With the holiday season in full swing, sometimes it’s best to sit down and relax for a bit. One of the best ways to do that is to unwind and play a few cozy games. As you’d expect, Xbox Game Pass has you covered on that front with all sorts of games for you to enjoy, ranging from titles such as Winter Burrow to Power Wash Simulator.
We’ve selected some of the best co-op games you and a buddy can pick up and play. Something worth noting is that Xbox Game Pass offers various subscription tiers that give players access to different games. So, navigating what to play can be tricky based on what you’re subscribed to. For example, Xbox Essential is $10 a month, Xbox Premium is $15 a month, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which gives you access to both console and PC games with the option to use cloud gaming on mobile devices, is $30 a month.
To keep things simple, we’ve looked at everything offered in the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier. Those subscribed to other tiers, like Essential or Premium, may not be able to fully utilize the list of games we’ve selected for you to play.
Cooking Simulator
The name should say it all here. In Cooking Simulator, all you do is cook delicious plates in a nice-looking kitchen, and that’s it. There’s no high risk of messing something up because if you do, you simply start all over. Laying everything out and cutting/measuring food to perfectly fit whatever you’re making will never not be satisfying. Playing Cooking Simulator is a lot like watching a Studio Ghibli food scene play out. Since the game is based on real-world cooking, you could walk away from here learning how to make a delicious plate or two.
Dungeons Of Hinterberg
In Dungeons of Hinterberg, you play as an explorer who’s on vacation, looking to unwind. The world in which the game takes place feels alive with various characters for you to get attached to, and it’s hard not to smile while playing this game. That’s mainly because of its unique art style and soothing music that accompanies it. Even though it is a cozy game, it does have some combat and engaging puzzles that are just as fun if you’re looking for a bit of a challenge. The game is even more fun when you think of it as a Dungeons and Dragons adventurer who’s on vacation.
Minecraft
Minecraft is truly a game for everyone. Every time I play this, I often find myself leaning into the builder aspect of it too. Finding the perfect plot of land and building your dream house will never not put a smile on my face. When you’re not building out your dream home, there’s still plenty to do because the one thing that’ll make your home look even better is having an equally breathtaking farm and barn house to go along with it.
Power Wash Simulator 1 & Power Wash Simulator 2
Power Wash Simulator is the perfect game to play while listening to a podcast or having your favorite film play in the background. The stakes are low, no one is trying to rush you, and you have all the time in the world to walk around and take in the sights. Every time the game loads up, you’re thrown into an area that’s, by all accounts, disgusting, but seeing it come together bit by bit is rewarding all in itself. Plus, the real kicker to it all is that there are all sorts of DLCs that transport you to various worlds, which include Warhammer 40:000 and even SpongeBob Squarepants.
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is another one of those games that keeps on giving. In short, you live in a small town, and help with a lot of the day-to-day chores that pop up. It’s filled with all sorts of rich characters for you to get invested in, which makes the experience even more enjoyable. Similar to Minecraft, there are a couple of different ways you can go about playing, because you can easily lean into the cozy aspects of it all by building relationships and making your dream home. But you can also explore and fight all sorts of monsters if that’s more of your playstyle.
Unpacking
As much as I hate doing laundry, it’s one of my favorite chores. Why is that relevant to Unpacking? Because there’s nothing better than seeing a pile of clothes slowly disappear one by one in the spots they’re supposed to go in. As the name suggests, in Unpacking, you take items out of boxes and place them exactly where they belong. While you’re putting things where they belong, you’ll be exposed to an equally heartwarming story.
Winter Burrow
In Winter Burrow, you play as a small, adorable mouse who’s trying to rebuild their old childhood home. But the catch is, by the time you get there, everything is in ruin, and nothing is like how it used to be. So, to make things right, you’re tasked with rebuilding the home you once lived in while cleaning up the surrounding areas. What I especially enjoyed about the game is that there are so many ways to play it. If you really want to, you can do a peaceful route and not kill anything, or take the opposite route and do just that (within reason). The art style and music really bring this game together, and it’s impossible not to smile when you see your character all cozied up next to a campfire.
