The mildly tricky thing about cozy games for me is that, for as much as I like them, it can be kind of hard to justify buying them sometimes. I’m a bit of a cheapskate, and like to get value out of my purchases; no matter how charmingly cozy a game is, if it feels insubstantial, I’m going to feel a little burned by the end.
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This is one of the reasons I like having an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Yes, the Game Pass library is full of big-box, bombastic releases, but it’s also gotits fair share of lower-key, laid-back titlesfor those looking to get into that cozy headspace.
With access to the library, I can just try cozy games at my leisure, getting a quick taste, enjoying them at my own pace, or even discovering a new favorite I want to own myself. Here are some quality cozy games you can find in the Xbox Game Pass library.
This list was written on August 09, 2025, and is subject to change based on additions to and removals from the Xbox Game Pass library.
9We Love Katamari REROLL + Royal Reverie
Rolling Over The World
We Love Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie
I remember growing up during the brown years of gaming, where everything was a gritty modern military shooter. Frankly, it was exhausting, which is why the lone flashes of color we got during that era were so vital.
One of the most vibrant flashes was the second Katamari game on PS2, We Love Katamari, which has made its way to the modern age as We Love Katamari REROLL.
Thisdelightfully weird gamehas you controlling a bite-sized prince as he rolls around a sticky sphere, grabbing up everything in its path. The more stuff you grab, the bigger the ball gets, and the bigger junk you may pick up.
While some of the late-stage levels can be a little intense, for the most part, it’s a very chill experience, encouraging you to just run around as much as possible and pick up whatever silly junk you can find to the sound of one of gaming’s best soundtracks.
Remakes and remasters can be a bit of a hard sell at times, especially if you’ve already played the game in question. If it’s in the Game Pass library, though, you don’t have to pay for it. you’re able to just relive those delightful memories free of charge (relatively speaking).
8Unpacking
Sate That Redecorating Craving
Something I used to enjoy about buying Humble Bundles back in the day was getting a couple of short and sweet games that I could knock out in one or two sittings. I like finishing games, and I also like keeping my living space neat and orderly, which is precisely why I made sure to try Unpacking when it was added to the Game Pass library.
Unpacking is a brief narrative puzzle game with moving house used as a framing device. Our unseen protagonist moves into a variety of rooms and homes over the years, and by carefully storing and organizing their possessions, you get a better sense of who they are, what they’ve been through, and where they’re going.
It’s the kind of game that’ll give you a warm, fuzzy feeling by the end.
Unpacking is here for a good time,if not a long time. you’re able to beat the whole thing in about three hours and change, but if you got Game Pass ahead of a Day One release for a big title, that’s three productive hours you spent waiting for the main event.
7Viva Piñata
An Oldie, But A Goodie
Viva Piñata
Even before “cozy” became common parlance within the gaming industry, there were plenty of games that fit its now-established paradigm. Some of them even came from fairly big developers; case in point, 2006’s Viva Piñata, developed by Rare and originally released on the Xbox 360, now playable via Game Pass (albeit only on consoles).
This nearly-20-year-old cult classic places you in command of a large derelict garden on Piñata Island. Through proper natural cultivation, you’ll attract various sentient animal piñatas to your garden, who will become residents for you to care for.
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Despite the mildly silly premise, it’s a surprisingly in-depth game, with both your garden and piñatas requiring regular care and upkeep. There’s even a life cycle and food chain, with some larger piñatas eating smaller ones if left unattended.
Incidentally, this game had a Microsoft-sanctioned tie-in cartoon that aired on 4Kids TV. I didn’t think it was particularly good back in the day, but it got two seasons, so what do I know?
6Spiritfarer
Hug A Ghost For Your Health
Spiritfarer
Anyone who knows me knows that I am ahugeshill forSpiritfarer, as I am for pretty much any game that gives me a debilitating case of the Feels. Admittedly, though, as much I love this game, I wasn’t sold on its initial premise before trying it.
That’s why I’m glad I got to experience it first on Game Pass, because it tuned me into what would become one of my favorite games in recent history.
Spiritfarer is an adventure management game where you need to cart the spirits of the departed around on your massive house boat, caring for their needs and meeting their demands as you go. Both on and off your ship, you can harvest resources, cultivate crops, and even raise livestock, all to get the materials and ingredients you need to complete quests.
Spiritfarer has a fairly simple gameplay loop, a portion of which is self-operating. Because things like raising crops or cooking run in real time, you can multitask between them fairly easily.
