Getty | Photo Illustration: Keila Gonzalez Getty | Photo Illustration: Keila Gonzalez

Confession: I don't consider myself much of a gamer. Most video games heighten my anxiety instead of calming it. I'm the type of person to white knuckle the controller as I speed down Rainbow Road, gritting my teeth as my stars are stolen in Mario Party. So when I stumbled upon "cozy game" recs on TikTok, I felt seen . . . and uncharacteristically inspired to pick up the controller. "Here are some cozy games to play on those days where you're not feeling well physically or mentally," creator Cozy K says in a June 2024 TikTok with over 400K likes. But can cozy gaming actually improve your mental health?

Cozy games (usually played on Nintendo Switch or iPhone) are designed to help users relax and u

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