Cost of Living·Audio

'Cozy' video games cash in on the new captive economy of the coronavirus

What's behind the sudden surge of interest in what the industry calls "cozy" games — like Nintendo's Animal Crossing — and how could it affect gaming choices once the health crisis is over?

Nintendo's Animal Crossing is a popular example of "cozy" gaming

Originally slated for a 2019 release, New Horizons is set on a deserted island where you can explore, create and customize your own personal paradise. (Nintendo.com)

Good luck finding a copy of Animal Crossing right now.

One of Nintendo's latest video game hits is one of the biggest winners of the "stay at home" economy.

  • CBC Radio's business and economics show, Cost of Living, is in a new time slot on CBC Radio One due to the coronavirus pandemic. Catch it Fridays at 1:30 p.m. (2 p.m. NT), Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. or online anytime at CBC Listen.

Cost of Living producer Falice Chin investigates this sudden surge of interest in what the industry calls "cozy" games and how it might affect gaming choices once the health crisis around COVID-19 is over.


Click "listen" at the top of the page to hear this segment, or download the Cost of Living podcast.