The Vetted Games Database

Every game I’ve checked, and what I found. Sort it, search it, or read the whole thing — including the games that didn’t make the cut and why.

This is the reference I wanted and couldn’t find. Most cozy gaming lists tell you what someone enjoyed. This one tells you what’s actually inside a game before you spend money on it.

How to read it

  • None — I found no trace of it.
  • Trace — present but minor, incidental, or easy to avoid.
  • Central — woven into the story or the mechanics. Not avoidable.
  • DLC only — the base game is clean; a specific add-on isn’t. The note says which one.
  • Event only — appears in a temporary or seasonal event rather than the main game.
  • — not applicable, or I couldn’t confirm it either way. I’d rather leave a gap than guess.

Verdicts

  • Recommended — clears all four checks.
  • Your call — there’s one thing worth knowing about, and where you land on it is personal. The note says what it is.
  • Not for this site — doesn’t fit what I cover. Often a lovely game; just not this one.

Screened and Played

The Status column is the honest bit. Screened means I’ve worked through the store page, the tags, the DLC list, the wiki, the forums and the achievement list, and read discussion of the ending. Played means I’ve sat down with it myself.

Most rows say Screened right now, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise. That number moves in one direction as I work through the list, and the date in the last column tells you when each row was last looked at.

The table

GameMagicSpirits & religionCombatHolidayVerdictNotesStatusLast checked
A Building Full of CatsNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedThis title only - the sequels use fantasy settings.ScreenedAug 2026
A Highland SongNoneTraceNoneNoneYour callHighland folklore framing - judgement call. Played personally.PlayedAug 2026
A Little to the LeftNoneNoneNoneEvent onlyRecommendedSkip the Halloween 'Trick or Tidy' event content.ScreenedAug 2026
A Short HikeNoneNoneNoneNoneYour callNo magic. Contains a fishing minigame.ScreenedAug 2026
Alba: A Wildlife AdventureNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedWildlife photography and conservation.ScreenedAug 2026
Assemble with CareNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedObject repair with a family story.ScreenedAug 2026
Bear and BreakfastCentralCentralNone-Not for this siteA pantheon of named gods and an imprisoned deity.ScreenedAug 2026
Boba Cafe SimulatorCentral-Cartoon-Not for this siteStore page advertises alchemy and potions outright.ScreenedAug 2026
Bookshop SimulatorTraceTraceNone-Not for this siteCollectible 'legendary' books are named after gods and grant bonuses.ScreenedAug 2026
Botany ManorTraceNoneNoneNoneYour callVictorian botany framing, but the developer calls the plants 'fantastical'.ScreenedAug 2026
Cat Mail Co.Central-None-Not for this siteCarries a 'Magic' Steam tag; night mechanic runs on magical insight.ScreenedAug 2026
Cats Organized NeatlyNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommended80 levels, no timer, no fail state.ScreenedAug 2026
Cellar KeeperCentral-None-Not for this sitePremise is a botched spell and a curse to break.ScreenedAug 2026
Chinese Street Food LegendNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedRealistic night-market stall sim.ScreenedAug 2026
Cloud GardensNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedNo characters, dialogue or enemies.ScreenedAug 2026
Coral IslandCentralCentralCartoonEvent onlyNot for this siteA goddess, shrines and offering mechanics.ScreenedAug 2026
Cozy CleanerNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedDomestic chores. No timer or score.ScreenedAug 2026
Cozy GroveTraceCentralNone-Not for this siteThe island is populated by ghosts.ScreenedAug 2026
DordogneNoneNoneNoneNoneYour callHeavy family material including suspected abuse. Not violent.ScreenedAug 2026
DorfromantikNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedTile-laying landscapes. Runs on anything.ScreenedAug 2026
Fields of MistriaCentralCentralCartoonEvent onlyNot for this siteGods and magic.ScreenedAug 2026
Freshly FrostedNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedAbstract conveyor-belt puzzling.ScreenedAug 2026
Hidden FolksNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedAll environments are ordinary places.ScreenedAug 2026
House Flipper 2NoneDLC onlyNoneNoneRecommendedBase game clean. Avoid the Scooby-Doo haunted-mansion DLC.ScreenedAug 2026
inbentoNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedStory is a cat family becoming parents.ScreenedAug 2026
Is This Seat Taken?NoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedLogic puzzles about ordinary social preferences.ScreenedAug 2026
Katamari Damacy-CentralNone-Not for this siteCarried out on the orders of the King of All Cosmos.ScreenedAug 2026
LakeNoneNoneNoneNoneYour callNo supernatural content. Contains a drug-use scene; adult rating in some countries.ScreenedAug 2026
