Honestly, it didn’t really start at games. Before I became a…polar bear on the internet…I was struggling a lot with managing my mental health. My therapist and I discussed the challenges I faced with self-soothing and what kind of skills or tools could help. Games had always been there so it just kind of made sense to pair something I already enjoyed with this idea of self-care. It really is just a more mindful and intentional approach to the games I play.
Also, when you start really prioritizing self-care, self-kindness, you begin to really learn the art of loving yourself. Loving yourself leads you towards things and people that make you feel safe, peaceful and happy. In short, cozy gaming came along almost naturally as a result of me just…wanting to take care of me.
And for me, it goes even further beyond that. I think part of it is trying to acknowledge that there is value in rest, that value and reward doesn’t always come from doing things that are hard, from work, from dedication to work, wealth, or productivity. You don’t always have to do more, be more, achieve more. It can be enough, right here, right now. There is great value in simply being alive, taking it slow, and seeking whatever may bring comfort and joy.
When 2024 arrived, I realized that my goals and aspirations for this year are just that. I want to fill this year with as much cozy and comfort as possible. I want to be able to look back at the end of the year and think, “I took care of me.”
What does that look like? Well, for starters, it’s playing more games. It means finally getting through some of my Steam backlog and trying different games, different genres, and seeing what I enjoy. It means more self-kindness and more positive self-talk and continuing to listen to and honor that voice. It means more me-time, more investment in comfort. A new brew, a new book, a new TV show. Comfy clothes, comfort meals, and evenings dedicated to writing, lounging, connecting, loving. Spending time with friends, loving those I love most, and being a cozy space not only for myself, but for others too! :’)
Here is a guide for getting started in The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs Expansion! This guide was requested by a dear friend fenfaerie🙂
I recently picked up Cats & Dogs, as well as Eco Lifestyle, during the 2023 holiday sale. This is the best time to buy the expansion packs at 60% off! The otherwise $40 expansion pack drops down to only $15.99.
As many Sims players would know, there’s a ridiculous amount of content for the Sims 4. Not only is there many Expansion Packs, but there are also Game Packs (smaller expansions) and Kits (usually clothing and furnishings only), and they’re all quite pricey outside of a big sale.
Many would argue the expansion packs are hardly created equal. Steam reviews will show you how mixed and even poorly they’re received. However, I do think the packs are very unique and individual to the player’s taste. I’ve seen Eco Lifestyle ranked incredibly low across the other expansions, but it’s actually my favorite one! I also own City Living, and Cottage Living, but I personally find them to be a lot less involved than Eco Lifestyle. I may provide a guide for Eco Lifestyle in the future, but since it isn’t much of a cozy expansion, I’ll wait to see if readers have any interest🙂
Now for Cats & Dogs! Of course, I played this expansion for one reason only: To turn my IRL kitty into a Sims kitty!
This is the first expansion I’ve seen that offers the ability to purchase and run a business. In Cats & Dogs, you can purchase an existing Veterinarian Clinic or build one (or download another player’s design!) on any of the other existing plots. This was very exciting, as it’s the first time I’ve done this! However, it can be a little rough to get into.
I recommend easing into it and either building a small clinic, or buying the existing one to get started.
It is also recommended to level up your Veterinarian skill prior to buying a clinic, and using the new crafting station to craft medications, as they will come in handy for the clinic! Having those medications as you and your other vets level up their skills can make a huge difference.
There are other perks to this as well. You’ll be able craft age-up and age-down treats at level 6. At level 10 you can craft the ambrosia treat which allows you to bring your pet back to life.
I also recommend putting out a couple of the high-end robot vacuums. They will keep the clinic clean and the customers happy!
Make sure to keep liter boxes and automatic food dispensers around the clinic as well.
After purchasing a clinic, you will have to manage your staff and treatments. You can hire up to 3 staff members and choose both the quality of your treatments as well as the price you will charge customers. Keeping the prices reasonable and acquiring perks will help you run a successful vet clinic.
