Dungeon crawling doesn’t always have to be trudging through dark, monster-infested caves with nothing but a rusty sword and a dwindling health bar.
Some games take the thrill of dungeon exploration and add just a touch of coziness to it, making them a whole lot less stressful to deal with.
Whether you’re gathering resources in a laid-back dungeon run or are taking down chibi-fied monsters in colorful caves, these games offer everything you love about dungeon crawling with an added dose of coziness.
9NecroBouncer
Throw Out Drunk Monsters
NecroBouncer is a cozy dungeon crawler about a necromancer’s first job as a bouncer for a local nightclub, and yes, I wouldkillto see his resume.
The guests of the club are all monsters, so you can imagine how rowdy they can get after they’ve had a bit too much to drink.
Your job is to maintain the nightclub and “take care” of any unruly guests. If they give you any trouble, all you have to do is raise a few zombies and consume some souls, then kick them out and ban them for life (or death)!
You rarely seea roguelike game in the cozy category, but NecroBouncer manages to pull it off flawlessly. Its nostalgic, retro-style graphics combined with its upbeat music and adorable little puzzles easily make it one of the softest dungeon-crawlers out there.
8Cat Quest
Dungeon Crawling Cats
If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like if Puss in Boots went to Skyrim, then you definitely need to get your paws on Cat Quest.
Cat Quest is a dungeon-crawling RPG abouta tiny-but-mighty kitten warrioron a quest to save his catnapped sister. Along the way, you’ll explore the cat-filled lands of Felingard, going on crazy side quests and dungeon diving every chance you get.
This game has been described by many as “Diablo with cats”, and after playing it, I can’t say I disagree. Cat Quest is like the coziest version of every classic dungeon crawler you’ve ever played; you can count on finding a hilarious pun and an adorable feline around every corner.
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7Garden Story
A Grape with a Knife
Dungeon crawling doesn’t always have to be about slaying gross monsters in dark caves; sometimes, it’s about puppeteering a knife-wielding grape on his quest to defeat garden-rot.
Garden Story puts you in the tiny, tiny shoes of Concord, a small but determined grape who’s been tasked with saving the Grove from the invasive Rot. As your home’s newest appointed guardian, you’ll have to multitask between defending it and deep-diving into Rot-infested dungeons to pull it by the roots.
Slaying monsters as one of the main ingredients in a PB&J won’t be easy, but neither is watching your family get devoured by Rot, so you take what you may get.
Amidst the rot-slaying adventures and dungeon deep dives, you’ll also have to maintain the Grove, rebuild the towns, and even grow adorable gardens (yes, I know the characters are all already vegetables, just don’t think about it too much).
6Boyfriend Dungeon
Date Your Weapons
Boyfriend Dungeon
Boyfriend Dungeon is guaranteed to be one of the strangest, yet softest dungeon crawlers you’ll ever play. If you’ve ever playeda cozy dating simand wondered what it’d be like if all your soulmates were weapons you could equip in a dungeon, then Boyfriend Dungeon is about to be your next obsession.
This game throws you into the role of a broke-ass, drop-out loser staying in your cousin’s old apartment (rent-free!) for the summer. Once he sees how pathetic you are, your cousin becomes determined to set you upby any means necessary.
In an effort to get you out of the house and meet people (and earn a little cash), your cousin pushes you to go exploring in what the locals call “The Dunj”.
The Dunj is literally just a procedurally generated dungeon full of loot and, you guessed it, weapons; these weapons are no ordinary swords and daggers, however. They’re hotties!
These bae blades are hidden around every corner, just waiting for someone to come across them and marvel at their human-form transformations.
When you’re not diving for loot in The Dunj, you’re going on dates with yoursharply dressed suitors and exploring the weirdly wonderful world of Boyfriend Dungeon.
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A Modern Take on Old School Adventure
SULFUR feels like the cozy version of thoseold-school adventure gamesyou used to play as a kid. It has all the nostalgic elements that classic RPGs have, but it is offered up in an incredibly cozy way that looks like something straight out of a kid’s cartoon.
