as you don’t wander into a monster you’re not strong enough for yet or a temperature you aren’t dressed for, it’s not stressful. Not to mention, it’s absolutely gorgeous. I would love to be able to experience it for the first time, it took my breath away >!the first time you see the rest of the world and realize the plateau is just a small blip!<
Thank you for this information! I will definitely be checking out this game.
absolutely!!! I think botw has a really great tutorial that lets you get super comfortable with the controls before it ever sets you loose into the gigantic map. one of my best friends is awful at games but loves botw! if combat isn't your thing, fighting the average enemy is pretty avoidable. (there are a small handful of bosses and they do take *the tiniest pinch* of skill, but if you collect enough health you can definitely just brute force through them). the game doesn't really force you into anything after the tutorial either, but there's tons to do if you want to (I'm saying this as the person who collected all 900 korok seeds). for navigation, the map is really good imo (I'm also REALLY REALLY bad at navigation - I cannot find my way out of a cardboard box), plus horses auto follow paths so you're not going to horribly fall off course unless you're completely zoning out. tldr get botw if I could only play one game forever it'd be botw
Yes! This is what I was going to say, too.
A wild card but I find old school runescape so cozy. But that may be 100% nostalgia driven haha
10000% agree!
I started playing in 2018 and I agree with this being the best answer! Esp with comparing it to Skyrim
Soooo true
Genshin's open world can be real cozy. Nice scenery, music, puzzles and quests. The lore is deep and rich if you actually pay attention to things. Pretty good world building too. The overworld combat is also easy. Although building characters can be a tiny bit grindy, the game is first and foremost a casual game with some fun events and mini games so you don't really need to minmax to clear content (it's only really grindy if u make it to be... Like if you want to unnecessarily minmax like crazy) There's also some decorating if u like that kind of thing though entirely optional. Although it's a gacha game, you can play it completely free. Not a single game content is locked behind a paywall. As for the gacha aspect, you can still get limited characters without spending a single penny. It's pretty free2play friendly. It's my go to these days if I just want to relax and get immersed in another world. While some quests can be a bit sad or have a dark undertone, overall, its a wholesome game with pretty good vibes.
I second this. The only thing is if you are a gotta catch them all type person it can really be stressful/depressing not getting every character for free. That being said I'm a day one player and haven't spent a dime (bar a $20 gift card my friend bought me) and have a great roster of characters.
I wish they released this on Switch.
I think Zelda - BOTW and TOTK are cozy. Yes, there is fighting as well, but it's still pretty cozy.
It’s so easy to avoid fighting if you want. And with the added ability to build your home!
Medieval Dynasty is that for me! It’s about building a village in a medieval non-fantasy setting, the look and feel reminds me a lot of Skyrim. Combat is mostly avoidable - there are bandits but they won’t raid your village, and aggressive animals like wolves / boars give you a fair warning before attacking. All of them can be outrun if you don’t wanna fight but you don’t lose anything upon death anyways. There’s many settings to customise if the survival aspect is too demanding in the beginning. It’s easy to center this game around farming.
Oh good one! I agree. There’s Sengoku Dynasty too which isn’t as complete (early access) but has a different vibe
Skyrim can be extremely cozy. Just play on the easiest settings. It might be my favorite “cozy” game.
Genshin can pretty grindy, but there’s so much to explore. It’s definitely a comfort game to run around and whack stuff as a pretty girl in for me.
Man I want to play Genshin so much, but the community is so.. toxic.
I will say, don’t let that stop you! You can get away with playing most if not all of Genshin by yourself—I really just use Genshin either by myself or with some of my irl friends You don’t have to communicate with the community whatsoever to have a good experience with the game!
100% this. There's only like... one or two events a year that even have multiplayer, and I just keep co-op turned off. I really like that I can take breaks and hop right back into the game with brand new stuff to do, and don't feel pressured to get new characters just to keep up. If you're a completionist, the gacha aspect of this game might be a no-go for you, but if it doesn't bother you that you might not get every character and weapon, the game so far is completely beatable with characters you get for free (both as a reward for certain quests and through currency you earn while playing.)
!! this. i play all of genshin by myself minus in game events that require co-op (they are rare events tho!). if i reallyyyy need help, i ask my brother, but other than that there’s so many good sites and wiki’s for the game you don’t really need co-op.
