The rise of casual mobile games has made it easier than ever for anyone to play cozy games.
In this article, I’m going to cover cozy games on iPhone (iOS/App Store) as well as cozy games on Android (Google/Play Store) because there is a ton of overlap between the two and having two separate articles doesn’t make sense.
Here are my picks for the best cozy games on mobile.
1. Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a charming mobile game that brings the beloved Animal Crossing franchise to smartphones. In this delightful simulation game, players become campsite managers, tasked with customizing and decorating their own outdoor getaways to attract adorable animal villagers.
By completing tasks, running errands, and fulfilling the villagers’ requests, players earn resources to craft furniture and amenities, fostering a sense of community and friendship. The game’s real-time clock and changing seasons offer a dynamic and immersive experience, encouraging players to return daily to enjoy the peaceful, virtual world of animal friends and creativity.
PLEASE DON’T JUDGE MY GAME LEVEL, I LOST MY DATA WHEN I SWITCHES FROM IPHONE TO GOOGLE PIXEL.
2. Stardew Valley
Like any insane Stardew Valley fan, I own this game everywhere. Yes, including PlayStation Vita (RIP).
Stardew Valley on mobile is a mobile adaptation of the popular farming simulation game, offering a captivating blend of farming, mining, crafting, and relationship-building. In this engaging pixel-art world, players inherit a run-down farm and transform it into a thriving homestead by planting crops, raising animals, mining for resources, and participating in the local community.
The game’s rich storyline, diverse characters, and numerous activities provide hours of immersive gameplay. With intuitive touch controls, the mobile version retains the depth and charm of the original, making it a perfect on-the-go experience for both longtime fans and newcomers to the genre.
This is yet another game where I had a “farther along” save on my iPhone. RIP.
3. Pokemon Cafe ReMix
Pokemon Cafe ReMix is a delightful mobile puzzle game that combines the beloved Pokemon franchise with cafe management and match-three mechanics. Players operate their own Pokemon-themed cafe, where they serve dishes to Pokemon customers by completing match-three puzzles.
By successfully fulfilling orders and solving puzzles, players collect new Pokemon to add to their cafe staff and expand their menu offerings. The game’s charming art style, engaging puzzles, and the joy of collecting Pokemon make it a captivating and family-friendly mobile experience that caters to both fans of the Pokemon series and casual gamers alike.
Personally, I prefer Pokemon Shuffle as a Pokemon mobile match-X game, but Cafe is undeniably cozier (and easier).
4. Alto’s Odyssey
Alto’s Odyssey is a visually stunning endless runner game for mobile devices, known for its serene atmosphere and breathtaking landscapes. Players control Alto, a sandboarder, as he journeys across mesmerizing desert landscapes filled with dunes, canyons, and ancient temples. The game’s simple, one-touch controls make it easy to perform tricks, grind on rails, and collect coins while navigating the ever-changing terrain.
Alto’s Odyssey is not just a game; it’s an artistic experience, with its soothing music and captivating visuals that transition seamlessly between day and night. It offers a zen-like escape, making it a perfect choice for mobile gamers seeking relaxation and adventure in equal measure.
Honestly, I didn’t find the timing of the controls all that intuitive so it was less of a “cozy” experience for me. Endless runner fanatics will probably catch on and enter the flow much easier than I did. Your mileage may vary.
5. Sumikko Farm
Sumikko Farm is a delightful mobile farming simulation game featuring the adorable Sumikko Gurashi characters. In this charming and family-friendly game, players tend to their own farm, planting crops, taking care of cute animals, and expanding their farmstead. What sets Sumikko Farm apart is its unique twist on traditional farming mechanics, with the Sumikko Gurashi characters adding their quirky personalities to the mix.
Players can also explore different areas and discover new friends, all while enjoying the game’s soothing visuals and cheerful atmosphere. Sumikko Farm offers a heartwarming and relaxing mobile gaming experience for fans of both farming simulations and the Sumikko Gurashi world.
