13 Cozy Games for Halloween (and Spooky Season!)
As a long-time cozy gamer who’s new to the cozy gaming community, one thing became very clear right away:
Cozy gamers LOVE Halloween.
No, seriously!
Spooky season is our jam. We love autumn, hot drinks, and cozy blankets, of course!
But we also love the ~spooky~ aspects of Halloween.
Ghosts? Witchcraft? Astrology? Mysteries?
These are all interests and hobbies that are big in some cozy gaming circles.
(And personally, as a mystery game and novel junkie, I am absolutely thrilled.)
Needless to say, some of the best and most popular cozy games evoke the spirit of Halloween. Today, I’m going to share them with you!
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Platform:
Nintendo Switch
Genre:
Action, Adventure, Puzzle
Few games scream “cozy yet spooky” like the Luigi’s Mansion series. I’m personally a massive fan of the series, and I’m looking forward to replaying it this month!
In Luigi’s Mansion 3, you play as Luigi, the cowardly brother of the brave Mario. Watching Luigi navigate spooky situations with quivering legs and the occasional nervous gulp is honestly precious. You’ll work with returning characters like Professor E. Gadd and Polterpup, using your Poltergust machine to suck up the spirits that are haunting the mansion.
You’ll play puzzles, solve mysteries, search for hidden gems, and try to keep your cool while saving the Mario crew. It’s the perfect cozy Halloween gaming experience, and I really can’t recommend it enough.
Platform:
Nintendo Switch, PC
Genre:
Simulation, Adventure, Lifestyle, Puzzle
Cozy Grove is the game that sparked the idea to write this list at all. The idea of pairing traditional cozy mechanics with ghosts seemed so strange and foreign to me…
Until I played it and it made perfect sense.
Using traditional cozy elements like farming, fishing, befriending characters, crafting, and collecting, Cozy Grove is a true cozy. The timeline is reminiscent of Animal Crossing in that gameplay is supposed to take place over the course of several months, where the player dips in for 30-minute periods and sets it down for the next day.
Extremely cute and cozy with some spooky spice, this is a fantastic choice for pre-Halloween gaming.
Platform:
Nintendo Switch, PC
Genre:
Simulation, Adventure
Quite literally described as a “cozy management game about dying,” it would be criminal for me to exclude Spiritfarer from this list.
In Spiritfarer, you play the role of Stella, who is a reimagination of the Greek myth about Charon ferrying the deceased across the river Styx. (In a less dorky way: you’re a ferrymaster.)
Gameplay consists of exploring, crafting, farming, mining, fishing, harvesting, cooking, crafting, and of course, befriending and caring for your passengers before they cross over into the afterlife.
(I just bought this game the other day, specifically because I want to play it for spooky season. I can’t wait to start!)
Platform:
Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC
Genre:
Adventure, Visual Novel, Mystery
While I think calling Danganronpa “cozy and spooky” might be misplaced, it’s a murder mystery series with some surprisingly chill, funny, and cozy moments. If you love puzzles, mysteries, and visual novels, you NEED to check out this series in the vein of Ace Attorney and Nancy Drew.
Because I don’t want to give literally anything away, I’m going to give you a broad overview. In this series, you play as a high school student who finds themself in the midst of murders committed on your classmates, by your classmates.
You’ll meet timeless characters you’re obsessed with, explore new environments, search for clues to solve each murder, and participate in a class trial for each fallen classmate.
I highly recommend each and every game on this list, but this is one of my personal favorites. There is such a cozy element about visual novels, because you’re basically curling up with an interactive book. If fictitious murder isn’t upsetting to you, I highly recommend giving this series a try.
Platform:
Nintendo Switch, PS4, PC
Genre:
Adventure, Visual Novel, Mystery
An Ace Attorney franchise game that stands strong on its own, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles is a visual novel game with elements of puzzle solving, discovering clues, cross-examining witnesses, and trying to find the truth about a string of crimes taking place in 19th century Japan and England.
There is an oddly cozy element to this series, and I think it’s due to the game’s lightheartedness, humor, and puzzle-solving gameplay. The franchise has a dedicated following (myself included) because of the very same features.
You can play this game without having played previous games in the series. However, if you’d prefer to start with the original trilogy, it’s an equally wonderful choice!
Platform:
Nintendo Switch
Genre:
Adventure, Puzzle, Mystery
The Professor Layton series consisted of 6 core games on the Nintendo DS and 3DS systems. Though Layton’s Mystery Journey is a spin-off, it reflects the same lightheartedness, memorable characters, and puzzles galore that made the original series such a hit.
Unlike the original series, this game is more casual. More reliant on gameplay than story, this is the perfect game if you’re looking for something you can pick up for a few minutes and set back down.
However, don’t get me wrong: it’s FUN! The emphasis on puzzles and minigames makes for a casual gamer’s dream, but many puzzles are difficult enough even for the most experienced gamer.
Platform:
Nintendo Switch
Genre:
Action, Puzzle, Role-Playing
I recently did a full review of this game (which you can read here), but to summarize, this game is a dark, atmospheric, and spooky game that’s also surprisingly relaxing.