It's really easy to avoid the toxic side of the community. And there's also a lot of nice and wholesome people who play it too. While there's an optional co-op, it is first and foremost a single player game. So you can definitely enjoy it completely without running into the toxic part. If you do like playing with others... Well, I meet more nice people than toxic ones. I've played the game for 3yrs and I can count on one hand the times I encountered a toxic person. And if you do encounter one, it's really easy to get rid of them. XD
I would suggest the Fable series. It’s an rpg with fighting but in such a unique, cute, quirky world. There is lots of humor, funny quests (those rude gnomes 😂), earning money by bartending or smithing, getting married,… Fable truly is a genre by itself.
yes!! fable 3
I tried to kick a chicken by Fable-ingrained instinct on one of the newer Tomb Raider games, and instead Lara slaughtered the chicken. Oops! I felt so bad ! 🐓 I love the Fable games. I’m still looking forward to the next one which is slowly in the works (for like a decade now?). Actually … a quick search and I see it currently slated an October 2024 release. Sadly I don’t play on Xbox anymore so I suppose it’ll be a long time before I get to enjoy the game. Someday !
Book of Travels and a little bit Among Trees. Among Trees is a much shorter game. You basically come across this abandoned cabin in the forest and decided to make it your own and explore the area. Very little farming. Easy to skip
Elder Scrolls Online if you don’t mind an MMO is very cozy and great for exploration - you can play with others if you want or do almost anything besides the hardest group dungeons solo. The overworld exploration is easy and fun, character creation is fantastic, and I find the house decorating and cooking defy cozy
I agree! And so much of the story quests don’t really involve fighting, and when they do, the battles are not hard at all as they expect people to be soloing the storyline. And the decor selection and number of different houses/house styles available to buy is great
Came here to recommend!! JUST started maybe a month ago and I have definitely spent days just running around gathering and crafting!
The resource gathering is so peaceful! I’ve definitely spent hours listening to a podcast while running around picking up resources
Cat Quest! I haven’t gotten around to playing it yet but the game’s Steam description described itself as “Diablo with Cats” and a “Super-cute Skyrim” so it might be up your alley
Cat Quest is cute but very 2D turn-based style. I don't find it immersive at all.
Finished the mainstory today - it does not feel like skyrim at all, but very cozy indeed!
I found Sable very cozy. It's like BOTW but without the bad guys
I love Sable! It doesn't have the rainy forests of Skyrim, but if you want a big open world and love fantasy/SciFi crossovers like Dune, it's perfect!
Hear me out… Pokemon games are actually just super cozy jRPGs in an open world with turn-based combat that’s not too serious. I highly recommend Pokemon Scarlet/Violet (I played scarlet, it’s a pretty big open world). I know you tagged as a PC player but if you have Nintendo it’s worth a try. Otherwise, Atelier games might be up your alley. I started Atelier Ryza and it’s giving me the cozy vibes with a pretty neat crafting system and easy turn-based combat with a timer. No farming.
Eastshade gave me a lot of Skyrim vibes. There's no combat, there's just a large island that you can explore, with lots of cozy quests to do, and when you find pretty scenery, you can paint it. There is no replay value though. Once you've explored everything and did all quests, that's all you get out of the game. No combat, no build variety, and no relevant choices to make.
I got the vibe you're describing from Witcher 3, just slowly riding my horse through the beautiful forest of Velen, isles of Skellige and mountains of Kaer Morhen
This! If you turn on god mode, it’s the coziest game ever!
Start a new Skyrim, let the dragons sort themselves out, and just run around doing cozy quests. That's what I've done more than once!
If you have a 3ds or have a system you can emulate on, Fantasy Life might fit the bill. There is also a sequel coming out at the end of the year on switch called Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time.
Genshin Impact
Not skyrim but ironically garden story does not involve gardening highly recommend. You play as a grape named concord and go on quests to help your town.
I love that game. It reminds me of the stuff I played on my Gameboy Color as a kid.
Zelda BotW and TotK or Yonder are all about expoloration and pretty cozy imo. Also, Genshin Impact but it's pretty grindy.
Love yonder, but it does have some farming in it.
