🍃 Why I'm Proud, As a Straight Man in My 50s, to Love Cosy Games

Every now and then, I'll come across someone online saying that cosy games aren't "real" games. That they're only for children. Only for women. Or that if you're a bloke in your fifties, you should be spending your evenings blowing things up, firing assault rifles or battling your way through the latest brutally difficult action game.

To be honest...

It makes me smile.

Not because I think they're wrong for enjoying those games, but because I've reached a point in my life where I genuinely don't care what anyone else thinks I should be playing.

I'm proud of the games I enjoy.

I'm proud of the hobbies I have.

And if this article encourages just one person to stop worrying about other people's opinions and simply play the games that make them happy, then writing it will have been worthwhile.

🎮 I've Got Nothing Left to Prove

I've been gaming since Christmas morning in 1982, when I unwrapped my very first computer, a ZX Spectrum 48K.

I can still remember loading up Horace Goes Skiing and being completely captivated.

Since then, I've spent more than four decades exploring just about every genre gaming has thrown at us.

I've battled Diablo himself.

I've hidden in fear from Xenomorphs.

I've punched Deathclaws in the face.

I've survived zombie outbreaks that probably number into the billions by now.

I've commanded armies, defended castles, explored alien worlds, raced cars, flown aircraft, built cities and lost countless hours to strategy games, RPGs, shooters, simulations and tower defence games.

Gaming has been a huge part of my life.

So when someone suggests that playing gentle, relaxing games somehow makes me "less of a gamer", I can't help but chuckle.

I've already walked that road.

I've got absolutely nothing left to prove.

🍃 Somewhere Along the Way...

Somewhere along the way, society decided that certain hobbies belonged to certain people.

That men should enjoy one thing.

Women another.

Children another.

That once you reach a certain age you're somehow expected to become "serious".

Stop playing with LEGO.

Stop playing video games.

Stop collecting things.

Stop getting excited over fictional worlds.

Apparently, you're supposed to quietly pack away the things that make you smile because somebody else thinks you've outgrown them.

I couldn't disagree more.

I'm a straight man in my fifties.

I still play with LEGO.

I still get excited when I discover a wonderful new cosy game.

And I'm genuinely proud of both.

Why?

Because they make me happy.

Surely that's reason enough.

🌿 Minecraft Will Always Be My Safe Place

If someone asked me which game has helped me the most over the years, my answer would probably surprise them.

Minecraft.

Not because it's the newest game.

Not because it's the most technically impressive.

Simply because it's become my safe place.

Whenever life gets a little overwhelming...

Whenever my health decides to throw one of its little curveballs...

Whenever my brain simply isn't cooperating...

Minecraft is there.

I play on Easy difficulty.

There's still enough danger from the mobs to keep me awake.

Enough exploration to satisfy my curiosity.

Enough creativity to let my imagination wander.

But never so much pressure that I stop enjoying myself.

Some people might not consider Minecraft a cosy game.

For me, it absolutely is.

It lets me breathe.

It gives me somewhere peaceful to disappear to for a while.

And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

🌼 Cosy Doesn't Mean That's All I Play

One of the biggest misconceptions about cosy gamers is that we only enjoy peaceful experiences.

That's certainly not true for me.

I still love a good tower defence game.

I still enjoy pushing myself with fast-paced action every now and then.

Heck, I even play the occasional jump-scare horror game.

I like stepping outside my comfort zone.

The difference these days is that I choose when I want to.

When I've had enough, I know I can retreat back into my cosy little world.

Back to Minecraft.

Back to Stardew Valley, which I've only recently started recording as a series.

Back to Leafy Corner, now that it's finally reached full release.

Back to Moonlight Peaks, where I can settle into the life of a wonderfully cosy little vampire.

Back to the peaceful games that remind me gaming doesn't always have to involve explosions every five seconds.

Those games don't make me weaker.

They make me happier.

⏳ Games Don't Have an Expiration Date

There's another part of modern gaming that I've gradually stopped caring about.

FOMO.

The Fear Of Missing Out.

Every week there's another "must play" release.

Another game that social media tells us we have to buy immediately.

Another trend that supposedly everyone is talking about.

No thank you.

Games don't have an expiration date.

A great game today will still be a great game next year.

Or five years from now.

I've only recently started recording Stardew Valley.

Millions of people played it years ago.

Does that make my experience any less enjoyable?

Not in the slightest.

I play games when I want to play them.

Not because social media tells me it's the fashionable thing to do.

Gaming isn't a race.

There's no prize for reaching the finish line first.

The prize is enjoying the journey.

❤️ Play What Makes You Happy

One thing I've learned over the years is that the people judging your hobbies aren't the ones living your life.

You are.

They're not the ones sitting in front of your PC after a difficult day.

They're not the ones looking for a little escape when life becomes stressful.

They're certainly not the ones paying for your games.

So why should they decide what you're allowed to enjoy?

If someone tells me they love Dark Souls...

Fantastic.

If someone tells me they adore Animal Crossing...

Brilliant.

If someone spends hundreds of hours in Stardew Valley...

Good for them.

If someone enjoys Call of Duty...

Excellent.

Gaming has room for every single one of us.

The only thing I struggle to understand is why anyone feels the need to tell somebody else they're enjoying the "wrong" game.

There is no wrong game.

Only the wrong attitude.

🧱 It's Not Just Games

The same applies to LEGO.

I still build LEGO.

I'm not embarrassed by it.

I don't hide it.

I don't suddenly pretend I don't enjoy it because somebody thinks I'm "too old".

Quite the opposite.

I'm proud of it.

Whether I'm placing another LEGO brick, another Minecraft block, another crop in Stardew Valley or decorating another cosy little home in a relaxing game, they're all doing exactly the same thing.

They're bringing me joy.

That's not childish.

That's healthy.

💜 You Don't Need Anyone's Permission

If you've read this far because you've ever felt embarrassed about enjoying cosy games...

Please don't.

If you've avoided buying a game because you worried your friends would laugh...

Please don't.

If you've convinced yourself you're too old...

Too young...

The wrong gender...

Or somehow "not the sort of person" who should enjoy a particular game...

Please stop listening to those voices.

Life already places enough expectations on us.

Our hobbies shouldn't become another one.

You don't need my approval.

You don't need your friends' approval.

You don't need strangers on the internet telling you what's acceptable to enjoy.

You only need one person's approval.

Your own.

I'm proud to be a straight man in my fifties who loves cosy games.

I'm proud that Minecraft helps me through difficult days.

I'm proud that I'll happily lose hours tending crops, decorating homes, arranging flowers or helping cute little creatures build better lives.

I'm equally proud that tomorrow I might jump into a frantic tower defence game, battle impossible odds and defend a kingdom from thousands of enemies.

Both are me.

Both make me smile.

So here's my advice.

Play what makes you happy.

Not what earns someone else's approval.

Because when you finally stop worrying about what everyone else thinks...

You discover something wonderful.

Gaming becomes fun all over again.