november cozy game releases 🧸
+ find your next adventure using my custom cozy gaming tracker [inside]
i delayed sharing this post due to the election and my own grieving process. i do have final thoughts that i’ll be sharing in a separate [much shorter] post, but until then, let’s enjoy some cute video games that’ll either ease your mind and/or have you in tears from pulling on your heartstrings.
a walk with yiayia
solo developer trent garlipp created an emotionally driven adventure game based on his real-life grandmother. after taking a bad fall and having to stay at a care facility to recover, trent and his family noticed how different yia yia seemed and collectively supported her in gaining her confidence back. trent’s contributions included walks around their neighborhood and asking her questions about life. those walks became this game. through these slow-paced adventures, gamers [and trent], learn about yia yia’s life back in greece and discover deeper connections between their generations.
i didn’t know my paternal grandparents and my grandmother died when i was a child. my living grandfather is one of my best friends. i find it incredibly important, and in some ways the proper cadence of life, to learn as much from elders as much as possible and preserve the lessons they’ve learned over their years. they want to share and we can listen.
a walk with yia yia is also available on steam.
release date: november 1 [nintendo switch] | cost: $7.99
tobla - divine path
be immersed in a world of intricate puzzles and enchanting 3D visuals as mort, the unfortunate mortal chosen as the plaything for the snarky goddess, tobla. solve clever, physics-based puzzles and overcome tobla’s manipulative guidance to pass her devious trials in a quest to find your way home. i love any cozy game with cheeky dialogue so after the enchanting design style, i was already in. i’m also a bit nervous when it comes VR so this is possibly the closest i’ll be getting to one of those headsets.
this game also made the concept of the ✨unreliable narrator✨ come to mind. i first heard it in the movie life itself and it’s been my favorite literary device since. i’d love to use an unreliable narrator in a project one day—maybe an installation where nothing is what it seems despite what you’re being told. it also leads my mind to consider: aren’t we all unreliable narrators in our own way[s]?
tobla - divine path is also available on steam.
mario & luigi: brothership
mario and luigi team up in their eighth title with the open seas as their backdrop. the story begins with the uni-tree being destroyed and separating the world of concordia into islands. it’s up to the duo to put it back together again! from their shipshape island [part ship, part island], the brothers search for the drifting islands—meeting the locals of each, solving puzzles, and fighting new rivals along the way.
confession: i have never paid attention to a mario plot in all my gaming days, so the storyline here doesn’t truly matter to me [even though finding and connecting islands sounds really cool]. i’m more interested in this being a new turn-based game that my partner and i can play together. i learned very early into our relationship that co-op games are far better for our relationship health than versus games. following our overcooked! completion and our current title it takes two, this seems like a great follow-up. [but maybe when the price drops, i simply cannot justify that cost so i’ll let ya’ll know if it goes on sale].
release date: november 7 | cost: $59.99
land of mushrooms
i feel 2025 will be the year i take my mushroom interest seriously. they function and “communicate” with each other feels is significantly in alignment with my community-building aspirations. inspiration comes from everywhere. i’m also interested in microdosing, but that’s another topic for another blog post.
land of mushrooms is for picking up when you need a 10-minute mental break [or more, no judgment over here]. connect mushrooms that drop into the pot and watch them transform into larger, beautiful fungi. you’ll have to dodge a few obstacles, but you also get 🌈the rainbow mushroom🌈 that can connect with any shroom in your pot. keep your pot from overflowing and see how large of a fungi masterpiece you can create! play solo or in versus mode, making this the perfect game to play with a friend or partner on a rainy, cold day indoors in front of your favorite comfort show with a nice soup simmering on the stove 🥰
this game also reminds me of a mobile browser game i found earlier this year. it was so addicting that i had to share with my friends, who were all unreasonably upset that i showed them the perfect distraction [mission accomplished 😈]. but now we have it in a more aesthetically pleasing and interest-aligned version, so honestly, ya’ll are welcome???
release dates: november 10 @ 4pm [playstation], november 15 [nintendo switch], november 21 [epic games]
cost: $2.69 [nintendo switch]
stray
i’ve heard of this game from other cozy gamers and then my non-gaming stepsister finished it and loved it, so i know this is a good one.
see the world as a lost cat trying to find its way back to its family. set in a dystopian cybercity littered with robots, droids, and other dangerous creators, you must find creative ways to stay safe amongst the city’s inhabitants while also solving the ancient mystery of how to escape the long-forgotten city. explore the world’s highs and lows with cat-like reflexes and the playful naughtiness of your average domesticated cat. from a design perspective, i enjoy the contrast between the decaying city and the neon signs keeping the streets illuminated. it reminds me of cyberpunk 2077 but with much less violence and more adorableness.
nintendo switch is the final console to receive stray so woohoo for cat lovers, you can play from anywhere!
release date: november 19 | cost: $39.99
mysims: cozy bundle
if you’re a mysims fan or looking for a new rpg to get lost in, these re-releases will be waiting for you. ea will be re-releasing both mysims and mysims kingdom as a bundle. build and decorate your cozy homes, solve mysteries, and make friends with quirky townies in these simulation classics.
these are adorable, but i’m deep in my sims 4 legacy challenge on my pc and i personally cannot commit to another sim-based game right now, but here for ea remembering that simmers of all kinds have switches!
release date: november 19 | cost: $39.99
on your tail
on your tail feels like being dropped into a really good mystery movie where you have no idea what’s going to happen, but you’re here for the aesthetically pleasing backdrop of it all.
in this 3D narrative-driven rpg, you play as the curious diana, looking to have a relaxing summer vacation in the italian seaside village of borgo marina. however, in her pursuits of enjoying the eccentric townsfolk and local activities, she realizes there are quite a few mysteries afoot—and who can say no to a rabbit hole?
search the village and talk to locals to uncover clues using a combination of investigative work, interrogation, and deduction reasoning. the card-game-inspired game mechanics piqued my interest—i do want to see how that plays into the overall story flow. we shall see!!
release date: november 21 | cost: TBD
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if you ever need a cozy game suggestion, take a scroll through my cozy game tracker. it has games i’ve completed and unleased projects i’m keeping an eye on. let me know if you see something you like! [or have any suggestions that i need to have in my roster based on what you see, i love a good recco]
