The case for cosy games before bed

Not every gaming session needs stakes. Some nights I just want to water crops and talk to a friendly shopkeeper, and Harvest Hollow is perfect for that.

Cosy sims live or die on their save behaviour. If closing the app punishes you, the calm evaporates. The good ones auto-save constantly and never nag you to come back.

I've started keeping one cosy title installed at all times as a palate cleanser between bigger games. It resets my brain in a way that a tactics grind never does.

If you struggle to wind down, try a game with no fail state at all. Wanderers of the Glass Sea does this beautifully — nothing chases you, so you can just look.