SULFUR is a roguelike dungeon crawler with a cozy yet gothic charm, making it feel both intense and welcoming at the same time. You get to take on the role of a chibi, gun-slinging alchemist exploring labyrinthine dungeons filled with dangerous enemies, lore-centric secrets, and powerful weapons.
The combat is fluid, the exploration is rewarding, and the gameplay is so smooth you could cut it with a butter knife. Every step forward brings you closer to victory, and every battle won brings you a little bit closer to the truth.
4Moonlighter
NPC by Day, Hero by Night
Moonlighter
If you’ve ever fantasized about running away to open your own shop and sell monster guts (who hasn’t?), then Moonlighter should be at the top of your wishlist.
By day,you’re a humble shopkeeper, arranging shelves, haggling with customers, and selling your wares to the “real” heroes. But by night, you’re a fearless dungeon crawler, diving into mysterious ruins to uncover inter-dimensional secrets and gather loot for your shop.
I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that this game is one of my all-time favorite cozy games ever. It’s got everything you could ever want in a cozy game, and even has roguelite mechanics and multiple dungeons to crawl through so you never get bored!
Even if you don’t get any other game on this list, you definitely need to at least consider getting Moonlighter.
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3Cult of the Lamb
The Coziest Cult You’ve Ever Seen
Cult of the Lamb
Cozy horror games are on the rise, and Cult of the Lamb is no exception. This game was released back in 2022, and its popularity has barely dropped off at all since; it’s the best of both worlds for cozy game lovers and fans of dungeon crawlers alike!
Cult of the Lamb puts you in the cult-tastic hooves of a sacrificial lamb, who, after being sacrificed, was resurrected by the God of Death.
The only payment he requested was that you start a cult in his honor, to gain the power needed to escape his chains. He then gifts you with otherworldly magical powers, and the rest is history.
Cult of the Lamb is part management sim, part dungeon crawler, and part heart-pounding roguelite. In this game, you’ll have to recruit adorable woodland creatures into your cult and take care of them; you’ll need to feed them, clean up after them, and provide them with shelter, kind of like taking care of a bunch of pets.
Taking care of an entire cult while dungeon-diving to kill heretics is a lot harder to juggle than it sounds, but someone’s got to do it.
2The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
The Coziest Zelda Reboot Ever
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Does anyone remember the OG Legend of Zelda games on GameBoy Color and GameBoy Advance?
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening was originally released on GameBoy consoles in 1993, where it was met with a fantastic reception from fans. Later, in 2019, Nintendo decided to reboot it for the Nintendo Switch, and it remains one of the most nostalgic, cozy Zelda experiences on the market.
This game will kick you straight back to childhood, where the only things that mattered were slaying monsters and saving digital princesses. Like most Legend of Zelda games, Link’s Awakening will put you in the worn-out shoes of the gaming community’s favorite errand boy; this time, trapped on an island far away from Hyrule.
With no memory of how you got there, you’ll have to navigate your way through tropical dungeons and puzzles alike if you ever want to figure out what happened.
This game features the classic Zelda tunes we all know and love, along with a softer, more modern take on design that only makes the game that much more inviting.
If you want a game that’ll make you forget every single one of your adult responsibilities, then Link’s Awakening is the perfect distraction from your day-to-day.
1Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
The OG Cozy Dungeon Crawler
Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX
Anyone who hasn’t played any of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games is seriously missing out. These games are the reason why none of my summer break assignments ever got done as a kid, which is why I was so ecstatic to find out they were rebooting the original Red Rescue Team game.
Overall, 2020 was a pretty bad year, but this game might just be one of the only good things to come out of it. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is the 2020 reboot of the original 2006 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team game.
Rather than taking on the role of a Pokémon Trainer, like most of the other Pokémon games, Rescue Team DX lets you become an actual Pokémon! This game starts off with you waking up as a Pokémon washed up on a strange beach, with no memory of who you are or how you got there.
The only thing you’re sure of is that you used to be a human, and that you somehow got transformed into a Pokémon. With the help of your Pokémon partner and a whole guild of Poké-adventurers, you’ll have to crawl (literally) through dungeons and defeat evil-doers to regain your memory.
Also, this game’s lore goes weirdly hard, so if you’re intocozy games with crazy backstories, then you’ve seriously got to check this one out.
