Intent: Inspire you to try out some cozy games!

The weather’s been getting colder by the minute and we just got our first snow here in Alberta, Canada. Cold weather generally makes me miserable. While the snow stuck to the ground this weekend, I was reminded of how great a treat it is to get bundled up in warm clothes and blankets with a hot drink.

What a better way to spend time in cold weather, than to play board games that make you feel cozy. Well, since my goal is to inspire people to play games, I thought I’d share some games that, you too, can play while you’re bundled up in blankets enjoying your favorite hot beverage on a brisk fall/winter day.

In no particular order.

Calico

Designer: Kevin Russ

Artist: Beth Sobel

Publisher: Flatout Games and Alderac Entertainment Group

Player Count: 1-4 players

Length: 30-45 minutes

Overview: In Calico, your goal is to score the most points by sewing the coziest quilt. Each player begins the game with two tiles in hand, a board of 22 empty spaces, and an aspiration to be a Master Quilter. Each turn, players will place tiles aiming to match colors (there are six patterns and colors) to sew buttons, patterns to attract cats and achieve the three tile placement goals present on the board. After placing a tile, players will choose one of three tiles from the centre to add to their hand and wait for their next turn. The game is played until the full quilt is sewn. The player with the most points from cats, buttons and goal tiles wins! Sounds easy right? It is surprisingly quite a challenge, in the beginning you have a vision but with limited draw opportunities you’re forced to make tough decisions until your quilt is essentially complete. Every quilt is beautiful and a joy to make.

Check out our Calico Review if you haven’t had the chance yet.

Cozy Factor: You’re making a quilt full of vibrant colors and buttons, while inviting cats to come and rest on the quilt. Can it get much cozier than this? The only thing missing is the transformation of the cardboard quilt into a real one so I can wrap myself up!

Azul

Designer: Michael Kiesling

Artist: Philippe Guérin and Chris Quilliams

Publisher: Next Move Games

Player Count: 2-4 players

Length: 30-45 minutes

Overview: In Azul, you will draft tiles in an effort to decorate the Royal Palace of Evora. You can immerse yourself in the luxurious palace living and simply forget about all the snow. Each turn you will take one specific color of tile from the factories and place it into your own production lines. The tiles you do not take accumulate in the centre, and act as a separate factory which you can take from. After all the tiles have been taken, the factories are reset, filled production lines on your board contribute to your palace, points are scored and a new round quickly follows. The game ends when one player fills a horizontal line (of five pieces). A winner is determined by the most points, after the few last placements come game end; points are scored with the additional bonuses of horizontal lines, vertical and having five of each color tile. Easy to play, explain, and jump right in. Azul is an accessible game with satisfaction by completion, plus the tiles feel and look amazing! Let’s see your palace!

Cozy Factor: Well, the tiles look and feel like candy; it is extremely satisfying to place them on your board creating magnificent patterns and combinations of points. A hot chocolate with a side of Azul is an opportunity I would never pass up.

Nova Luna

Designer: Uwe Rosenberg, Corne van Moorsel

Artist: Lukas Siegmon

Publisher: Stronghold Games

Player Count: 1-4 players

Length: 30-60 minutes

Overview: A game nominated for Spiel des Jahres (Game of the Year) this year, Nova Luna is not only a tile placement, strategic masterpiece but extremely cozy as well! In order to win, you must be the first to place all twenty goal markers on your tiles. In this abstract game, you will obtain tiles and place them in front of you, adding tasks, which you must fulfill by placing more tiles. Pretty straight forward right? Nova Luna requires you to think ahead and quite strategically as well. Every tile has three distinct features: a number indicating how far you move on the track, zero to three tasks, and a background colour, which there is four of. The neat aspect of this game is that the turn order is not traditional and instead the person who is the farthest back on the moon track will take their turn, which means based on the tiles you take you can take multiple turns on a row. Will the moon align for you to take the victory?

Cozy Factor: There is nothing like placing a tile and completing many goals within one turn. Definitely makes you feel warm inside. The colours, combinations and strategic thinking are all things I love to see when wrapped up in my blanket.

Wingspan

Designer: Elizabeth Hargrave

Artist: Beth Sobel, Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo, and Natalia Rojas

Publisher: Stonemaier Games

Player Count: 1-5 players

Length: 40-70 minutes

Overview: Are you fascinated by birds? Want to build a bird sanctuary and invite along some beautiful beaked creatures to enjoy your crafted habits? Wingspan is your opportunity to live your best bird enthusiast life. The game is quite simple to grasp; on your turn you can do one of four things: play a bird, gain food, lay eggs and draw bird cards. Like most engine building games, the beauty of the game comes into play with the more birds own - you are able to do more actions, create combinations and really thrive in the dynamic habitat you have created. The components are absolutely wonderful, the artwork is gorgeous and the experience is wholesome. The player with the most points at the end, scored through birds, eggs, food, goals and round bonuses wins! What’s your wingspan?

Cozy Factor: The artwork, components and building your own sanctuary is a delight! If it’s cold outside, I can jump into the Wingspan world and observe and learn about many birds from the North America, European and soon Oceanic region. (The eggs feel like candy!)

Mariposas

Designer: Elizabeth Hargrave

Artist: Indi Maverick and Matt Paquette

Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group

Player Count: 2-5 players

Length: 45-75 minutes

Overview: I don’t know about you but I think Monarch Butterflies are some of the most delightful insects on this planet. You know what’s great as well, embodying the monarch butterfly as you migrate from Mexico, reproduce and make your way back for the winter. In Mariposas, there are three rounds: Spring, Summer and Fall. You will travel from Mexico as far as Canada, reproducing, living through many generations, collecting key flowers and using Milkweed to reproduce. Each turn you will have a choice of two cards to play, which allow you to move your butterflies through North America. You will need to plan where you want to go as each season has point goals, and you will need to collect combinations of flowers to reproduce so you can receive the most points as fourth generations butterflies that return back to Mexico are the key to your success. Did you know monarch butterflies have been observed migrating at 11,000 ft?

Cozy Factor: Starting off in Mexico in heat of Spring, there is something magical about flying through the continent of North America. The colors are vibrant, the flowers are inviting and the butterflies are pleasing to move, this game emulates happiness and makes me feel even more cozy on a cold day.

Cozy Trends

• Games that have components that look and feel like candy!

• Tile placement, there’s something comforting about placing tiles and matching patterns and colors.

• Animals and flight! Birds and butterflies make me feel at ease.

• Colors! Vibrant games are fun and a mix of colors definitely adds to a cozy blanket experience.

What games do you play while you’re wrapped up in a blanket and cozy? Please share on our social media!