Say hello to your next cozy addiction in this open-world forest game on Steam

The genre label of “cozy,” like any genre over time, has started to evolve beyond its own boundaries lately, with games adopting the category even if they're only partly cozy. At one point, cozy games were defined by non-violence, relaxation, and uninterrupted play, and while the majority of them still offer one or two of these qualities, it's increasingly rare to offer all three. Even genre-defining games like Stardew Valley have combat or any other non-relaxing element, making the search for real cozy titles all the more difficult. Well, despite not technically being recognized as a cozy game, an upcoming open world game Steam already looks cozier than many of the genre's recent titles.

Under canopies is an open-world survival game that specifically emphasizes being “non-violent” so players can focus on a legitimately relaxing gameplay loop. In fact, it's one of the few of its kind in the genre, as there aren't many true one-on-one matches out there. Games like Astronomers, The Planet Crafterand Among trees is close, but Under canopies looks like its own atmosphere, especially considering it's a survival crafting game. That distinction is what could set it apart in the end, as it leans squarely into a kind of coziness that most games of its genre only partially embrace.

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Cozy games you can play for 20 minutes or 200 hours

These cozy games offer a satisfying experience for those who only have a few minutes to play, but also have hundreds of hours of content to explore

Under canopies, survival is without pressure

Under canopies is an open-world first-person survival game set in a stylized forest, but its premise deliberately removes the usual tension associated with the genre. Instead of fighting enemies or surviving against constant threats, players are placed in a peaceful wilderness where the goal is to live in harmony with nature, gather resources, build and customize a cabin, grow food, cook and care for animals. Exploration is driven by curiosity rather than danger, with players documenting wildlife and uncovering the secrets of the forest while managing basic needs like hunger and energy, creating a slower, more self-sufficient rhythm that turns survival into something soothing rather than stressful.

During the chapels core functions

NO COMBAT SURVIVAL — No enemies or threats, for a purely peaceful survival experience.
OPEN WORLD EXPLORATION — Explore a lively forest, discover resources and wildlife.
COLLECT RESOURCES AND CRAFTS — Collect materials and crafting tools, furniture and items.
COTTAGE BUILDING SYSTEMS — Build and customize a personal cabin from scratch.
AGRICULTURE/GARDEN LOOP — Grow crops, gather ingredients and maintain daily routines.
Cooking/recipes — Cook over thirty meals with farmed ingredients.
ANIMAL CARE/Companionship — Raise animals and live peacefully together with forest animals.
DOCUMENTATION OF ANIMAL LIFE — Photograph and catalog animals in a personal diary.

From there, Under canopies is starting to show where it excels, and it's not just because it removes combat. Many survival games technically allow players to slow things down, but they're still built around the pressure of having to deal with so many different mechanics at once. Hunger drains quickly, resources are scarce and something is always pushing back on the player moving forward. IN Under canopiesthat pressure doesn't seem to exist. The game loop is more about maintaining a rhythm than fighting for survival, whether it's gathering materials, tending crops or cooking. Rather than being systems designed to get players to the next big milestone, they're the whole experience.

Something else worth considering is that in most survival games, even the more relaxing ones, there is generally an underlying sense that something could go wrong at any moment. It might not happen often, but it's still there, and it ultimately changes how players approach everything they do. Under canopies seems to remove that tension completely. There are no predators, no combat encounters, and no real sense of urgency, meaning the game doesn't need to rely on stress to keep players invested. Instead, it hopes they will find joy in the routine of it all.

Raise your cabin from the ground up and customize it with furniture, decorations and handcrafted items. Create a cozy home where every detail reflects your style.

This is where one of the main features of the game starts to matter even more. Building a cabin in Under canopies not because players need a safe place where they are protected from the weather, vicious animals or relentless bandits. Rather, this is apparently meant to be seen as something players invest in over time and truly treat as their own virtual home. The same goes for farming and cooking as well, where growing crops, harvesting ingredients, and preparing meals are simply part of the player's daily life in the game rather than something primarily intended to help them survive.

Under canopies' Open world exploration follows the same idea. Moving through the forest is about finding new resources, observing animals and documenting what's out there rather than moving between objectives or even looking for a new place to camp. A large part of Under canopies' gameplay sees players catalog wildlife and discoveries, reinforcing the idea that players are there to learn the environment rather than conquer it, and that's what makes this game one in a million for the genre.

There is no hunting or violence here. Exploration is all about discovering unique resources, observing wildlife and recording every find in your journal.

There's also a broader context here that works in the game's favor. The cozy label has already started to extend beyond what it originally meant in farm life sim games like Harvest Moonwith more of them mixing in combat or other demanding mechanics while still being lumped into that category. That's part of why something like this Under canopies stands out, as it goes back to a more straightforward version of the cozy formula and even applies it to a genre that usually eschews it.

Whether that's enough to carry it long-term is still an open question, especially since slower games tend to rely heavily on how strong their loops are over time. But based on what has been shown so far, Under canopies at least understand what gamers are actually looking for when they talk about a relaxing gaming experience. By removing every bit of the stress that normally comes with the open world survival crafting genre, Under canopies giving players a reason to simply be in its world rather than playing its game.