Cats and dogs are unique in that they cannot be controlled, and you also can’t view their needs in the same way you can for infants.
To take care of your pets, you will have to pay close attention to their behavior! It is not difficult to tell when your pet is sick, and needs to be taken to the vet.
You can treat your own pet at the clinic, as well as in your home if you’d like to invest in having the equipment.
Pet training is another new skill that you can learn, with a maximum level cap of 5. Pet training can really come in handy, especially for dogs.
You can train both your cats and dogs at the local parks.
What’s so great about pet training is you will specifically be able to train your dog to collect items, do tricks, or even attack other Sims.
Animal traits are also super varied and very unique and can really build a specific personality for each of your pets. Give your cat the affectionate trait and watch them follow you around the house. Skittish cats will hide under tables and beds when frightened. Smart dogs will quickly learn tricks, while aggressive dogs might become hostile towards strangers visiting your plot.
Overall, The Sims 4: Cats & Dogs is a great expansion to play if you love animals! Of all the expansions I’ve been able to try so far, this one is definitely the coziest.❤️
It’s been almost 2 weeks since my last post. Christmas came and went, and here we are. In 2024. It was quiet here in Cozy Bear’s cave, as it often is. I hope you’ve been able to enjoy some time with loved ones and reflect on this past year with gratitude. For me, this was a year of transformation. Many has changed, some was lost, but the most important aspects of my life are holding strong. I haven’t quite decided how much of my personal life I’d like to share here, but I’m sure my struggles and triumphs were much like yours. We’re all just trying to make our way, the best way we know how, through this silly thing we call life.
When I reflect on this past year, I like to look at both my Spotify Wrapped (If you’d like to see what kind of weird tunes this bear is listening to…), as well as my Steam Year in Review. So much of the media I consume is games and music. So much so that it’s a really great way for me to teleport back to a time and ask myself: Who was I? Where was I? What was I feeling when I picked up this game or when I was obsessed with this song? But! This isn’t about music; this is about games!
According to Steam, I’ve played 49 games, 41 of them being new. I unlocked 267 achievements across 27 games. And my top 5 most played games were: Final Fantasy XIV Online, The Elder Scrolls Online, Guild Wars 2, Necesse, ad Pathfinder: Kingmaker.
So, yes, I know what you’re thinking. Cozy Bear! These aren’t even cozy games! More than half of those are MMOs! OK, you’re right. It’s true. Soooo, let’s talk about them!
Yes, I did, spend 60% of my playtime in Final Fantasy XIV Online. I am guilty. (You should have seen 2022…it was like 75%…)
If I had to pick an MMO with the most “cozy potential”, I’d probably have to nominate FFXIV. This was, ofc, before Palia came along, and to be frank, I owe at least 50% of that coziness to my friends whom I share FFXIV with. It is cozy because we made it cozy together. There is a kind of charm and nostalgia that FFXIV brings that motivates me to keep coming back. It’s the friendship, most of all. Isn’t it always the friends we made along the way?
Prior to FFXIV becoming my primary MMO, I played The Elder Scrolls Online. I returned to ESO briefly to catch up on expansions I’d missed. Towards the end of 2023, I felt an itch to find a new MMO – something new and exciting. This is why you can see me putting in some time in a couple of them. I tried Guild Wars 2, and there was a lot about that one I liked. I even played Palia for several months, which is not featured here, but I really enjoyed that too! Perhaps I just feel most at home in Eorzea. Maybe I found a second home in the world of Hydaelyn and that is that.
The last two games are also quite special. Necesse is probably one of my favorite games of all time. It’s an indie title, and literally on sale for just $5 right now! Considering the small price tag, it offers so much game play; so much customization. It offers the best accessibility I’ve seen so far in the Open World Survival Craft genre. I felt so accomplished when I managed to beat every boss in that game.