Shoutout to my sister for showing me this game. She is obsessed with the Sumikko Gurasho characters and I wouldn’t have found this one without her.
6. I Love Hue Too
I Love Hue Too is a captivating mobile puzzle game that challenges players with arranging and matching colors in beautifully gradient-hued puzzles. The objective is to reorganize shuffled color gradients into their correct order, creating smooth transitions from one color to the next. With its serene soundtrack and minimalistic design, the game offers a soothing and visually appealing experience.
Its progressive difficulty and hundreds of meticulously crafted levels provide both relaxation and a satisfying mental workout. I Love Hue Too is an elegant and meditative mobile game perfect for those who appreciate the beauty of colors and seek a mindful gaming experience.
If you love arranging and organizing things, Ã la Unpacking, this might just be the game for you.
7. Sky: Children of the Light
Sky: Children of the Light is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant adventure game developed by thatgamecompany, the creators of Journey and Flower. The game recently broke the Guinness World Record at Gamescom for the Most Users in a Concert-Themed Virtual World, with over 10,000 players in virtual attendance.
Set in a beautifully crafted world, players assume the role of a Sky Child on a quest to bring light and life back to a kingdom shrouded in darkness. The game’s core mechanic revolves around exploration and social interaction as players can fly through enchanting landscapes, solve puzzles, and form meaningful connections with other players in a shared online world.
Its ethereal art style, enchanting music, and the ability to communicate through non-verbal gestures create a unique and emotionally engaging experience, making Sky: Children of the Light a captivating journey of friendship and discovery. Note: Playing with the music and sound on is a MUST.
8. Two Dots
Two Dots is a highly addictive mobile puzzle game developed by Playdots Inc. In this minimalist yet visually appealing title, players connect colorful dots on a grid to clear them and achieve objectives within a limited number of moves.
The game’s simple mechanics gradually evolve into complex challenges as players progress through various levels and encounter different obstacles like anchors, fire, and ice. With its sleek design, soothing soundscapes, and regularly updated content, Two Dots provides a satisfying blend of relaxation and mental stimulation, making it a go-to choice for puzzle enthusiasts on mobile devices.
9. Cats & Soup
Cats & Soup is an idle clicker where you build and manage a soup restaurant in the woods, run by cats. The premise is ridiculous but the cats are adorable, so I gave it a shot. You earn currency automatically once you set up your “soup cat” and then you can increase the soup value by adding additional cat chefs to the fray. I have a carrot chopper and cabbage slicer at work in the screenshot above.
The beginning of the game is quite frantic, with new opportunities unlocking every few actions and notifications popping like there is no tomorrow. But eventually the pace evens out and you will be able to leave and let your cats work, returning to the game whenever you have a few spare moments at home or on the bus to collect your coins and maybe build a new facility. The game is cute, goofy, and mindless. A quick boredom crusher whenever you have some downtime.
10. Animal Restaurant
Cats & Soup seems to be all the rage right now, but let me tell you about my personal favorite “animals running food businesses” game: Animal Restaurant! You have probably heard of idle clicker games; well, this is what I like to call a frantic clicker game. You will never stop clicking! Click to craft, click to serve, click to get paid, click to promote! It requires much more active involvement from players than your average mobile clicker—and I love it.
Animal Restaurant is a delightful mobile game that invites players to manage their own cozy eatery for a charming cast of anthropomorphic animals. Players serve delicious dishes, decorate their restaurant, and befriend adorable animal patrons as they unravel a heartwarming narrative. With its charming graphics, relaxing gameplay, and a plethora of cute animal characters, Animal Restaurant offers a captivating and heartwarming experience that keeps players coming back for more.
Ps. My restaurant was at a way higher level before the iPhone-to-Pixel swap of ’23. *sob sob*
11. Pocket Love!
Pocket Love! is a sweet little mobile game that combines elements of dating simulation and home decorating. You start out by moving into a new home with your virtual partner and pet (cat or dog, 3 varieties of each). You can then unlock furniture, decorations, and outfits to customize your avatar and your space. It’s a mindless game that won’t take up too much brainpower or time, but the cute premise and graphics have earned it a 4.7/5 stars on the Google Play Store at the time of my writing this.
