You would thinkthat cozy games, being cute and cuddly by their very nature, would be immune to the scathing words and abuse of the gaming critics out there. But as one of those critics who have played their fair share of terrible cozy games, I can say from experience that some of them have it coming.
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Cute or not, if it’s a game that lacks quality and wastes the players' time, it deserves to get bad reviews, for the sake of the potential players, if nothing else. But, even we critics sometimes drop the ball, and on some occasions, cozy games unfairly get the sharp end of the stick.
So, in a bid to right the wrongs of my critic brethren and give the games that have been wronged their moment in the spotlight, here is a list of cozy games that were reviewed badly, but were actually pretty good.
To clarify what we will be considering ‘Badly Reviewed’. We will only be considering games listed as ‘indie’ on Opencritic, and will only be listing games with an aggregate score of 75 or less.
10Storm Boy
Short, But Sweet
This one may be a bit of a controversial one depending on how you feel about short games that people tend to play forquick and easy trophies and achievements, but hear me out on this one.
As someone who has played this game for the sole reason of picking up the easy platinum, I was blown away by the emotional story that is packed into the little over an hour-long experience.
I’ll grant you that the gameplay is little more than a series of rather rudimentary mini-games, and mileage may vary there. However, they are great facilitators of the emotional gut punch that is this game’s narrative.
Sure, it had incredible source material to lean on in that regard. But, even still, this is a bargain-bin title that is far better than the reviews would have you believe.
9Little Orpheus
Satisfying Side-Scrolling
Little Orpheus
Considering that this 2D platformer was produced by the incredibly consistent studio, The Chinese Room, I never quite understood how they could have dropped the ball on this one. Then, when I played the game, I found out first-hand that it was critics that had in fact dropped the ball.
Unlike other side-scrolling platformers like INSIDE or Little Nightmares, Little Orpheus actually tries to tell a story, and it’s a surreal, gripping, and well-paced one to engage with as you enjoy the lush biomes and fun platforming mechanics as you go.
The criticism mainly comes from the game’s lack of depth and difficulty when it comes to puzzles and platforming, the often wacky plot points and physics, and the inclusion of quick time events. But even if this game doesn’t necessarily push the sub-genre forward, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game as a result.
It’s a pretty platformer that’s super accessible for all, and one that deserves more love than it got.
8Graveyard Keeper
Stardew, But More Morbid
Graveyard Keeper
For the life of me, I never quite understood why the cozy gaming community didn’t embrace Graveyard Keeper with open arms. As, after all, this game is like the perfect Halloween companion to games like Stardew Valley and Coral Island.
Sure, the gameplay is naturally darker and sinister in nature, but it’s still your typical crafting and resource management gig with a small-town vibe and kooky characters aplenty.
The main issue reviewers had with this game at the time was the sheer amount of time that crafting, exploring, and progressing can take, so moment-to-moment gameplay isn’t always as action-fuelled as it could be. But as fellow medieval games likeKCD2showcased, instant gratification isn’t always necessary to have a fun, chill time.
At the end of the day, all games of this nature are a grindfest, and if you can put aside that this game perhaps keeps you on the hook a little longer than some others before you get your validation, you’ll find that Graveyard Keeper is every bit as good as the otherfarming simulator type games on the market.
7Drake Hollow
Walked So Palworld Could Run
Drake Hollow
If you’re someone that got a kick out of the ‘Pokémon With Guns’ indie hit, Palword. Then, I reckon you’ll have a lot of fun playing Drake Hollow. A game that admittedly has some flaws, but never any criminal issues that warrant the review scores it accrued.
Drake Hollow is a cozy survival game where you’ll explore various lands, tame and gather creatures known as Drakes to help run your camp/base, and then head on excursions to get the materials needed to give them a good home.
The game has some awesome features, such as varied Drakes with unique traits, a resource siphoning system that works in tandem with the interconnected custom waypoint system, and the game also looks the part too, right down to the cute-as-a-button Drakes you can cuddle.
Full disclosure, the combat is pretty awful, but it’s not something that you’ll need to engage with every waking moment, so patient players will be able to put up with it.
Basically, it’s a wonderful gateway into the survival crafting genre for beginners and a game that is far better than review scores would indicate.
6Minekos Night Market
Not Purr-fect, But Great
While I can’t argue that Mineko’s Night Market perhaps got the flak it deserved on launch due to the rather broken and buggy state that it was released in. I can say that, now at least, Mineko’s Night Market functions as it should, allowing players to focus on all of its good points.
Let me tell you, it has plenty. It has a distinct and beautiful art style, with cats at the core of everything. Plus, it has a devilishly addictive gameplay loop that has you complete quests and explore the world during the week, culminating in a visit to the markets to sell your crafts.
