{"id":331278,"date":"2026-03-15T20:57:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T20:57:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/331278\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T20:57:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T20:57:11","slug":"5-most-exciting-new-2026-cozy-games-to-look-forward-to-after-pokemon-pokopia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/331278\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Most Exciting New 2026 Cozy Games to Look Forward to After Pokemon Pokopia"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the runaway success of Pokemon Pokopia, quite a few gamers are enjoying their first cozy game<\/a>. The first Pokemon life sim has dramatically outperformed expectations, including my own. In fact, it\u2019s in the running for the highest-rated game of 2026 so far, neck-and-neck with Resident Evil Requiem. But while Pokopia might be the first breakout hit of 2026, it\u2019s far from the only exciting cozy game headed our way this year. Whether you\u2019re a longtime fan of relaxing games or newly curious about the genre thanks to Pokopia, this year has a lot of exciting things in store.<\/p>\n

Since my days playing Harvest Moon and The Sims 2, I\u2019ve been a big fan of life sims, management sims, and just about any game that earns the \u201ccozy\u201d label these days. Naturally, that means I keep an eye out for any exciting new releases in the space. I won\u2019t be surprised if Pokemon Pokopia takes home the trophy for most popular and most beloved cozy game of 2026. But it\u2019s far from the only big cozy game that\u2019s set to arrive in 2026. If you\u2019re looking for your next game after Pokopia, here are 5 exciting cozy games coming out in 2026 you won\u2019t want to miss. <\/p>\n

5) Witchbrook<\/p>\n

\"WitchbrookImage courtesy of Robotality and Chucklefish<\/p>\n

Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S<\/p>\n

Release Date: 2026 TBD<\/p>\n

Once upon a time, Witchbrook would have been number 1 on my list. But given that this was originally supposed to release<\/a> in \u201cwinter 2025,\u201d I\u2019ve been burned before. So, for the sheer fact that I remain dubious we\u2019re actually getting it in 2026 until I see a concrete release date, Witchrbook earns the bottom spot. But that\u2019s not to say it\u2019s not still a very exciting new cozy game to look forward to. <\/p>\n

Witchbrook is a pixel art life sim set at a magic school. As young witches studying magic, we will get to explore the town, befriend and romance locals, and more. What we\u2019ve seen of the game so far looks promising, and the addition of multiplayer gives it an immediate bonus over Hogwarts Legacy. It\u2019s set to release in 2026, but we don\u2019t have a firm release date yet. <\/p>\n

4)The Last Gas Station<\/p>\n

\"TheImage courtesy of Alawar<\/p>\n

Platform(s): PC <\/p>\n

Release Date: Q2 2026<\/p>\n

The demo for this mysterious shop management sim was my favorite from the most recent Steam Next Fest event.<\/a> It\u2019s got cute pixel art and a unique shopkeeping sim premise. I\u2019ve never run a gas station in a cozy game before, and I can\u2019t wait to return for the full game to do it more. <\/p>\n

The Last Gas Station has a satisfying gameplay loop of ordering and accepting deliveries, stocking shelves, and serving customers outside and in the convenience store. But it\u2019s got a mystery at its core, one that will unfold as we play. This one is due out for PC in Q2 2026, and it\u2019s definitely one to look out for if you like a management sim as much as I do. <\/p>\n

3) InKONBINI: One Store, Many Stories<\/p>\n

\"inKonbiniImage courtesy of Nagai Industries and Beep Japan Inc.<\/p>\n

Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2<\/p>\n

Release Date: April 30th, 2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve had my eye on inKONBINI for a while now, and it was recently confirmed for Switch and Switch 2. For those who love to take their cozy games on the road, that\u2019s excellent news. And with an April 30th confirmed release date, we don\u2019t have long to wait before we\u2019re stocking the shelves. <\/p>\n

inKONBINI is a \u201ccozy slice-of-life game\u201d where you run a small-town convenience store. It\u2019s got your standard shopkeeping sim elements of stocking shelves and checking out customers. But it\u2019s also narrative-driven, with a story that unfolds as you chat with your customers. It looks incredibly soothing and entertaining, and I think it will deliver for fans of management sims and visual novels alike. <\/p>\n

2) Sunkissed City<\/p>\n

\"SunkissedImage courtesy of Mr. Podunkian<\/p>\n

Platform(s): PC<\/p>\n

Release Date: 2026 TBD<\/p>\n

This urban seaside life sim is highly anticipated for fans of Stardew Valley, and for good reason. Its developer, Mr. Pondunkian, has worked with ConcernedApe on Stardew Valley in the past, and you can tell. But this game will not be merely a Stardew Valley clone by any means.<\/p>\n

Sunkissed City takes place in a metropolis by the sea, and it has the hustle and bustle to match. You will do plenty of farming, but that\u2019s not all. You\u2019ll be working to heal the city\u2019s problems and even pitching in to do odd jobs around town, making this part farming sim, part life sim, and a little bit of a mystery. Sunkissed City doesn\u2019t have a firm release date, but is expected in 2026. <\/p>\n

1) Moonlight Peaks <\/p>\n

\"MoonlightImage courtesy of Little Chicken, XSEED, and Marvelous<\/p>\n

Platform(s): PC, Nintendo Switch, Switch 2<\/p>\n

Release Date: July 7th, 2026<\/p>\n

After plenty of anticipation, this spooky farming sim finally gave fans a release date. Not only that, but when it launches on July 7th, Moonlight Peaks will be hitting the Switch and Switch 2 as well as PC. We love a multiplatform release for a new farming sim, especially one with a supernatural twist. <\/p>\n

Moonlight Peaks is a farming sim where you play as a vampire. It\u2019s got potion-making, spellcasting, gothic farmstead management, and a whole host of supernatural NPCs to meet. There\u2019s even a vampire skill tree to unlock as you increase your magical powers, and the 3D art style is just too cute. After Pokopia, this may well be my most anticipated cozy game<\/a> with a confirmed 2026 release date. <\/p>\n

What games are you looking forward to this year? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the runaway success of Pokemon Pokopia, quite a few gamers are enjoying their first cozy game. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":331279,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[177935,66294,111,139,69,176707,145],"class_list":["post-331278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-cozy-games","tag-list-feature","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-pokemon-pokopia","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331278"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331278\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}