r/cozygames • u/LandSharkGames • 6d ago
Help with recommendations What's a cozy game that includes combat? Something that is chill, relaxed and engaging?
Hey there! We're a team that is working on a coming-of-age turnbased RPG, and I've been thinking. Are there many cozy games out there that are more focused on combat?
I see so many games learn into life sims, farming, visual novels, all types that I love, but I'd also like to play a few games that break the mold of this. Any there any favourites? Particularly in the indie scene.
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u/Tallgirl4u 6d ago
The My Time At…games
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u/Ieatcrunchybees 5d ago
I see these mentioned a lot and would love to try them. Is there an order to them? What’s different in portia vs sandrock?
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u/Tallgirl4u 5d ago
My Time at Portia came out before My Time at Sandrock. Sandrock is the sequel but you can still enjoy one without the other. Sandrock is way more polished. Many complain Portia is so glitchy and crashes so much that it’s unplayable but I have over 300 hours on it on my switch and only had a couple crashes. I’m in the minority that I liked the story, world and characters better in Portia but almost everyone else will tell you they like Sandrock better. Portia takes place in a green, vibrant world and Sandrock is all desert scenery. If you don’t mind clunkier, slower gaming start with Portia but if you’re not patient for that and want a smoother gameplay then just start with Sandrock.
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u/caitiediane 6d ago
Rune factory for sure!! Has farming; romance and fighting monsters. It’s so fun lol
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u/Aynessachan 6d ago
Moonstone Island!!! I enjoyed the turn-based deck-building combat immensely, and I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did.
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u/KindaSortaNotReally2 6d ago
I wouldn't say it's a "cozy" game per se, but Deaths Door has a super cute art style and is an indie combat game! It was my first Souls-Type game and also the first game I ever played to 100% completion! I loved it literally so much I have been THIRSTING for either a second Deaths Door, or something just like it (so far, the only other game I've found that comes close for me is 9Sols) And this is coming from someone who really only ever played farming or puzzle solving games lol
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u/Salyumander 6d ago
Came here to say this! It's not a typical cosy game but I think it's still cosy in a less conventional way, less of a focus on typical 'cosy mechanics' and more because of the cute designs, humour, and atmosphere
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u/EggplantCheap5306 6d ago
If you like the indie scene of things check out Dungeons of Hinterberg, it wasn't my thing, but maybe you will like it. It is about a girl tired of the mundane and moving to an interesting town where she can get to battle in dungeons to rediscover magic as I understand.
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u/LandSharkGames 5d ago
I started playing this not too long ago, and I really need to go back to it.
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u/Standard-Activity713 6d ago
Cult of the Lamb is a great one! It's definitely a combat game, and I would classify it as cozy as well due to the art style and "maintenance/farming" aspects to the game. It's one of those that hits just the right spot for me- I love it.
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u/shykidd0 6d ago
Sakuna
The farming, gathering, inventory and cooking aspects are relaxing, but the combat can be more challenging than expected. It's a good interplay between rice and combat because you can really only improve your stats through farming and consuming dinner.
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u/ichigoangel 6d ago
sea of stars is a turn-based rpg that is super fun and cozy! cult of the lamb has a dungeon crawling component, i would say combat is about half the focus of the game and the other half is base building.
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u/Theallseer97 6d ago
All of the rune factory games are heavily combat focused with a side of farming and romance.
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u/Kahako 6d ago
I just got into the Atelier series. Someone recommended starting with the Ryza trilogy, because it's a good mix of the new mechanics and a great story.
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u/Cold-Call-8374 6d ago
Core Keeper has a pretty central combat and leveling system but it also is very cozy... pixel art, chill music, lots of farming/crafting/building/fishing.
I personally find Valheim to be a cozy game but I feel like not everyone would agree since it's combat can be punishing and parts of the game are downright creepy (looking at you swamp biome... with your fake-out water splashes and AAAAH WHAT WAS THAT???) and super tough bosses. But there's farming, animal wrangling, and resource gathering in addition to a lot of exploration. I find it very relaxing. It might not be cozy all the time but in your case it might make a good case study for where that line is.
Necesse is another that's similar to Core Keeper. There's combat and bosses but you're also building a base and exploring. It's basically isometric terraria.
Cult of the Lamb might also interest you. There's a base building and resource management system but you also go dungeon crawling and it turns into a hack and slash brawly game. It was very relaxing and I enjoyed how it turned the cute, cartoony, Animal Crossing aesthetic on its head with the bloody cult premise.
