Games Decisions

Cosy games are games that evokes the fantasy of safety, abundance and softness. Within a cosy game there will not be much presence of danger and risk, there is no element of high-risk or a big amount of threat. It is often that activities within a cosy game will be opt-in, so the player never feels the threat of coercion. There is also a sense of abundance within cosy games as lower level needs from Maslow's Hierarchy of needs are being met, with this including things such as hunger, thirst, shelter and safety. This provides space to work on higher up needs, such as deeper relationships, appreciation of beauty, self actualisation, nurturing and belonging. Cosy games also use strong aesthetic signals to tell players that they are in an almost stress free environment and full of safety.

Animal Crossing, Source: Flickr

An example of a 'Cosy Game' is Animal Crossing, this is a game that is very stress free and the player is free to roam around the world however they may please. The player can opt to complete some activities such as fishing, or visiting a friends house, they can also buy and sell furniture to create their house however they please. This game allows the player to enter a reality that has very little or no threat and they players has basic needs that already met which they don't have to worry about such as food and shelter.

When creating a cosy game there are many common game mechanics that could be added that are very easy to accidentally disrupt the players feeling of coziness. Here are some examples;

• Responsibility: Responsibility requires emotional labor: the effort to plan, think, and execute on a plan to resolve something. Being responsible generates high priority need/expectation. Examples include any form of mandatory maintenance, needy pets, companions, or entities that require constant, non-optional care.
• Danger, fear, threat: Any sense of impending danger triggers biological responses in the player. Their sympathetic nervous system kicks, adrenaline floods the body, and memory suffers. Often times, cozy spaces are presented as reprieve or refuge from these dangers.
• Non-consensual social presence: Anything non-consensual removes a player’s feeling of safety, but this is especially relevant in social situations. An uninvited presence can feel threatening, or just suggest an unsought expectation of interaction, reciprocation, or responsibility.
• Distance: Vast spaces eliminate a sense of safety by being unknowable. However, it is still possible to create very subtle or natural thresholds that establish a cozy space within the context of something broad: like a campfire in the middle of a wood.
• Confinement: Many small spaces are considered cozy since you can quickly inspect them to see if you are safe. But, this sort of coziness requires choice, and in turn inescapable small spaces can instead be seen as claustrophobic and controlling. A prison cell is generally not cozy.
•  Extrinsic reward: Almost any form of extrinsic reward generates a pressing transactional short-term need

Coziness overlaps with many other different aesthetics and themes;

• Cute 
• Childlike 
• Small world
• Romance
• Home
• Party
• Politeness
• Wealth

A cosy game is a very desirable type of game as it gives people a sense of comfort and lets them enter a game that gives them no worries.

http://www.lostgarden.com

In another article called 'Designing for Coziness' by Tanya X. Short I read about 'Cosy Aesthetics' and how the audio and visuals within the game really help with the coziness of the game as the images or sounds may evoke image or memories that the player has of safety. Some cosy aesthetics included;

• Abundances of plenty and generousness, including plenty of food, drink, joy, and warmth, especially in spaces like taverns, kitchens, cafes, and bedrooms.
• Smooth transitions and gradients can add gentleness to cozy areas, though clear thresholds may also preserve the comfort of a distinctly cozy area, such as coming in from a snowstorm into a log cabin, or ducking into a cave behind a waterfall.
• Protection and support signalled, such by as a relaxed guardian animal or character, communicates to the player that they are free to pursue their higher-order needs.
• Focus and elimination of interruptions or pressures can create a familiar, comfortable, intimate space.
• Mundanity and familiarity will always be cozier than something alien or exotic, as its safety and abundance is clearer. 
• Refuge & Escape: if there is an “outside”, this place is a clear shelter.
• Human-centric: rooms and objects are scaled for human comfort and belonging.
• Welcome: the player is explicitly welcomed and given freedom and safety to express themselves however they wish, without responsibility or pressure to perform.

https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/TanyaXShort/20180305/315179/Designing_for_Coziness.php