When it comes to the four weather seasons, autumn doesn't get enough love. Like spring, it's set in that goldilocks zone for temperature, festivities, and opportunities to strut your fall fashion collection. In video games, this is a season that's typically headlined by horror games, gory dives into blood-curdling content that overshadows the genuinely fun and cozy games that leverage an autumnal setting to deliver a more relaxing pace.
Sure, we love a good scare in October, but as autumn begins and the year winds to a close, we're also looking to recharge our batteries and give more intense games a break. There'll always be a place for horror games, but as the last couple of years have proven, people also want to balance their gaming library with games that offer warmer experiences that they can take their time with as they settle into a state of deep relaxation.
For this list, we're taking a look at the games that embody the cozy nature of autumn, provide the most chill of vibes, and are perfect to play while wrapped in a warm cocoon of blankets. Whether you're looking for something with only a light level of Halloween ambience or a title that goes all in on golden golden trees, here's a look at some cozy games that'll help warm you up as the months start to get colder.
A Little To The Left (Switch, PC, Android, iOS)
If there are two things that seldom work together, it's the need to keep your home tidy and owning a cat who wants to cause some chaos. A Little To The Left embodies that idea with a curious feline looking to disrupt your efforts to keep your home organized, always sticking its paws right in the middle of your attempt to make things look just right. The game has a wonderful aesthetic, a score that'll keep you at ease even when you notice the jellybeans of doom move into frame, and with a Halloween update on the way, it's a laidback bundle of joy.
Read our A Little To The Left review.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch)
Any list about cozy games would be incomplete without a mention of Nintendo's Animal Crossing: New Horizons. A breath of fresh air for people looking to escape the constant dread of COVID-19 pandemic, New Horizons changes with the seasons as you build your virtual village getaway. It's during the autumn months when the game is a showcase of bright colors, falling leaves, and pumpkins, a setting that you can not only take part in but contribute to as well with your own creations. New Horizons broadcasts charm in every pixel of its design, but its fall season is easily the game at its warmest and most inviting.
Read our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review.
A Short Hike (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
Foliage with desaturated colors, gentle winds, and a chance to wrap a scarf around your neck are borderline-mandatory elements in a game with autumn themes, and A Short Hike has those in spades. A cozy hiking simulator, the main aim of this delightful game is exploration at your own pace as you work your way up the summit of a local mountain. Along the way you can take part in some fishing, chat with local hikers, and listen to a lo-fi soundtrack as you continue your ascent upwards in an inviting wilderness. Recently added to Xbox Game Pass, this is a must-have adventure into chill spaces if you're a subscriber to that service.
Read our A Short Hike review.
Costume Quest 1 and 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android)
A pair of Halloween adventures from Tim Schafer's Double Fine Productions, the Costume Quest games are inspired RPG adventures set during Halloween. As candy-obsessed adventurers, you'll get to explore your town, encounter spooky enemies, and collect costumes that transform you and your party into powerful champions. It's a trick-or-treat simulator with that signature Double Fine energy, it's about as scary as a box of puppies, and taking on a legion of hygiene-obsessed villains makes for a Halloween to remember.
Cozy Grove (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, iOS, Android)
Cozy Grove lives up to its title with its inviting island, an ever-changing locale where you'll uncover new hidden secrets and help soothe the local ghosts inhabiting it. Sure, a paranormal infestation might deter some people looking for a brief respite from everyday life, but as a Spirit Scout who can help the local spooks move on, you'll be given a chance to bring color and joy back to the island. A game that is synced to real-world time, you can expect up to an hour of new quest content every day, dozens of memorable characters and spirits for you to befriend, and a hand-drawn landscape that reflects the consequences of your good deeds.
