A New Take on Cozy Fantasy Worlds
The release ofTales of the Shire, a cozy and wholesome game set in the world ofThe Lord of the Rings, has sparked a lot of excitement. This game allows players to experience life as a hobbit, building up Bywater before the events ofThe Lord of the Rings. Turning a well-known fantasy world into aStardew Valley-style farming and life simulation immediately caught the attention of many, and it got me thinking about what other fantasy worlds could also lead to a fun and wholesome cozy experience.
Whether it’s a world from a beloved fantasy video game, or from a familiar movie or book, there are countless worlds in various forms of media that already have well-developed settings that live rent-free in our brains. Although the term “cozy” can apply to many different styles of games, for simplicity, this list will focus on aTales of the ShireorStardew Valley-style game, with minimal combat and plenty of farming, decorating, and maybe even a little romance.
Diablo’s Town of Tristram: Rebuilding from the Ruins of Old Tristram
The dark and horribly depressing world of Sanctuary in theDiabloseries is about as far fromStardew Valleyas you can get. However, I have been a massive fan of these dungeon crawlers since the original, and I have a special place in my heart for the town of Tristram. Long destroyed, leaving only a pile of ruins where Tristram once stood, newcomers to the series may not even know of the impact that this town once had. Yet, if we could imagine that, someday in the future, things would actually start to look up for Sanctuary, at least for a generation or two, it would be incredibly fun to come in and work to rebuild this iconic town.
While having a reprieve from the disgusting monsters that currently roam the land, I would absolutely love to immerse myself in that world to plant a garden, build a home, and revitalize the town. Just don’t go underneath the church.
Peter Pan’s Neverland: A Cozy Land Full of Whimsy and Fairies
J.M. Barrie’s famousPeter Panintroduces us all to the mystical island, Neverland, where people never grow up or age. Whether making a cozy game where we get to be one of Tinker Bell’s fairy friends, or building up tree forts to live in as children, this could be a whimsical and adorable cozy game to live in.
Who wouldn’t want to wander through the Mermaid Lagoon and take a peek at the Jolly Roger? There are so many possibilities here for a relaxing escape back to our childhoods, living out Peter Pan’s fantasy once again.
The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim’s Tamriel: Already Such a Cozy Experience with Houses and Marriage
Over the years,Skyrimhas become such a well-known game that it’s likely many of us have played it several times over already. It continues to be released nearly everywhere imaginable, mods are plentiful for it, and it is a familiar and welcoming evergreen game for many. Naturally, you can already have houses inSkyrimand get married. Yet, the focus of the game is much more combat-focused with deep plots and dragons.
But what if we could live in Tamriel without being a Dragonborn? What if we were able to have a cozy farm with goats and chickens and interact with our neighbors while solving much smaller quests for our friends? Perhaps we could even still have a little magic at our disposal to help sweep the floor.
Narnia from The Chronicles of Narnia: Living in a Land Where Animals Talk and Mythical Beasts Exist
Crossing through the wardrobe into C.S. Lewis’s world ofNarniaopens up a floodgate of possibility for farming sims, cozy life sims, or even just a relaxing hiking adventure such asA Short Hikewhere we can explore the magical world without violence. Anyone who has read the books or watched the films likely can already imagine themselves exploring this fantastical land. Talking to animals like Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, meeting the Merpeople in the Great Eastern Ocean, and possibly even catching a glimpse of the great lion, Aslan. This would be a world I would love to stroll through and possibly build a home among these friends.
Harry Potter’s Wizarding World: Settling a Small Home in a Cute Hamlet
Of course, it could be argued that we already haveHogwarts Legacy, so why would we need another game set in the Wizarding World? However, as many players have noted, there can be some decidedly not-relaxing things aboutHogwarts Legacy. There are so many beautiful hamlets set in the fields and valleys surrounding Hogwarts, which would make a perfect choice of location for a lovely, cozy farm sim. Plus, as the Wizarding World obviously has magic, there is so much that can be done with a game like this to add in whimsy and make it stand out. Whether it plays more likeTales of the Shireor a fantasy-themedThe Sims, this would be a game I would immediately try.
The Forgotten Realms from Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons & Dragons: Living in a Magical World Full of Adventurers
You may be familiar with The Forgotten Realms from playingBaldur’s Gate 3, or perhaps from a tabletop game ofDnD, either way this world is a rich land full of possibilities for anything and everything. If TTRPGs have taught me anything, it’s that stretching the boundaries of your imagination can lead to memorable and amazing results. Perhaps we are retired adventurers looking to open a tavern or shop for other heroes passing through town? Or, we could be simple farmers wanting to make the world a better place. Using this setting as the base for a cozy and wholesome game wouldn’t even take much tweaking.
Any of the Final Fantasy Worlds: Imagine Living a Peaceful Life in Ivalice or Gaia
There are so many different worlds in theFinal Fantasyseries, that it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. And, of course, there are already plenty ofFinal Fantasyspin-offs that cover a plethora of genres. Yet, somehow, the idea of making aStardew Valley-style farming sim that is set in one of these lands just feels right. Imagine a small village in Ivalice where you inherit your grandpa’s farm (or a less cliché opening) and can raise chocobos and grow star carrots, then cook up some of the meals that already exist in theFinal Fantasyuniverse. After all, although it has a lot of issues,Final Fantasy XIValready has a groundwork set for housing.
Several of the Planets in Star Wars: It May Lean Towards Sci-Fi, But Star Wars Is Still Fantasy in Many Ways
Yes, there is plenty of debate over whetherStar Warsis sci-fi or space fantasy. Regardless, it is hard to dispute the idea that a cozyStardew Valleygame set on one of the familiarStar Warsplanets would be incredible. Though there are plenty of options for perfect locations, I would love to be able to play as an Ewok, building up a village on the forest moon of Endor. Even playing as a Jawa foraging through scrap on Tatooine or running a shop in Coruscant could all be fantastic games that would easily rivalTales of the Shire‘s previous announcement hype.
World of Warcraft’s Azeroth: Sure, Midnight Is Bringing Housing, But A Full Cozy Game Would Be Amazing
After 20 years,World of Warcraftis finally adding player housing to the game, but wouldn’t it be so cozy to have a whole game focused around the life sim or farming sim aspects of living in a small village in Azeroth? The mounts and animals that exist in this universe, the diversity of locations and decor styles, and even the variety of biomes could all make a cozy game beautiful and relaxed. Often, when I’m having a stressful time, I will spend hours just fishing in the MMO. So, how about a cozy game where I can complete little non-combat, or minimal combat, quests for neighbors and fish to my heart’s content?
The Legend of Zelda’s Hyrule: Building Up a Small Village, Raising Animals and Farming, Would Be a Great Spin-Off
I think the best fantasy world to make a spin-off cozy game would be Hyrule fromThe Legend of Zeldaseries. Whether it’s being a villager helping to rebuild in betweenBOTWandTOTK, or just living a happy life outside a village fromThe Wind WakerorEchoes of Wisdom, there is already so much in place to make this an incredibly special and popular game. Taking the farming sim style of a game likeStardew Valleyor even anAnimal Crossing-type gameplay and blending it with the assets, characters, and locations of Hyrule would be a day-one purchase for me, and I suspect for many other cozy gamers as well.
