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Are you a fixer? Do people come to you for advice? Would you like to play a ghost-assisting Girl or Boy Scout and give advice to a bunch of ghost bears who have all made such monumental mistakes that they literally can't go to the afterlife?

Cozy Grove is a a sweet, comfortable, cute game. There are seasonal events, you can decorate the whole island, there's a bunch of built-in animals to take care of *other* than the bears, you can dress in pretty much any style you can think of (including head-to-toe in armor)... It's a really sweet game with lots to do. If you're the kind of person willing to log on for a few minutes a day to run around and talk to your ghosts, it'll break and warm your heart in equal parts. My roommate hasn't played it, but got so attached to a character via *my* playthrough that I wound up reading every one of his conversations with me aloud so they could hear what happened to him.

The casual way that the diversity in this game is treated deserves its own paragraph. When I began playing, I didn't know it, but I had been experiencing the symptoms of fibromyalgia for at least four years. Even before I was diagnosed (and really accepted that I'm disabled; I was still destroying myself by pushing myself too far), the handling of the disability representation made me really happy. I'm being vague so I won't spoil anything, but to this day, I think fondly about that specific character. Queer representation is also there, entirely casual, without making a big deal about it. I love that. It made—and makes—me so happy.

The most beautiful thing about this game is that every character is flawed. Some seem kind and aren't; some seem like they have bad intentions but don't. It's not something I know how to put succinctly, but it's lovely.

The New Neighbears DLC is more than worth it: it adds several new characters, and by the time I had unlocked them, it very seriously doubled my playtime. That's a wonderful thing, although it took me almost two years to beat. I can definitely see myself checking in now and then, even after I've gotten everyone's stories finished.

All of that to say, I can't suggest it enough. It's a very slow game, and not the kind you can just grind away at, and it's a nice reminder that not everything has to be as fast or as efficient as possible.

Played nightly for 60+ days and haven't finished the base game. Will get the DLC. Very good value when on sale.