Back in 2021, Cozy Grove was one of the most relaxing cozy games around, featuring a very interesting story about soothing ghosts. It was unlike most games in the genre because it ran in real time and was designed in a way that highly encouraged playing for just an hour each day. At first, we didn’t quite get this mechanic. We thought it was meant to add unnecessary, artificial value to a title that could have easily been finished in a single afternoon. Boy, were we wrong. The campaign is actually very long, and it is meant to be experienced in consistent, shorter sessions, since each day brings an opportunity for new things to experience. You get about an hour of questing time, and then, if you don’t feel like leaving just yet, you can stick around to fish, hunt, or even decorate. We’re spending the first paragraph talking about a five-year-old game because we want you to know how cool and ahead of its time that first title was. We also want you to know how beyond excited we were to finally get our hands on the sequel and dive back into the same world that was our mini-obsession for a month or so.
While relaxing music soothes your nerves, you create the spirit scout who will comfort the local ghosts. Even creating your scout is surprisingly charming. As you scroll through hairstyles, each one comes with its own little description instead of a plain name. It’s a tiny touch that doesn’t affect gameplay in the slightest, but it immediately gives the impression that the developers cared about making every part of the experience feel warm and personal. The landscapes are meticulously designed with so many small details that make the colorful world feel truly lived-in. But you have no time to admire the sights at first—you wake up next to a crashed bus with no living soul around. In your effort to find the other scouts and the troop leader, you meet all kinds of spirits and chat about your current situation, with an option to pick what you want to say out of three choices. Dialogue choices don’t dramatically change the story. Most conversations briefly acknowledge your response before naturally steering back toward the main narrative. We would have loved to see those choices matter more, but even as they are, they make conversations feel more engaging because you’re participating instead of simply clicking through pages of text.
Little by little, the island you’re stranded on will reveal its secrets. The story is innocent, the characters are endearing and full of personality, and the quests are simple but highly relevant to the plot. Even if you happen to get stuck, you can get hints that push you toward the solution. Every day naturally falls into its own rhythm. We might set out to gather materials for one spirit only to get distracted by a hidden patch of soil begging to be dug up, stop to pet a spirit animal we spotted nearby, roast a few mushrooms over the campfire, then realize the sun had already started setting. Before long, rain rolls in, the island takes on an entirely different mood, and another simple afternoon quietly slips away. Cozy Grove has a wonderful way of making even the smallest detours feel worthwhile. There are always little jobs waiting for you, whether that’s cleaning cursed objects, crafting furniture, decorating your campsite, or helping another lost soul. None of these activities are particularly complex on their own, but together they create a routine that’s surprisingly difficult to step away from.
The slower pace won’t be for everyone. There were evenings when we had wrapped up every available quest in under an hour and simply wished there was one more meaningful objective waiting for us. Of course, that’s also the point of Cozy Grove. It encourages you to return tomorrow instead of trying to consume everything at once. Even so, players who enjoy long uninterrupted sessions may occasionally feel held back by its structure. We were ok with the pacing. One evening we logged in intending to finish a single quest before bed. Half an hour later we had completely forgotten about it after following a trail of hidden items, redecorating our campsite, and helping a lonely spirit bear recover a keepsake. That ability to gently pull your attention from one relaxing activity to another is something Cozy Grove does remarkably well.
Cozy Grove feels like a game primarily tailored for children, and you wouldn’t be wrong to think that. Our nephews loved playing it and asking so many questions about the souls and the world. And yet, on days when they weren’t around, we loved to jump in and play it ourselves, just like the first game.
There is something very soothing and innocent in Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit. Something magical happens, especially when you help a soul and part of the world absorbs color as a result. Fresh new details and objects appear, making everything even more beautiful. It makes you feel like you are not only inside a storybook, but you’re also creating that storybook by infusing it with healing color. It’s a game that manages to welcome you with open arms, whisper cozy nothings in your ear, and push all your real-world problems to the back of your mind. At times, we felt like a soul being soothed ourselves—not by a scout, but by the game itself. Very few games manage to leave us feeling this relaxed after every session. Before we knew it, checking in with the island had quietly become part of our daily routine. We weren’t logging in because another quest marker was waiting. We came back because we genuinely wanted to see how everyone was doing. Few cozy games manage to create that kind of attachment, and it’s the biggest compliment we can give Cozy Grove.
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