Finally, the last title on my top 5 list is Pathfinder: Kingmaker. This was gifted to me by my partner, whom introduced me to this genre of games for the first time. It’s a Party-Based RPG/CRPG, which I have no history with at all! Regardless, I absolutely enjoyed my little adventures with my companions! Just typing this right now makes me want to download Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous! But I’d need to make a lot of space for it first! (Ah, yes, gaming – with it’s constant uninstalling and reinstalling of games…and never enough space for all the games we want to play!) For someone who knows nothing about Dungeons & Dragons, and nothing about this genre at all, I felt like it was very accessible to many different kinds of players, which I really appreciated. Yes, I did play on the easiest mode, and that was still enough of a challenge for me! It’s a lot of text to read, but for me, what makes it “cozy” is the slow pace, getting immersed in the story and expansive lore, and being able to take your time and pause at the beginning of every encounter.
Anddddd that’s Cozy Bear’s Steam Year in Review 2023!
I’d really love to hear about your favorite games of 2023, or, if you’d like, drop a link to your Steam Year in Review in the comments!
Here is a review for the new LEGO Fortnite! Have you folks tried it yet? What do you think?
I never thought, ever in my life, I’d download Fortnite. Battle royale games aren’t usually very cozy, neither are survival games. But sometimes they can be? Maybe when it’s LEGOs?
A dear friend of mine showed me the official gameplay trailer for LEGO Fortnite a few days ago and I was immediately drawn to it! Although not quite the same as Minecraft, the trailer did remind me of it, and it wasn’t long before l I found myself feeling nostalgic for my cozier cub days. When I think of early cozy gaming, I often think of hiding away in a corner of the library playing Minecraft on my laptop, when I should have been doing homework instead. This was nearly 15 years ago. I was a high school senior, and so many years later, I still seek out that same feeling.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about gaming with friends, and I realized this is exactly the kind of multiplayer experience I’ve been wanting for a long time. Playing with friends, bonding over games, is a level of coziness that has to be experienced. I just want to chop wood and tend to my little garden with my favorite people. I want to give them all the raspberries I’ve collected. I want to build us a cute log cabin.
Cozy, isn’t it? Minus the bosses and quickly depleting hunger bar :’)
Of course, LEGO Fortnite is barely 2 weeks old, and it’s got a lot of patches ahead. There’s a lot of improvements that can be implemented.
I think the inventory system can be greatly improved!
Some clarity into what furniture items contain storage and how much inventory slots should be made clear. (For example, the counters contains storage, but it isn’t listed under storage, but instead, under tables.)
Chests are so small! Small chests only hold 10 items, and the medium chest only holds 6 more.
I think some kind of sorting and stacking system would also be appreciated.
Items don’t auto-stack, and the merging mechanic doesn’t appear to be working.
There is quite a bit of lag.
Improved tutorial and guidance would also be helpful, as a lot of mechanics aren’t clear. I only just recently discovered that the sheep, chickens and cows will eat vines! It is unclear how to herd those animals into a gated pen.
I’ve got a long way to go, and there’s still much to learn and discover!
In terms of accessibility, I must say it does try! Yes, there is a Sandbox Mode, and that is great, but that hardly provides any kind of challenge. Survival Mode is customizable, meaning you can turn off the scary bosses and even reduce the penalty on your character death. The issue with turning off enemies is you do need those enemy drops to progress through the game, so unfortunately, if you want to continue to level up your town and continue to build and upgrade crafting stations, among many other items, you have to play Survival Mode, with the enemies on. And, unfortunately, there is no enemy difficulty customization at the moment.
All in all, I do think LEGO Fortnite is worth a try! If you find the combat difficult, you can enlist some friends to help. 8 players can share a world, and I think that’s more than enough to have a cozy, fun time with friends!
A few days ago I discovered this cozy mobile game called Tsuki’s Odyssey!
