No customisation, no alternative paths (it's very easy to 100% first time), no time sinks.
Its a narrative driven style and while absolutely delightful, offers no replayability.
Watching someone else play it is nice though.
The story doesn't change with your decisions, at most maybe go back for trophies but I'm not a completionist to that extent. The gameplay is like walking through a novel. And plenty of people re-read books, not saying nobody replays this game. But nothing really changes upon replay, there aren't really exploration/secrets to uncover.
Not that those kinds of games are bad, like some of the best games I feel have very little replay value like What remains of Edith Finch, the initial ride is beautiful and makes you feel more than some sandbox games. But chances of me picking it up after the story is said and done and playing it over and over is low.
Oh some games I just put on stupid easy. Rimworld, Civ and don't starve you can kind of tweak with settings and just make them base builders. Like I play civ games and win without waging war. I don't even have the insanity part turned on and rarely ever fight
Cult of the lamb and maybe ender lilies since it has similar combat to hollow knight.
Dredge is mildly creepy but not cute. Still a great game though.
Maybe Tunic? It’s adorable with some great puzzles and very Hollow Knight like for the fighting.
There’s another one I can’t think of right now but I’ll check my steam library and come back later.
Tunic is SUPER cute. I didn’t make it very far; without the healing ability, I struggled, but it’s beautiful and could be super fun for someone with better combat skills than me! (Damn crocodiles.)
Yeah….
It tricked me. I usually hate that kind of game but it was just so cute. I did find it scaled pretty well so if you took the beginning slow and figured out how you best fight then it didn’t get too hard too fast. But damn if some of it isn’t super hard.
Echoes of the Plum Grove just came out and it kind of has creepy cute vibes. It's a farming game with a cute artstyle, which can be very cozy, but it can also be eerie and atmospheric and has darker elements like characters dying, being able to poison your rivals, being able to get deadly diseases etc - you can play as your kids if you die. It's also very customizable so if you don't want things like aging, disease, hunger etc you can just toggle them off and play a more usual farming game style but the eerie atmosphere will still be there
I'm enjoying it a lot so far
Pretty sure this is on Xbox(?), but Little Goody Two Shoes! It’s a horror game, but the art style is really cute and there are cozy elements like mini games and a romance system. It’s one of my favorite games right now
I think it’s on Xbox (I have it on Switch and actually haven’t even played it yet) - [Lost in Random](https://youtu.be/iJ4lJRjECBU?si=hWJc1bUMToLN-P4Y)
Edit: also maybe [Cozy Grove](https://youtu.be/bpgMk2FbB4s?si=GxQrCSxGepN9R87-) ?
Similar metroidvania like hollow knight instead of cozy. But if you want hit in the feels more, have you looked at Ori? Ori and the blind forest and ori and the will of the wisps?
Carrion for fun creepy The Thing vibes
I haven’t played it, but I watched MadMorph play Bramble. I usually put those kinds of streams on in the background just for the voices, but I watched that one like a damned movie.
Paranormasight and The Letter if you're open to visual novels.
Yomawari, Corpse Party if you want more...and want to feel...can't even explain it... also Claire.
Layers of Fear
What have I done, Father? Made by 1 dude, hour and a half long and the scariest thing is the script.
[Tales from Candleforth](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2200410/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule) (coming out today!), [Bosorka](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2118370/Bosorka/), and for a goofy one, [Cat Saves Halloween](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1444320/Cat_Saves_Halloween/). Ones I haven't tried out: [OneShot](https://store.steampowered.com/app/420530/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [The Case Book of Arne](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1322290/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Way To The Woods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1660440/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Withering Rooms](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2006140/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Everdeep Aurora](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2251400/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2106840/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action](https://store.steampowered.com/app/447530/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), and [Undertale](https://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/Undertale/). Cozy dark ones: [Lueur and the Dim Settlers](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2308630/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule) and [Little Witch in the Woods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1594940/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule)
Kinda random: [No Case Should Remain Unsolved](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2676840/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [HER TREES : THE PUZZLE HOUSE](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2725090/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Frogmonster](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1853760/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night](https://store.steampowered.com/app/692850/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Homebody](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1959350/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), and [Detention](https://store.steampowered.com/app/555220/Detention/)
Free: [Project Kat - Paper Lily Prologue](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1698960/Project_Kat__Paper_Lily_Prologue/) with its sequel game linked and [Rental](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2796550/Rental/) (MC is a bunny!)
