6 slice-of-life games to enjoy in winter

The Winter season is the perfect period to laze around and enjoy relaxing slice-of-life games that echo the holiday vibes that the end of the year is known for. As such, we have compiled a list of six distinct gaming experiences. These are slow-paced titles that allow players to kick back and soak in the cheery atmosphere.

Check out six great slice-of-life games that are worth checking out this winter season, whether you have played them before or are hearing about them for the first time ever. Here are the details.

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Best slice-of-life games to enjoy during winter

1) Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley has expanded dramatically since its debut nearly a decade ago

Starting with one of the most renowned indies of all time, Stardew Valley is a classic. It is a quaint adventure about inheriting your own farm and living the country life as you see fit. From raising your favorite crops and exploring the world to romancing your favorite NPC and even marrying them, nothing really beats developer ConcernedApe's universal hit.

The depth and replayability on display in this 2016 farming life sim are astounding, too, with whole seasons to grind through and many slice-of-life game activities to indulge in, like fishing, dungeon crawling, and more. Stardew Valley is on all major systems, including PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and even mobile platforms like Android and iOS.

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2) Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Live a cozy life as you see fit on your island (Image via Nintendo)

The slice-of-life game that shielded many people from the monotony during the 2020 COVID pandemic lockdowns, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, has all the charm and relaxing appeal of Stardew Valley, minus the sense of urgency. - and it's arguably cuter too. After vacationinhg to a getaway island, players will form new relations and live out a life of fun and tranquility in Nintendo's life sim game.

Aside from setting up and decorating your own house, plenty of adorable and personable anthropomorphic animals await you to become friends with them. The game's open-ended design mantra means you are free to do whatever you want, from planting gardens and farms to terraforming the island into your dream project. Bug catching, fishing, trying on new fashion, and so much more ensure this Nintendo Switch exclusive will remain a cozy hit for a long time.

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3) Citizen Sleeper

Meet people with their own goals, motives, and personalities in Citizen Sleeper (Image via Fellow Traveller)

Developed by Jump Over The Age and released in 2022, Citizen Sleeper is a sci-fi narrative RPG set on a massive space station. You play as a Sleeper, an android with the psyche of a real human who has escaped the clutches of its governing megacorp. What ensues is a thought-provoking, politically and morally fueled slice-of-life game story that is gripping from start to finish.

Making choices is the name of the game here, with new allies to discover, enmities to forge, and your actions and decisions will ultimately decide your fate and those around you. With a die system influenced by tabletop RPGs, this indie gem is one that should not be missed this winter season. The game is on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch platforms, and even spawned an excellent sequel earlier this year.

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4) Little Kitty, Big City

Become an adorable menace across the city (Image via Double Dagger Studio)

If Animal Crossing was not cute enough for you, then Little Kitty, Big City should do the trick, which is the definition of a laid-back slice-of-life game. Taking place in a Japan-inspired urban setting, you control a black cat who has fallen off the window of its owners' high-rise apartment building. Now, you must explore this unfamiliar concrete jungle and avail the help of other critters to get back home.

The sandbox environments hide many collectibles to discover and challenges to complete, all the while accentuated by a vibrant cel-shaded aesthetic. The humorous interactions, memorable NPCs, and varied sights ensure cat lovers are in for a treat with this little-known indie game. It is on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch platforms.

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5) Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story

Become a Yordle and help the denizens of Bandle City in this slice-of-life game adventure (Image via Riot Forge)

Last year's Bandle Tale is a cute but unfortunately widely overlooked life sim spinoff to the behemoth that is League of Legends. Set in the world of Runeterra, you control a creature of the Yordle race who sets out on a courageous adventure to fix Bandle City's malfunctioning portals. Throughout the journey, you will come across popular League of Legends characters, many of whom will aid your journey.

The gameplay is an interesting blend of many genres, from exploration and resource collecting to crafting and management. The cherry on this cake of yarn-filled cuteness is, of course, the attractive pixel art graphics that encapsulate the isometric world the game is set in. Bandle Tale: A League of Legends Story is on PC and Nintendo Switch.

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6) The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit

The decisions made in this slice-of-life game are also reflected in Life Is Strange 2 (Image via Square Enix)

Released as a precursor to Life is Strange 2, The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is a completely free-to-download slice-of-life game. Dontnod's 2018 adventure puts you in the boots of a young kid named Chris, who lives with his father and is dealing with the loss of his mother.

As a coping mechanism, he creates the alter ego Captain Spirit, who helps him defeat supervillains in this journey set in a winter setting, and develops superpowers. What results in a bittersweet narrative that is short yet engaging, especially if you plan on checking out the successor Life is Strange 2. The game can be downloaded and played for free on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.