{"id":72058,"date":"2024-03-14T01:14:17","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T05:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=72058"},"modified":"2024-03-14T01:14:17","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T05:14:17","slug":"i-created-a-cosy-game-and-learned-how-they-can-change-players-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/i-created-a-cosy-game-and-learned-how-they-can-change-players-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"I created a \u2018cosy game\u2019 \u2013 and learned how they can change players\u2019 lives"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The COVID pandemic transformed our lives in ways many of us are still experiencing, four years later. One of these changes was the significant uptake in gaming as a hobby, chief among them being \u201ccosy games\u201d\u00a0like Animal Crossing: New Horizons<\/a>\u00a0(2020).<\/p>\n

Players sought comfort in these wholesome virtual worlds, many of which allowed them to socialise from the safety of their homes. Cosy games, with their comforting atmospheres, absence of winning or losing, simple gameplay, and often heartwarming storylines provided a perfect entry point for a new hobby. They also offered predictability and certainty at a time when there wasn\u2019t much to go around.<\/p>\n

Cosy games are often made by small, independent developers. \u201cIndie games\u201d have long been evangelised as the\u00a0purest form of game development<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 something anyone can do, given enough perseverance. This means they can provide an entry point for creators who hadn\u2019t made games before, but were nevertheless interested in it, enabling a new array of diverse voices and stories to be heard.<\/p>\n

In May 2020, near the start of the pandemic, the small poetry game\u00a0A Solitary Spacecraft<\/a>, which was about its developer\u2019s experience of their first few months in lockdown, was lauded as\u00a0particularly poignant<\/a>. Such games showcase a potential angle for effective cosy game development: a personal one.<\/p>\n

Personal themes are often explored through cosy games. For instance,\u00a0Chicory<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Venba<\/a>\u00a0(both released in 2023) tackle difficult topics like depression and immigration, despite their gorgeous aesthetics. This showcases the\u00a0diversity of experiences<\/a>\u00a0on display within the medium.<\/p>\n

However, as the world emerges from the pandemic\u2019s shadow, the games industry is\u00a0facing significant challenges<\/a>.\u00a0Economic downturns and acquisitions<\/a>\u00a0have caused large layoffs across the sector.<\/p>\n

Historically, restructurings like these, or discontent with working conditions, have led talented laid-off developers to\u00a0create their own companies<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0explore indie development<\/a>. In the wake of the pandemic and the cosy game boom, these developers may have more personal stories to tell.<\/p>\n

Making my own cosy game<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I developed my own cosy and personal game during the pandemic and quickly discovered that creating these games in a post-lockdown landscape is no mean feat.<\/p>\n

What We Take With Us<\/a>\u00a0(2023) merges reality and gameplay across various digital formats: a website, a Discord server that housed an online alternate reality game and a physical escape room. I created the game during the pandemic as a way to reflect on my journey through it, told through the videos of\u00a0game character Ana Kirlitz<\/a>.
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