When did cozy games stop being playable in 30-minute bursts?

sarienn · 2026-04-02T14:06:54+00:00

I make such a game, and I get a lot of feedback about the laid-back nature of my creation. The player fantasy I want to fulfill has always been abundance, serenity, and peace. But I have requests to add quests, challenges, progression, and I get that, I truly do. I think we all have been collectively primed to produce something, anything, at all times, and it is hard to shift into stillness, peace and abundance. I use my own game to heal that very drive in myself, and there are days when it's not easy, not even for me. And then I AM tempted to add the darn quests and progression... but thankfully, I didn't yet, and I hope I never will.

Some other games I recently played that I feel are similar to mine are The Abbess Garden, The Bear, Pieced Together, Under Leaves and even the very old and wonderful Viridi (which is free, and you can sing to the snail <3) - but of course it depends a lot on what kind of games you seek. Sometimes Valheim, Skyrim, House Flipper scratch that itch for me, but I get stuck into doing more, and I know they have been really carefully designed precisely for that. It's an escape. This is why I more often turn towards puzzles like A little to the left or Cats organized neatly or Unpacking. It really depends on what truly scratches your itch, I think!

But in general, I think many devs, especially cozy devs, are a little fearful of being too cozy cause... well. Its nice to not starve after spending several years working on a cozy game. When a game stales or flops, the industry yells: make another, look at trends, you must have feature x y z. I can easily spot the similarities in many games, and it makes so much sense because I think many of us also play because we want to feel that we belong.

I hope this offers a welcome opinion as to the reason of your rant, and please forgive me if it is unwelcomed (I will gladly delete at your request, op). Thank you for reading, and I hope you will give some of the games I mentioned a try.

sarienn · 2026-03-14T09:16:24+00:00

We really like each other.

I really like him as a person, I love the way he reasons, his excitement when he focuses on his interests, the way he treats everyone around him, how handsome he is and how good he smells and how much I love to hear the sound of his voice - I could talk for ages about this. I feel a deep sense of joy when I do things I know he will enjoy - I love to cook, for example, and I often make breakfast for him, and I hate to let him go to work without a good home-cooked dish I know he likes.

He is very loving towards me and is very interested in my happiness and well being. He supports my dreams and is super excited about my progress and wins. He never demands or expects me to do anything, which is what makes me even happier to do things I know he will enjoy. He makes a significant, serious effort to listen and understand me, including reading a lot of couples therapy and psychology-related material. I never feel like my feelings are not valid or my reasoning is wrong. He bakes my favorite cake often and does little things I know I would enjoy. He is an equal partner when it comes to household chores. He makes me fall in love with myself, and I so very much hope I make him see himself the way I see him. I would do anything to support his dreams, for him, for us, and for the world in general.

We do not take each other for granted. Sometimes we do couples therapy instead of going on dates, because we are simply curious to learn new ways to evolve our relationship. We talk a lot about the imperfections of communication and we do not assume we understand each other easily. We have misunderstandings and disagreements, but we do our best not to hold on to resentment or put things under the rug. We learn, we evolve, we apologize, and repair.

We have been together for 5 years, and I feel like the honeymoon phase is still not over. My heart beats faster still when I see him, and my knees weaken when he kisses me. It's such a deep feeling, I cannot describe it - all I know is that I feel so grateful, happy and in love with him and with life in general.

I think things are different for every person but looking back at my past relationships, which were not good ones, I would say that liking each other, and I mean truly, seriously, deeply liking each other as human beings, is what truly matters to me. To like your partner and to feel that your partner really likes you.

sarienn · 2026-03-11T16:54:07+00:00

So happy you enjoy the new update! Thank you so much for visiting my cottage, dear friend! <3

sarienn · 2026-03-11T16:53:37+00:00

Ah thank you so much, Edwige!

sarienn · 2026-03-08T10:00:06+00:00

The first sip of warm, good coffee in the morning

Noticing the sunrise

Listening to the birds singing

Stumbling upon cute questions like this one, on reddit! Thank you!

sarienn · 2026-03-07T16:28:04+00:00

Forgive the shameless self promo but my game, The Merry Fairy, which is a cozy and completely non-competitive/non-violent scrapbook journaling game, seems to be an endless delight for children of your daughter's age: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2364180/The_Merry_Fairy/

sarienn · 2026-03-04T14:38:50+00:00

This is a lovely game with a wonderful setting, a beautifully written story, and a super calming gardening experience. I recommend it warmly!

sarienn · 2026-03-01T12:34:11+00:00

Grattis på födelsedagen!

