How cozy gaming is taking mindfulness mainstream

You are a small, pixelated human living in a hamlet known as Pelican Town. On your late grandfather's farm, life is all about toiling the land, improving the tiny village, and forming meaningful relationships with fellow townspeople. That bucolic simplicity is at the heart of Stardew Valley, a 2016 farming simulation that turned turnip harvesting into an uplifting community activity. Nearly ten years later, the game has sold more than 41 million copies, becoming the main example of a growing genre known as "cozy games." Mary Kish, Head of Community at streaming giant Twitch, was one of the first people to review Stardew Valley after it launched on PCs in 2016. "Stardew Valley's meditative activities often lead to personal reflection in the real world," Kish wrote in her GameSpot review of the farming sim.