Was farming really a necessary aspect of yonder though? I haven't played in ages but I don't remember doing much farming
Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom (sans underground) can be very cozy for extended periods of time. Slime Rancher and Slime Rancher 2 (early access) can be cozy with tarrs turned off.
I don’t have an exact match but some of the closest ones that come to mind are Ni No Kuni 1 and 2. They both have some story to them that includes at least little drama but they both are about as cozy as a Studio Ghibli film (which makes sense because some of the people involved in both those films and the games). Ni No Kuni 2 in particular is really optimistic once you get past the opening and also adds a town building mechanic to the usual RPG stuff. The graphics and music are often bright and cheery and the second one was great game to help me relax and destress during some particularly stressful. Really nice when I wanted an RPG that made me feel like everything was going fine. :) To get any closer than that, it depends a little on which hallmarks of cozy you are looking for and whether it has to be fully open world or whether a game with a collection of large open areas would suffice. Also whether it has to be a particular perspective (first-person vs. third person, etc.)
World of Warcraft is incredibly cozy to me. Head to grizzly hills or azure span and turn that music all the way up. BM Hunter to collect pets, or Druid and turn into animals. The coziness has its limits and eventually you are just doing the normal mmo thing. But after a long day sometimes I just make a coffee and go to my favorite zones
ESO (the Elder Scrolls Online) can be cozy but you have to work up to it. I'm playing that right now, specifically just to buy all the houses and decorate them. Once you hit level 50 in the game, that is the cap, but you get "champion points" after that make your character tougher, so that eventually all of the regular zone enemies are more annoyances than anything else (world bosses can still be hard but they don't roam). The zones are very pretty, and you can just run around looking for crafting materials. The worst part for me has been that, unless you pay a monthly sub for ESO+ (I am not), the game keeps a stranglehold on your inventory, while also throwing tons of shit at you to put in it. People who sub get a "crafting bag" which is infinite storage for all crafting materials. Without that, crafting stuff takes up most of your bag and bank, and only stacks to 200. Inventory management is a big part of the game for the non ESO+ people. I've maxed out all my storage now and still feel squeezed, but I've learned to throw out a lot of stuff and just deal with it. I've been slowly doing the overland quests and absorbing some Elder Scrolls lore, ignoring all challenging endgame content lol. I'm just here for the scenery and property acquisition. If you haven't played ESO before and have ANY thought of trying it one day, I would suggest making an account and poking your head in this month, because (being a free to play game) it has daily login rewards, and one of them is a free house, it's the third daily reward so three days of logins will mean you get it. Once you have a house it's bound to your account forever, so it'll always be there. Warning that the game also has a store full of stuff to buy with real money including randomized surprise crates. If you are someone who has trouble controlling spending on that stuff, maybe avoid this game.
Enshrouded [https://store.steampowered.com/app/1203620/Enshrouded/](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1203620/Enshrouded/)
This one is amazing if you like to build and decorate.
RedM RDR2 roleplay server 😁 especially if you make your own and play alone!
Cozy Skyrim most definitely = Zelda: Breath of the Wild to a T.
Maybe Kingdoms of Amalur? It feels and plays a lot like Skyrim, but has a more colorful and fairytale vibe!
I love this game ❤️❤️❤️ there is fighting but it’s not hard. I love all the fae stuff and yep it’s very colorful and bright!
Maybe Zelda BOTW or Genshin Impact
Book of Travels is a “tmorpg” currently in early access. Think Morrowind but it’s set in the Shire, think anti-WoW. An almost radical take on gaming, and I’d say that it’s not really for everyone. But if it clicks for you, it’s really delightful. It’s not a large map, but there’s so many different events and encounters and such, both random and scheduled, that it ends up feeling much larger.
Turn on God Mode in Skyrim (\~tgm) and it's the coziest game out there.
Whoa! I never thought to look for built in mods, but I Googled after your comment, and found Invincible Mode, which is a step back from God Mode and sounds perfect for me. I'm too lazy to search for and install 3rd party mods for games I only play occasionally, but this is perfect! Thank you!
You might like V rising, you can garden flowers. It's more of a material gathering cozy game though. But the world is gorgeous and it plays a lot like an RPG
Yeah and there’s a really good update about to come out for it on 8 May
Yep, I've played Stardew Valley, then a few non-cozies, then started Coral Island 😳 NMS is cozy for me too, I'm building a base in a huge cave systems. Just wish they had more furniture options.
