Eastshade

I first fell in love with this game when it was on xbox gamepass. I'm only 6 hours in on steam and am more in love with it now then i was then. definitely a cozy game. 10/10
EDIT: I am now 15 hours in and i'm editing to say that I have had several game breaking bug issues: being unable to save the game and having to close it and losing 45+ minutes of progress to being unable to interact with anything (including my bed so I couldn't sleep; which then caused me to FREEZE TO DEATH).
This game is still absolutely beautiful and I want to truly love it but its hard to get over the bugs and issues i have experienced. it is frustrating to have to replay sections over and over due to these bugs. I don't want to sit here and be mad while playing such a potentially "cozy" game. 6/10

I've been on a bit of a peaceful game kick lately, and Eastshade is the one game that kept me coming back.
The world is beautiful, the characters endearing, and the simple act of exploration has never been so rewarding. Not to mention you can paint at any time, provided you have enough Inspiration to do so, and if you click Export Paintings in the pause menu then anything you paint will be saved to your computer for you to enjoy any time you want. They're not just screenshots either - they're actually designed to look like paintings, brushstrokes and all.
I didn't want to finish Eastshade as I reached the end of my first playthrough, and not long after I ultimately finished it I was starting a new game.
I certainly have other games to play, many of which are more action-packed or exciting...but I still find myself longing for Eastshade. I find myself longing to take a stroll through the Blushwoods looking for Inky Caps or enjoy a storyteller's show at the Tarnished Teapot, not because those things confer any major gameplay benefit (although Inky Caps do make good fish bait and the first time you hear a story it grants you Inspiration), but simply for the pleasure of it.
Eastshade is a sublime experience and I hope to see more games like it.

I think honestly, Eastshade is wonderful. I find myself in awe particularly of it’s scope, and genuinely refreshing core mechanics. So often I find myself longing for ‘another Eastshade’, only to realise none exists… and that is it’s wonder. There are some very occasional janky gameplay moments. But honestly they pale to the experience of drinking this one in. The music is beautiful, as is the world design and architecture. The quests can genuinely surprise you, some with unique mechanics that you never expected to be in the game. When the credits role, Eastshade will have made it’s mark. Thank you Danny and Jaclyn, and congratulations.

I love and adore this game, I am extremely impatient when it comes to single player storymode games and such. But this game is just cozy and amazing! 10/10!

If you're looking for an easy, relaxing and beautiful adventure game to play; Eastshade is the one.
You play in first person as a painter going around the map taking photos, painting them and selling them for money with a few side quests and a main story to follow. There is few survival aspects and they are temperature based (getting cold at night).
Exploring in this game is very easy, I found myself wandering around a lot as there's nothing that will hurt you (no enemies so there's no need for combat) and you pick up some lore of certain places along the way.
The townsfolk are lovely animal npcs, some with nice little characteristics that separate them from the rest.
Definitely a game I kept screenshotting in, it is genuinely such a gorgeous world.
One thing I will say is I recommend getting it on sale! I feel the game is too short to be bought at full price :)

I've played this game almost 4 years ago and it still pops in my mind as soon as I think about a peaceful and beautiful experience.
I wasn't particularly a fan of the NPC's aesthetic at first, but quickly got used to it and after a while discovering new characters was pretty sweet. The artistic topic, the kindness of the encounters and quests (or the strangeness too!) and the oh so gorgeous soundtrack truly moved me.
This world is truly magical, in many ways, and is also so gorgeous it actually brought me to tears because of how it touched me.
Walking simulators can sometimes be a little bit dull on some occasions, but this one? Wandering around was such a wonder, by the time I finished all the quests and had to finish the game I only wanted to stay in this beautiful place for a while longer.
Really, an experience I'll never forget (but wish I could to discover it all again).

It's crazy that a game so short could leave such an impression on me :)

Highly recommend if you want a relaxing, thoughtful experience. I would love to see more like this in a more expanded game in the future.