Cozy Grove Reviews

Highlight of my day is checking in on this game after work for the past 2 weeks now and i don't think the obsession will stop....... help

Cutesy~ But you'll spend a lot of time on it without realizing. Saving grace is the game only gives you a number of quests per day, so you can't grind quests in one day.

Very cozy game. I love that there is so much to collect, and often too.

This game might be the chillest game I played. No stakes, AT ALL. The fact that you can only do so much daily is incredibly chill. I am so used to overconsume the games in one sitting, having to wait for tomorrow to have more progress was very refreshing. Every time I am done, I can just stop and do my chores. I mean, Im still in day4 so maybe that is the reason, but Im loving it! The art style is so cute. The music is very peaceful. Being able to craft things without the need of carrying them in your bag is EXTREMELY freeing. Overall, I give this a clean 10/10

Cozy Grove is a charming life-sim game developed by Spry Fox that draws clear inspiration from titles like Animal Crossing and Spiritfarer, but carves out its own identity with a unique blend of whimsical melancholy and subtle storytelling. At first glance, the game presents itself as a colorful, comforting escape filled with cute ghost bears, hand-drawn art, and gentle music, but underneath this aesthetic lies a surprisingly contemplative experience centered on themes of loss, memory, and healing. Players take on the role of a Spirit Scout, sent to an island shrouded in darkness and mystery, where they must help the local spirits—who take the form of ghostly bears—reconnect with their past lives and find peace. The core gameplay loop is structured around a real-time progression system, similar to Animal Crossing. Each day, players can perform a limited number of tasks for the spirits: fetch quests, crafting, resource gathering, and decorating. These daily goals are designed to be completed in relatively short play sessions, encouraging players to return regularly rather than binge through the content. While this model may frustrate those looking for a more continuous, action-heavy experience, it aligns well with the game’s soothing, reflective tone. The tasks themselves are relatively simple, but they’re elevated by excellent writing and meaningful character arcs that unfold slowly over time. What initially seems like busywork often reveals deeper emotional layers, as spirits begin to open up about their regrets, fears, and forgotten joys. Visually, Cozy Grove is enchanting. The hand-drawn, storybook art style is vibrant and distinctive, giving the game an inviting atmosphere even as it deals with serious themes. Each spirit bear has its own look and personality, from the gruff postal worker to the bashful baker, and the world shifts dramatically in tone and color as players complete quests and bring life back to the island. The transformation of the environment from drab grayscale to warm, lively hues is not just a visual mechanic—it mirrors the emotional impact the Spirit Scout is having on the island and its inhabitants. The soundtrack complements this beautifully with ambient melodies that evolve subtly depending on the player’s location and progress, further reinforcing the game’s immersive, meditative mood. Narratively, Cozy Grove is one of the most understated yet affecting indie titles in recent memory. Each spirit's storyline is carefully constructed to feel personal and intimate. These characters aren’t just cute NPCs—they’re flawed, complex, and often wrestling with regrets or unfinished business from their lives. The writing walks a delicate line between playful and poignant, and it frequently surprises with moments of quiet emotional resonance. Unlike many games that gamify grief or trauma for dramatic effect, Cozy Grove handles these themes with empathy and restraint. The player is not there to "fix" these characters, but to bear witness to their stories and offer gentle support as they navigate their own paths to peace. On the mechanical side, Cozy Grove does have some limitations that may not appeal to every player. Inventory management can become cumbersome as crafting ingredients and decorative items quickly pile up, especially without much meaningful expansion to storage. Some quests suffer from repetition or lack of clarity, particularly when it comes to finding hidden objects, which can occasionally lead to frustrating pixel-hunting. Additionally, the reliance on daily progression can create pacing issues. While the game is designed for short, daily engagement, players who want to immerse themselves for longer periods may find themselves running out of things to do until the next in-game day. Despite these minor setbacks, Cozy Grove succeeds brilliantly at what it sets out to do. It’s a cozy, reflective, and emotionally sincere game that rewards patience and attentiveness. The real-time structure, rather than being a gimmick, feels integral to the experience—it teaches the player to slow down, to observe, and to care. It invites you to become part of the island’s gentle rhythm and to value each small interaction not for its reward, but for its meaning. In an era where many games compete to offer the biggest and fastest experiences, Cozy Grove quietly insists that less can be more—and that healing, like storytelling, takes time. Ultimately, Cozy Grove is a beautifully illustrated meditation on connection, remembrance, and growth. Its soft, painterly visuals, sensitive writing, and laid-back mechanics combine to create a deeply personal experience that evolves with each passing day. It’s not a game for everyone—it asks for patience and a willingness to engage with subtlety—but for those who embrace its pace and philosophy, it becomes more than a game. It becomes a quiet companion, offering a small slice of comfort and reflection each time you visit its haunted yet hopeful shores. Rating: 8/10