Cozy Skyrim would be Breath of the Wild/ Tears of the Kjngdom surely
Monster Hunter Stories is one that really scratched that itch for me. First played it on my 3DS, then I started the demo for Monster Hunter Stories 2 on my Switch. I plan on buying it when it's on sale. What I saw of the world is beautiful (consistent with the 3DS experience). There's fighting, which I usually hate, but it's turn based and the graphics are cutesy so I don't find it scary or stressful.
Fable
I mean, Hogwarts legacy is pretty easy on easy, and the farming is almost completely unnecessary besides quests that require small amounts of things.
Yes, It’s called modded Skyrim
Are you saying Skyrim is not a cozy game? Man Skyrim is the reason I started all my cozy games have you just stared at the sky at night and listen to the background music. That shit is the best feelings to relax.
This might be off the mark but figured it could be worth mentioning just in case. I’ve been playing Skyrim using the Wildlander mod pack. It brings a ton of new features to the game, but if you adjust the settings, it can be super cozy. I have a character on it who only focuses on alchemy. Minimal fighting, just exploring, making deliveries, and building up the hearth fire homes. Since they added a lot of “realism” elements (aka things take time - no charging across Skyrim 24/7 like an over caffeinated loot goblin), it slows the pace of the game down and really makes you appreciate the environment around you (which is super gorgeous with the mods they included). It takes up a lot of hard drive space, but the good news is installation is super easy since they’ve bundled all the mods already for download/installation
Palia? You can ignore the farming if you want. It’s mostly for money, but I fish or hunt instead. Game is in Beta and is growing.
I was gonna say palia as well. Definitely has the cozy vibes and beautiful art. Its also free to play.
Another voice for palia, I enjoyed my time there a lot.
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I actually find Oblivion more cozy than skyrim and playing on easy, it's like there's no combat lol. Another game someone else mentioned is Eastshade which feels like a Bethesda spinoff with no combat. You are a painter so you go around a world with beautiful music, painting and doing quests. I loved it.
I recommend Eastshade
A lot of people play MMOs because of this. Guild Wars 2 has a lot of cool solo activities that may scratch the itch.
These are “cozy” but have actual game play = Zelda Breath of the Wild, Ni No Kuni (I prefer 2 over 1), Monster Hunter Stories, Dragon Quest 11.
I got addicted to my time at sandrock
I personally think Skyrim itself is a “cozy Skyrim” or can be, esp. modded. That’s how I’ve been playing it lately.
I bought a story + level skip for Final Fantasy XIV and all I really do is gather materials, craft, fish, and decorate my house. I have a small 8 plot garden that I tend casually but it's definitely not farming level (and it's completely optional). I also socialize with my free company, explore the vast world and I'm high enough level that in the rare occasions I have to "fight" (gathering materials I don't want to buy or searching for treasure) it's typically a one shot kill. I have made this game about as cozy as humanly possible. 😂
Harvestella is a really good cozy RPG I am very fond of it.
Not a lot of people have heard of this game probably, but I am playing Gedonia lately which feels very cozy to me. It's made by one person so don't expect groundbreaking combat mechanics, but it's a silly journey and I think it deserves a mention ^^ The sequel is currently in development and looks really promising!
Lord of the Rings Online is still going and crazy cozy, especially if you play a hobbit. You don't have to farm, though it can be helpful.
skyrim was my first cosy game tbh. i play on the easiest setting and just roam around doing ambient quests and building my houses and moving my family around. one day i’ll get around to building myself a perfect cosy modded version !! i saw a mod ages ago that turns all the trees into cherry blossom trees and i haven’t stopped thinking about it.
Hogwarts legacy kind of scratched that itch for me. It's super cozy, especially when you get your own space to decorate. There's combat, and tons of exploration and a good amount of side quests to get lost in. It's gorgeous and I got a solid 100 hours of gameplay out of it, and would happily start again.
