Editorial Policy & How We Review
Cozy Game Guide exists to help you find cozy games worth your time and money. To be useful, our advice has to be trustworthy — so here is exactly how we choose what to cover, how we play and score games, how we stay current, and how the site is funded. If we ever fall short of these standards, please tell us.
Independence comes first
Our recommendations are never for sale. No developer, publisher or store can pay for a positive review, a higher score, or a place on one of our lists. We don't accept payment in exchange for coverage, and a free review copy of a game never obligates us to be kind to it. When we say a game is worth your money, it's because we believe it.
How we choose what to cover
We focus on the cozy and simulation corner of gaming — farming sims, life sims, gentle building and management games, and relaxing adventures. We prioritise games that genuinely fit that brief: low-stress, welcoming, and rewarding to unwind with. Lists are curated by hand, not generated automatically, and we only include a game when we can say something useful about why it earns its place.
How we play and test
We base our reviews and recommendations on hands-on time with the games — playing them as a real player would, across the platforms most people will use. For bigger sims that means many hours; for shorter games it often means seeing them through to the end. Where a game is still evolving (early access or live-service titles), we say so, and we tell you what state it's in at the time of writing.
How our scores work
Reviews carry a score out of 5. Here's roughly what each level means:
- 4.5–5 — Exceptional. A standout we'd recommend to almost anyone in the mood for it.
- 4–4.4 — Great. Well worth your time, with only minor caveats.
- 3–3.9 — Good, but with real trade-offs. Worth it for the right player.
- Below 3 — Flawed enough that we'd suggest waiting, or looking elsewhere first.
Every review spells out the trade-offs in plain language — the pros, the cons, and exactly who we think will (and won't) enjoy it — so the score is never the whole story.
Keeping content current
Cozy games change: prices move, updates land, and free games get bigger. We revisit and update our most useful articles, and when an article has been meaningfully revised we show an "Updated" date on it. Live prices in our "where to buy" panels refresh automatically. If you spot something out of date or incorrect, let us know and we'll fix it.
How the site is funded
Some links on Cozy Game Guide are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. That support helps keep the site running and free to read, but it never influences our opinions, scores, or which games we recommend. You can read the full affiliate disclosure any time.
Corrections & feedback
We're a small, independent site and we get things wrong sometimes. If you find a factual error, a broken link, or a game we should be covering, please get in touch. We read every message and update accordingly.