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21 DELIGHTFULLY COZY AND FREE GAMES ON STEAM

Do you ever feel like entertainment costs are spiraling out of control? Because same. I’m juggling so many subscription services, but there’s barely any time to enjoy them. Sorry, Disney+, but you had to go. The same goes for my Nintendo Switch Online subscription—why am I even paying for that? Someone, please enlighten me, especially since I’ve been gaming almost exclusively on my PC lately.

It’s time to cut the subscriptions and explore free-to-play games instead. Or at least stick to games that only require a one-time purchase. Actually, now that I think about it, I’ve already downloaded tons of games in the past that I’ve barely touched—it’s time to change that!

To help both you and me, I’ve put together this list of free Steam games to enjoy guilt-free this month. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom for a bonus game (and a video!) that didn’t make it onto this list!

LITTLE TRAVELER

In Little Traveler, you step into the tiny shoes of Nora, a Thumbelina-like character who travels from house to house, lending a hand to small families in need. Your mission? Stay hidden while bringing happiness back to the life of a lonely widow. Can you navigate all three levels without being discovered?

OPE

Ôpe is a charming 3D platformer where you take on the role of Bô, a tiny but courageous hero. With 10 captivating levels to explore, your adventure will guide you through magical forests and ancient temples. Master skills like wall dashing, rock pushing, double-jumping, and even transforming into a small sphere to overcome obstacles and uncover secrets!

BEWILDERED

Bewildered is a visually stunning action-adventure game crafted by students, where teamwork is key. Partner with a mighty beast to fight back against corruption and rescue your island from doom. Use your relic to command the creature, dodge danger with precision, and combine your unique abilities to seal the portal and restore peace once and for all!

AZTLAN UNCOVERED: PROLOGUE

Unleash your inner Lara Croft in Aztlan Uncovered, a thrilling 3D action-adventure game. Explore a newly unearthed temple, using your equipment and sharp mind to uncover its secrets. Solve intricate puzzles with a unique time device that lets you manipulate the state of specific objects, unlocking the mysteries of this ancient world.

PORCELAIN TALES

Step into the tiny shoes of a porcelain garden gnome in Porcelain Tales. Brought to life by a witch, your mission is to help gather all the missing items. Made of delicate porcelain, you’ll need to move carefully and avoid damage as you sneak around. With just one chapter, it offers a fun and short adventure that’s perfect for a quick playthrough.

TRIKAYA

Trikaya is a relaxing first-person puzzle game set in a long-forgotten temple. Your goal is to recover a mysterious artifact that has been hidden away for centuries. Use the powers of earth, fire, and wind to solve puzzles, uncover the artifact’s history, and restore it to its ancient glory.

POSTMOUSE

Postmouse is a charming third-person puzzle platformer where you play as an adorable mouse on a mail delivery mission. Step outside your cozy home and embark on an exciting adventure, exploring ancient ruins, solving puzzles, and meeting delightful animals along the way. Deliver letters to those eagerly awaiting news from their loved ones, and experience the joy of connecting hearts through the power of mail.

SHEEPY: A SHORT ADVENTURE

Sheepy: A Short Adventure is a heartwarming indie game inspired by classics like Hollow Knight and Ori. You play as Sheepy, an abandoned toy brought to life, who finds itself in unexpected and dangerous places that no plushie should ever go. This short pixel art adventure is beautifully complemented by its amazing soundtrack, which has captured the hearts of many players. It’s hard to believe it’s free—definitely a hidden gem worth playing!

CAT-ACLYSM

Cat-aclysmn is an action-adventure student project where you play as Vexa, the vibrant owner of a café called Catuccino. When your mischievous cat, Catuccino, runs away and starts a revolution to take over the city, it’s up to you to bring him back. Embark on a wild chase, battling evil robocats along the way in an effort to reclaim your beloved feline and restore order to the city!

