I tend to have one on the go at any given time, and honestly there’s a massive glut of games that fit this theme to select from. The gold standard remains Stardew Valley, but there’s a few dozen alternatives that will scratch one itch or another.

Quick note, mobile/web versions should be avoided as I’ve yet to find any option that didn’t include a ton of micro-transactions.

I would think that the defining feature of any cozy simulator (I’m sure there’s a better term, but I’ll use this one) is that you are provided a wide slew of horizontal activities that are tangentially related, and are limited in your ability to perform said activities based on a time/energy mechanic. You can either see this as time-gating (the most egregious are like this, and allow you to pay $$$ to bypass the gate), or something that aids in general focus of progress (more like Animal Crossing). You have a temporarily limited set of resources and a slew of time-based activities on which to spend it.

I would say that the best of this genre hit a few big ticket items

1. There are a slew of activities that hit every part of the Bartle quadrant of players (killers, achievers, socializers, explorers). Multi-stage quests are the most accepted versions.
2. The amount of activities you can perform in your temporary allotment should take approximately 15+ minutes to exhaust. This requires a significant amount of balancing in terms of energy costs.
3. The systems are optimized over time, both by performing said activities and by boosting from other activities (e.g. get better at farming by farming, or by making new clothes)
4. The game has a sense of belonging/roleplay where your character’s actions have a meaningful and lasting impact. This could be new buildings, extra areas, or relationships, meaning that your game is different than someone else.

More akin to Blizzard of old, cozy games hide their complexity through simple actions. Things as basic as farming may be tilling land, putting a seed, watering, and waiting. The complexity may come from the seasons, if you use fertilizer, the tools you are using, the amount harvested, if you get seeds back, if nearby plants have an impact and so on. Then there’s what you can do with the plants after they are harvested.

There’s also the mystery aspect of these games, where the systems are purposefully obfuscated to start, where you need to explore them over time. I think of Stardew Valley and how Ancient Fruit work. The seeds are extremely rare, they can’t grow in winter, and take nearly a month to grow. At first, it seems a useless plant. Then you unlock the greenhouse, where you can grow things year-long, and the seed maker that has a chance to give you seeds based on the matter added. It will take nearly a year in-game, but you’ll have a full greenhouse by the end. You also learn that you can turn it into wine (takes 7 days), and then age that wine (takes 3 seasons). And if you sell all that within a year, you’ll have a million gold. There’s no way you’d know that when you get your first Ancient Seed.

Back to the main issue, the slew of games and seeming dozen that launch every week. Most of them will take a couple slow months to burn through, so how to pick? Honestly, I have no idea. Steam curators are the only method I’ve found any success with, and even then it’s been a stretch. I’ve tried Fields of Mistria, which is well rated, but didn’t click with me. Graveyard Keeper however, that stuck.

I think the most enjoyable part of this type of game is that it scratches nearly every gaming itch. There’s a reason Farmville was a worldwide phenomenon, and an even greater reason why it isn’t anymore. And my regular Steam Deck plug comes again, where all of these games are pick up and play, making them perfect for that device. Sometimes real life gets too complicated, and I just need to fish in a pond…