Cozy Grove
Review

Cozy Grove (2021) is a life simulation where you camp on a hand-drawn island. You play a scout and explore the ever-changing island's forest to find secrets and help the local ghosts. Like Animal Crossing, it has a children's storybook look but is a surprisingly layered and engaging experience. You soon discover different ghost bears on the island who need your help coming to terms with their past before they can pass on to a peaceful afterlife

Like Animal Crossing, around the narrative and help tasks it's a collectathon game. Each resident you meet gives you tasks like scavenging and crafting specific items. More than the usual grind though, these quests are more like hidden-object challenges where you root through the dense flora and fauna to find what you are looking for.

Cleverly, the game ensures these tasks never get overwhelming. You can play at your own pace, checking in with the game at different times of the day to discover new items. Once you are done you can put your feet up and wait until tomorrow for your next tasks.

The combination of beautiful, ever-changing landscapes, dozens of memorable characters with extensive stories, loads of animals to collect and a substantial main story, Cozy Grove is a game with a lot to offer.

Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Cozy Grove 2 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 3 months ago.