MOOSE LOST IN THE WOODS

Moose Lost in the Woods is a delightful 3D platformer that encourages you to get lost in a whimsical Swedish-inspired forest. Run, leap, bounce, and explore while filling your backpack with fun treasures! Your goal? Find as many pine cones as you can while enjoying the serene and playful adventure.

SHUTTER

Shutter is a cozy, short third-person puzzle game where you step into the shoes of Keith, a new employee at the space-age research center L.I.E. (Learn, Investigate & Exploit). Using your camera, you manipulate objects through perspective (think Superliminal), unlocking mysteries hidden within the center. With its intriguing puzzles and mysterious atmosphere, it’s a captivating game that offers plenty of intrigue in a brief playthrough.

VIRIDI

Viridi is a soothing, work-from-home companion game where you can watch your succulents grow while you go about your day. Leave the game open in a second window and tend to your virtual garden, offering you a peaceful escape during busy moments. It’s a calming, safe haven you can return to whenever you need a quiet break from the hustle.

A PARK FULL OF CATS

If you love a good hidden object game, A Park Full of Cats is sure to delight. Step into a charming amusement park filled with thrilling rides and hidden cats waiting to be discovered. Search high and low as you explore the park, with each cat cleverly hidden in plain sight. The best part? It’s completely free to play!

GREEN REAPER

Green Reaper is a combat-focused third-person game set in a beautifully designed greenhouse. You play as Rubin, a rose blessed by the goddess Antheia and armed with her sacred scythe. When mushroom marauders invade the greenhouse, threatening the life of the garden goddess and her creations, it’s up to you to protect them. Venture through the expansive greenhouse, battling the invaders and restoring peace to the sacred garden.

EVERY LETTER

Every Letter is a cozy single-player game perfect for aspiring writers. Using an old-fashioned typewriter, you’ll craft heartfelt letters that embody your clients’ thoughts and emotions. As you type, you’ll uncover intertwining stories across multiple clients’ requests, get to know the charming quirks of the typewriter, and discover your own personal connection to the art of letter writing.

MEMORIES

Memories is a heartwarming dress-up game that explores how our clothes influence our mood and the memories we associate with them. Despite being free to play, it offers a remarkably emotional experience. Blending dress-up gameplay with visual novel elements, Memories uses a pastel, dream-like art style to evoke feelings of nostalgia and sadness, highlighting the emotional connection we have with the clothes we wear.

THE LOOKER

The Looker is a playful, free-to-play puzzle game set on a mysterious island, featuring over 55 creative puzzles spread across several enchanted locations. A lighthearted parody of The Witness, this short yet fun game offers unique challenges that vary in difficulty but never take themselves too seriously. It’s perfect for a quick, enjoyable puzzle-solving adventure.

CHECK IT OUT!

If you’re on the hunt for a free-to-play game like Supermarket Simulator, give Check it Out! a try. In this relaxing game, you step into the shoes of a cashier, encountering a variety of quirky and questionable customers. It turns the often mundane task of customer service into a fun and engaging experience. Honestly, if the customers in my store were even half as interesting as these, my day would fly by!

PLANT THERAPY

Plant Therapy is the ultimate cozy plant-collecting game where you can build your own indoor garden right in the heart of New York City. With over 60 unique plants to collect, grow, and repot, you’ll experience the simple joy of nurturing your greenery. As you wait for your plants to grow, you can decorate your apartment, collect artwork, and bask in the peaceful, calming atmosphere of your little sanctuary.

SKY: CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT

Sky: Children of the Light is a cozy, open-world adventure where you soar above the clouds in a peaceful, serene world. New players, affectionately called Moths because of their brown capes, are guided by seasoned players who help them navigate the game. With minimal dialogue and direction, the game encourages players to seek guidance from others, making it a beautiful exploration of the buddy system.

Created by thatgamecompany—the same studio behind Journey—Sky shares many elements with its predecessor, like flying creatures, sandy landscapes, and the presence of a mysterious stranger. But Sky takes the buddy system even further, allowing for more meaningful cooperation and connection. And exciting news: Sky: Children of the Light will be available on Steam starting April 2024!