You can unlock new items through free daily gifts, completing quests that reset every ~10 hours, watching ads, or spending real money. The ads are totally optional but also a really easy way to get new items if you are feeling impatient (me). As you level up by completing in-world tasks, the stores will stock a wider variety of items so you can really make your space unique to you.
12. My Oasis
My Oasis is a serene and minimalist mobile game that offers players a tranquil oasis-building experience. Set in a calming desert environment, the game invites you to cultivate your oasis by tapping on the screen to create new elements of nature, like trees, animals, and structures. My Oasis is an “active clicker,” as I like to call them, because you need to continuously tap the screen to earn “hearts” (the in-game currency).
As you interact with your oasis, soothing music plays in the background, creating a relaxing atmosphere. My Oasis doesn’t follow traditional gaming conventions; instead, it focuses on providing a peaceful escape for players seeking a zen-like, meditative experience where they can watch their oasis flourish and evolve over time.
13. Harvest Town
Very clearly inspired by Stardew Valley, Harvest Town is a poorly translated but super adorable free farming sim on mobile. It offers a charming blend of farming, exploration, and social interaction. Set in a picturesque rural town, players are tasked with managing a farm, planting crops, raising animals, and gradually expanding their homestead.
Beyond farming, the game also encourages players to explore the surrounding wilderness, mine for resources, and interact with the town’s quirky inhabitants. With its appealing pixel art style, extensive customization options, and engaging social elements like friendships and romances, Harvest Town offers an immersive and heartwarming experience for mobile gamers who have played Stardew Valley to death and are looking for their next hook.
Pro tip: Pixel Farm is another one that might pop up on your feed, but I wouldn’t bother with it. Ads take up the bottom third of the screen, making for a very uncomfortable and intrusive playing experience.
14. Postknight 2
Postknight 2 is an adorable mobile RPG sequel that combines screen-tapping combat with charming role-playing elements. Players assume the role of a courageous Postknight tasked with delivering mail across a whimsical fantasy world. As they journey through diverse environments, battling monsters and uncovering secrets, they can customize their character, collect gear, and build relationships with various characters they encounter.
The game features a delightful blend of simple combat, engaging storytelling, and adorable graphics, making it a great choice for those seeking an enjoyable and accessible RPG experience on mobile devices. Obviously, the game has some combat elements, which may not fit your definition of cozy. But it’s very mindless (one click for sword, one click for shield) and the cartoony, medieval art style definitely lends itself to the cozy genre.
15. Window Garden
The full name of this game is “Window Garden – Lofi Idle Game” and I really love that “lofi” is becoming a game genre. I saw another such title at PAX West 2023, but it was a dating sim/match-3 called Spirit Swap.
Window Garden is a calming, pixelated idle clicker with a surprising variety of stuff to do! You click on butterflies, birds, raindrops, and sun icons to collect things you need in-game. You also take care of your plants, trying to water them and deliver sunshine in the perfect amount to keep them healthy. (Much like real life, I ended up over-watering mine.) There is also a vending machine that dispenses items once a day or so, and two mini games that can be played daily for prizes. It also has a sleep timer, so you can listen to the lofi background music to wind down and have the game turn itself off automatically. after a while.
Conclusion
Cozy games have emerged as a delightful escape from the hectic pace of modern life. Smartphones are a quick and easy way to play these games on the go, ensuring you have your dose of calm no matter where you are in the world.
Whether you’re tending to a virtual garden, exploring a whimsical forest, or simply sipping a digital cup of tea, cozy games have the power to bring moments of peace and contentment into our lives. They remind us that amidst the hustle and bustle of our daily routines, there is value in slowing down, appreciating the beauty of the small details, and finding solace in the virtual worlds we create.
Stay cozy, friends!