The Most Anticipated Cozy Games for the Rest of 2024
We’re midway through quarter 3 of 2024 and while some people feel like this has been a quiet year for game releases, I have been loving a lot of the cozy games that dropped. From Minami Lane to Fields of Mistria, quite a few entries have made it into my Steam library. With that being said, there are still a few more games slated to release this year that I’m really excited about. Below are my most anticipated cozy games for the rest of 2024, listed in order of release date.
Gourdlets
Release Date: August 15, 2024 on Steam (Demo out now)
Gourdlets is a tiny city-builder game all about building a new home for cute vegetable friends. With a bright and colorful art style, this sandbox building game looks like the perfect introduction into the base-building game for newer players. You create little villages using objects and sprites, going at your own pace until you love what you’ve created.
There’s a demo of the game out now, which I want to make time to check out so I can see how the game clicks with me. I added it to my wish list based on the game description and cozy art style, so I’m looking forward to reading what everyone thinks of it when it drops in a few days.
Sunny Side
Release Date: August 16, 2024 on PS5 (Available now on Steam)
Sunny Side is a cozy farming and life sim with RPG and card-based battle elements, all set in rural Japan. It’s on my most anticipated list because I’m eagerly awaiting the PS5 release. I own the game on Steam and put around 12 hours into it when it initially released, instantly falling in love. The game felt more complex and modern than other farming sims—you have a cell phone, for one—and the card-based battles in the caves was a nice switch up from standard combat in the mines.
It unfortunately had quite a few performance issues on launch (as my laptop fan blaring when I played it can attest to) but the devs have been very responsive in releasing regular patch updates. I loved the game so much that I didn’t want to hinder my experience, so I decided to put it on hold for now until either performance is better stabilized on Steam or the PS5 release proves to be a better experience.
Astro Bot
Release Date: September 6, 2024 on PS5
What a welcome surprise from PlayStation, am I right? Although I prefer to play most cozy games on Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch, there are a few that I pick up for PS5 due to trophies, better performance, or exclusivity. Astro Bot is an exclusive that went from an unknown to a must-buy for me.
Owners of a PS5 know that the console came with a free copy of Astro’s Playroom, which was essentially a love letter to PlayStation in the form of a tech demo platformer showcasing all that the Dualsense has to offer. I adored the bite-size game and was so excited to see they have now created a full-blown Astro Bot game.
Cozy mascot platformers from PlayStation are so nostalgic since I grew up playing games like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro. Astro Bot looks to be a promising delight, launching on PlayStation in just a few weeks.
Mirthwood
Release Date: September 11, 2024 on Steam (Demo out now)
Mirthwood is a hand-drawn game described as an enchanting RPG life sim. You can manage your own land by farming, planting, and harvesting crops, as well as take care of animals. Away from the homestead awaits an adventure where you can explore an open world with six regions and three towns, or combat your way through a variety of enemies. You’ll also be able to socialize with fellow townsfolk and build relationships with the NPCs.
Chef RPG
Release Date: September 12, 2024 on Steam in Early Access
If you’re a cozy gamer in 2024, you know there are two games that have been on everyone’s Early Access wish list: Fields of Mistria and Chef RPG. Now that Fields of Mistria is available (review on the way!), the other hotly anticipated life sim is just around the corner.
Chef RPG is, as the name implies, a cooking life sim with RPG elements. You’re tasked with managing a restaurant, which includes foraging and hunting for ingredients, all while you befriend the local townsfolk. SharkyGames on YouTube has extended previews showcasing gameplay and it is a gorgeous pixel art game that looks like a fun twist on your traditional life sim.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Release Date: September 26, 2024 on Nintendo Switch
It was the Nintendo Direct that shocked the world with a Zelda-led Zelda game! As a lapsed gamer, I didn’t get into The Legend of Zelda games until 2020 with Breath of the Wild, and then later with the Link’s Awakening remake. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is an adventure game where you play as Zelda and use echoes to solve environmental puzzles, combat enemies, and explore the world.
When seeing this trailer, the style immediately reminded me of Link’s Awakening, which I adored. It looks like it will blend some of the fusion elements we are now familiar with from Tears of the Kingdom, only on a much smaller scale. I’m looking forward to playing as Zelda and seeing what kind of adventure we’ll get into when the game launches next month.
What’s your most anticipated game?
Can you believe the above most anticipated games all launch in under two months?! Critter Cove and The Plucky Squire are two games that get honorable mentions from me, as they are both slated for release this year without a known specific launch date.
Do you have any cozy games that I may have missed? Show your support and help build a cozy gaming community by joining the free Patreon and leaving a comment. Thank you for reading!
