The Cosy Aesthetics of Games

There are several design elements that contribute to the creation of a cosy game . Cosy games, unlike traditional game genres, are often not defined by mechanics or gameplay alone, but by the feelings they evoke in players. In cosy games, design elements such as colour palettes, lighting, texture and spatial composition are not just visual tools but emotional instruments. The player’s sense of warmth, nostalgia and tranquillity is largely shaped by how these elements are designed, making v isual design core to the cosy gameplay experience.  The concept of “cosiness” in games is still underdefined in academic discourse but is increasingly being explored as an affective genre marked by emotional safety, warmth and low-stakes interaction. Wäppling et al. (2022) outlines cosy games as games which are “safe, abundant and soft,” shifting the focus away from competition and intensity toward emotional well-being. Safety, Abundance, Softness Cook (2018) points towards Maslow’s Hierarchy of...

Hi there, and welcome! I’ve created this blog to document my progress throughout my h onours research project , which explores the visual design strategies behind cosy games. It might be helpful to think of this as a development diary. Cosy games offer something special: a sense of safety, calm, and nostalgia, and while their appeal is growing rapidly, many of us - players, designers, and researchers alike - are still figuring out what exactly makes a game feel cosy , and how we can intentionally design for that feeling. How do colours, textures, lighting, and space come together to create a feeling of comfort? How can developers intentionally design a game world that feels safe, nostalgic, and emotionally rich? And perhaps most importantly, what even is a cosy game? Through this blog, I’ll be sharing insights from my research into how elements like colour palettes, lighting, textures, and spatial layout work together to create the emotionally rich environments that define the genre....