Starting in late August or early September, I'll be starting in on my Halloween video game list. Playing cozy games is such a fun way to celebrate spooky season (or any season), either alone or with your partner or friends. The feeling of being cozy under your favorite blanket with the window open, candles going, with a hot drink next to you while you play a spooky game, is unbeatable.
Psst...this post has been updated since to include spooky games that have released for the 2024 spooky season!
Below is my list of cozy games to play on either the Nintendo Switch or on Steam. If you want to play these Steam games but don't have a computer, you can get a handheld computer console off of Amazon to access Steam and Xbox Game Pass! The Logitech G Cloud Handheld is slightly larger than a Nintendo Switch and gives you access to the entire Steam library and Xbox library!
Little Witch in the Woods is an adorable witchy game where you find yourself replacing a village's resident witch. Explore the world, craft potions, and learn more about the town's history. Available on Steam and Xbox Game Pass for PC.
BioShock: The Collection is available on Nintendo Switch and you'll get three complete games for the price of one! BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite are some of the first games I ever played, and they're great spooky, steampunk games for Fall! If you are new to first-person shooters, BioShock has adjustable settings so you can enjoy the spooky story without worrying about your FPS skills.
Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection has a dark, brooding atmosphere that will get you in the mood for spooky season! Play two award-winning narrative games in this collection:
Dollhouse is a haunting horror game where you follow Marie, a detective trying to unravel her past memory by memory. Survive a game of cat and mouse as you constantly try to evade your killer while uncovering your dark past!
Remothered: Broken Porcelain is an atmospheric horror game with an award-winning plot! Scour the environment for tools to help you, solve puzzles, use stealth to avoid your captors, and discover memorable characters based off of classic horror movies.
Wytchwood is a charming and spooky game set in a hand-painted world of fairy tales and fables. The art style is beautiful and the story is both creepy and very heartfelt! Available on Nintendo Switch E-store and Steam.
Potion Permit has you run an apothecary as the town's sole alchemist. Gather ingredients, diagnose patients, and brew potions in this beautifully drawn game! Plus, your faithful sheepdog helps you fight monsters and gather ingredients!
Hogwarts Legacy is now available on the Nintendo Switch! I played this game on PC when it came out, and it's truly the best Harry Potter game ever made. Fall and winter are my favorite time of year to delve back into my Harry Potter obsession. Wander around Hogwarts, visit Hogsmeade, attend classes and more!
Little Nightmares I and Little Nightmares II definitely lean more towards spooky on the cozy-spooky game spectrum. These two games are on my list for this year because I heard so many recommendations for them. Guide your characters through a dangerous and often scary world in these two puzzle games! Available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Xbox.
Bear and Breakfast is hands down one of my favorite games ever. It's a cozy hotel management game where you play as a bear that's restoring the cabins in your forest to attract tourists. Decorate and manage your cabins and explore the cozy forest as you play through game! This is available on Steam and is releasing for the Nintendo Switch on 9/5/2023.
Paranormasight is an anime story-led game based on real Japanese urban legends. If you want to play a game that basically feels like watching a spooky anime, this one is for you. Discover what's behind the curses, murders, and mysteries! Available on Steam and the Nintendo Switch E-store.
Harvestella and Little Witch Nobeta are my other favorite anime games for the Nintendo Switch. This game combines farming with dungeon combat and a beautiful story. Learn new skills and add friends to your team while you're on missions.
Then you can farm crops and learn new recipes to keep you fueled on your adventures! Little Witch Nobeta is an action RPG where you take down bosses and become stronger!
Dredge easily became one of my favorite games of 2023. I was honestly skeptical because I'm not super into fishing or fishing games. But this horror game is much more about the story, and fishing is a farming mechanic to save money and upgrade your boat. Beware of going fishing at night as it decreases your sanity meter and you're likely to run into monsters and other paranormal events!
Cozy Grove is one of my favorite games during every season, but especially during Fall when the weather cools down and it's easy to spend all day curled up with a game. In Cozy Grove, you play as a spirit scout tending to the spirits on a haunted campground. Decorate your island, care for spirit animals, and enjoy seasonal events every year!
Stardew Valley is the original farming sim and continues to be one of the most popular games on the Nintendo Switch. I personally have put over 200hours into the game, and many people have put much more time into it.
Create the farm of your dreams, get married and have a family in Stardew Valley! Also now available as a board game! The soundtrack makes me so sentimental and always makes me think of Fall.
Snacko is an adorable farming and building game that's currently in Early Access on Steam! Farming games always make me think of Fall. Decorate your home, craft, cook, and help the other villagers rebuild the town as Snacko the cat.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is my favorite witchy game that came out in 2023. Play as an exiled tarot reader who must recreate her deck and save her coven. Decorate your own tarot deck and choose your path carefully. Available on the Nintendo Switch E-store and on Steam!
There are SO many more cozy games that I can't fit them all in one place. If there are cozy games that you already love that I failed to mention, let me know in a comment and I can add it to the article!
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