PALIA

Palia is currently my favorite cozy game, and I can’t recommend it enough. While it’s not without its bugs and glitches—something that can be frustrating at times—it holds incredible potential to become something really special.

Set in a world where humans were once extinct but are now making a comeback, Palia invites you to uncover the mystery behind humanity’s disappearance while building a new life in this vibrant world.

The game is free-to-play on both Steam and Nintendo Switch, though a word of caution: the graphics on the Switch aren’t as polished as the PC version. That said, if you’re only playing on the Switch, you might not notice the difference. I mostly play it on Switch myself, and still find it incredibly enjoyable!

BRAND MOOD BOARD: THE SECRET TO BUILDING A COHESIVE AND ATTRACTIVE BRAND

A brand mood board is a powerful design tool that narrates the visual story of your brand. It plays a crucial role in establishing and maintaining a consistent, attractive look for your brand, making it essential for shaping your brand’s visual aesthetic.

Mood boards encompass a variety of elements, including typography, color palettes, textures, and patterns—all of which contribute to your brand’s overall vibe.

Creating a mood board is a vital step in your brand design process, as it lays the groundwork for your visual identity. It streamlines your design decisions and guides you toward achieving the cohesive and consistent brand identity you desire.

What is a mood board?

A mood board serves as the design inspiration for your brand, acting as a curated collection of imagery that captures the desired look and feel. It encompasses colors, fonts, textures, and even words that reflect the company’s personality.

Creatives and designers have long utilized mood boards to steer their creative process, initially developed to convey emotional qualities between designers and clients. Research indicates that viewing images can evoke a sense of both detachment and engagement (Grimshaw and Ravetz, 2005; Taussig, 1993), as well as combine rationality with emotionality (Belova, 2006), promoting both cognitive and emotional engagement.

In essence, mood boards bridge the gap between logical business objectives and the emotional, intangible aspects of design psychology. They provide a holistic view of what you aim to achieve through your design efforts.

Mood board vs brand board

A brand mood board differs from a traditional style guide or brand board in that it serves as an inspirational starting point for creativity rather than a strict guideline for designing your brand.

Your mood board acts as the initial foundation for crafting your brand identity. In contrast, a brand board is the finalized document showcasing your brand logos, sub-marks, icons, complete color palette, patterns, illustrations, typography, and images for visual direction.

For instance, take a look at the mood board I created for Forest Tails. While the brand style guide incorporates elements from the mood board, it also includes the logo suite, sub-marks, icons, the full color palette, and typography.

When should I build a mood board?

While many people mistakenly begin their branding journey with a mood board, it should not be the first step. Before gathering inspiration, it’s crucial to develop your brand strategy, which addresses the “why” behind how your brand should look and feel.

Once you’ve established your brand strategy, you can delve into your brand essence and start collecting visual inspiration that aligns with your desired brand identity.

After creating your brand, mood boards can serve as a source of inspiration and guidance for various creative projects within your business, such as:

  • New product launches
  • Seasonal sales campaigns
  • New courses or programs
  • Brand photoshoots
  • Podcast graphics
  • Online memberships
  • Books, eBooks, and PDFs
  • Office or studio design

You can create different mood boards for specific campaigns, programs, or products, as well as for sales pages, website design, and microsites or apps.

Mood board for brand consistency

Your mood board is a foundational step in creating a cohesive brand identity. It outlines the vision for your visual identity, helping to convey the deeper goals of your business.

While you may be familiar with color psychology and its power to evoke feelings, it’s important to recognize that fonts also have personalities that can influence our emotions and perceptions. A font can convey a sense of happiness, professionalism, or whimsy, impacting how we interpret the text.

Choosing colors, fonts, and patterns in isolation can lead to mismatches. For example, a color you love might not pair well with a font you admire, or a pattern may clash with your chosen photography style. However, by assembling these elements in a mood board, you can more easily assess whether they harmonize and enhance your brand.

