Summary
There are tons of excellent games with a cyberpunk setting these days. Towering futuristic metropolises that are dystopian, filled with crime and depravity, often accompanied by agritty and thrilling narrativethat usually deals with rogue A.I. and corruption of power.
Cozy cyberpunk as an idea is, therefore, oxymoronic, as nothing about this kind of setting would suggest that players would find a relaxing experience to enjoy with a warm blanket and a mug of cocoa. Despite this roadblock, some developers have been extremely creative, and here are the fruits of their labors, ranked by a combination of the game’s overall quality and levels of coziness in a dark cyberpunk world.
In a grimy city called Nivalis, players take control of Rania, a delivery driver for the eponymousCloudpunk, a semi-legal company that deals with the transportation of special packages. The city is riddled with vast inequality and plenty of crime, and some of the plotlines in the overall narrative can take a darker tone.
Despite all of this, most players willenjoy traveling around the cityin their HOVA, a flying car, joined by Rania’s robot dog Camus and the comforting voice of Control, the person assigning her tasks. The soundtrack is sublime and the variety of characters with whom Rania interacts range from endearing and affable robots to snobbish upper-class toffs. The use of humor is also very well employed.
Nobody Wants to Diemay stretch the definition of cozy to its absolute limits, so this may not be the preferred choice for some, but it is much less stress-inducing than similar games. Playing like a crossover ofBlade RunnerandWhat Remains of Edith Finchwith a heap of noir fiction, it’s set in a vibrant New York City in 2239 with playerscontrolling a detectivecalled Jack Karra.
Technology has advanced to the point that people no longer die. Rather, their consciousness is transferred from body to body, but a serial killer is on the loose. The slow pace and lack of combat certainly adds to the relaxation factor, leaving players to investigate crime scenes, make decisions and solve puzzles from the comfort of their sofa.
While not the most chilled out game,The Red Strings Clubfeatures many calm and relaxing moments throughout the course of the adventure. Controlling three main characters, the majority of the playing time is spent mixing drinks for customers at the eponymous club, and creating implants through pottery, whilst pondering the notion of humanity and happiness.
The main objective of the game is to stop the rather sinister corporation, Supercontinent, by using a non-violent approach, with their intention seemingly being to control the public through implants and augmentations. Towards the end of the main story, things can be a little stressful, but as an overall package, this game issurprisingly cozy and wholesome.
While its title may suggest a bleak and distressing experience,Dystopikais actually a cozy city-building sandbox. Players are free to build their ideal futuristic metropolis with no particular goals in mind and no need to manage the usual minutiae of other typical games in the genre, such as traffic and services.
Dystopikais even billed as relaxing, allowing players to be creative and build up their perfect cyberpunk city. Procedurally generated features like billboards, holograms, lights and traffic add to the overall ambience. Created by a solo-developer, the game is still evolving with regular updates and a dedicated community of players.
Set in the fictional city, Los Ojos,Neo Cabfeaturesa branching narrativedepending on player choices throughout a range of conversations with passengers, underscored by an unbelievably soothing soundtrack. As Lina, the last human cab driver in a city dominated by a driverless cab company, discussions cover a variety of topics from ethics and fate to existentialism.
Behind all of this is the mystery of Lina’s missing friend Savy and trying to track her down, while still earning enough money from cab fares to survive. Lina’s mood, visible on her FeelGrid smartwatch, determines which choices and plotlines will be available, so players must constantly monitor that.
Another visual novel with a branching story,VA-11 Hall-A,is a bartending simulator, set in a dystopian cyberpunk metropolis called Glitch City. The game is pronounced “Valhalla” and named after the bar where protagonist Jill works,serving drinks to the patrons, the quality of which determines how dialogue unfolds.
There is no real tension in the gameplay, since players are free to prepare drinks as they see fit, and there are no dialogue options. Story themes can be heavy at times, but the use of humor is charming, and the cast of quirky characters really adds to the game’s pleasant vibe. From talking corgis and androids to grumpy old men, it’s always compelling.
Inspired by the Kowloon Walled City, the decaying city inStraycould potentially be described as post-cyberpunk, due to itslevel of technological advancementand state of abandonment. Playing as a stray cat, players can freely explore this hauntingly beautiful location, populated by robots and drones.
There is some level of stress caused by enemies, but they are not too difficult to deal with, and pale in comparison to the sheer joy of exploring new areas as a furry feline. The story is largely uplifting, and the friendly androids are endearing. Despite the bleakness of the crumbling city,Strayis still a soothing and delightful adventure, especially when the cat is meowing.
Reminiscent of tabletop RPGs,Citizen Sleeperis very forgiving and deeply thought-provoking. There are elements of luck with dice rolls determining how effectively tasks are performed or how interactions play out, but mistakes are never really punished, despite this being a game about survival.
The branching storyline is controlled by the decisions of the player, dealing with many ideas like self-determination, systematic corruption, and the very notion of existence itself. The sequel,Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector,is arguably an even better overall package, improving on the first game in many ways, but it does ramp up the tension slightly, so the former must be recommended for a cozy night in.