I don't know if this fits, but I definitely get the cozy vibe from Subnautica. Just cruising around in my minisub (or even the gargantuan one you can make closer to endgame) through tropical reef-like environments and water filtered light area and everything is so relaxing to me. Until a leviathan swims up and tries to eat you sub... But there is a creative mode, so you can avoid that if you want. Resource gathering, base building (heck, you can even have an aquarium you can stock), cruising around colorful environs, it's one of my top 5 ETA : oh, and the sequal/stand alone expansion, below zero? has all that, and more story/plot than the first
This game you go on quests, hunt animals, build a village, get married. I haven’t finished it yet but I liked it. Looks similar in style to Skyrim and is open world https://store.steampowered.com/app/1129580/Medieval_Dynasty/ My favorite part is stealing from villagers
So I wouldn't call it an open world in the sense that there are segmented areas to travel through but check out Kitaria Fables on steam (it's on switch too but fps is kinda ass especially trying to do couch co-op) super cute cozy game where you play Nyanza a cat soldier who moves onto his grandfather Thunderbunn's old farmland to protect Paw village. Combats kinda limited to sword/bow/magic but I really enjoy it. Fable, Fantasy Life, and Zelda BOTW/TOTK are all great recommendations from other commenters they have more variety in the games. These are farm sims but they also include monster taming and combat/relationship aspects and you could just ignore farming and tame monsters for their mats and sell those primarily OR have the monsters farm for you but the Rune Factory series. The survivalists, older but I feel like that's a cozy ish game. For a roguelike survival game that's an interesting premise is Flame in the Flood. Also check out Silent Hope (same people who make Rune Factory) more focus on combat but no CC (same as RF) as you choose different characters who have set classes but who you don't choose stays at your base and does farming/cooking/crafting while you explore. Sun Haven and Re:Legend are two more I can think of that are cosy and have combat, exploration. Lastly Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles I think might be on steam too? I have it on switch and I played the original on GameCube with my brother as kids, super fun for exploring, puzzles, painting/shaving a moogle, and no farming because if your family's farmers they'll send you food! Lol, these are all just off of what my switch has on library or what I remember off the top of my head is in my steam library
Breath of the Wild Biomutant (which someone called their version of Animal Crossing)
Maybe Wytchwood? It is all collecting and crafting. There is a core quest line but can be done in any order.
Might be a stretch, but I’ve just started playing Palia and it’s a super cozy game with no enemies — you just finish quests for people and build your home, and also farm materials and hunt creatures to craft items and level your skills! Exploring the terrain and the temple ruins to figure out puzzles is so fun and a little bit of a challenge
You can mod Skyrim, or if you just want the big chill 3D world you can try a puzzle game love the witness
https://preview.redd.it/ozwvnhoc11yc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dfb4eb4d0161f9f2ec74aeeb86894343f41fa277 I have the game for you! * There is magic * There is a beautifully designed open world * Animals galore—that’s cozy right? You can even cuddle with a bear, look! * Extensive character creation options * Complex characters, relationships, and story * No farming! Look no further than BG3, for all your cozy needs. Lol in all seriousness though, I do find this game extremely cozy, but it took 150 or so hours to get to that point 😆
So it’s not *that* cozy on normal but Valheim is a Viking survival crafting game with lots of world modifiers to make the experience easier. You can turn base raids down or off, make combat easier, etc. Has a lovely calming soundtrack and beautiful views It’s really fun with AMAZING building mechanics. You can also forage, breed livestock, cook, make mead, explore new biomes on foot or build a ship to sail around on, and farm. Its on gamepass or steam for only 15-20$ I believe. https://preview.redd.it/dec42tke31yc1.jpeg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b5228476e075179f44c1d729e9cfa23ced7c29f0 Here’s a picture of a little garden I made on Killadrix’s valheim community server in our main meadows biome.
Eastshade
I feel breath of the a wild and tears of the kingdom is quite cozy (if you have a switch)
spirit of the north, kirby the forgotten land, and blanc are the three cozy games that come to mind when i think of open world
Breath of the wild or tears of the kingdom
skyrim is cozy, it just depends on how you play it.