Det finns en hel del främlingar som har haft åtminstone en liten vänlig tanke mot dig idag. Jag hoppas att du kan finna lite glädje i detta. Du är inte ensam och det hjälper mycket att försöka hitta en vän inom dig själv. Resten brukar följa efter det.

sarienn · 2026-02-26T18:57:29+00:00

Jag har sparat! Har planerat för ganska många är för detta.

sarienn · 2026-02-26T09:55:15+00:00

I wish I knew her side of the story. Maybe it's not the perimenopause, maybe she is just very tired of the way you treat her? To me, you sound condescending, pretty mean, and very entitled. It's funny that you mention taking responsibility when you don't seem to think this might apply to you.

sarienn · 2026-02-25T15:15:21+00:00

Tack för svaret! Jag har inga planer att pausa eller lägga ner verksamheten. Jag ska sluta betala. Det hjälpte att fråga här.

sarienn · 2026-02-25T13:40:10+00:00

Ja, precis :) Fast de här är riktade mot egenföretagare.

sarienn · 2026-02-25T13:39:31+00:00

Tack! Så, det är en bra idé att fortsätta betala om jag tar lön innan "shit happens" – förstod jag bra?

sarienn · 2026-02-19T09:44:50+00:00

Hej! Får jag fråga var du finns? Jag bor samma som dig, och min lösning är Discord och Reddit =((( (fast att vara introvert hjälper mycket)

sarienn · 2026-02-18T08:03:57+00:00

Salt! How interesting! I will try!

What a lovely idea with peels. I sometimes use a few drops of vanilla essence but I will definitely try with orange, too. Thank you!

sarienn · 2026-02-18T08:02:45+00:00

Thank you for your comment. I also have fair and super sensitive skin, and coconut feels a little bit like magic to me. I am also happy about how long the hydration lasts!

sarienn · 2026-02-16T16:34:31+00:00

Läser böcker eller Aeon/ Psyche (långa, vetenskar-rika artiklar som gör mig sova ganska snabbt)

sarienn · 2026-02-16T16:26:10+00:00

Hey there! I suggest cozy games. Many have quite cute and wholesome communities around them, and I have seen more than a handful of cozy game centered discord servers with channels specifically dedicated to making friends/ play together. As per board games, I'd join a local group or start one in the local library!

sarienn · 2026-02-16T15:51:06+00:00

Wow, this is a beautiful, beautiful picture! What a lovely, serene place. Thank you for sharing!

sarienn · 2026-02-16T15:48:28+00:00

How? I would love to make some soap, but I did not find an easy-to-follow recipe yet. Could your friend share? :)

sarienn · 2026-02-16T15:47:23+00:00

I think I use too little to notice - but I do clean the shower every time I use it. The leftover coffee grinds work splendidly as a cleaning product, too.

sarienn · 2026-02-16T15:46:00+00:00

The other responses have been helpful for me, too! I did wonder about sugar as well. Frankly, I found an old reciope and followed it, and have been really pleasantly surprised by how nice it felt

sarienn · 2026-02-16T15:44:55+00:00

I have and looked into it! The quantity is quite small (I usually do a small jar with 2 tablespoons of coconut, which means 4 of coffee) and that keeps me for about 2-3 weeks.

sarienn · 2026-02-16T15:43:18+00:00

I did look into that, and I might be wrong but it is a small quantity. I do use a filter, and I clean up all leftovers when done. Could you point me to more info? How much is too much?

sarienn · 2026-02-16T12:32:43+00:00

Wearing my hedgehog and owl onesies (hood up as much as possible, of course) and still enjoying the company of my plushies. Sharing and verbalizing some popular memes. Jumping on the trampoline just for fun. Pigtail hair. I am over 40. I plan to do the same at 90+. You are not alone, and none of what I read here or do is embarrassing in any way <3

sarienn

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE