Recommend games outside of the wholesome cosy trend

[Chris]

I've been going back and forth between playing a farming sim and a rhythm game for the past month and I am starting to feel I need something a bit more exciting to play to break things up. Most of the recommendations YouTube is throwing at me fit too closely to the vibe of games I'm already playing and not something new. This trend is tiring me a bit so what have people been playing lately that falls outside the realm of wholesome cosy games?

 

[Drawdler]

Never knew about the site but I checked the game list linked in your sig and did a search for a few games, to see if you played them- I’m not sure if they don’t appear because they aren’t too recent (I’m assuming it’s just that unfortunately, I was wondering if I could actually recommend anything new…), but you could go for Yakuza, or Hades, or a Metal Gear game. I dunno if I even played any new games this year to be honest, but those sprung to mind.

If more “goofy” instead of wholesome is also okay you could go for Pizza Tower or DKC. Thought of them because they still have the cartoony look, but they’re harder. Some of the Crash games and Cuphead would also fit that role. I’m always down for CTR, but be warned I’m legit good at that game once I shake the rust off I’ve been meaning to play it again with my bf

 

[Zerous]

Hmm I’m not sure what games you’ve already played, or what genres you prefer but a couple I’ve enjoyed in the past year have been:
- Totk
- Wandersong (wholesome rpg about a bard)
- Death’s door
-Inscryption
- Bioshock series
- Wobbledogs for something silly

 

[Midoriya]

- Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (Switch)
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Switch)
- Fire Emblem Three Houses (Switch)
- Fire Emblem Engage (Switch)
- Octopath Traveler series (Switch)
- Bravely Default II (Switch)
- Shin Megami Tensei V (Switch)

Most of those are action/adventure or RPG-based. I would add Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail to the list, but I doubt you'd be interested in gacha games.

Out of all of those on the list, I'd recommend Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition the most. It's literally so much fun and the best JRPG I've ever played.

 

[magicaldonkey]

i'm pretty hyped for sea of stars coming out - it's a turn-based RPG with a pretty rad art style!!

other than that, i recommend stanley parable: ultra deluxe and portal

 

[Flicky]

The Silent Hill games are good if you're into psychological horrors. The first three are the best, but I've enjoyed all of them so far.

Overlord is a slightly more obscure action adventure game, but it's definitely the opposite of wholesome and cosy. It's also got some humour in it, if that's more your thing. The sequel is good too, but the other spin-offs aren't all that great imo.

 

[Belle T]

The criteria you're asking for is a perhaps little too broad to give an informed recommendation. Would mascot platformers fall under the "cozy" trend? Or are you specifically looking for something considerably darker? What sorts of games do you enjoy outside of farming sims and Animal Crossing-adjacent titles? Single player or multiplayer?

Anyway, here are some games that I think definitely qualify as not part of the "cozy" genre. Organized alphabetically by genre. I define "not cozy" in this list primarily based on feeling rather than the tonality of the game itself. If a game is fast-paced or is otherwise intended to accelerate your heart rate--or is otherwise not intended to de-accelerate it, then it's listed here, even if it can be argued to fit into the genre aesthetically. Though I've also made a conscious effort to avoid "wholesome" games, meaning most of these games skew towards an older audience, though they're not all necessarily dark and gritty, either. Also, this is just a list of games I happen to have immediately available to me right now that make me think "Oh, that fits, I guess, I don't know" not a comprehensive list of everything.

First-person shooter:

• Black Mesa
• Borderlands 2
• Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
• Deus Ex (the original game from 2000, not any of the later installments, though I suppose those fit as well)
• Half-Life
• Half-Life 2 (+Episode One and Episode 2)
• Half-Life: Blue Shift
• Half-Life: Opposing Force
• Left 4 Dead
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Metro 2033
• Metro: Last Light Redux
• Metroid Prime Trilogy
• Serious Sam: The First Encounter
• XIII

2D Platformers/Metroidvania:

• Dark Void Zero
• Basically any Mega Man game
• Metroid Dread
• Pizza Tower
• Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
• Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
• Shantae: Risky's Revenge
• Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

Adventure/3D Metroidvania:

• Batman: Arkham Asylum
• Batman: Arkham City
• Devil May Cry 4
• Pretty much any Hitman game
• Mafia (I only have the original version, but you might like the remake better)

RPG

• Bravely Default II
• Final Fantasy VII
• Final Fantasy VII Remake
• NieR: Automata
• Tales of Symphonia

Other:

• Crazy Taxi
• Five Nights at Freddy's 1-4 (+Sister Location)
• Portal
• Portal 2

 

[Darkesque_]

The Silent Hill games are good if you're into psychological horrors. The first three are the best, but I've enjoyed all of them so far.

I've wanted to play Silent Hill so bad, it looks so good!

But currently here is what I recommend (aka games that I love lol):

• Sea of Thieves
• Grand Theft Auto
• Bramble: The Mountain King
• The Evil Within (1 and 2)
• Resident Evil
• Firewatch
• Life is Strange
• Subnautica

I love all of those games so much, especially Life is Strange, SoT, and Bramble.

 

[Mokuren]

Here are some of my favorits:

Elden ring
PS 1 classics like Suikoden II (there will be soon a remaster and it looks amazing... Also best game ever) and Grandia
Persona 3, 4 and 5
Life is strange
Mass effect 1 - 3
Dragon age origins

 

[kayleee]

You might’ve already played it (I was super late to the game) but I picked up Elden Ring a couple months ago with 0 expectations and ended up sinking over 200 hours into it in less than a month. I typically go for chill games so this was a pretty drastic diversion for me but literally was the most fun I’ve had with a game in a LONG time. After I beat Pikmin 4 (also great game, highly recommend) I’m planning on playing through Elden Ring again

 

[Princess Mipha]

Now.. it depends what you mean with "something a bit more exciting"..
I can only recommend League of Legends.. trust me, nothing is more exciting than seeing what kind of weird insults people can throw at each other.

 

[MiniPocketWorld]

I'd like to recommend tres bashers. I find it really fun. It's a horror metrovania collectathon. It isnt gorey, has crypidsand it has GBC like pixel graphics. And you get to play as a dog.

 

[VanitasFan26]

These are the games I play that are non cozy and they are complete opposite:

1. Super Mario
2. Pokemon
3. Grand Theft Auto
4. Kingdom Hearts
5. Watch Dogs

 

[Khaoticnoize187]

pandora's tower

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

Kindergarten Buddy Edition on the Switch is pretty fun in the dark humor it has. You can cause the mean girl to get hit by a car (which actually has story benefits), help the teacher eliminated the rest of your class for gold stars, and even collect parody Pokémon cards in the process. Just don’t eat the “Biscut Balls.”