Research published in the Journal of Business Research indicates that mood boards facilitate brand coordination by:

  • Setting the scene
  • Directing and aligning activities
  • Establishing a reference point

Rather than constraining creativity, mood boards encourage it by:

  • Allowing room for interpretation
  • Providing inspiration
  • Enabling self-expression and a unique style

When everyone in your organization works from the same design inspiration, it fosters a consistent approach across your brand identity, website design, packaging, and marketing materials, streamlining the branding process.

For small business owners who may be working with multiple freelancers or external suppliers, a mood board serves as a clear communication tool for design concepts.

A mood board is a powerful tool for ensuring your team stays aligned, whether you’re working with in-house designers, new staff members, or external freelancers and agencies. I’ve found that sharing brand mood boards with photographers and copywriters effectively conveys the brand’s look and feel. Sometimes, having both visual and verbal cues can make communication even clearer and more effective.

What to include on a brand mood board

While there are no strict rules for creating a brand mood board, following some useful frameworks can help guide your choices. Typically, a brand mood board includes:

  • Brand vibe words: Key descriptors that capture the essence of your brand.
  • Type inspiration: Fonts that align with your brand’s personality.
  • Logo inspiration: Visual references for logo designs.
  • Colour palette: A selection of colors that represent your brand’s aesthetic.
  • Photography: Images that evoke the desired mood and style.
  • Art: Artwork that resonates with your brand identity.
  • Quotes: Inspirational phrases that reflect your brand values.
  • Textures: Material qualities that contribute to your brand’s feel.
  • Patterns: Designs that complement your overall theme.
  • Illustrations: Visual elements that add personality.

Aim for a diverse collection of inspirations to provide a holistic sense of how your brand should be communicated, avoiding an over-reliance on any single element like photos or textures.

Choosing a colour palette for your mood board

Selecting a color palette for your mood board is one of the most vital steps in establishing a brand identity. It’s essential not only to choose colors that reflect your brand’s essence but also to select hues that will inspire and engage your ideal clients.

Color psychology plays a significant role in our daily lives, influencing how customers perceive and interact with their surroundings. People often make choices based on color, whether it’s for their homes, workplaces, vehicles, or even clothing. This impact extends to how they respond to brands.

When crafting your brand mood board, draw color inspiration from the images and elements within the board itself. Ensure that there’s sufficient contrast among the chosen colors to maintain visual clarity; you’ll need colors that work well for both backgrounds and text. A well-thought-out color palette will not only enhance your brand’s visual appeal but also resonate with your audience on an emotional level.

HOW MANY COLOURS TO CHOOSE?

The number of colors you select for your brand mood board should reflect the depth and complexity of your brand identity. To maintain consistency across all branding materials, such as logo design and website themes, it’s ideal to limit your palette. Aiming for five colors is generally a good rule of thumb.

If you’re targeting a high-end or luxury market, consider narrowing your palette even further to 2-4 main colors. This minimalist approach enhances the elegance and sophistication of your brand, making it more recognizable and cohesive across various platforms.

ACCENTS, NEUTRALS AND COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS

When selecting a color palette, begin with your ‘body’ colors, which are the primary colors that will define your brand. From there, choose an accent color to add visual interest and a neutral tone for balance (commonly, black is used in logos).

It’s essential to consider the tones of the colors you choose. Aim for colors that share similar or complementary tones, as this will create a harmonious and cohesive look for your brand. This careful selection will enhance the overall aesthetic and effectiveness of your branding materials.

Mood board for brand identity 

When creating a mood board for your brand identity, it’s essential to first consult your brand strategy to understand how your brand should look and feel. While it’s helpful to be aware of your competitors’ brands, building a unique brand that stands out relies on your distinct energy, skills, and vision.

