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Cozy Casual Games that made an Impression

The first experience of a genre and its novelty is a feeling that is hard to replicate. It creates a baseline expectation, which only grows over time as our consumption increases and taste changes.

Here are two games of similar genres that made an impression on me.

“Harvest Moon: Back to Nature” (2000) for the PlayStation was a game I picked up in the winter of 2000. It had glowing reviews from the US Official “PlayStation Magazine”, back when game journalism and critic reviews were still in print. It was released during a lull in the game publishing cycle for me. There were no Triple-A contenders for me at the time of release, and I was mostly exhausted from finishing up several of them. So, a cozy and casual game to fill the time was just perfect. It eventually became the go-to game series that I returned to each time when I just wanted to relax and see the season change.

Watching our farmer relax and doze off in a hot spring after a long day of work in the middle of winter encapsulates the unwinding feeling I had while playing.

The “Harvest Moon” series has changed over time, with its split into “Story of Season” away from the publishers holding onto the IP (intellectual properties) rights. But that story is for another post. With a new void in this genre, I was yearning for something new to fill its spot.

I wish I could remember where I first saw “Spiritfarer” (2020). It could have been on Twitch when DexBonus (Brooke Thorne) was streaming it, social media post or could have been from one of the several game convention showcases. I fell in love with the art style and animation. And its casual gameplay style seems to fit the bill for something I was looking for.

In “Spiritfarer”, you’re ferrying off the animal spirits of the deceased into the afterlife. Tasked with making their journey as pleasant as possible, and upon doing so learning a little about how they’ve lived their past lives. During this time, you manage a small farm on the boat, while fishing and cooking up meals in between the long voyages across the ocean.

The game is far from perfect, there was a lot of backtracking in the vast ocean causing a stall of meaningful progression. However, the tone it invoked and atmosphere it managed to create was something that was ingrained into me. A simple hug from the spirits before sending them off, and how they’ve animated each character is something that can only be understood by human hands. Perhaps it was just another game that was in the right place and right time for me. When mortality and grief become more than just a concept, but a living reality that we all encounter within time.

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Games Played in February 2025

some of the games I've played and/or completed this month on Xbox PC Game Pass, February 2025.

"Maquette" (2021) is a narrative puzzle game about relationship, heartbreak and closure. It structures its puzzle within a maquette, a diorama of the couple's milestone points within their lives together.

Maquette's puzzle mechanics involves moving items between the dollhouse sized diorama and the life-sized version of the same world. But what happens when you bring the diorama inside of itself? It requires a little thinking outside of the box. (pun intended) Similar games I would recommend; "COCOON" (2023) and "Superliminal" (2019).

"Frostpunk 2" (2024) is the sequel that divided the community, which they expected a similar game to the original micromanagement of a singular city. Instead, it expands the limited resource management gameplay and moves towards the macro management of multiple cities and social groups. Instead of building individual structures and streets, they are now done in hex-tiled district chunks, and upgrades are just placed within the district zones.

As with true Frostpunk manner, there is always going to be civil unrest regardless of what choices are made. Would you rule with an iron fist to quell the populist uprising, or try to upkeep your ideals with diplomacy and concessions?

"Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" (2024) I had my doubts about this game, but it surprised me and kept true to the spirit of Indiana Jones movies. It balanced the stealth, boxing and gunplay well, where the player can't just solely run and gun their way out of a sticky situation.

"The Great Circle" is far from perfect. Personally, I felt it suffers from the stealth system where it starts to feel comical like "Hitman" style. Such as luring the guards into the same room to knock them out, leading to a pile of bodies. The NPCs would eventually give up searching, allowing me to repeat the process over again. None the less, I was able to overlook the flaws and enjoy the puzzles, Indy's usual antics with the love interest, and their grand adventure around the world. Thankfully, the new Indy game managed to carve its own space with existing series such as "Tomb Raider" and "Uncharted" in the market.

"Eternal Strands" (2025) is a narrative action adventure where you take down titans and harvest their body to craft weapon and magic with. It sounds a little bit like "Monster Hunter" but much less complex and much more focused on story. Its sidequest stories hit on some more heartfelt dramatic stories that most people can relate to. Whether if it is relationship problems, or depression and anxiety.

"Eternal Strands" the combat is quite refined, sticking to simple concepts. It felt like a taste of what recent "Monster Hunter" games might be if it was a casual game focused on approachability. Or what "Extinction" (2018) could have been if they were to create more gameplay than being a one-trick pony. I however hated traversal in the game. Not being able to grab onto a cliff face when jumping directly at it, slipping off your own ice bridge, or simply being flung into the void is a common occurrence. Thankfully, when I die during a run, I'm able to respawn and choose some items to keep. The game design is quite mindful of the player's time. All the crafted gear is 100% recyclable, meaning less grinding for the player. And existing materials and be upscaled into better materials.