A beginner's guide to cosy puzzle games

Cosy puzzle games are their own little corner of mobile gaming, and it's easy to get lost in it. The category runs from gentle match-and-merge titles like Tile Harvest to quiet environmental puzzlers like Hollow Lantern, and they ask for very different things from you.

If you want something to half-watch while listening to music, go for a merge or match game. The loop is forgiving and the stakes are nonexistent. If you want to actually engage your brain, the exploration-style puzzlers reward attention and patience.

The main thing to watch for is energy systems. Some cosy games pad themselves out with timers that stop you playing until you wait or pay. It's not the end of the world, but it's worth knowing before you commit.

Start with something short and warm, see how it sits, and build from there. The whole appeal of the genre is low pressure — don't let a bad first pick convince you otherwise.