Tsuki’s Odyssey is a passive adventure game featuring Tsuki, a cute rabbit fellow, and the oddball characters of Mushroom Village. In this adorable game, you can decorate your treehouse, farm carrots, talk with your friends of Mushroom Village, and catch lots of fish! What I enjoy so much about this game is seeing Tsuki interact with objects, toys, and the world around him. If you check back often, you might witness something cute happening!
Like mentioned above, Tsuki’s Odyssey is a passive game, similar to an “idler”, and it is a game you pick up and put down periodically, and not something you consistently play. I was surprised when I found how enjoyable this kind of game can be! It’s something cozy to check-in to a few times a day.
I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you love cute and cozy games, or have had trouble finding a mobile game to enjoy. Mobile games are generally something I shy away from, as I often find them lacking as a full game. Also, any game that is both on mobile and PC, I rather just play on my laptop! But, for once, I have to say, this is worth a try!
Hey there! It’s Cozy Bear here! Here’s a beginner’s guide for Wylde Flowers. After 50 hours of gameplay, I’ve compiled a list of helpful tips to help you as you progress through the game as a new player.
If you don’t know yet, Wylde Flowers is a ~cottage cozy~ farming and life sim, where you play as a young witch named Tara. After her fiance dumps her, and she loses her job as a journalist, she decides to ditch the city life for Fairhaven. By day, Fairhaven is a charming coastal town. By night, well, that’s when the *magic* happens!
You’re going to need *a lot* of wood, iron, and coin to complete upgrades on your farm. Expanding both your toolshed and garden is very helpful early on. Upgrading your garden will help you generate the coin needed to continue upgrading both your farm (chicken coop, barn, bridge to the hills above), as well as your tools.
In most cases, selling crafted food doesn’t actually turn bigger profit than simply selling your crops outright to Lina. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest in cooking. Cooking is a very big part of the game, as it does replenish your energy, and in some cases, your magic. Each villager also has favorite meals, which can be crafted. You can discover what those meals are with the Crystal Ball.
There are tons of recipes in the game. Here are all the different ways to obtain them: fishing, mining large boulders on your farm, digging dirt piles in the forest above your farm, and buying recipe books from villagers.
You can skip a bite while fishing, without losing your bait. Messages in a bottle (recipes) will always bite last, so you’ll have to wait until all the fish have swam away to snag it.
Craft paper (2 wood) and collect coal from the mines as early on as you can. These two items will be the foundation of all your incantations. The most useful incantation is Summon Small Things (paper, black ink – coal, weed, and a moon flower). It will loot all small harvestables off the ground automatically. This can be very useful, as you will be harvesting so much!
An easy recipe to make in bulk is Fish Stew (any fish, any vegetable), this is especially the case once you expand your farm and unlock the Animal Shapeshifting Spell (paper, black ink, couch shell, and cat fur). Once you unlock shapeshifting through the coven quests, you’ll be able to fish very quickly without using any energy, while being a cat!
Your main priorities for progressing through the game should be coven quests (as they do unlock magical crafting) as well as upgrading tools and your farm.
Pick up trees from Kai as soon as you’re able. Not only do they not require watering, but they can be harvested more than once. They’re a great source of income, with almost no effort.
Talk to villagers, and pet your cat, and your farm animals every day!
If you can think of any other important tips, let me know in the comments! I’d love to add it to the list and quote you!
Wylde Flowers is a ~cottage cozy~ farming and life sim, where you play as a young witch named Tara. After her fiance dumps her, and she loses her job as a journalist, she decides to ditch the city life for Fairhaven. By day, Fairhaven is a charming coastal town. By night, well, that’s when the *magic* happens!
After about 50 hours of gameplay, and almost through the coven questline, I realized that Wylde Flowers was the best example of how sometimes a game can really surprise you! This is a game I often glanced at, but had never purchased. When I finally got my hands on it, I was so glad I did. I’ve been playing this off and on for almost a week, while fighting off a nasty bug. As someone who does not manage being sick very well, this game offered me the calm and relaxation when I really needed it.
