It’s no secret here at Pixelrater that we love cozy games, more specifically, I love cozy games. If I think back, I can attribute this to three things (1) the launch of the Nintendo Switch (2) my longing for more chill experiences and (3) Stardew Valley launching on Switch. I wasn’t a PC gamer at the time (that changed with Valve + Steam Deck + PC build + Bazzite) so Switch was where my cozy game seed sprouted which has since blossomed into a genre I find myself playing alongside JRPGs (which I can also attribute to the Nintendo Switch). With that being said, the runaway success of Stardew Valley has spawned many many similar games that try to capture Stardew’s lightning in a bottle, and a lot of these end up feeling like generic half-hearted clones. That being said, there are many great cozy games that are out there such as Fantasy Life i The Girl Whole Steals Time, Animal Crossing New Horizons, and more. Is it time to add Cozy Caravan to the list? I mean, “cozy” is in the title after all.
Unlike most cozy farming games, Cozy Caravan has a refreshing gameplay loop that has you playing as an anthropomorphic animal of your choosing (the character creator is both cute and robust) with the primary objective being to harvest fruits, vegetables, and more to sell at the weekly market. From there, you’ll hop in your caravan and head from town to town, harvesting, completing mini quests for villagers, and hawking your wares in order to obtain money earn happiness. Yes, happiness is the currency here in Cozy Caravan. Just like other crafting/cozy games, it’s best to not sell off all your inventory and to always have extra on hand. This is important since items not native to a specific area will fetch a higher price elsewhere, mimicking real world supply and demand. These materials can also be used to create new items that sell for an even higher price.
Remember that happiness I mentioned earlier? You’ll use that to buy upgrades for your caravan! One example is oven that will allow you to bake goodies like a carrot cake–yum! There’s no shortage of tasks to complete for residents or items to craft. This supply vs demand system wont’ have you simply guessing what will be in demand. You’ll have a heads up by proactively talking to villagers to see what they want. You can also check the map as well, but talking to villagers was my preferred method. Once you know what will be the hot item(s) to sell on Market Day, it’s best to stock up and/or create as many items as possible to see the greatest return.
One aspect that may be a sticking point for the cozy community is the lack of hand-holding when it comes to navigation and destinations….because there isn’t any. No guide, no marker, no GPS. Instead, Cozy Caravan takes pride in the player going on a journey. I have to admit, I wasn’t a fan at first, however, there is a lot of secret areas and collectables to be had. Even still, needing to constantly check if I was on the right path on the map because I didn’t quite have it memorized was annoying. The crafting in this game isn’t an idle affair like in other games. What I mean by that is you can’t just select something and have it crafted automatically if you have the materials. Instead, it’s more akin to Fantasy Life where you play various mini games to craft what you want. I found this more fun and engaging, but everyone’s coziness level is different, so keep that in mind.
At the end of the day, this isn’t my favorite cozy game I’ve played, but it’s damn good. The world, characters, and overall vibes are delightful and charming. With all that said, you also need to have a lot of patience because this is a sloooooooow burn since it’s “all about the journey”. I’ll leave it up to you whether it’s one you choose to take.