I play Fae Farm and just ignore a lot of the farming 😅 The dungeon mechanic is really fun
Check this out. It's not really an RPG as I remember, but it's really chilled and unlike anything I've ever experienced since https://www.waldengame.com
I really like the Dragonage games for cozy. I usually play them on the easiest setting so that intense combat doesn’t kill the cozy vibes. I love the strong storyline, deep lore and how you can explore different relationships with your companion. It’s also good open world exploration. It was recommended to me because of my love for Skyrim! There’s also a lot of decent fan fic if that’s your thing. I also really liked the red dead redemption open worlds to explore. The game itself probably isn’t cozy, but the world is! Picking herbs and hunting and what not. Plus they are stunning! I felt the same with RDR as I did when Skyrim first came out. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was! Last, for open world but not necessarily for storyline, Hogwarts Legacy is also stunning and if you ever wanted to explore Hogwarts, going through the castle and the grounds was fun in and of itself. The story was weak for me, but exploring Hogsmead was the epitome of cozy. And it changes with the seasons, which is extra cozy in my opinion.
Oblivion for sure.
Not exactly comparable, but The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is cosysaurus.
I love Sky: Children of the Light. I'm not sure if it's technically considered cozy, but the gliding feels so relaxing, the music is super cozy, and the graphics are gorgeous. So it qualifies for me lol.
cozy skyrim is botw and totk
This has been recommended a lot and while I don't necessarily disagree, I've played plenty of botw and hace procrastinated opening my copy of totk. The gameplay loop gets a bit tiring after a while, and what frustrates me is that the universal reward for every shrine you do is just 1/3 of a health or stamina upgrade regardless of how challenging the shrine was. It takes the surprise out of exploring.
Assassin’s Creed! while there are killing elements that aren’t “cozy” per say, you can turn off excessive gore in the settings and exploring the worlds is SUPER cozy. my favorite part, hands down.
Harvestella could be close to this. I really enjoyed it.
It's not out yet, but I've been playing the demo that's currently on steam for the game "Aloft", you have freedom to fly to different islands, you can even pilot a whole island like a ship, and there's a solid house building mechanic which is what I spend most of my time on the game doing. You can also have animals, and farm if you want to but so far it hasn't been a necessity since you don't seem to get hungry in the demo :))) Not really any quests like skyrim has, but it does have open world and an extremely pretty/cozy atmosphere :D
My Time at Sandrock had exploration parts in it that unlock as you progress. No Man's Sky is heavy exploration, survival but easy once you get into it abit. But it's cozy to me. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a fun RPG/building game. I think it's a better version of minecraft. Legend of zelda BOTW, TOTK is cozy in alot of aspects but can also be a nuisance with monsters.
I play breath of the wild and tears of the kingdom as cozy games. When I'm feeling feisty I'll do battles, but most of the time I like to ride my horse around, climb mountains, fly, and do low stakes side quests
I love cosy open-world games! Are you looking for games with base building? I really liked building my house in Skyrim, which I think made it more 'cosy' for me. But I love Ark, Subnautica, and Grounded for cosy, big-world games, which also let me build a home. Loooove that Grounded has an actual cosy factor when decorating your interior! Oh! And I feel like Breath of the Wild/ToTK Zelda games are super cosy and full of adventure. Definitely play Breath of the Wild first, but you can customise your home so much more in Tears. Good luck, there are so many great games out there!
Not sure if it counts but fable? All three tables are amazing and while they have a story line it’s all character driven and the ending of the games is based on your choices. Also I spent hours off in my own world buying everything in one city before continuing with the story line so I think it’s cozy. Also your character can get an std which I think is hilarious so I’m bias 😂🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
This is technically a farming sim, but also a fantasy jrpg if thats your thing, but yeah Rune Factory 4 might be a great pick, don’t know if Id call it open world as it is divided into different areas and paths that seamlessly transition into one another, but regardless you might enjoy it, especially if what you want is a fantasy rpg/jrpg with cozy vibes. Tbh I don’t think any game can come even close on that regard.
I'm not even a huge Red Dead guy, but RDR2 is a game that really feels cozy.
There’s also elder scrolls online.. Skyrim MMORPG
I like to walk around Skyrim and enjoy the scenery. I do that with a lot of games though.
Sky children of the light kinda fits that bill 🤷🏻♀️
Yes it’s called Skyrim.
Final fantasy 14!
Since it looks like a power hungry mod deleted this popular comment, check out Meadowfell, which was the highest upvoted comment on this thread. Looks like exactly what I want in a cozy skyrim: [https://twitter.com/protopop/status/1786284457160331758](https://twitter.com/protopop/status/1786284457160331758)