Summary
There will always be an appealtocozy games. In a medium that is constantly giving players missions, quests, goals or quotas, cozy games stand out as a way for players to make their own fun and set their own pace, uninhibited by the breakneck speed of something like a main quest or central enemy to defeat.
If there’s one thing that players think of when it comes to cozy titles…it’sprobably not zombies. Sometimes though, when something as frightening as the walking dead is right outside the door, that can only make moments of safety feel that much safer. For players looking to throw some un-living into their life sims, here are somegreat cozy games that feature zombies.
Genre
Action, Rhythm
Zubostands today as a relatively obscure title, but is also one of thebest rhythm games on the DSto date. This team-building RPG-meets-rhythm-game is incredibly cozy, with its stylized voxel graphics and the idyllic little settlements of the titular Zubos, whose world is under attack from Big Head. A game aimed at children, but with enough wit and gameplay to keep adults going as well,Zubowas a sleeper hit of the DS era.
Big Head has made zombified clones of the Zubos, known as Zombos, who are the main threat inZubo. Zombos walk around the various world maps with arms outstretched, zombie style, and are crude, evil parallels to the player’s own cadre of characters.
The monolithicMinecraftcontinues to expand today, not just with new games and an upcoming movie, butwith continual updatesto the game itself that constantly — if incrementally — bring new features and content to the millions of players immersed in this blocky wonderland. With plenty of quiet moments underscored by slow, wistful music and lots of time spent just working on building,Minecraftis doubtlessly a cozy game.
However, by nighttime, the game becomes decidedly less cozy, as all manner of undead and monsters begin to spawn. Along with creepers, zombies might be the most iconicMinecraftmob to date, providing the first hurdle players must overcome as they build up a stable place to call home.
Project Zomboidis a fantastic title that showcasesthe many burdensthat come with trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. The game is open-ended, letting players set their own goals and strive to build a base that can house them against apocalyptic perils. While that all sounds very doom and gloom, there’s also a great deal of coziness to be found in this game once players have gotten the hang of it.
In those quiet, peaceful moments where the wood-fuel is burning away and players are just relaxing in their base, the outside world all but disappears. It’s very easy to begin seeing the cozier side of the zombie apocalypse thatProject Zomboidputs forth in these moments.
Terrarianever ceases to amaze players with its incredible depth and wide variety of playstyles. Whether players are looking to wield colossal weapons as warriors, orlet their minions do the fightingas summoners, there’s always a class and a host of items for players to experiment with. While players are able to take their time building up a settlement not just for themselves but for a whole host of NPCs that will come to join them over time, nighttime brings with it a host of dangerous enemies.
Among these enemies is the zombie, a simple but deadly foe if underestimated, especially when they start attacking in numbers. Players need to be especially careful of the blood moon, which sends out zombies in droves to disrupt what can otherwise be a cozy survival experience.
The Buried Don’t Always Stay That Way
Platforms
PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Farming Sim, Management Sim
Graveyard Keeperis a humorous spin on farming simulators likeHarvest MoonandStardew Valley, advocating for a cozy, slow-paced game that players can gradually build upon as they like. Unlike the aforementioned farming sims, however, this game takes some of the emphasis off the farming and puts it on… corpses. Corpses that, most of the time, stay down. Players will need theBreaking DeadDLC if they want their cozy corpse caretaker simulator to become a bit more animated.
This is an often overlooked title by those trying to scratch that same itch thatStardew Valleymanages to satisfy.Graveyard Keeperis a great and in-depth game that’s a little on the darker side (obviously) comparedStardew Valley,and manages to make the most of that with some DLC that gives players a zombie-managing, grave-tending, farm-simulating experience like no other.
