group
What campus are you from?
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Caroline Deck, Graduate Student Elijah Montano, Graduate Student
Lead Presenter's Name
Caroline Deck
Faculty Mentor Name
Briana Sobel
Abstract
In recent years, cozy games have seen considerable growth in popularity, with many developers eager to market their titles as “cozy.” However, what makes a “cozy game” is a subject of ongoing debate among players, developers, and researchers. This study explores players’ schemas of cozy games by examining which elements are considered essential versus flexible in creating the cozy game experience. Using a closed card sort combined with the MoSCoW prioritization method, participants (N=10) will categorize various game design features based on their perceived importance to the genre. Following the card sort, participants will complete a short questionnaire capturing demographic information, confidence scores, and reflective responses about their choices. Through this mixed-methods approach, the study aims to identify general trends in how players prioritize features that contribute to coziness, while also exploring the underlying cognitive processes that inform these decisions. By analyzing both the categorization patterns and qualitative reflections, this research seeks to clarify how players conceptualize cozy games and where the boundaries of the genre may lie. The findings will provide insight into players’ schemas of cozy games and highlight which design elements can give developers more creative liberty while maintaining the core sense of coziness that defines the genre.
Did this research project receive funding support from the Office of Undergraduate Research.
No
Mapping Coziness: Player Schemas and the Perceived Boundaries of the Cozy Game Genre
In recent years, cozy games have seen considerable growth in popularity, with many developers eager to market their titles as “cozy.” However, what makes a “cozy game” is a subject of ongoing debate among players, developers, and researchers. This study explores players’ schemas of cozy games by examining which elements are considered essential versus flexible in creating the cozy game experience. Using a closed card sort combined with the MoSCoW prioritization method, participants (N=10) will categorize various game design features based on their perceived importance to the genre. Following the card sort, participants will complete a short questionnaire capturing demographic information, confidence scores, and reflective responses about their choices. Through this mixed-methods approach, the study aims to identify general trends in how players prioritize features that contribute to coziness, while also exploring the underlying cognitive processes that inform these decisions. By analyzing both the categorization patterns and qualitative reflections, this research seeks to clarify how players conceptualize cozy games and where the boundaries of the genre may lie. The findings will provide insight into players’ schemas of cozy games and highlight which design elements can give developers more creative liberty while maintaining the core sense of coziness that defines the genre.