The Rise of #cozygames on TikTok

December 13, 2021

The Rise of #cozygames on TikTok

For many above the age of 20, TikTok might as well still be called musical.ly and mainly feature dance challenges for teens. But with one billion users it has since then become a very exciting platform with unique trends that are amplified by TikTok’s algorithm. Luckily, that algorithm is pretty capable and made us stumble across the hashtag #cozygames.

Videos under this hashtag are made mostly by young, female creators and follow a similar pattern: The creator films their laptop, PC or Nintendo Switch, which shows a trailer or some gameplay. Combined with a very warm filter, some decoration and candles, music added in-app (lo-fi versions of the Fairy Fountain song from The Legend of Zelda are especially popular at the moment) and a soft-spoken voice-over. Thus, a very short but on-point review is created.

These videos are constantly gaining in popularity, the hashtag rose from 18.3m views in June to 83.2 million views in November. One of the most popular creators is @leandria (3,7 Million Likes, 107k Followers). Her best performing video is on the upcoming game Stray, which gathered more than 5m views at this point.

It's quite common for #cozygame videos to be about unreleased games, there is a fair amount of them that only show the trailer and a summary of the game. This might be the case because many creators have to post multiple videos a day. On TikTok, users are greeted by a For You Page, which shows the content the algorithm assumes the user wants to see, but not necessarily what they have subscribed to. Creators have to combat the fact that only a percentage of their followers will get to see their content by putting out more content on TikTok than on many other platforms, so in the #CozyGame corner they cast a wide net for games that fit their aesthetic and mood and are willing to look into small and upcoming releases.

This might be a great opportunity for indie games that fit into this niche to create a buzz before the release of their projects. Since creating a video on TikTok is much more accessible than on other platforms, collaborating with creators or being discovered by them requires less effort for both sides, but at the same time has the potential to reach a huge audience via the For You Page.

We were delighted to see that some gems from Hamburg based studios have already found their way into the #cozygames, such as XEL by Tiny Roar and mooneye studios first game as a publisher, Haven Park. We’re definitely keeping an eye on this wholesome hashtag!

If you would like to know more about this trend, check out this interview with its pioneer Kennedy.

News

←

→

Three Questions to: Dom Schott, Creator of the Podcast OK COOL

Dom Schott has been a part of the German games journalism scene for some time already, but the last few years brought big changes for him: he joined the team of The Pod on a regular basis, moved to Hamburg and started his own podcast: OK COOL. We took this opportunity to reverse the roles and ask him about his work for a change.

3 years of Games Lift: Getting better with age

Three successful years lie behind the Games Lift Incubator. Before we start the fourth one, we take a look back. Our alumni have a lot to show.

2022 in Review

2022 was a big year for us at Gamecity Hamburg as we saw the return of in-person events, a new convention in Hamburg, great projects in our funding programs and so much more! We want to take the last slow business days of the year as an opportunity to look back and offer a sneak peek at what's ahead of us for 2023.

Three Questions to: Elbphilharmonie concert hall about their online escape game

Hamburg's famous Elbphilharmonie concert hall recently released its first game - yes, you've read that correctly: Together with the Hamburg-based digital agency Pop Rocket Labs, they've developed an online escape game in which players must save a classical concert by solving puzzles. We've talked to Julika von Werder from the Elbphilharmonie's marketing team about the background of this project.

Bytro Labs tests 4-day week: Interview with founder Tobias Kringe

Hamburg-based studio Bytro Labs tests out a studio-wide 4-day work week from October to December this year. We talked to founder Tobias Kringe about this decision, how it affects way of working and what they hope to gain from it.

Federal Games Funding: Applications open again from January 1, 2023

Good news for the German games industry: as of January 1, developers and studios can submit applications for the federal funding for video games. The funding for 2023 amounts to 20 million euros, and it is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Goodgame Studios Reaches One Billion Euros in Sales with Empire Series

Congratulations to Goodgame Studios for reaching more than one billion euros in sales with their "Empire" series. The franchise includes four titles at this point and is played by over 220 million registered users, making it a great success for the Hamburg-based studio.

Hamburg Games Conference 2023: First Speakers announced

The Hamburg Games Conference returns on March 1 & 2, 2023 with the topic "Invest in Games". Now the first games industry experts are confirmed, who will share insights and best practices in talks, keynotes and panels around the main topic, as well as on dev, funding and start-up topics.

December 13, 2021