It, much like a lot of cozy games like this,is a slow burn. But, if you’re willing to get through that first week, get to know Bobo and the other townsfolk, and work on your crafts, I assure you that you’ll find something to love about this feline-focused indie.
As Cozy As The End Of Days Gets
While a post-apocalyptic survival game may not seem like the coziest pitch of all time, I assure you that I’m not leading you down the wrong path here, as cozy game fans will love Overland.
This turn-based roguelike may not have been a huge hit with the critics, but I struggle to see why, as the road trip survival format meshes seamlessly with the roguelike survival mechanics, making each slice of the world you inhabit a thoughtful, tactical, and worthwhile venture.
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We’ve got everything from nautical horrors to kicking everything in sight, here.
The game is packed with tough choices, and ones that you’ll need to make while under pressure, but there’s enough ebb and flow here to ensure that this isn’t always going to have your heart racing.
The story is pretty non-existent in truth, and it’s the moment-to-moment gameplay and seeing how far you may get with each run that will keep you invested, but this is more than enough to warrant playing this one.
It’s not quite XCOM, but quite frankly it doesn’t have to be. So, fuel up and get driving.
4Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
The Secret Ingredient Is Crime
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
While it’s very easy to write off Turnip Boy as nothing more than a silly mascot fronting a straightforward Zelda clone, that reductive viewpoint really sells Turnip Boy’s first outing short.
Yes, this game is a top-down Zelda-like, and mechanically, it never really does anything to push that age-old format forward. But, what it does to make up for thisis pack laugh-a-minute comedyand surreal writing into every moment of this silly little adventure.
Whether it’s your goal to rack up a bounty for all the tax you’ve been avoiding, become a part of a mafioso crime family, or just cause mischief, this game gives you all the tools to do just that.
Plus, when all is said and done, the rudimentary combat is pushed to its limit in one of the finest endless mode gauntlets you’ll find in an indie game. The sequel Turnip Boy Robs A Bank is perhaps the better of the two, but I would still say that for the gags alone, the first outing is well worth experiencing.
3Yooka-Laylee
It’s Hard Living In Banjo’s Shadow
Yooka-Laylee
An issue that some spiritual successors run into is that it will always be compared to the game that has come before and serves as an inspiration, for better or worse. So, if the game doesn’t improve on the older title, then negative reviews can and will happen.
This is something that Yooka-Laylee endured, and it was more or less down to one simple fact. This game was not Banjo-Kazooie.
But, here’s the thing. Despite not hitting the heights of one of RARE’s finest game series ever, it’s still a game with a lot of quality, thanks to the fun platforming, open level design with a variety of things to do in each, loads of collectibles to hunt, and more.
Plus, the game also has some fantastic DLC content that improves on the formula even more, and offers some of the most challenging but rewarding platforming segments within the genre to date.
The open-ended level design with very little direction for the player is a lot to get used to for casual platforming fans. But, if you can get over the fact that this game isn’t and will never be Banjo, you’ll have a lot of fun.
2The Beginners' Guide
The Crunch Is Real
The Beginner’s Guide
Considering the love and adoration heaped onto The Stanley Parable, I always find it a little bit bewildering that Wreden’s follow-up project to the fourth wall-breaking hit never gets the credit it perhaps deserves.
The Beginner’s Guide is a more grounded and thought-provoking narrative by comparison. But while it isn’t laugh-a-minute stuff, it’s deeply interesting and offers a walking simulator experience that serves as a commentary on game development and the toll that it can take on someone.
So, admittedly, not the most relatable of subjects and a little self-indulgent, but one that is fascinating to delve into and is handled with aplomb by the esteemed indie creator.
There are no outlandish, Deadpool-esque plot devices. Just a heartfelt and unapologetically real story, and I, for one, think that deserves more credit than it got.
Cephalopoda Chaos
Octodad: Dadliest Catch
I would say that this is just about the only game on this list that really treads the line between being reviewed badly and reviewed modestly, but it fits the criteria, so I reckon it warrants a mention.
Games with intentionally obtuse and cumbersome controlshad their moment in the sun in the late 2000s and early 2010s, with games like Surgeon Simulator and I Am Bread being fine examples.
However, Octodad was more than just a stupid gimmick gamified. It was a game that offered level-based mission design, a fun, humorous story, and of course, the clunky controls that add even more hilarity to even the most basic of tasks.
It’s a game that often gets labelled as just one of those stupid gimmicky games of that era. But, for me at least, this was the best and brightest of them all, and perhaps deserved a review score average that showcased that.
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