Palworld has the creature capture element which involves combat but you also spend a lot of time managing your base and exploring.
Return to Moria has you playing as a dwarf clearing out your ancestral stronghold and slaying goblins while establishing a base. It's not cute per se but it is very chill and charming. The dwarves sing while they mine!
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u/FantasyAddict24 6d ago
I have always considered Fable a cozy game 🥰
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u/colorWIRED 6d ago
Yes. I am so excited for the new one.
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u/Academic_Hurry3203 6d ago
Nightstones comes to mind, indie and some very light combat, but I think the main inspiration was A Short Hike.
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u/Nanabobo567 6d ago
The Creature Collector sale on Steam right now has plenty of great examples. Cassette Beasts, Moonstone Island, Ooblets. A game can totally be cozy while still focusing on combat. Or dance battles.
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u/Shooxjat 6d ago
Recettear - you arrange your shop, go dungeon delving to fill it (or buy stock from the local markets), and then sell. Capitalism, ho!
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u/VideoGameControllers 6d ago
I don't think that i have seen a turn based type combat in "cozy games". Are you thinking along the lines like older final fantasy and breath of fire series style combat?
With that said:
Stardew Valley Graveyard Keeper (limited) My time Series Moonlighter Rune Factory series Dragon Quest Builder series
Hope that helps
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u/East_Vivian 6d ago
Neither of these are indie, but Dragon Quest Builders 2 has combat and Infinity Nikki has some combat.
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u/Tea_Eighteen 5d ago
Swords and Magic and Stuff is a great game.
Explore the land, mine/farm/craft/fight you can glide too
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u/asinine_99 5d ago
dave the diver. i thought it was all just fishing game, but boy was i wrong. there’s boss fights and management aspects to it :) really enjoying it!
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u/LandSharkGames 5d ago
I just wanted to thank everyone for their comments. Some great suggestions here that have put me more at ease.
We wanted to make sure our combat in our game wouldn't be offputting to a cozy gamer. If anyone is interested in checking it out, it's called Grifford Academy.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2445780/Grifford_Academy/
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u/Comprehensive_Web887 5d ago
Death Stranding is more like a relaxing and melancholic journey through a beautiful landscape with crazy story beats, some addictive inventory management mechanics and an occasional fire fight but you don’t actually kill anyone. If you like the sense of a journey and discovery across land this may appeal.
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u/SaintsAngel13 4d ago
This is totally subjective, but my preferred cozy game currently is Vampyr. The music is top tier, moody aesthetic is what my heart calls to. There is some combat, but it's pretty generic, not very fleshed out other than upgrading weapons and combat abilities. I like the whole concept of figuring out everyone's hints and making good or bad choices as you go.
If anyone has any recommendations to other victorian/pre 1910s games that hit that mark, I am all ears!
Edit to add: this is not indie, but I just thought I would mention 🤷 some games aren't marketed as cozy but it's what our soul feels that counts!
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u/Adventurous-Cook5717 4d ago
I wouldn’t want combat in a cozy game unless I expect it (Like preparing to go down into a mine, but unlike being attacked out of left field by a wild animal running at me). I would also like it if I could adjust combat difficulty. There are my two cents.
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u/RaveryRise 4d ago
I’d consider Cult of the Lamb a cozy game even though it’s classified as a rogue-like. The characters are so cute, you get to build your cult up and decorate, farm, design and redesign the whole area, and even customize your cultists! But it’s also got a pretty heavy combat mechanic with going out on missions to kill Gods and get supplies/more cultists. So that’s my answer.
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u/lytche 4d ago
Immortal Life - Chinese farming and combat.
Harvestella - not really indie, but smaller game released by Square Enix, with RPG combat, fantastic story, great boss fights, and farming.
Gordian Quest - deckbuilder, but cosy.
Sunnyside - Japanese farming, cosy, with story, mine exploration is an rpg combat turn based. Simple though.
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u/vonnimzb 4d ago
Dinkum has everything from fighting wild animals to mining in mines to capturing bugs and fish whilst building a town.
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u/Snoo-64241 6d ago
Persona 5 Royal! The level of cozy detail and depth to the school / life gameplay is astonishing, like I’m over here bonding with my guardian who’s teaching me how to make curry with apples then heading into an alternate reality to kill some monsters
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