Franchises That Need Cozy Games

With video games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley becoming wildly popular, cozy games are becoming bigger than ever. So much so that there are now cozy games based on major franchises like Disney Dreamlight Valley and Tales of the Shire: A ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Game. Because of this, it’s worth thinking about which other franchises would work for a cozy game. See some particularly fitting options below.

Super Mario Bros.

The Super Mario Bros. video game series covers a lot of genres, from 2D platformers to kart racers, and even baseball games and turn-based RPGs. It wouldn’t feel too out of place for there to be a cozy game thrown in the mix. Imagine living among the Toads in the Mushroom Kingdom, interacting with them, doing favors for them, and bonding with them over time. Perhaps there could be a variety of minigames similar to what’s been seen in other Mario games, like playing cards or solving puzzles. Mario is essentially the mascot of gaming, so it only makes sense to eventually explore the cozier genres.

The Legend of Zelda

The kingdom of Hyrule from The Legend of Zelda has become one of the most iconic settings in gaming history. A game that has you live in it and interact with the Gorons, Rito, Zora, Hylians, and Gerudo without having to battle monsters and save the world from evil could be unique and interesting. The recent installments like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom introduced foraging and cooking mechanics that could be expanded on further for this to make a sort of cozy survival game. Hyrule is rich with story and lore, which would fit perfectly into a cozy game’s atmosphere.

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Studio Ghibli’s Kiki’s Delivery Service is one of the coziest movies around. It could also easily be adapted into a rather cozy video game. Do some work at the bakery and fly around the beautiful, quaint town on your broomstick to make deliveries. Perhaps completing deliveries allows you to gain currency that you can use to buy various outfits, pets, and decorations for your living quarters. This one could have a level of charm that would go unmatched.

Scott Pilgrim

Whether it’s the graphic novel series, the live action film, the video game, or the animated series, each take on Scott Pilgrim is set in a somewhat whimsical version of Toronto. There’s a slew of shops, vegan restaurants, and concert venues with unique aesthetics and feels that are begging to be explored and managed. Perhaps each one comes with their own tasks and minigames, like rhythm-based concert minigames and cooking challenges. Of course, there would also be navigating the social scene and awkwardly talking to hipsters and other folks at parties to maintain relationships.

Star Wars

As one of the biggest pop culture franchises of all time, it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise to see a Star Wars cozy game attempted. The galaxy far far away is always expanding, afterall. Run the Cantina, get to know folks from a massive variety of species, bet on pod-races, and help the citizens of Tatooine with their daily tasks. Take a break from the lightsaber duels to get cozy.

Warner Bros. Lot

Disney has seen some success with Dreamlight Valley, which has characters from across Disney’s properties living and interacting in a single place. Warner Bros. absolutely has the IPs to create their own take on this. With the likes of Scooby-Doo, Batman, the Looney Tunes, Mad Max, The Powerpuff Girls, Harry Potter, the Animaniacs, and countless others walking around and going through their daily lives at the WB lot overlooked by the iconic water tower could lead to a fun experience. Interacting with such a wide variety of characters would be a blast. Who wouldn’t want to design their own WB lot with set pieces like the Bat Signal, the Eye of Sauron, and the Mystery Machine?

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