Curled up with a good game

Cozy games, risen in popularity since the COVID-19 pandemic, are generally characterized by their easy mechanics, prosocial narratives, lack of violence, and overall feelings of comfort, safety, abundance, and softness. While academic research primarily focuses on defining cozy games and exploring their impact during the pandemic, little is known about who plays them and why. Therefore, we conducted an online survey of 277 cozy game players, examining players’ game motives and their Light and Dark Triad personality traits. Results show key reasons to play cozy games, including moral self-reflection (i.e., seeing cozy gameplay as a morally sensible activity), agency (i.e., having the freedom and control to make decisions and pursue actions according to players’ own desires or goals), escapism (i.e., escaping from daily reality into a safe virtual environment), experiencing eudaimonic emotions (i.e., feeling moved, awe, and having elevating or heartwarming or feelings), and an interest in the game’s narrative. Additionally, players scored significantly higher on Light Triad personality traits, with those scoring high on Humanism being more motivated by eudaimonic and social reasons. This study provides novel insights into the study of cozy games, the (eudaimonic) motives to play them, and cozy game players’ personality traits.