Hozy is a relaxing game with no timers or penalties. Your task is to clean up abandoned rooms and arrange the furniture however you like.
Are you tired of endless battles, harsh survival challenges, and competitive stress? Sometimes, you just want to grab a mop, put on some relaxing music, and take your time tidying up. The team at Come On Studio and publisher tinyBuild understand this perfectly. On 30 March, they released Hozy — the ultimate relaxing restoration simulator. There’s no need to rush anywhere in this game; the developers have created the perfect virtual sanctuary for those seeking peace and comfort after a hard day’s work.
Like many others, I love spending time creating characters and designing spaces — even more than playing the game itself! I used to spend hours perfecting a house in The Sims, only to never play with it afterward! That’s why a game entirely focused on interior design and small details seemed like the perfect choice to me.
This game will give you a sense of peace and enjoyment as you clean, paint, and design the interiors of each resident’s home. Every decision you make, from choosing wall colors to arranging furniture, is entirely up to you. Hozy lets you relax while performing enjoyable tasks, transforming every apartment and room into a dream home for its residents. Read on for all you need to know about achieving the perfect design in Hozy.
The protagonist returns to his hometown after a long absence in Hozy and takes up the hobby of restoring abandoned houses and apartments. A deserted, trash-filled room is transformed by the player: first, they clear out all the junk and wash the floor and windows; then they paint the walls and hang wallpaper; next, they repair the stairs; finally, they arrange furniture and various knick-knacks.
In Hozy, each level represents a room. Initially cluttered and neglected, it eventually becomes a blank canvas for creativity. You always start by cleaning: mopping the floor, washing the windows, and repainting the walls to prepare the space for future decoration. To be honest, I enjoy the cleaning process even more than arranging furniture — after all, there’s no way to mess it up! Hozy extends this philosophy to its décor system, never judging you for your choice of self-expression.
Each level has a list of tasks to complete to finish the room and move on to the next one. Check this list before you start, so that you know exactly what needs to be done before arranging the furniture and décor. Every time you complete a task, it appears as ‘completed’ in the top right-hand corner. If a task isn’t marked as complete, go over it again with a rag, mop, or rake to ensure everything is perfectly clean.
The game is enjoyable and feels similar to Unpacking and Leaf it Alone, though it doesn’t delve as deeply into its themes as Unpacking does. You can click on a few objects in each room to hint at memories associated with home, but these glimpses remain fairly superficial. The game attempts to evoke emotion through its narrative, but doesn’t quite succeed — memories are complex, and this approach feels overly simplistic. Hozy only shows you the beginning of a memory and never fully develops it, creating a sense of distance. This feeling is amplified by the camera angles, which make you feel like an outsider, almost like a voyeur observing someone else’s life. Fortunately, you don’t have to rack your brains trying to figure out where to put this mysterious object — you can just do whatever you want. The graphics are also really nice.
The game is divided into several levels, or rooms, each belonging to a unique creative personality. The interiors can be quite bizarre; for instance, you might find yourself in a room straight out of a Hollywood film noir, or in the lair of a brooding artistic genius.
However, regardless of who owns the space, the gamer has the final say. They decide what color to paint the walls, how to arrange the sofas, and where to place every single trinket, right down to the last pair of shoes and the ficus plant pot. Although the game doesn’t offer much freedom in terms of color palette, usually providing just two or three options, it places no limits on your imagination when it comes to interior design. You can arrange the furniture however you like, rotate and flip objects at any angle, and generally have a blast. Even if you decide to pile all the items into a heap, no one will stop you, and you will complete your task either way.
Hozy’s gameplay is as simple and minimalist as its story. You use the mouse to control basic tools such as a broom or roller, and the keyboard or mouse to adjust the camera view. To mop the floor or paint a wall, simply hold down the left mouse button and move it back and forth over the desired surface — the game will take care of the rest. Total relaxation! The soundtrack, composed by the creator of the hit game Stray, also helps to create a unique atmosphere.
Games like this one showcase the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5 perfectly. Rather than opting for photorealism, the developers chose a stylized presentation that looks both authentic and visually appealing, almost like scenes from a Pixar movie. All objects are proportionally balanced and a pleasure to look at and interact with. Detailed lighting and ambient occlusion maintain a strong sense of presence.
Every action is accompanied by smooth animations, and objects behave according to the laws of physics: leaves scatter beautifully when the broom is swung, and packing foam crumbles when the box is shaken. Some objects are interactive: you can open and close the blinds, turn on the radio, and start a toy car. Occasionally, icons with ‘thoughts’ appear above objects. Clicking on one allows you to read a comment about that item, which may trigger a memory for the protagonist. Finally, you can use the game’s photo mode to take a snapshot of the finished interior as a keepsake.
Hozy is a laid-back and cozy game that’s a great way to pass the time. It strikes the perfect balance between freedom of self-expression and thoughtful, unobtrusive guidance, making it an excellent digital sanctuary in which to recharge your batteries.
The only drawback is that you won’t have as much time for it as you’d like: you can complete all the levels in under two hours. While there is some replay value, it consists solely of revisiting familiar rooms without any new conditions. This project has enormous potential, but currently, there is very little content. Hopefully, the developers will take this into account and add more levels and interior items over time.