I’d also like to note that it was the Uplifting Adventures Game Bundle by Humble Bundle, curated by Wholesome Games, that finally gave me a chance to experience such a great game. The bundle is still on sale for 10 more days! (ends 12/20/23) And the minimum price for the entire 8-item bundle is $20. Pay more to support Save the Children.
Pros:
It’s beautiful. It is truly a magical, delightful escape, and I can see myself putting in many more hours to escape to the magical world of Fairhaven and Ravenwood Hollow. The art style is very charming, very cottage-core, or perhaps ~cottage cozy~ !
Fairies, goblins, and werewolves (and yes, you can even romance the werewolf…!) Potions, incantations, and a crystal ball! It’s all the witchy magical stuff that makes this game so special.
The magic and spell casting is so charming, but all of the crafting in this game is very well done. There are tons of crafting stations, magical included, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming or confusing at all. It does not feel like a grind, either. Taking the time to craft, including magical items, really does pay off. Think incantation that lets you shape shift into a cat for a day, or casting a spell that allows you to auto-loot all harvestables!
Fishing is simple, but unique. Not only is there a ton of fish to discover, but fishing can also provide cooking recipes as well. Fish is a staple in a lot of recipes and it’s a great way to make money in the game.
There is no tool wheel. No-need for swapping tools. The upgraded tool doesn’t break. Amazing.
Fantastic writing. Diverse and interesting characters with well-developed backgrounds. So much representation! There is a lot of story to be enjoyed here.
Did I mention you can marry a werewolf, from Alaska, who owns a bookshop? Because I feel like that’s a very important piece of information…
Cons:
You might forget what sleep is and stay up until 6 am living your best cottage-cozy life (while gazing lovingly at your werewolf bookworm husband…)
That’s it.
In a nutshell, I hope you consider giving Wylde Flowers a chance – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and perhaps even smitten.
Cozy Time is a productivity tracker, idler, and pomodoro focus timer available on Steam. Right away, I’d like to share that it is definitely more of an app than a game, but I still think it is well worth the small price tag ($2.99) just based on the cute aesthetic and usefulness alone!
Although there are other similar apps on Steam, such as Chill Corner and Virtual Cottage, there is something that Cozy Time has that the others do not – and that’s the cozy element. The animations, along with the music are very relaxing, and perfect for study, work, or chores. It also includes a to-do list, and various customization. You can upload your own background image and music. The music the developer used (many titles by Aakash Gandhi) are cozy piano ballads that I really enjoy and will definitely be adding to my own writing, working, or studying playlist!
Probably the most clever addition to Cozy Time is the user is rewarded from completing their tasks with points, which can then be used to decorate their room. As you continue to use the app, you can obtain more poses for your character, as well as upgrade your furniture, and unlock new pets. This reward system is motivating and makes Cozy Time very special.
Cozy Time also includes a calendar that tracks your daily activities within the app, as well as atmospheric changes, such as changing the weather and time of day within the app.
If you already use task and productivity trackers or apps, especially paid ones, I highly recommend giving Cozy Time a try! If you’re a fan of pomodoro timers (being productive for a set amount of time, such as 25 minutes, and then giving yourself a 5 minute rest), or have been interested in trying this time management method, I think this is a great introduction to that. You may be surprised how effective it is, for both perfectionists, and those who suffer from procrastination. Cozy Time encompasses many different elements to help the user avoid mental fatigue and burnout.
As a recent returning student, I’ve been looking for ways to optimize my study routine, and I have a good feeling that this app will prove to be very helpful!
Everydream Valley is a cozy farming sim. It is one of many “on my way to fix up my grandpa’s trashed farm” and let’s start with the fences and chickens. Although there are definitely a lot of farming and life sims out there, this one does in fact check that cozy box. It is hands down one of the cutest and coziest I’ve played!