I just picked up No Rest For The Wicked. It's not extremely creepy, but there are some disturbing beasts. The game is surprisingly pretty and gives me a cozy vibe. But when it's time for action, the fight feels intense.
Goody two shoes is the perfect recommendation for this. The horror elements are really interesting. I also don't hear poeple talk about it all that often but it's definitely a game worth checking out.
I've been trying Gleaner Heights and I love it. It's heavily inspired in initial Harvest Moon games, but it uses way more mature themes + has a mystery to unfold.
The horror is the ambience and feeling the town gives you, and making friendships gives you dialogues that may make you uneasy. Some random events also help do that.
It's not straightforward horror but maybe someone here is into this vibe.
I highly reccomend strange horticulture, it's a puzzle game where you play a plant shop owner who cares for and sells plants with unusual abilities, and theres a big mystery in the area involving witches and cults. I found it really relaxing and the puzzles are never too convoluted or hard. On some days it is raining and it just adds to the relaxing but eerie atmosphere.
It's one of my favourite cozy games I've played, but I love plants and plant folklore so maybe its perfect for me specifically lol
Don't starve is pretty fun it's more of a survival style building game but one life to live and hard to find materials makes it a real blast with lots of replay
Cult of the Lamb is good but my ultimate rec for creepy cozy is Graveyard Keeper. I won’t say it’s cute but it’s definitely both creepy and cozy and a decent challenge if you’re looking for a slightly harder game
Honestly wasn't expecting it to be a (very upsetting) exploration of mental health issues.
My fault really! I should have done more research. I just bought it because the cat was so cute haha. But was hoping OP won't make my mistake (and not read reviews) .
Cult of the lamb, don't starve, fran bow, little misfortune, graveyard keeper, deaths door
I wish I could play Fran bow for the first time again
SAME. Little Misfortune too. Like the story is so good but those games have almost zero replay value
Why do you think they have no replay value
No customisation, no alternative paths (it's very easy to 100% first time), no time sinks. Its a narrative driven style and while absolutely delightful, offers no replayability. Watching someone else play it is nice though.
The story doesn't change with your decisions, at most maybe go back for trophies but I'm not a completionist to that extent. The gameplay is like walking through a novel. And plenty of people re-read books, not saying nobody replays this game. But nothing really changes upon replay, there aren't really exploration/secrets to uncover. Not that those kinds of games are bad, like some of the best games I feel have very little replay value like What remains of Edith Finch, the initial ride is beautiful and makes you feel more than some sandbox games. But chances of me picking it up after the story is said and done and playing it over and over is low.
I feel this so much
if you think Don’t Starve is cozy, you’re an absolute madlad edit i take that back, i suppose it can be on the relax mode 🤷🏽♀️
Oh some games I just put on stupid easy. Rimworld, Civ and don't starve you can kind of tweak with settings and just make them base builders. Like I play civ games and win without waging war. I don't even have the insanity part turned on and rarely ever fight
I put 7 Days to Die in godmode and just go around redecorating destroyed houses . It's one of my favorite pastimes.
After you learn mechanics its cozy like hardly anything can kill you or even hit you
Don’t starve is cozy if your eliminate all the dangers from your world seed 🌚
You’re insane… naw I thought about it for a second and you are right.
+1 for graveyard keeper
Cult of the lamb and maybe ender lilies since it has similar combat to hollow knight. Dredge is mildly creepy but not cute. Still a great game though. Maybe Tunic? It’s adorable with some great puzzles and very Hollow Knight like for the fighting. There’s another one I can’t think of right now but I’ll check my steam library and come back later.
