Are we in the cozy gaming gold rush era? 'Cozy' has grown over 250% on Steam and 200% in my inbox since 2024

First let's check back in on the same Google Search data I pulled in 2023 to compare how much we, the audience, are actually seeking cozy games. We're looking at the past five years or search interest for the terms: cozy games, relaxing games, and casual games.

The main term "cozy games" is twice as popular as it was in 2023 when I identified the surprising spike the phrase had already experienced between 2020 and 2023. Google doesn't share raw search volume so this is all relative, not absolute, but it's still clear evidence that the interest in cozy games has continued to explode.

What is surprising to me is the comeback for the phrase "casual games." It's one we used a lot in the late twenty-teens but was eclipsed by "cozy" around 2022. Anecdotally, I think "casual" suffered from also being pejorative and may have fallen away in favor of the more positive tone "cozy." …