Pick a Cozy Video Game and Get a Book Recommendation

Cozy Grove takes place on a haunted island, where it is the player’s job to care for the spirits that call the place home. In this warm and thoughtful novel, however, the heroine is a ghost who is trying to care for the living she left behind. After Pine Away Motel employee Henny passes away, she decides to stay around as a spirit a little longer in order to comfort her friends and community in any way she can.

A Short Hike is a beautiful and comforting video game in which players can explore trails, connect with hikers, and simply enjoy their time in the virtual outdoors. In this warmhearted and humorous memoir, comedian Derick Lugo reflects on his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail (including how he got the trail name “Mr. Fabulous”).

Like Coffee Talk, Legends & Lattes is a thoughtful slice-of-life story set around a fantasy cafe. Viv dreams of opening up her own coffee shop and saying goodbye to barbarian life. Unexpected setbacks and fremenies from her warrior past threaten to hold her back from her dream, but she’s determined to build the life she’s always wanted.

In Spiritfarer, players are ferrymen whose job it is to guide spirit to the afterlife and, in the meantime, take care of their needs. Although Archival Quality is set in the archives of a museum, the heroine similarly tries to understand and care for a ghost. When Celeste “Cel” Walden starts her new job as an archivist for Walden Library, she begins to have vivid dreams of a woman who, though they’ve never met, she feels compelled to help.

Have you ever thought to yourself, “I love the farm setting and close-knit community of Stardew Valley, but what if it added in a little… murder?” Then this cozy mystery is all for you.

After Shiloh Bellamy returns home to run her family farm, she becomes the prime suspect in a murder case when her investor is found dead under suspicious circumstances. To clear her name, Shiloh must immerse herself in this small town community and find the real killer while also working hard to keep her farm afloat.

Both Garden Story and Garlic and the Vampire follow brave fruits and veggies who are on a mission to protect their garden community from danger. When a suspected vampire moves in to the abandoned castle in the woods, Garlic is chosen among her garden friends to chase him away. After all, vampires are afraid of garlic… right?

Later, Alligator is a comedic game in which the player is helping an alligator named Pat solve a mystery on the day of his birthday party. If you enjoy stories with plenty of mystery and humor, Dial A for Aunties is the perfect choice for your next read. It follows the misadventures of Meddelin “Meddy” Chan, her Ma, and her three aunties as they attempt to cover up the accidental death of Meddy’s blind date at a destination wedding.

In Abzû, players can venture into the depths of an open world virtual ocean. If the game leaves you fascinated by marine life and interested in knowing more, you’ll want to check out What a Fish Knows. In it, ethologist Jonathan Balcombe explores the inner worlds and complexities of fish around the globe.