It’s a game that sucks you in very quickly, and during my first couple of hours on Game Pass, I knew it had me in a vice grip.
5PowerWash Simulator
Satisfaction Guaranteed
PowerWash Simulator
They say there’s nothing as satisfying as the feeling of a job well done. If you want the dopamine hit that comes with large-scale cleaning without actually have to clean anything, you’ll enjoyPowerWash Simulator.
PowerWash Simulator’s premise is deviously simple: you’ve got a hose, unlimited water, and a lot of grime and crud that needs cleaning off of vehicles, buildings, and other miscellany. It’s the perfect cozy game to enjoy while listening to a podcast or going through your YouTube playlist, not to mention chatting with friends while you play co-op.
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PowerWash Simulator was actually one of the first games I played the first time I got a Game Pass sub, and I liked it so much, I ended up buying it. It’s a good test case for Game Pass’s efficacy: If you’re not sure you’d like it, try it first.
Just don’t attempt to play through the whole game in one day. I got some wicked bad eye strain from trying that.
4Minecraft
If You Somehow Haven’t Played It
Let’s be real here: statistically speaking, if you’re the kind of person who likesMinecraft, you probably already own and play Minecraft. You don’t need Game Pass for that.
However, if you’re not sure if you’re the kind of person who likes Minecraft and don’t want to pay for it until you are, playing it through Game Pass is a good way to get a crash course.
Minecraft is… well, you don’t need me to explain what Minecraft is. You get blocks, you build a house, you harvest resources, so on and so forth.
It’s one ofthe most modular sandbox experiencesout there. you’re able to get exactly as carried away with it as you want to, either settling for a little cottage by the sea or a gigantic, frighteningly accurate recreation of the firehouse from Ghostbusters.
No matter what degree of gameplay complication you consider cozy, Minecraft can accommodate it. As an added perk, it’s part of the Game Pass Core library, so if you don’t feel like shelling out for the full library, you still get something nifty to sink your teeth into.
3Magical Delicacy
You Gotta Do The Cookin’ By The Book
Magical Delicacy
Cooking is a form of science, involving experimentation and precise measurements. Admittedly, the cooking inMagical Delicacyisn’t particularly advanced; in fact, it’s pretty low-key. It does involve magic, though.
Magical Delicacy is a hybrid adventure and cooking game. As you explore the large town in which it’s set, you’ll receive orders for treats from the townsfolk, as well as source and purchase new and interesting ingredients.
When you return home, you can follow recipes to make dishes to the letter, or tinker a bit with different flavors to find something all your own. So long as you meet your requests’ requirements, who’s going to complain?
Magical Delicacy bills itself as a combat-free Metroidvania. This is not only because platforming is a part of the basic loop, but because progress unlocks new abilities both in and out of the kitchen.
It’s that same vibe of quietly navigating aMetroidmap without anything trying to kill you.
2Little Kitty, Big City
Cat Got Your Thumbs?
Little Kitty, Big City
A statistically significant portion of people like cats. Like, even if you don’t want to own a cat, you probably like watching them and their antics at least.
That’s why games that involve cats usually attract a respectable audience, and games like Little Kitty, Big City, where you get to be a cat, are naturally appealing.
While Little Kitty, Big City does have a main questline involving getting your little feline protagonist back home, the game gives you more than enough room to just wander around as a cat,explore this cozy world, and do your own thing. you may bother pedestrians in the street, steal their dropped lunches, knock pots over for laughs, and generally make a nuisance of yourself.
I hadn’t paid Little Kitty, Big City much mind before it came out, but when I found it in the Game Pass library, I decided to give it a spin on a whim and ended up having a pretty good time. Much like a real cat, it’s a game that moves at its own pace, and you may match that pace or leave.
Come Fly With Me
While not to the same extent as some other genres, creature collector games do typically require a certain degree of investment. you may’t catch ‘em all if you don’t put the time in, after all.
What if, however, collecting an entire array of critters was as simple as flying right by them? That’s the kind of coziness you’re in for in Flock.
Flock is a simplified sandbox creature collector game where you fly around on your big bird, leading a herd of hovering sheep. As you traverse the lands, you’ll both find new pastures for your sheep and uncover all kinds of other delightfully weird flying critters.
There’s no combat or puzzles; it’s just about finding new things and having them join you for the ride.
Admittedly, Flock isn’t the kind of game I’d probably buy on my own time, but the fact that it’s on Game Pass means I can play through the whole thing without having to. That’s part of the appeal of the sub: you get to try new games you might not otherwise, consequence-free.
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