We’ve survived the June deluge and… Wait, somehow there are even more cozy games launching in July? I’ve counted up 30 new cozy games worth taking a peek at this month. That’s way too many for me or anyone else though, so as usual I’ve called up my cozy comrades to pick the ones they’re most looking forward to that you might want to look closer at too. As ever, our full list of cozy game launches for July is at the bottom for the super studious among you.
July cozy game forecast: Cat monsoon 😺🌧️
I don’t have anything super insightful to share about this month’s slate of cozy games other than: Damn, that’s a lot of cats! Cozy games and felines go hand and hand all the time but there are seriously a lot of cat games this month. There’s cat puzzles, cat strategy, cat desktop pets, city builders, and shop sims. Cat lovers, this month is dedicated to you. Admittedly, none of our cozy collective picked a cat game as their choice for this month, but the options sure are there.
Our cozy game picks for July
A Simpler World
July 14 | Crafting and decorating
Andrea Shearon
Sometimes a girl just wants to build, and A Simpler World scratches that itch. It eschews all of the traditional grindset mechanics for a cozy vacation away from it all with no unlockables or milestones—just a cute pixel art style and chill OST. A Simpler World isn’t an idler, but I could easily see myself playing it like one since it isn’t as resource intensive as other easy-going building sims, plus it’s simple enough to pick up and put down. I’ve been tabbing in and out of the demo on my second screen all day and enjoying the immediate access to everything in its building catalogue.
High Times
July 23 | Comicbook-y cafe dating sim
Kara Phillips
High Times blends two of my favourite things: dating sims and sweet treats. So I’m keen to sink my teeth into it this month. Aside from wanting to meet its cast of curious characters, I’m most excited to decorate a few dozen mood-changing donuts depending on how my customers want to feel. Going off what we’ve seen on Steam and from the demo, it really reminds me of the Papa Louie series of Flash games, so it’ll tap into that nostalgia as well. It just looks like the kind of game I can quite happily sit and play for a few hours without realising it at all.
Bookbinding
July 24 | Dark crafting shop sim
Jess Kinghorn
My idea of stress relief is yet another run of Darkest Dungeon, so it’s no surprise that I dig a cozy game with a darker vibe. Even so, I was a little taken aback by all the murder and blood scrubbing in Bookbinding. The titular mechanic has you cleaning covers, repairing books, and then adding your own personal touch with a sticker book’s worth of decals as an artisan with magical powers who’s running from a dark past. Your childhood friend Nathaniel gives you a job and lodgings but your debt to him comes due all too soon. The simmering tension between these buds was the most compelling part when I played the demo, though hints at a tarot-based magic system are likely to draw me back for more.
Moonlight Peaks
July 7 | Vampire farming sim
Lauren Morton
I’ve kept up with several different demos for Moonlight Peaks so I’m itching to get into the full version this month. This nocturnal farm sim has a cutesy Animal Crossing look but the vibes are decidedly Real Housewives: tons of old grudges and yelling matches between the town’s supernatural families. It’s a fun twist after playing so many aggressively friendly life sims over the years. This one’s got a pretty direct main quest to follow as you learn magic and solve the town’s simmering differences so it’s a little less open-ended than something like Stardew Valley.
Wabisabi SushiDerby
July 15 | Sushi… training sim?
I’m nothing if not a sucker for a culinary cosy game, though Wabisabi SushiDerby is less about cooking and more about crafting the fastest sushi your local restaurant’s bamboo rolling mat has ever seen. It’s Umamusume: Pretty Derby if, instead of anthropomorphic horse girls, you raced meticulously prepared fish-and-rice creations around a race course. Plus there’s an ever-looming threat of being scooped up by a pair of big chopsticks, taking you out of the race and into some hungry customer’s belly. I’m pretty sure they don’t do that part in Umamusume. It looks like a lovely little training sim though, complete with funky music and an adorable pixel art style—all the makings of a full-blown cosy cooking experience.
July cozy games calendar
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