In my heart I know that Cozy Game Reviews will never cover JRPGs. The genre is too vast. And many, MANY of them are not all that cozy. But there is something so pleasant about explorative, story-driven, turn-based JRPGs. To me, they are cozy. Comforting. Home.
Obviously, Sea of Stars has me thinking about this right now. But there have been other games, too. Octopath Traveler (and II), 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, I Am Setsuna, and Child of Light (not Japanese, but a turn-based RPG) come to mind.
Sea of Stars is obviously not a “Capital J”-JRPG because it is not Japanese, but the inspiration it takes from Square’s Chrono Trigger is palpable, and mentioned in nearly every online review. So I hope you will humor me as I weave my thoughts between games that share the spirit of the old school turn-based JRPG, even if their geographical origins differ.
Are turn-based games cozy? Here are my thoughts as they stand now.
Stylized Graphics are Cozy
The vast majority of turn-based JRPGs seem to favor heavily stylized graphics. The descriptors “cartoon-y” and “nostalgic” come to mind, but also don’t seem sufficient. They are artistic and unique and built from the ground-up with love.
The more “realistic” video game graphics become, the more uncanny valley they seem to me. Why do you, with your hyper-realistic shell, not move more naturally to the rhythm of our in-game conversation?
JRPGs take a different approach. By allowing the characters to be pixels and paint, I can relax as they move and speak and breathe. It feels natural in their world, even if it wouldn’t be in mine.
Not to mention the artistic merit of a style designed from scratch. I feel like I am walking through an art museum as I play, gazing at each painting or set piece in quiet awe.
That’s cozy.
Turn-Based Slows it Down
I can put my controller down in the middle of any fight and walk away. When I return, it will not be a scamper to recompose myself. I can simply pick up where I left off, mid-menu.
It’s not that there is absolutely no risk or hurry, and indeed some JRPG bosses are notoriously difficult, but I can chip away at them as I see fit. Also, level grinding is mindless and relaxing when you need it. I can do it on autopilot.
Even when things get tough, I don’t need sharp reflexes or fine-tuned senses. Everything progresses linearly, step-by-step. I await my turn patiently. If I mess up, I usually see my error right away. The interlocking pieces of the game mechanics are spread out before me like a map. I can reset and know exactly where to chart my path next time.
Actions happen one at a time. I can breathe them all in individually. Nothing gets lost in the frenzy. This slow, steady calm is what I would consider “cozy.”
Reading Centricity
JRPGs tend to require a bit of reading. Whether it be character dialogue, storytelling, or battle menus, you are best served by slowing it down and absorbing every word. Words matter. They are heavy with weight. It’s why I started a blog, and not a Twitch or a TikTok, in this year of 2-oh-23.
People who have the attention span to read can appreciate how it slows things down, quietens your mind. Antsiness and distraction fade away as you begin to trot through sentences word by word, and then gallop.
There are mental and meditative benefits to reading. You know this, I don’t need to bore you with the science here. JRPGs tap into that gentle literary tide and let it lap over your soul in rolling waves.
Curl up, cozy, with a book when it rains? Nah, I have my Switch today.
Cozy Locations
It is an unwritten law that all JRPGs must feature a quaint winter village at some point in their story. Locations tend to be themed, colorful, dramatic, memorable, differentiated, welcoming, and bristling with secrets hidden in every nook and cranny.
Nature often plays a big part, with mountains and forests and oceans playing host to the cities and towns you visit. Home spaces tend to be small, cozy-cluttered, medieval or cottagecore themed, and all residents welcome your unexpected arrival. Children and animals meander about in the streets, there is a general sense of protection: “You are safe here.”
Cities and towns tend to act as a waypoint, save point, rest area, or story beat. They are rarely destructible and fighting happens in containment, or outside their limits. Not to mention that they often have, simply put, the “cozy aesthetic.”
Nostalgia Wins
In a world where fast action reigns, something that feels “slower” harkens back to a time when it was safer for games to meander, simply because the tech wasn’t powerful enough for more. 1985 is calling. It’s Christmas Eve and there is an NES wrapped under the tree.
Nostalgia is cozy. The safety of the “past” is cozy. You aren’t currently influencing it, you can’t alter it, it simply is. Nostalgia being a part of the “cozy game” genre seems to be an overarching theme. I don’t know if anyone has adequately nailed down why that is, it’s just that we all know it to be an absolute truth.
JRPGs seem to want this, too. In the loudness of the latest and greatest tech and graphics, they simply want to be. It’s like being invited outside of the rat race. It’s summer vacation again. Saturday morning cartoons are on: “Come with us, it is so much quieter here.”
Friendship is Key
It is the sum and substance of these games to have a party of 2 or more. Typically 3 or 4. A lone protagonist is exceedingly rare, and so believable friendships must be woven into the plot from the get-go. Even games where solo battles reign, like Pokemon, have a multi-character party that emphasizes togetherness as a traveling necessity.
Even more than that, these types of games seem to lean toward love and camaraderie being a core thematic element. Perhaps they are just embracing the inevitable social nature of human existence, but it seems to be more than that. Love is key. It is often what sets heroes apart from their enemies, and what cinches the victory for them in the end.
Being part of a loving collective is cozy. Having a friend at your side in a time of need is cozy. Trust overcoming innate differences is cozy.
Final Thoughts
I leave you with this: Are turn-based JRPGs cozy? Some of them are, for sure. But that’s not the unwavering verdict you were hoping for, I know.
I think they can be. Many of them are. And the genre lends itself as a complementary mechanic to cozy stories set in cozy universes, with cozy, lilting melodies accompanying your travels.
Not every JRPG is cozy, but more should be.
Stay cozy, gamers.