Dredge (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
Dredge nails that sweet spot for unnerving gameplay without ever putting you at risk of cardiac arrest, as this single-player fishing adventure has a sinister undercurrent draped in the colors of autumn. The core loop of dredging the ocean floor for long-buried secrets, selling your catch, and upgrading your boat so that you can trawl deeper and further away from land makes for a fun time, and as you become more adventurous, you'll quickly find that some secrets are best left forgotten.
Read our Dredge review.
Firewatch (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
There's a certain beauty in the solitude of nature, a disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life that Firewatch expertly captures with a visually splendid world. Save for the crackle of a walkie-talkie, you're largely left to your own devices in a game that throws you deep into a Wyoming Forest full of mystery that you can wander through at your own pace. Its atmosphere, immersion, and exploration mixed with wonderful radio chatter, rich forest colors, and elegant lighting that creates a warm and intriguing experience.
Read our Firewatch review.
Kentucky Route Zero (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
A game that took years to tell its tale, the full Kentucky Route Zero adventure expertly captures the melancholic side of autumn with its road trip tale focused on America's ghosts. Set in the heartland of Kentucky, this is a game that doesn't shy away from controversial topics as it explores American history through the eyes of grizzled truck driver Conway. It's a gripping story, one told through a minimalist lens of art direction and a somber soundtrack, but is definitely worth experiencing on a cold night. If you're a Netflix subscriber, it's worth checking out through the service's free gaming library, thanks to its mobile-friendly design, though it's worth playing on any platform.
Read our Kentucky Route Zero review.
Lake (PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
Lake is basically an interactive Hallmark movie, in which you temporarily ditch your busy career as a software designer to experience some small-town charm for a few weeks. Yes, love is in the air, but the catch here is that you don't need to choose the obvious life partner for protagonist Meredith in this cozy escape from reality. A slow-paced exploration of life in a small Oregon town, Lake's combo of enchanting vibes and a relaxing soundtrack draws you in and will make you ponder about the possibility of living a more humble life.
Life Is Strange (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, iOS, Android)
When you've spent the year putting in Olympic-level training on your digits with high-impact games that demand top-notch reflexes, a break from that stress with a story-driven experience can be a perfect prescription for relaxation. Of course, Don't Nod's Life is Strange series can be deceptive with its warm setting and likable characters, but these are still absorbing adventures to boot up. Between the first game, its prequel Before the Storm, and the recent Life is Strange: True Colors, there's a strong blend of choice-based mechanics and storytelling that make for memorable entertainment as the year slowly gets colder.
Read our Life Is Strange review.
Luigi's Mansion 3 (Switch)
If there's something strange in your Mushroom Kingdom neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Luigi! The Luigi's Mansion series of games have long been among the most underrated titles on Nintendo platforms, and in the third core outing for the cowardly plumber, there's nothing but charm here. A Halloween game that will still let kids be able to sleep with the lights off once they power down their Switch console, Luigi's Mansion 3 soaks up the themes of the season and turns them into family-friendly fare. If you're looking for a game that ties into the season of frights with a fun ghost-busting adventure, Luigi's Mansion 3 is an easy recommendation.
Read our Luigi's Mansion 3 review.
Night In The Woods (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android)
If the seasons of the year were personified as people, autumn would easily be the hip cat in the room that has its pulse on the current-day zeitgeist. That's a description that also fits Night in the Woods to a T, as this game uses its fall setting, charming weirdos, and relatable story to deliver a charming game set on the edge of winter. From its intensely personal characters to its on-point writing, Night in the Woods is a small-town curiosity with a razor-sharp sense of wit that'll have you chuckling at an absurd scenario in one moment and examining your own feelings when it drops you into the middle of an existential crisis the next. It's a mystery game that rewards exploration and is a great metaphor for how nothing in life is permanent.
Read our Night In The Woods review.