Begin by identifying 2-3 words that describe how you want your brand to look and 3 words that capture how you want it to feel. Keep in mind that your mood board is just the starting point of your brand identity.

The fonts you select for your mood board may not be the final choices. Small text snippets can appear visually appealing but may not function well in practical applications. Therefore, view your mood board as a springboard for creativity.

You may also need to adjust color selections to better align with your imagery or enhance text readability. Don’t hesitate to experiment with shades and tints of the colors on your board to achieve the desired effect.

Brand mood board examples

The mood board below represents Ayurvedic Mentor, an online health and wellness membership developed by Dr. Sam Watts at Mind Body Medical. The goal was to craft a brand that not only reflects the ancient roots of Ayurveda but also resonates with a sense of familiarity and safety for its audience.

I aimed for a bright and welcoming aesthetic, while also embodying natural warmth. The selected colors, textures, and imagery are designed to evoke a feeling of comfort and connection to nature, inviting members to explore their health and wellness journey with ease and confidence.

The colors are vibrant, while the fonts are kept simple and minimalist to enhance readability. The imagery deliberately shifts focus away from individuals’ faces, fostering a more inclusive atmosphere. This approach allows the brand to resonate with a broader audience, inviting everyone to connect with the principles of Ayurveda and their own wellness journey.

Mood board for personal brand

When I began my career in branding and marketing, I inadvertently crafted a strong personal brand that caught the attention of the directors at the large FTSE 100 company where I worked.

My secret? Leopard print, high heels, boundless ideas, and unwavering confidence.

At that time, I was young, naïve, and bursting with enthusiasm for marketing. During the day, I focused on point-of-sale strategies for our 400+ stores, while at night, I embraced my role as a singer. The confidence I exuded on stage naturally carried over into my daily work.

Admittedly, my choices raised a few eyebrows, but they also brought some much-needed brightness to the grey boardroom, sparking conversations. Even though my 6-inch glitter heels were impractical for the countless steps I took daily, they positioned me front and center when anyone mentioned the 300-strong marketing department. I became known as “the new girl with the shoes.” Influential people remembered me, and because I excelled in my work and was eager to share my ideas, I left a positive impression.

The key to establishing a personal brand is to be distinct and consistent while considering your unique strengths and the value you offer. My style mirrored my energy, creativity, and passion, but yours may look completely different. Think of Steve Jobs, with his minimalist aesthetic of polo necks, jeans, and an unwavering commitment to perfection.

Creating a mood board is an excellent way to visualize your desired brand identity or personal style. If I were to design a personal brand mood board for my 22-year-old self, it would capture the essence of my boldness and individuality.

Journal prompts for creating a personal brand

If you want to create a mood board for your personal brand, start by defining your style inspiration. Consider the following questions to guide your thoughts:

  • How would you (or others) describe your vibe?
  • What do you want to be known for?
  • How do you want people to feel around you?
  • What impact do you want to create?
  • If you could leave everyone you meet feeling one thing, what would it be?

Creating a personal brand mood board can help you communicate a consistent message for lasting impact. Remember, personal brands, like business brands, grow, change, and evolve over time.

Here’s a mood board I made to inspire my personal brand last year. As you can see, things have changed quite a bit in the last 20 years!

conclusion

In conclusion, crafting a cohesive and beautiful brand hinges on the strategic use of a mood board. This powerful tool not only helps you visualize and articulate your brand’s identity but also serves as a guiding framework for maintaining consistency across all touchpoints. By integrating elements like color palettes, typography, textures, and imagery, a mood board encapsulates the essence of your brand and communicates its personality effectively.

Whether you’re starting a new venture or refreshing an existing brand, investing time in creating a well-thought-out mood board lays the groundwork for a compelling visual narrative. It fosters clarity and alignment among team members and collaborators, ensuring that everyone works toward a unified vision. Ultimately, a thoughtfully crafted mood board can inspire creativity, enhance decision-making, and elevate your brand’s presence in the marketplace, making it a vital component of successful brand development.