Many cozy gamers are big fans of plants and nature, which makes me want to recommend this even more. You play as the owner of a plant shop in Undermere, a place riddled with intrigue, cults, poisons, and strange occurrences.
The gameplay consists primarily of finding new plants to sell in the shop via your map (often solving a puzzle to do so) and identifying plants for customers based on your herbalism tome.
I seriously cannot recommend this game enough. It’s pretty quick, but it has a surprising amount of depth and substance. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I’ve played it, and I’d bet you’ll feel the same!
Platform:
PC
Genre:
Adventure, Puzzle, Mystery
I’m going to be upfront with you: I’m a little biased when I talk about this series, in part because it’s one of the first video games that I ever played. So, I may have some nostalgia glasses on.
That aside? This is an incredible series that doesn’t get the notoriety it deserves.
In every game, you play as Nancy Drew, the titular heroine of the Carolyn Keene mystery books. Nancy is fun, smart, sassy, and a wonderful protagonist for over 30 different mystery stories.
In the games, you use your detective skills to find clues, solve puzzles, discover the truth, and show the world “whodunnit.” If you like games like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa, I think you’ll love this series.
You don’t have to play the games in order whatsoever. That being said, here are some of the spookier installations of the series (and two of my favorites!):
Platform:
Nintendo Switch
Genre:
Visual Novel, Dating Sim (Otome)
Cafe Enchante isn’t a mystery, unlike most of the games on this list. Instead, it’s a dating sim that takes place in a magical cafe. The characters look like they just rolled in after a Halloween party, and as an otome fan, I couldn’t help but include it in this list.
You play as 19 year-old Kotone who takes over her grandfather’s cafe after his passing. Your customers consist of demon kings, beasts, angels, dullahans, and more. Initially, you’re just doing your job, but it isn’t long before romance begins to bloom.
This is a true visual novel, unlike some of the visual novel hybrids on the list. So, if you want your Halloween a little less spooky and a little more sexy… You’re welcome. (wink, wink)
Platform:
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, PC
Genre:
Adventure, Narrative
I recently played this game and knew I had to add it to the list. Spooky, atmospheric, story-driven, and extremely heartfelt, What Remains of Edith Finch is a narrative-driven “walking simulator” featuring a series of stories about the Finch family and their untimely demise.
You solve some puzzles, but for the most part, the game is more on the visual novel side of the gaming spectrum. You don’t need to read as much of the words are read to you, but it is predominantly a story-based game. The voice acting and art help submerge you into the thick of the story, which is intriguing and enjoyable.
If you love a good book, or miss being tucked in at night with a bedtime story, try curling up with What Remains of Edith Finch this spooky season!
Platform:
Nintendo Switch
Genre:
Simulation, Adventure
A “true cozy” that features equal measures of farming, befriending locals, and practicing some witchcraft, Wylde Flowers was made for cozy fans during spooky season!
In addition, you’ll take care of your animals, craft, fish, cook, and more. However, the atmosphere shifts at night, when you begin to brew potions, ride broomsticks, use weather and seasonal magic, and do some casual kitty shape-shifting.
Fully-voice acted, packed with diverse and memorable characters, and brimming with cozy goodness, this is the choice if you can’t get enough farming sims.
Platform:
Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, PC, Xbox
Genre:
Simulation, Adventure, RPG
In Potion Permit, play the role of a chemist and healer in the small, traditional town of Moonbury.
Potion Permit is in the vein of games like Stardew Valley, but the added concepts of caring for residents, diagnosing diseases, brewing elixirs, and procuring ingredients make it fresh, exciting, and fun!
This game isn’t necessarily spooky, but there is a heavy witchy vibe at play that makes Potion Permit an easy choice for October gaming and beyond.
Platform:
Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PC
Genre:
Action, Adventure, Puzzle
I’ve never played this game, but I feel confident in recommending it based on reviews alone. At the time of writing this, Beacon Pines has a 9/10 on Steam, an 85% rating on Metacritic, and a 97% liked rate by Google users.
The game is described as “a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book,” so it was basically tailor-made for Halloween. The gameplay revolves heavily around a branching choices system reminiscent of visual novels, and it encourages rewriting past events to discover different story branches.
I was originally introduced to this game when I favorited the Kickstarter, knowing I wouldn’t fund it because I was struggling financially at the time. Now that my situation has improved, I can’t wait to give this one a try!
Summary
There you have it: 13 cozy (or at least cozy-ish!) games perfect for spooky season and Halloween. Obviously, everyone has different opinions, so not all of these will fit the bill for you. The good news is that, as cozy gaming grows, I think it’s inevitable that we’ll get more “dark cozies.”
Here’s a quick wrap-up of the best cozy games for Halloween:
- Luigi’s Mansion 3
- Cozy Grove
- Spiritfarer
- Danganronpa Trilogy
- The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
- Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy
- Strange Horticulture
- The Nancy Drew Series
- Cafe Enchante
- What Remains of Edith Finch
- Wylde Flowers
- Potion Permit
- Beacon Pines
Have any of these and love them? Have other games that should be on the list–but I missed them? Let me know in the comments!
Stay cozy (yet spooky)!