Leafy CornerNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommended100+ real houseplants.ScreenedAug 2026
Little Kitty, Big CityNoneNoneCartoonNoneRecommendedBird catching is non-lethal - it drops a feather and flies off.ScreenedAug 2026
LoddlenautNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedThe 'gun' cleans pollution. No combat.ScreenedAug 2026
Low-Budget RepairsNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedFamily Friendly tagged. 1990s apartment renovation.ScreenedAug 2026
Mini MotorwaysNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedAbstract urban planning.ScreenedAug 2026
OobletsNoneTraceCartoonNoneYour callDance battles, not combat. Nullwhere is an occult-flavoured region.ScreenedAug 2026
OutlandersNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedVillage builder. Played personally.PlayedAug 2026
PaliaCentral-CartoonEvent onlyNot for this siteMagic is core to the setting.ScreenedAug 2026
ParalivesNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedEarly access since May 2026 - content may change as it grows.ScreenedAug 2026
PlateUp!NoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedRuns on Intel HD 530 integrated graphics.ScreenedAug 2026
PowerWash SimulatorDLC onlyDLC onlyNoneDLC onlyRecommendedBase game clean. Avoid the Halloween, Shrek and Alice DLC packs.ScreenedAug 2026
PupperazziNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedMin spec lists Intel HD Graphics.ScreenedAug 2026
Quilts and Cats of Calico-CentralNone-Not for this siteStory campaign is set in a cat-worshipping city.ScreenedAug 2026
RailboundNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommended240 puzzles. Two dogs on a train trip.ScreenedAug 2026
ReStory: Chill Electronics RepairsNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedOne dialogue thread involves a 'disturbing find' on a phone.ScreenedAug 2026
Rusty's RetirementNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedIdle farm in a strip at the bottom of the screen.ScreenedAug 2026
S.A.N.D.Y. - Beach Cleaner-CentralNone-Not for this siteTagged 'Supernatural'. Far darker than the premise suggests.ScreenedAug 2026
shapezNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedStore page: no enemies, timers or resource limits.ScreenedAug 2026
Simpler TimesNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedStore page: no score, no timer, no combat, no failing.ScreenedAug 2026
Slime RancherNoneNoneCartoonNoneRecommendedScience fiction, not fantasy. Conflict is bloodless, solved with water.ScreenedAug 2026
Sort Them DucksTraceNoneNoneNoneYour callA handful of the 4,000 duck designs wear wizard costumes.ScreenedAug 2026
SpiritfarerTraceCentralNone-Not for this siteYou ferry the spirits of the dead to the afterlife.ScreenedAug 2026
Stardew ValleyCentralCentralCartoonEvent onlyNot for this siteJunimos, a wizard, an in-world religion, and combat in the mines.ScreenedAug 2026
Starsand IslandCentralCentralReal-Not for this siteWeapon combat, a spirit cube, and an altar ritual.ScreenedAug 2026
Sticky BusinessDLC onlyDLC onlyNoneNoneRecommendedBase game clean. Avoid the 'Book of Shadows' DLC.ScreenedAug 2026
SummerhouseNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedNo goals, no narrative.ScreenedAug 2026
Supermarket SimulatorNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedShoplifters handled by cameras and security, not the player.ScreenedAug 2026
Terra NilNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedEcosystem restoration by machinery, not magic.ScreenedAug 2026
Tiny BookshopNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedFantasy is a sellable book genre, not a mechanic.ScreenedAug 2026
Tiny GladeNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedReviews calling it 'magic' mean the tech, not the content.ScreenedAug 2026
TOEM-CentralNone-Not for this siteGhost characters and a quest line about helping them.ScreenedAug 2026
TownscaperNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedPure architectural sandbox. No characters.ScreenedAug 2026
Tracks - The Train Set GameNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedToy train sandbox. Needs slightly more graphics power.ScreenedAug 2026
UnpackingNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedWordless story told through belongings.ScreenedAug 2026
VenbaNoneNoneRealNoneYour callOne off-screen attack; character shown after with a bleeding head wound.ScreenedAug 2026
Wilmot Works It OutNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedJigsaws plus interior decorating.ScreenedAug 2026
Wilmot's WarehouseNoneNoneNoneNoneRecommendedAbstract sorting. No characters or story.ScreenedAug 2026

Something wrong?

If you’ve played one of these and found something I missed, please tell me — I’ll check it and update the row, and I’ll say in the notes that it changed. A reference that never gets corrected isn’t being maintained, it’s just old.

Want a game added? Send me the name and it goes in the queue.