Cozy Games Give Players "Warm & Cozy" Feelings With Research Claiming They Might Improve Mental Well-Being
Cozy games have long been considered to be fun and relaxing, but studies are showing that these stress-reducing titles can be as beneficial for mental health as mindful meditation is. Popular video games like and have sparked incredible growth in the cozy game genre in recent years, particularly since the pandemic in 2020. This has caught the attention of researchers, who have begun studying the phenomenon. Significantly different in gameplay from the more violent games available, cozy games are being shown to provide more than just good vibes to their players.
As reported by a recent article by Reuters, there have been many studies happening in the past couple of years regarding the benefits of playing cozy games for mental health. One such study of 80 undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse compared the stress-reduction of cozy games versus mindful meditation.
The study published in 2021 measured the effectiveness of playing a casual game like Flower, developed by Thatgamecompany, against a 20-minute mindfulness meditation session in reducing stress.
“To our surprise, there really wasn't a difference between the two forms of interventions. For blood pressure and heart rate, there was no statistically significant difference between playing a video game and engaging in meditation,” Wong said.
Assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at McMaster University, Michael Wong, also included a statement that «as more research has emerged related to video games, we're beginning to recognize that they can actually offer a lot of benefits.»
In the chaos of today's world, reducing stress can be crucial to a person's well-being. These games can go beyond even improving blood pressure and heart rate. Other studies mentioned in the Reuters article also point to cozy games providing greater life satisfaction, methods to manage ADHD, and more. Therapists have even used cozy games to help patients recognize and put a
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