Looks like autumn's cosy vibes are coming early—and here I've been, a summer-avoidant gamer goblin wishing away the sun. Titled Whimsy & Wonder: A Cosy Games collection, the Humble Bundle's latest entry is composed of some of PC Gamer's previous cosy faves.
Proceeds will go to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Legal Defense Fund, and the bundle's sold over 6,700 copies at the time of writing.
Find a blanket to wrap up warm in and sink into a land of crunchy leaves and pumpkin spice. No, seriously, entering this level of cosy vibes without the proper safety equipment can be dangerous. You've been warned.
Cat Cafe Manager
I've never had the opportunity to go to a cat cafe, and I am violently jealous of those who have. I fully plan to live vicariously through Cat Cafe Manager, which looks like a mixture of Moonlighter, Stardew Valley, and Neopets—just, with actual pets rather than monsters. It's also set in a place called Caterwaul Way. C'mon, that's purrfect—and you meownly have to spend just under £10 (around $13) to get your paws on it. Help me.
Here Comes Niko!
A "cosy 3D platformer for tired people"? I like platformers! I'm tired! It's all the cat puns, they really take it out of you. Here Comes Niko made it onto our list of victors during last summer's wave of froggy games—and with good reason, it's got a frog in it. It's a charming platformer with sunny vibes and 2D Paper Mario-style characters. Did I mention the frog is your boss?
Witchy Life Story
PC Gamer's own Lauren Morton covered this last year—but to sum it up, Witchy Life Story is a town life sim where you have two weeks to save a harvest festival. The twist? You don't really want to be here, your grandmother's forcing you into it. The game's gorgeously illustrated, I'm sure the village of Flora won't turn out to be that much of a nightmare. After all, it looks like a nice place to spend a spell or two.
Garden Story
Lauren was also pretty excited when this game snagged a publisher back in 2019, and I can see why. Garden Story is a Stardew Valley-like town management-slash-exploration game where you play the Guardian of the Grove, tasked with protecting your fruit and vegetable pals. It even has a low-stakes "perish prevention" mode if you aren't fussed about challenge in your cosy games.
Lemon Cake
It's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake. Lemon Cake's another store management life-sim in the vein of Cat Cafe Manager, though this time your domain is baked goods, and there may or may not be a friendly ghost lurking about. It's got an adorable 3D aesthetic that reminds me of nostalgic MMOs like Mabinogi and Fly For Fun, and it's even possible to get cats. Which means I have to stop talking about it before the cat puns start taking meowver again.
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
Natalie Clayton was excited for this game back in 2020, and I'm pleased to see it make this bundle myself. Pokemon snap but made cosy—though instead of finding cool monsters, you're scouting out a bunch of lovingly-stylised creatures from real world nature. It's described as a "feel good-game about running around and doing good deeds"—and if it lets me take pictures of cool bugs, I'm all in.
A Short Hike
A Short Hike is a journey I missed, but I'm excited to begin it soon. The game—which has a 99% positive rating on Steam—puts you in the shoes of Claire as she desperately tries to find some phone signal during a visit to a provincial park. It's a cute little inciting incident for what I'm sure is a gorgeous little climb through charming pixel peaks. It also received an update a few months after its release with extra content and tweaks, so it might be worth revisiting if that passed you by.
Assemble With Care
Nothing's ever truly broken. Not if you're the protagonist of Ustwo Game's Assemble With Care, anyway. This cosy mending simulator is about fixing possessions as well as hearts. After arriving in the sunny town of Bellavira and finding it a little busted up—both in terms of treasured items and the townsfolk's spirit—it's up to you to put things back together. If you like pulling things apart and tinkering with them, Assemble With Care's got you covered.
Haven Park (65% off)
A charming game about a little bird named Flint—who waddles in a way that's activating deep, paternal feelings in me. Haven Park's all about restoring your grandmother's favourite getaway. It's park management meets Animal Crossing, as you'll eventually attract a colourful cast of characters to the reserve. Should be noted—this is just a 65% off voucher, which brings the game down to around £4.50 (just under $6) on Steam.
