If you’ve been on social media recently you’ve probably heard about cozy gamers. This term is typically used to describe women or any person who enjoys games with comforting aesthetics or themes. The term has increasingly been used to poke fun at a lack of so-called real gamers within the community. 

Cozy Gamers: Are They Even Real?

Reni, a cozy gamer who runs a popular Instagram account CozyReni, often features calming music, candles and of course, her Nintendo Switch and PC setups with some of her favorite games. 

She lets followers know when games are releasing, what platforms and even what cozy games are being released for free. Her comments section is largely positive. However, there are a few who stipulate that cozy gamers like Reni aren’t real gamers.

In a reel from Nov. 19, the caption reads “reasons why cozy gamers aren’t real gamers” and shows Reni playing on her Nintendo Switch without additional text. Several comments respond that “no one is saying that.” But the discourse and gaming culture more broadly paint a different picture.

Crystal, who goes by Gardenofeevee on Instagram, has presumably taken steps to safeguard against hate for her maximalist cozy gaming aesthetic by using the platform’s feature that allows users to limit comments on Instagram posts to only their own followers. As a result, her comments section is small but more positive. It provides incentive for audiences to support and engage with their favorite creators. 

Whether or not cozy gamers are safeguarding themselves from internet hate or seem to enjoy only a handful of games on a console or two, they’re still arguably one of the most close-knit communities in the gaming world and one that encounters a lot of hate. 

There is an attitude that female gamers in particular are only popular because they’re attractive and that their inclination toward cozy games is due to the ease of the gameplay rather than the idea that some might prefer cozy games over first-person combat based titles. This couldn’t be further from the truth for the majority of the gaming landscape today. In fact, cozy gaming has inspired its very own movement. 

The Wholesome Games Movement

The Wholesome Games movement was born from a love for cozy games and the sense of calm, community and whimsical aesthetics they often provide. The movement began when Indie developer Matthew Taylor started curating games based on their comfort, coziness and compassion on Twitter.

“We want to be a part of showcasing the breadth of experiences that games can have for players,” The Wholesome Games website reads. The Wholesome Games community hosts Wholesome Direct, an annual Indie game showcase for wholesome and noteworthy games.

Cozy games let people de-stress and live out fantastical experiences. You can’t catch a Pokémon in real life, and though you can certainly run a farm, the strenuous work is miles away from the comforting gameplay of titles like Stardew Valley and Cozy Grove.

At the end of the day, cozy games are still games, and the gamers who enjoy them are just as worthy of the title as those who proclaim themselves real gamers, whatever that means. 

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