Discover Relaxing Games to Unwind After the Holidays

Trying to find some relaxing games to finish out the holiday season? Lucky for you all, I’ve put together my top 5 cozy game list. Having spent time in each of these, I’ve been able to determine how each game can be a nice little break from the awesome high-paced games we had in 2025 and the new ones headed our way in 2026. Kick back and get ready to check out these cute little adventures!

Winter Burrow is available on PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. You play as an adorable mouse who is trying to survive the winter. Our main character has to collect various items in order to build, cook, and progress the story. Nothing is impossible or too difficult for our furry friend as you grow mushrooms, look for your aunt, & craft gear to withstand the winter. The artwork is gorgeous, and you can play this easily while wrapped up in a blanket! Make sure you don’t keep the mouse out in the elements too long; he can still fall victim to the freezing temperatures.

Dream Garden is available on PC only. This Zen game allows you to design your own garden even if you don’t have a green thumb. Tranquil music plays in the background as you put together whatever kind of botanical getaway you envision yourself in. There are a variety of plants, colorful flowers, and trees to scatter around or organize in a beautiful field. Building options such as a greenhouse or a pagoda are present, and you can highlight these with different lighting options. You can even create your own pond with koi fish and lily pads. There are terrain tools and a combination of different grasses, mosses, and rocks to add your touch to the foundation. Weather customization options allow you to not only change the time of day, but also the precipitation level and seasons. While Dream Garden is still in early development, there is already a good bit to work with. The team is actively adding and improving the game regularly. It is such a relaxing game that you can stream it and chat with your community while letting them help you design a place to just vibe.

Tiny Bookshop is available on PC and Nintendo Switch. You get to manage your own mobile bookstore in this narrative-driven game. Travel around to different locations in Bookstonbury and discover the history of the town. You can befriend the locals, solve some mysteries, design your mobile store, and collect more than just books. A fun highlight is being able to match the right book with the right customer. I have to admit that when you recommend the correct book, there is a little surge of instant gratification. One of the most unique features of the game is that the books are real titles you may have read yourself. Bookshop decorations offer small perks or ways to save money while selling your books. Tiny Bookshop is an easy-going, low-maintenance game that has an addictive play loop.

Unpacking is available on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. Out of all the cozy games I have played, this is the ultimate relaxation game. The first mode is having to unpack and place objects in their respective locations. This mode is a bit more puzzle-like than the second, as you cannot progress until you have placed everything where it belongs. The second mode is just free play, and you can place anything anywhere. There are a variety of levels available, and a large portion of them involve multiple rooms to decorate. The game is set to span across different milestones of someone’s life. The hints of nostalgia and lifetime achievements ground you to want to progress the game, all while the relaxing vibe of placing items pulls you to want to take your time. There is no timer, no score, and no dialogue. It is a great way to wind down at the end of the day and space out.

Small Spaces is available on PC. A sandbox-style game that allows you to decorate different small rooms in various cities? Count me in! Each space has a tenant that provides you with a list of simple requirements and wishes. You must hit all the requirements to unlock more rooms and items. The wishlist gives you bonus points if you can check those off as well. It feels like there is just enough direction to not feel aimless. The visuals are great, and there is also an “unpacking” mode if you want to just have some creative fun. You can change the colors, rotate objects to fit in different places, and build some new structures. The game offers a first-person mode so you can view a space as if you lived there. This is also an early access game, and updates are regular, which is always a plus! It is nice to be able to take this game as seriously as you want to with no real pressure. You can simply redo a room over and over until you want to mark off your checklist and move forward.

Although there are lots more to choose from, these are the top 5 cozy games I played. They all have their unique charm with varying levels of cheerful gameplay. Each holds its own when it comes to supplying you with that mellow vibe. It’s also beneficial that some are in Gamepass, while the others are relatively cheap on other platforms allowing you to save a little money while recouping from gift shopping.
So if you want to play something relaxing after the holiday chaos or need a palate cleanser from those long JRPGs, these laid back games are a good place to start.
Enjoy!