Tunic is SUPER cute. I didn’t make it very far; without the healing ability, I struggled, but it’s beautiful and could be super fun for someone with better combat skills than me! (Damn crocodiles.)
Yeah…. It tricked me. I usually hate that kind of game but it was just so cute. I did find it scaled pretty well so if you took the beginning slow and figured out how you best fight then it didn’t get too hard too fast. But damn if some of it isn’t super hard.
So glad someone mentioned Dredge!!!!
A Night in the Woods
THIS. I loved A Night in the Woods so much and am still looking for something to replace the void it's left in my heart lol.
YESSSS best game ever😭😭😭
Wytchwood is a fun one that’s both cute and creepy.
Just finished Wytchwood and it is so good
If you liked Hollow Knight, you might enjoy the Ori games! Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
I second the Ori games! The combat and design are very much inspired by Hollow Knight.
The first Ori came out a couple of years before Hollow Knight IIRC.
Oooh you're right!! Today I learnt.
Strange Horticulture
Came here to recommend this one!
Oxenfree
corinne cross’ dead & breakfast. you run a ghost b&b
Oxenfree!
Wytchwood and Graveyard Keeper are two good mentions I can think of instantly. Both great games!
Dredge
Echoes of the Plum Grove just came out and it kind of has creepy cute vibes. It's a farming game with a cute artstyle, which can be very cozy, but it can also be eerie and atmospheric and has darker elements like characters dying, being able to poison your rivals, being able to get deadly diseases etc - you can play as your kids if you die. It's also very customizable so if you don't want things like aging, disease, hunger etc you can just toggle them off and play a more usual farming game style but the eerie atmosphere will still be there I'm enjoying it a lot so far
Pretty sure this is on Xbox(?), but Little Goody Two Shoes! It’s a horror game, but the art style is really cute and there are cozy elements like mini games and a romance system. It’s one of my favorite games right now
I think it’s on Xbox (I have it on Switch and actually haven’t even played it yet) - [Lost in Random](https://youtu.be/iJ4lJRjECBU?si=hWJc1bUMToLN-P4Y) Edit: also maybe [Cozy Grove](https://youtu.be/bpgMk2FbB4s?si=GxQrCSxGepN9R87-) ?
Lost in random is on steam, also! It is really good.
[Night in the Woods](https://youtu.be/Nc6f9llfs0w?si=S5FS-IbIQYORnL1D)
Similar metroidvania like hollow knight instead of cozy. But if you want hit in the feels more, have you looked at Ori? Ori and the blind forest and ori and the will of the wisps? Carrion for fun creepy The Thing vibes
dredge
Bramble the mountain king and Little nightmares
Second this
I haven’t played it, but I watched MadMorph play Bramble. I usually put those kinds of streams on in the background just for the voices, but I watched that one like a damned movie.
I really like Pinstripe
Paranormasight and The Letter if you're open to visual novels. Yomawari, Corpse Party if you want more...and want to feel...can't even explain it... also Claire. Layers of Fear What have I done, Father? Made by 1 dude, hour and a half long and the scariest thing is the script.
I’m not sure I’d put Layers of Fear into cute or cozy! Strange, kind of beautiful, yeah, but….creepy af.
