I love the idea of cozy hobbies, in theory and in practice. As most of us know, staying plugged in all the time, whether it’s to news, social media, or just the heaps of horrific things happening all over the world, can be detrimental to our mental health. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t use technology; e-books, relaxing music or sounds, or even games can provide that comfort we all need to stay sane. For me, I look to build new cozy habits around autumn as summer gives way to my favorite time of year, and Pocket Nook is my latest obsession.

Since it arrived on the Nintendo Switch, I’ve been starting my day a little differently. I take my dogs out, I make some coffee, and typically, I sit on my phone and watch TikToks or catch up on Instagram stories. Sometimes, that leads me to start my day with stressful news, and I’ve caught myself feeling a little off at the beginning of the day because of this habit. Instead, scrolling has been replaced with RedDeer.Games’ pixel art interior design game. Starting with a blank canvas, I sip my coffee and create rooms utilizing a ton of great items and decorations.

From over 80 floor patterns to hundreds of in-room decor items, I give myself a theme or find inspiration in a color or imaginary space, and work away at creating a room I’d love to visit. Some rooms are smaller than others, which you can choose at the onset of designing them, and I rarely ever spend more than 15 minutes in one virtual space. That said, when it comes to carefully placing plants, lamps, cats, and even pixel-art people, I enjoy taking time to be meticulous.

As someone who isn’t visually artistic with things like paint or colored pencils, Pocket Nook is such a fun and approachable outlet that is easy to pick up and put my creativity to the test. I found it easy to use the controls on my Nintendo Switch 2, and I appreciate that it’s essentially a blank canvas to use as I see fit. There’s relaxing music to play and enjoy, and over time, I’ve found that a good 30-minute session in the morning is a great way to wake up and fend off the anxiety a new day can often bring.

While some of the hottest games of 2025 push you to the limit, I’m finding Pocket Nook to be the dose of calm and cozy I need. I imagine the elements of decorating I’ve enjoyed in Animal Crossing: New Horizons primed me for deriving pleasure out of an experience like this one, and I love that there’s not much more to it than simply creating spaces. Some of which, I’ll add, I’d kill to visit in real life. Pocket Nook is available now for Nintendo Switch on the eShop for just $2.99 USD. If you’re craving a new cozy hobby or experience this autumn, I highly recommend it.

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