Game is fun. Well thought out. There are some glaring problems. - You up grade your campsite and island store. The cost for the store goes from 10 000 to 100 000 or 200 000 that is pretty excessive jump. - You can only play this game for 30-60 minutes a day. If I had known that, I would not have bought the game. When I buy a video game, I want to be able to play it as much or as little as possible. - I have 3 days or longer worth of play time, trying to find one item for a quest. Cannot find it. Even watched a few you tube videos. Not where the videos said it would be. I don't know if this is by design, or a bug. - Other reviewers have commented on how hard it is to find items. And yes at times, it is extremely difficult. - You get a net, and you have to catch bugs. In a normal game, you would just walk up to a bug, and swing your net and catch the bug. But, nope, you have to throw your net. You could be standing right next to a bug, throw the net, and miss. The game is just full of dumb ideas like this one. And if you do it wrong, you walk in a direction you did not want to, and spook the bug. - You have to buy a camera, and set the scene by placing items on the ground to get pics, for certain characters. If I want to move the camera up, I have to move the mouse down. If I want the camera to pan left, I have to move the mouse right. Another dumb (*)&)(* idea from the developers. I don't know, why not just allow players to move the camera normally. I want to pan left, so move the mouse left..... A person with the mind of a 3 year old could have done better in certain parts of the game.

less than 30 mins of actual game play and then you have to sit and wait for next real time day to do anything and then the cycle repeats. the game is cute and has potential but just nothing to do or missions take days (real time) to complete. this game tries to be Animal Crossing but fails horribly.

The game has me running around searching for hidden items. Due to the artstyle, it's really hard to see anything. Items don't stick out from the environment and it's hard to tell what can be picked up or interacted with. I can only see this getting more confusing as the game goes on and you start cluttering the area with placeable objects. I just found it confusing and frustrating due to this.

This game is absolutely adorable. I love having little quests and helping the neighboring bears (?) get over their past trauma and transcend. Making new recipes and feeding the animals every day is a delight to me. I find the art very cute, and due to the limit of ghosts that you can help every day, the game helps you pace yourself.

tl;dr: great game as long as you don't care to get 100% on achievements There's a lot to love about this game. I love the play style, characters, soundtrack, animals and imps. The story quests can be pretty deep and emotional, and you can really start to care about these little bears. I love the Bears' unique personalities and story lines. I enjoy the mechanics of fishing and skipping stones. I love the little cats you can keep inside and I love Flamey. There are also often seasonal in game events like the Spring and Fall festivals that can help keep things engaging. I don't understand the reviews complaining of the real time play style, because it's very obvious before purchasing the game, that this is the type of game it is. My frustration at this point in the game is the painfully slow progress on one of my last achievements to get, breaking 150 tools. It seems like a win when you get more durable tools, but then they last so long. If I would have realized how slow this achievement would I wouldn't have upgraded as early as I did. You can use up cameras and leverage use of your accordion tool to help do it faster. At 133 hours, I'm only at 52% completion for tool breaking... I am also stuck in a quest because in order to continue I need to wear a very specific piece of clothing, which I don't own and it hasn't appeared in the shop. I find this very frustrating that continuing this quest is going to hinge on rng of finding an elegant blue shirt in the store. I had been checking every day for a couple weeks with no luck. I need the reward from this quest to finish another Bear's quest (and to be able to finish the other achievement I have left.) Being in the late game quests means I don't really have much to do, so being stuck at this point means I've hit a wall. I harvest resources to keep using tools but I don't really need them for anything anymore. I don't necessarily play games only for the achievements, but when it's a game I loved and put a lot of time into I like to try for 100% if I can. Overall it's a really great game, but it's definitely time for me to take a little break.