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Who doesn’t love a good survival game? The gameplay loop has so much to offer, from base building to exploration to cooking and crafting. However, many survival games also involve a lot of, well… dying. Whether you let your character get too cold or run across a high-level monster, your typical survival game can involve a lot of frustrating moments. That’s especially true if loss of life also includes losing your loot. Thankfully, for those of us looking for something on the cozier side, there are quite a few good survival games with toggleable settings for a more chill experience.
I’m a relatively recent convert to the survival genre, as I’ve only started playing these games in the last few years. But when I get into something, I go deep. So, I’ve experienced quite a lot of what the genre has to offer, from tougher games like Valheim to the cozier side of life. While I do enjoy a good challenge now and again, my favorite kind of survival game is one where I can focus on exploring, cooking, and crafting with only minimal consequences if a beastie catches me unawares. I’m here to offer a few of my favorite recommendations for truly cozy survival games that you can enjoy without all the stress.
LEGO Fortnite Odyssey
Price: Free-to-play
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Mobile
If you’re looking for a free survival game, allow me to point you towards LEGO Fortnite. Or, as it’s now known, LEGO Fortnite Odyssey. This game mode was originally released back in 2023, and it’s one of the games that led me to fall in love with the genre. It’s got that classic LEGO humor, plus all your survival gaming staples. And thanks to the customizable world settings, you can turn off those punishing survival game features like dropping all your items when your character dies. It’s hard to beat building your base out of bricks and collecting little LEGO chunks of meat from animals where the cozy factor is concerned. I may never be a fan of the traditional Battle Royale mode for Fortnite, but its LEGO survival mode is surprisingly solid.
I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival
Price: $19.99 USD
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch
With cozy right in the name, you know I had to give I Am Future: Cozy Apocalypse Survival a go. And for the most part, I came away pretty impressed. This game has soothing cartoon graphics and a relatively empty, post-apocalyptic world to roam. It has customizable difficulty settings, so you can make it ultra cozy or challenge yourself a bit. If you don’t love the open-ended sandbox nature of many survival games, this is a good one to try. It offers pretty clear goals to follow, making it easier to sink into a gameplay loop rather than defining your own objectives. Also, there’s no combat, so it’s great for those who prefer the base building, resource gathering, and crafting over battling baddies.
Core Keeper
Price: $19.99 USD
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
I love a pixel art game, and I love a survival gameplay loop. Core Keeper has both, with some truly adorable farm animals to boot. This game takes you underground, where you mine your way to new areas and try to uncover the secret of the core. It’s pretty open-ended and doesn’t give you much guidance, so it’s definitely more suited to those looking for a sandbox experience. When you create your world for solo or multiplayer gameplay, you can toggle the difficulty settings to render this game extra cozy. There are enemies to battle as you roam, but easier modes make it far less likely you’ll fall in combat. This game is still getting pretty regular free content updates, so it’s a good one to pick up if you want to be in it for the long haul.
Delverium
Price: $12.49 USD
Platform(s): PC (Early Access)
Last but far from least, the recently released Delverium just might be my favorite cozy survival game yet. With charming pixel art and sandbox vibes, this game lets you toggle the difficulty when starting a new world. It’s got a little bit of guidance, but mostly lets you determine your own goals as you go. The animals are adorable, and the mechanics are intuitive, if a little basic. There’s a mystery at the heart of this one, which makes you want to keep exploring to learn more. I’ve already put a good bit of time into Delverium, and I don’t expect I’ll be putting it down any time soon. It’s a lot of fun solo, but it also supports co-op if you want to get a group together to build the ultimate base.
Looking for more cozy gaming roundups? Check out my list of great cozy games you can play on your phone or tablet.
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