The cottagecore movement celebrates an idealized version of rural living. It encourages people to live slowly and appreciate the small joys of life. Of course, you don’t have to venture out into the wilderness to experience a pastoral paradise. These ten charming cottagecore games can give you an escape when you need it the most.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing puppy plushie

Animal Crossing is one of the most popular games on this list, and for good reason! It gives you all the tools you need to create a cottagecore island wonderland. Of course, you don’t necessarily need a Nintendo Switch to get in on the fun — older versions of Animal Crossing, like New Leaf and Wild World, are a terrific option for anyone that’s searching for a peaceful, quiet gaming experience.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available on Nintendo Switch.

The Night of the Rabbit

The Night of the Rabbit is a point-and-click adventure game sent in the land of Mousewood, a magical place where animals can speak. As you explore this wooded land, you’ll find yourself sucked into a fantasy story that’s filled with with charm and mystery. Not only does the game feature breathtaking backgrounds, but it also has stunning hand-drawn animation. Once you visit Mousewood, you’ll never want to leave.

The Night of the Rabbit is available on PC and Mac. A free demo is available in the Steam store.

Cheeky Chooks

Some farming sims are overly complicated. Cheeky Chooks, however, focuses on the only aspect of farm life that really matters — chickens (or, as the game calls them, chooks)! In this free-to-play title, you’ll collect different types of chooks, keep your critters happy, and play all kinds of cute minigames. Not only can you customize your farm and collect plenty of cute chickens, but you can dress up your chooks in adorable hats. Best of all, there are no ads or in-game purchases. This chicken-lover’s haven is genuinely free.

Cheeky Chooks is available on PC, Android, and iOS.

The Atelier Series

atelier ryza 1 pc

For a long time, I’ve been gravitating toward the Atelier games whenever I felt stressed or overwhelmed. There’s something about these slice-of-life JRPGs that consistently puts me at peace. This alchemy-themed series has been going strong since the 90s, which means it should be easy for you to find a title that appeals to you. While there are recurring characters that appear in multiple games, you can start with virtually any game in the series.

Various Atelier titles are available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

Tukoni

This breathtakingly beautiful puzzle game is based on a series of award-winning books by Oksana Bula, a Ukranian artist. There are no words or dialogue in Tukoni, but the game is still utterly captivating. You play as woodland spirits that must craft items and solve puzzles so that they can help the other creatures of the forest. This free-to-play game is a testament to the power of kindness and the joys of helping others.

Tukoni is available on PC and Android.

Cattails

Sometimes, it feels like it would be easier to live as an animal than a human. In Cattails, you can do precisely that. In this cat-simulation RPG, you’ll hunt for food, explore caves, and make plenty of cat friends. You can even fall in love and raise a litter of cute kittens! As you progress through the game, you can customize your den or even create your own colony of cats. Cattails may not be the most realistic animal simulator out there — you can wear hats, attend festivals, and talk — but it’s still tons of fun to experience life as a feline.

Cattails is available on PC, Mac, and Nintendo Switch.

Eastshade

Eastshade is an open-world adventure game that casts you in the role of a traveling artist. Armed with nothing but your canvas, you’ll explore an unbelievably beautiful island that’s just begging to be painted. Not only can you paint anywhere in the game’s world, but you can trade your completed paintings to the island’s inhabitants in exchange for information. Little by little, you’ll uncover secrets, discover more of the island, and get to the bottom of its many mysteries.

Eastshade is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley Mobile

Stardew Valley sits at the top of many recommendation lists, and it’s easy to understand why. Not only is it incredibly popular, but this love letter to rural life has a little bit of something for everyone. You can spend your days expanding your farm, making friends, or vanquishing the monsters in the mines. If you play on PC, you can even use mods to give the game more of a cottagecore vibe.

Stardew Valley is available on PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Calico

Calico is a slice-of-game with an incredibly appealing mission: you must rebuild a town’s cat café! You’ll need to decorate your cafe, bake delectable pastries, and do your best to attract the cutest and most cuddly cats. It has a lovely pastel watercolor aesthetic that will instantly put you at ease. If you get tired of expanding your café the old-fashioned way, you can even use magic potions and spells to make your café into the place of your dreams.

Calico is available on PC, Mac, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles

Yonder Switch

If you need a break from strict time limits, tough challenges, and combat, you’ll find none of those things in Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles. Yonder is an open-world adventure game that’s all about enjoying the slow life. The game is set on a peaceful island with eight distinct environments. You can spend your days crafting, playing with the local wildlife, building a farm, or just exploring to your heart’s content.

Yonder is available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.

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Frogirl
2 years ago

Nice

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