Stardew Valley (PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android)
Stardew Valley was always going to be on this list, and it's not hard to see why. It's easily the biggest game around in a genre about farming and building friendships, weaponized chill that became a huge success story over the years. Perhaps one of the reasons why Stardew Valley still resonates so well with its audience is that at its core it's a game about renewal--a story about rebuilding, legacy, and love as you tend to your crops. It's available on just about every modern platform under the Sun, and if you're looking for a wholesome combo of agriculture and adventure, this is the game to have in your library.
Read our Stardew Valley review.
Strange Horticulture (PC, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
Just because something is inherently cozy doesn't mean that it can't be dark as well. Take Strange Horticulture for example, an occult puzzle game in which you play as the proprietor of a local plant store in the town of Undermere. The citizens are creepy, your cat demands--and deserves--attention, and there's a meticulous level of attention to detail as you craft a catalog of plants. It's deeply engrossing stuff, and in a month where all the plants are showing off the latest colors from the fall season, having a splash of arcane green on your screen while you deal with other supernatural elements makes for a delightfully dark game.
Terra Nil (PC, iOS, Android)
There's an underrated joy to games that charge you with building new cities and landscapes, and in Terra Nil, the thrill of restoring nature back to its former glory makes for a nice change of pace when compared to building concrete jungles. An experience about fine-tuning the balance of nature and then leaving the land around you to take care of itself, this is an essential mobile game to have. The tap-friendly nature of everything combined with a path where you'll have to adapt to new ecological challenges constantly all result in the perfect excuse to curl up in bed with a tablet as you think green.
The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (Switch, PC)
For a light sense of spooky mischief and supernatural themes, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a bewitching game to consider. As Fortuna, a fortune-teller witch who has been condemned to exile on her asteroid home, you'll craft your own tarot deck and make a deal with a dark entity in an effort to regain your freedom and reshape the cosmic Witch society in a decades-spanning story. The lo-fi visuals, colors, and score gives it a cozy presentation, and once you factor in themes of identity, customizable tarot cards, and political plots, you've got a snug combo of elements to explore.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One)
A murder mystery at its core, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a game of following investigative breadcrumbs and absorbing the haunting scenery of its setting, Red Creek valley. On the surface, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is flush with trees shedding their leaves, a crisp coldness in the air, and a general feeling that something colder is on the way before it flips the script and hits you with a few shocking plot twists. It's a game with a constant sense of tension in the air, but it never terrifies you as you gather more clues and dive deeper into a surreal world on the edge of winter.
Read our The Vanishing of Ethan Carter review.
Thimbleweed Park (PC, Switch, PS4,, Xbox One, iOS, Android)
A love-letter to the point-and-click games of a bygone era, Thimbleweed Park is fueled by LucasArts energy and adds in a ton of convenience for good measure with thoughtful upgrades. A mystery game that's surprisingly easy to play, this is one of those titles that you'll want to curl up with while you enjoy a pumpkin spice latte. It's a nostalgic throwback to the more cerebral games of the early '90s--complete with an interface that looks like a SCUMM tribute--but it's the addition of quirky characters, fourth-wall breaks, and witty writing that makes it such a treat to play.
Read our Thimbleweed Park review.
Unpacking (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, iOS, Android)
Moving between homes can be a stressful experience, but in Unpacking, at least you won't need to worry about throwing your back out or checking the pizza budget to see if you can afford the help of your friends. For anyone with a deep love of organization, Unpacking is a compact and chill game in which you keep your materialism neat. Every room tells a story, and across years of multiple house moves, there's a tale here of change, nostalgia, and memories all wrapped up in a wholesome collection of pixels.
Read our Unpacking review.
Wytchwood (PC, Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
It's only natural that the colder months ahead will see you take up a few indoor hobbies, and in Wytchwood, you can practice your spell-making skills in this gothic tribute to fairy tales. A short and sweet adventure that looks like a storybook brought to life, Wytchwood also has a darker edge to it as you use your newly brewed spells to cast judgment on the game's cast. But it's the small details where this game shines, as the haunted woods, colorful environments, and cobblestone roads all complement a world of mystery and magic.
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