Pros:
It’s freakin’ adorable! All the farm animals make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Aesthetics alone, it’s got me coming back for more!
Not only are they cute, but they TALK! (in your dreams – just like IRL heh)
It’s very simple, straight-forward, easy to follow. There is a lot of guidance from your grandparents, whom are your guide as you progress through the game.
Everything is accessible through the merchant. This can save time, especially when it comes to farming and exploring the map (the long way) when it comes to fulfilling quest objectives.
Sawing wood, sheering wool and milking cows include a little mini-game! You can also skip this mini-game and 1-click auto-sheer wool, auto-milk cows, or auto-cut wood instead. This will give you less materials, but the option is there!
There are also mini-games while you “dream” at night. This adds a little extra flavor to otherwise repetitive gameplay.
Cons:
Progression is slow. This, for me, is what ultimately led me to put the game down after 36 hours of game play.
Fast Travel…sucks. The owl is a cute (even cozy) concept, but it’s just not very effective at getting around the map. I was also 30+ hours in, and pretty far into the map before I even picked up my first owl. You need 2 owls to fast travel between 2 locations.
It takes long to access your first mountable animal (pigs!) so it’s a lot of running back and forth to your farm, which after a while, gets quite repetitive and tiresome.
Inventory could have been designed better, such as craft from chests, and better inventory management and sorting.
The Treehouse takes very long to access (I didn’t even get far enough to obtain it *sad bear noises*) but I’ve picked up tons of furniture items for it, which I can’t place or use.
Character creation and design isn’t my favorite. It feels lacking, and could really benefit from expanding these options, including in-game clothing options.
Ultimately, I think you should give Everdream Valley a try. If you’re all about cozy, you will enjoy this. It may even be more your pace than it has been for me! It also looks like the developers have been releasing updates, and hopefully, in time, there will be more content and items available.
Hey there! Here is a beginner’s guide for Everdream Valley! I’m approximately 36 hours in and I felt this was a good place to both provide a review and a guide for new players.
Everydream Valley is a very cute, fairly simple farming sim, with light story.
For those just getting started, you’ll probably notice that the game, and mechanics, as well as all elements to the game progress very slowly. This will continue to be the case, even 30 hours in. As I played, I noticed that most, if not all progression, is linked to the main story quests. You will need to progress though these main story quests in order to cross bridges and unlock the pickaxe.
Some bridges require nails, as well as wood. Nails are not craftable. The bridges that require nails can only be obtained by progressing through the quests.
The first drought doesn’t actually last that long, so don’t worry if you are unable to get your sprinklers up! In order to “electrify the farm”, you will need to gather parts. The parts can be purchased from the trader for a very steep price early on, but they can also be found as you progress through the story and unlock new areas.
Following the trader questline is also not to be skipped! He will lower those extremely expensive prices for you.
You can auto-sheer wool, and auto-milk cows. You can also auto-cut wood into planks as well. This will give you only one item instead of two.
In the dream wheel, you can also skip one round, but only one! (I hate those ducks so I always try to skip it…)
Cooking is a great source of income! Cheese sells for 1000 gold, and it isn’t that difficult to make. Milk and water make cream, and 2 creams make cheese. You can also auto-cook once you’ve cooked it perfectly 10 times! See the official Everdream Valley wiki for recipes.
Shrub fruit are also a great source of income if you dig them up and put them on your farm, especially once you’ve picked up the basket. They spawn daily and produce a lot! With the basket, you will auto-loot all small gatherables such as tree logs, fruit from trees, and also bushes and mushrooms.
The magic flute is fantastic for herding animals. The charm does not expire in 10 seconds like the petting does. You can also charm an entire herd at a time, or walk up to charm/uncharm a single animal.
Keeping your animals fenced together in an enclosure with pastures (filled with hay) and animal shelters is a great way to manage food and prevent your animals from getting sick.
A Cuppa Cozy 