As a Cozy Gamer, These are the Spooky and Dark Cozy Games on Steam I’m Most Excited About in 2026

I consider myself a cozy gamer of conviction. I like my farming meticulous, my towns charmingly small, and my daily routines punctuated by gentle tasks that make my brain go quiet in the best way. But somewhere between tracking 2026 releases and adding far too many games to my Steam wishlist, I noticed something strange creeping in: the coziest games on the horizon weren’t just soft or soothing. They were moody, a little haunted, and sometimes downright ominous.

I’m a cozy gamer of conviction, but I am also a former gothic literature scholar of enthusiasm—a certified lovergirl of the morose, the mythical, the unseen. These upcoming titles still promise comfort, creativity, and the familiar rhythms cozy players love, but they just happen to wrap those systems in fog, candlelight, witchcraft, and the kind of darkness that feels atmospheric rather than threatening. In other words, there’s a veritable shift toward cozy titles on Steam that embrace mystery, melancholy, and a quieter kind of unease where tending a garden might mean tending something older, stranger, and not entirely benevolent.

As someone who finds comfort in both softness and shadow, this feels less like a genre detour and more like a natural evolution that unites several upcoming games on Steam. Cozy games are growing up, getting a little weird, and flirting with the dark in ways that feel targeted to lovers like me. And honestly? I’m on board.

Related

New Steam Game is Baldur’s Gate 3 Meets The Sims, and It’s Perfect for Me

I didn’t think a game could mix Baldur’s Gate 3’s dark romance with The Sims’ decor freedom, but this upcoming Steam title proved me wrong.

Witchbrook: Coming to Steam in 2026

Witchbrook has quietly become one of the most mythologized indie games of the last decade. Originally slated for a much earlier release, the game’s long development cycle has only intensified its aura—turning every new screenshot or trailer into an event. With its seaside setting, pixel-art magic, and slice-of-life spellcasting, Witchbrook taps directly into the fantasy of attending a magical school while still having things to pay off and friends to meet up with.

Set in the coastal city of Mossport, Witchbrook isn’t just about learning spells; it’s about belonging somewhere. The game blends academic progression, social simulation, and cozy exploration into something that feels deliberately slow and lived-in, rather than power-fantasy driven.

Why Witchbrook Feels Worth the Wait

• Online Co-Op for Up to Four Players: Who said you had to be a wizard all by yourself? In Witchbrook, you and up to 4 players can explore the world via online co-op. Whether that means racing brooms through town, attending classes together, or simply existing side-by-side in Mossport’s rhythms, adventure awaits you and your party.
• A Living, Breathing City: Mossport functions like a character in its own right, with NPCs following detailed schedules, seasonal festivals changing the town’s texture, and community events unfolding whether you’re present or not.
• A Fully Realized Magical Education: Classes, exams, rituals, potion-brewing, and coven competition give Witchbrook channels Hogwarts with real mechanical weight, making progression feel earned rather than cosmetic.

My Eerie Lair: Steam’s Dark Romantasy Fever Dream for Sims and BG3 Lovers

I’ve heard you. I’ve read the discourse. I understand that My Eerie Lair’s dark romantasy flavor is, for some people, “too much.” But for players who love their cozy games tinged with gothic obsession, morally gray characters, and dollhouse-level customization? This thing feels tailor-made.

My Eerie Lair leans hard into dark romantasy aesthetics: less cottagecore, more cursed estate that a vampire has dragged you into under questionable circumstances. I’ve written about My Eerie Lair shortly after it was announced, and I adore that it is a game that seems acutely aware it won’t be for everyone. Frankly, that confidence is part of the appeal for me. This is one of those titles that could either become a cult classic or ignite extremely passionate comment sections. Possibly both. I’ll be here for both.

Why My Eerie Lair Is Worth a Shot

• Character-Driven Dark Fantasy: The appeal mirrors what draws people to Baldur’s Gate 3’s Astarion or heavily modded Sims saves: messy characters, intimacy, and narrative friction.
• A Gothic Sandbox With Emotional Teeth: This isn’t just decorating for vibes; relationships, power dynamics, and personal choices seem designed to get under the player’s skin in Story Mode.
• A Demo That Could Change the Conversation: With hands-on time finally arriving, My Eerie Lair‘s demo may get the chance to prove that its ambition isn’t just aesthetic—it’s systemic.

