2025 was a very exciting year for me because I joined LadiesGamers as a writer. I love playing and talking about cozy games, so this is the perfect spot for me.
Best Games of 2025
At LadiesGamers, I focus mainly on demos and have played so many great ones that it’s hard for me to choose just a few. But these are the games and demos that have occupied a special place in my heart in 2025, in random order.
Adorable Adventures
Just like the title says – Adorable Adventures is an absolutely adorable adventure featuring Boris, who is a curious baby boar trying to reconnect his scattered family! Boris can follow scent trails to find items in his environment and advance his quest. I loved both the gameplay and the graphics. I played the demo of Adorable Adventures, and I expect more adorableness (is that a word?) in the final version.
Poof! Cleaning Services
I enjoyed playing Poof! Cleaning Services for two reasons. One is the satisfaction of thoroughly cleaning a room, which is not to be discounted. But I also got to examine many of the items in the room and learn their backstories. This charming game was developed by a husband-and-wife team and inspired by their immigrant parents’ real-life experiences. I played the demo of Poof! Cleaning Services and expect the full game to deliver even more satisfying fun.
Retro Relics
Retro Relics is a sweet pixel game inspired by the digging mechanic in Stardew Valley. The dev combined his real-life love of metal detecting and SDV and created something unique. It’s very addictive to try and find relics with a metal detector, plus there is an overarching quest in the game. I’ve been playtesting Retro Relics for months and look forward to its final release.
Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland
Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland has so much heart. It was designed and dedicated to a good friend of the developer. He IS the main character, and his traits are true. There are some really unique gameplay elements and graphics in this cozy puzzle adventure game. I played the demo of Master Lemon: The Quest for Iceland and look forward to spending time with the newly released full version of the game soon.
The Merry Fairy
I feel funny calling this a “game” because The Merry Fairy is not a game in the traditional sense of the word. It’s more of a tool to assist in creating a digital journal. It features lots of fonts and stickers to use when creating your journal pages, daily prompts, visits from magical woodland creatures and much more. All accompanied by a variety of calm soothing soundtracks. I play-tested this game and have followed its progress to its full release.
Go North
In general, I don’t do very well in mazes, but this game offers so many tools to help me find my way out that I can succeed. The graphics and setting are magnificent; I enjoyed every minute I spent playing the demo of Go North. I’m sure I’ll love the full game just as much! You can find the Steam page for Go North here.
The Mr Rabbit Magic Show
This is the newest instalment in the Rusty Lake game catalog. The Mr Rabbit Magic Show’s full-length game was given to us totally free to celebrate the studio’s 10th anniversary. It’s a super fun game with lots of surprises. Exactly what I’ve come to expect from the Rusty Lake studio, and you can find the Steam page for The Mr Rabbit Magic Show here.
Unpetrified: Echoes of Nature
The main character in Unpetrified: Echoes of Nature began as a pile of rocks but was formed into a Golem by a magical blue butterfly. Did that description catch your attention? The variety of totally realistic expressions the devs have given to this rock man is amazing. I played the demo, and I am totally convinced that the full game will be equally amazing. Read our review of Unpetrified: Echoes of Nature here.
Nothing Strange Here
Nothing Strange Here takes place in the town of Larcenest Gap, and there’s a ton of strange things happening there!! From unusual and detailed environments to really wild and wacky characters, there’s a lot to keep a player interested! I played the demo of this adventure game, and I expect the full game to continue exploring the charming strangeness of Larcenest Gap.
Dog Walk
Dog Walk is a charming little game that is totally free. The developer came up with it as a way to learn how to use the Blender engine, and instead of charging for it, he gave it away. It’s heartwarming and a lovely way to spend an hour or two. The handcrafted scenery is utterly adorable, and the boy and his dog are heartwarming. You can find the Steam page for Dog Walk here.
The Berlin Apartment
Wow, The Berlin Apartment is a powerful game. It chronicles a specific apartment in Berlin over a period of 120 years. So many historical events happened during that time, and it’s fantastic to be a fly on the wall and learn about the previous occupants and their lives. I played the demo where I explored just 2 occupants of this apartment. The full game will allow me to enter the lives of more people who call this apartment home. You can read our review of The Berlin Apartment here.
Poco
I had a great time with Poco, a totally free game! It was a student project, so the dev did not think they should charge money for it. I spent 2 extremely enjoyable hours having adventures with Poco, the self-described world’s smallest clown! The graphics are superb, and the other characters in the game were really zany and imaginative.
Muri: Wildwoods
Muri: Wildwoods enticed me with its combination of adventure and cleaning! New areas to explore are opened as they are cleaned, and the graphics are so lovely. I participated in a playtest, and I look forward to playing the full game one day.
Otterly Lost
I spent 3 ½ serene hours playing the demo of Otterly Lost. It’s a fantastic game, where I am Otto the otter! I love otters in general, so to find a game that’s all about one was great! Some of the gameplay is underwater, some is gliding in the air, and some is on land. No matter where I was, the scenery was beautiful, the NPCs plentiful, and the adventure was fun and cozy in Otterly Lost.
Bravest Coconut
I had the demo of Bravest Coconut in my “to-do” pile for a while and kept putting off playing it. I don’t know why, and I’m so glad I finally tried it because it’s become one of my favorites for the year. I got to join a cute little cat named Coco on a big adventure, fighting the monsters who have taken over the town library. The game lets me make myself invincible (since I don’t like combat), which makes it very enjoyable. It’s a great quest adventure with lovely little comments within the game acknowledging that it’s a game! The controls are simple, and the quests are just challenging enough to make them fun but not so difficult that I was scratching my head. It’s the perfect level of difficulty! You can find the Steam page for Bravest Cocconut here.
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