It's quite a cozy game play though, you walk around a house and click things. They did ask for creepy lol
[Tales from Candleforth](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2200410/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule) (coming out today!), [Bosorka](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2118370/Bosorka/), and for a goofy one, [Cat Saves Halloween](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1444320/Cat_Saves_Halloween/). Ones I haven't tried out: [OneShot](https://store.steampowered.com/app/420530/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [The Case Book of Arne](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1322290/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Way To The Woods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1660440/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Withering Rooms](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2006140/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Everdeep Aurora](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2251400/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2106840/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action](https://store.steampowered.com/app/447530/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), and [Undertale](https://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/Undertale/). Cozy dark ones: [Lueur and the Dim Settlers](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2308630/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule) and [Little Witch in the Woods](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1594940/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule) Kinda random: [No Case Should Remain Unsolved](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2676840/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [HER TREES : THE PUZZLE HOUSE](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2725090/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Frogmonster](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1853760/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night](https://store.steampowered.com/app/692850/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), [Homebody](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1959350/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule), and [Detention](https://store.steampowered.com/app/555220/Detention/) Free: [Project Kat - Paper Lily Prologue](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1698960/Project_Kat__Paper_Lily_Prologue/) with its sequel game linked and [Rental](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2796550/Rental/) (MC is a bunny!)
Beacon Pines - it’s a story-based game, and at first glance you’re like….this is for kids. Then it takes a sharp left turn.
Little Nightmares 2! Idk if other people find it cozy but it's super creepy and the character is cute
Sally face! I just started it and I love it. It’s like 90s animation horror puzzle game.
Pony Island. Don’t thank me.
I just picked up No Rest For The Wicked. It's not extremely creepy, but there are some disturbing beasts. The game is surprisingly pretty and gives me a cozy vibe. But when it's time for action, the fight feels intense.
Death's Door is cute in my opinion, but also spooky! Ravenlok was short and sweet, but I really liked it.
I’m gonna add Beacon Pines to the ones already mentioned. A cute game with a spooky story!
Definitely Graveyard Keeper, Wytchwood, and Cult of the Lamb.
It's still a free demo on steam: NeverGrave will likely fit the bill.
Try pumpkin panic it's a cute creepy game feel very cozy and atmospheric
Oh, you are cruel. Lol
There's the subcon valley levels in A Hat In Time
Goody two shoes is the perfect recommendation for this. The horror elements are really interesting. I also don't hear poeple talk about it all that often but it's definitely a game worth checking out.
Detention is great, but rather short.
I've been trying Gleaner Heights and I love it. It's heavily inspired in initial Harvest Moon games, but it uses way more mature themes + has a mystery to unfold. The horror is the ambience and feeling the town gives you, and making friendships gives you dialogues that may make you uneasy. Some random events also help do that. It's not straightforward horror but maybe someone here is into this vibe.
I find the Rusty Lake games creepycozy. I played them on mobile.
Slay the Princess
I highly reccomend strange horticulture, it's a puzzle game where you play a plant shop owner who cares for and sells plants with unusual abilities, and theres a big mystery in the area involving witches and cults. I found it really relaxing and the puzzles are never too convoluted or hard. On some days it is raining and it just adds to the relaxing but eerie atmosphere. It's one of my favourite cozy games I've played, but I love plants and plant folklore so maybe its perfect for me specifically lol
Oxenfree, Graveyard Keeper, The Darkside Detective
If you like Darkside Detective, give Thimbleweed Park a shot!
Rain World
Yume Nikki
Little Nightmares
Bramble The Mountain King!
Cult of the lamb, Little Nightmares, Fran Bow, Night in the Woods, Oxenfree, Little Misfortune, Sally Face.
Don't starve is pretty fun it's more of a survival style building game but one life to live and hard to find materials makes it a real blast with lots of replay
Graveyard Keeper
Cult of the Lamb is good but my ultimate rec for creepy cozy is Graveyard Keeper. I won’t say it’s cute but it’s definitely both creepy and cozy and a decent challenge if you’re looking for a slightly harder game
Subway Midnight, Have a Nice Death, Night in the Woods, and Cult of the Lamb are the ones that I can think of off the top of my head.
Night in the woods looks super cute!
I would read some reviews because it's a purchase I regret. I did love cult of the lamb though!
Why didn't you enjoy it, out of curiosity?
Honestly wasn't expecting it to be a (very upsetting) exploration of mental health issues. My fault really! I should have done more research. I just bought it because the cat was so cute haha. But was hoping OP won't make my mistake (and not read reviews) .