Related

10 Best Cozy Games On Steam Deck, Ranked

These cozy Steam Deck games offer up smooth performance, interesting stories, comforting gameplay, and peaceful vibes.

Grave Seasons: A Steam Farming Sim Where Someone Is Going to Kill Again

Farming sim games are no longer rare, which means standing out requires more than seasonal crops and romance arcs. Grave Seasons understands that. It responds by asking a simple, horrifying question: What if the cozy small town you moved to had a serial killer hiding in plain sight?

Developed by Perfect Garbage and published by Blumhouse Games, Grave Seasons blends familiar farming mechanics with a narrative structure designed to unsettle. You play as someone newly escaped from prison, attempting to rebuild a life in Ashenridge. Only to realize that violence hasn’t been left behind. This isn’t “Stardew Valley but spooky” as a skin-deep gimmick; it’s a story-first experience where suspicion is part of the gameplay loop.

What Sets Grave Seasons Apart

• A Murder Mystery That Changes Every Playthrough: Every character you befriend or romance in Grave Seasons can bring you closer to the killer. You might lose a friend, and you might even romance the killer. So relationships can be emotionally rewarding, catastrophically heartbreaking, or narratively dangerous.
• A Protagonist With a Past: You’re not just arriving at Peepaw’s old farm to leave a corporate life behind. You’re playing as a former inmate on the run from their past. It reframes the usual farming sim fantasy by layering guilt, judgment, and secrecy into everyday interactions.
• Blumhouse’s Narrative Sensibility: Blumhouse being behind this game makes me all the more excited. The horror here isn’t jump scares: it’s dread, implication, and the slow realization that safety is an illusion.

The Witch’s Bakery on Steam: Healing Hearts One Croissant at a Time

When I was thirteen, I wanted to open a flower shop in Paris and live a life of soft romance and artistic purpose with an emo boyfriend who looked like Shadow the Hedgehog. Reality intervened. The Witch’s Bakery, however, feels like a gentle nod to that abandoned dream of leaving it all behind that everyone has had at some point in their life. Except instead of florals or bookshops, it’s pastries, magic, and emotional healing.

Set in Paris and drenched in Ghibli-esque warmth, The Witch’s Bakery casts players as Lunne, a witch-baker balancing daily work with personal growth and quiet acts of kindness. The game structures each day into distinct phases, creating a rhythm that emphasizes rest, connection, and reflection just as much as productivity.

Why The Witch’s Bakery Feels Special

• A Day Structured Around Care: Every day presents the player with three phases: work, exploration, and rest. This pattern reinforces balance rather than grind.
• Emotional Storytelling Through Baking: Lunne doesn’t just sell pastries; she helps heal people’s hearts, turning food into a narrative device. As a fan of magical realism when combined with food, like in books such as Like Water for Chocolate, this has me on the edge of my seat.
• Paris as a Magical Playground: Iconic streets, cozy interiors, and a witch’s atelier create a romantic setting that feels indulgent without being so. Every section of this game will feature its own characters and events, encouraging the player to explore the world.

Related

New Steam Game Is Like Stardew Valley with Magic And You Can Play It Right Now

There is a new game on Steam that looks a lot like Stardew Valley, but it adds magic to the formula, which changes everything.

Moonlight Peaks: The Coziest Vampire Life Sim You’ll Ever Play on Steam

Despite its gothic premise, Moonlight Peaks might be the most traditionally cozy game on this list. Its art style is soft but dark, its systems familiar but unique, and its core fantasy surprisingly gentle: proving to Dracula himself that compassion and community can exist even in eternal life. Also, you’re his kid, so there’s that.

You play as a young vampire tending a supernatural farm, forming relationships with witches, werewolves, and mermaids, and slowly stepping out from the shadow of a very famous father. It’s Stardew Valley but with vampires, basically. With its demo already available, Moonlight Peaks offers a strong sense of its emotional tone: heartwarming first, spooky second.

Why Moonlight Peaks Works So Well

• A Cozy Take on Immortality: Farming, decorating, and relationship-building ground the vampire fantasy game in comforting routines.
• Deep Customization and Vampiric Progression: Unlock abilities tied to ancient lineages, from heightened senses to shapeshifting, without sacrificing player expression. Moonlight Peak‘s character creator also promises deep customization and diversity.
• A World Built for Wandering: Seasonal events, magical crafting, card games, and quiet hobbies like pottery and violin-playing make the town feel alive beyond quests.