Post by Koji Hashimoto

"In 2017, a game design thinktank called Project Horseshoe gathered a group of developers together to define the concept of cosiness in video games. Games, of course, have had non-violent elements since the medium was invented. Early life simulators such as 1985’s Little Computer People, a low-stakes game in which the player interacts with a man living his unremarkable life in a house, could fit the bill; then there was the proliferation of social farming simulations after 1996’s chibi-adorable Harvest Moon. But the resulting report, Coziness in Games: An Exploration of Safety, Softness, and Satisfied Needs, is probably the first organised effort to define a then-emerging genre. The group zeroed in on three core things: safety, abundance, and softness. Cosy games (cozy in US spelling) don’t have high-risk scenarios: “There is no impending loss of threat,” they wrote. They must have a sense of abundance: “Nothing is lacking, pressing or imminent.” And a soft aesthetic wraps everything up like a warm hug." "Kelly Boudreau, associate professor of game studies and design programme lead at Harrisburg University, says that cosy games aren’t just a genre, but an “ideological shift in game design – something that can be powerful in order to express different themes and play experiences.” " The real world is threatened with wars, and many game titles are designed to trigger our survival instincts. This shift toward gentler, more nurturing play feels both timely and necessary. It's the kind of change I’ve long hoped would endure—not just for a moment, but for decades to come. It will help this world to be more gentle and kind, rather than rough and harsh. https://lnkd.in/g9btptcW