Cozy Builder Showdown – Which is the best fantasy citybuilder for relaxing with?

Who doesn’t love a cozy citybuilder? These are the kind of games that let you zoom out, take a breath, and slowly shape a world of your own. On Xbox Series X, three recent entries into the genre — The Wandering Village, Kingdoms and Castles, and Islanders: New Shores — each offer their own take on the cozy city-building formula. But while they all share a calming tone and a focus on growth over destruction, they approach the genre from very different angles. Comparing them is less about which one is “best” and more about which one suits your mood, your mindset, or even just your current level of commitment. 

Visually, all three games lean into stylised simplicity, but they do so in distinct ways. Islanders: New Shores is the most minimalist of the bunch — all soft colours, clean lines, and abstracted buildings that pop against pastel islands. It’s almost toy-like, and that’s part of its charm. Kingdoms and Castles goes for a slightly chunkier medieval aesthetic, with blocky castles, bobbing villagers, and a day-night cycle that gives the world a gentle rhythm. 

Finally, there’s The Wandering Village, which is arguably the most visually ambitious. Its world is built on the back of a giant, lumbering creature called Onbu, and the blend of hand-drawn textures and 3D elements gives it a storybook quality that’s hard to resist. It’s the only one of the three where the world itself feels alive — quite literally.

When it comes to gameplay, the differences become more pronounced. Islanders is the most stripped-back — there’s no resource management in the traditional sense, no population to feed and no disasters to fend off. Instead, it’s a spatial puzzle. You place buildings to score points, and when you hit a threshold, you unlock a new island and start again. It’s endlessly replayable, but also ephemeral. There’s no long-term planning, no real stakes — just the joyful puzzle of placing things in pleasing arrangements. It’s perfect for players who want something meditative, or for younger gamers who might be overwhelmed by more complex systems.

Kingdoms and Castles sits at the other end of the spectrum. It’s still cozy, but there’s more going on under the hood. You’ll need to manage food supplies, defend against Viking raids or dragons and keep your citizens happy with churches, taverns, and tax breaks. It’s not punishing, but it does ask you to think ahead and the systems occasionally overlap in a confusing way. 

Kingdoms and Castles controls on console are surprisingly smooth, with radial menus and smart snapping doing a lot of the heavy lifting. It’s a great fit for players who want a bit more depth — maybe older gamers who grew up on SimCity and want something familiar but not too demanding.

The Wandering Village lands somewhere in the middle. It has resource chains, population needs, and environmental hazards, but it also has a unique twist: your city is moving. Onbu, the giant creature you’re building on, walks across a post-apocalyptic fantasy landscape, and you’ll need to adapt to changing biomes, weather patterns, and even Onbu’s moods. You can feed it, heal it, or ignore it — but your choices affect how it behaves. This dynamic adds a layer of unpredictability that the other two games don’t have. It’s not just about building efficiently — it’s about building responsively. That makes it a great pick for players who want a cozy game with a bit of narrative tension, or who enjoy the idea of a city builder with a living, breathing foundation.

Controls across all three games are well-implemented for console, though Islanders is the most intuitive thanks to its simplicity  — you can place buildings within seconds of starting. Kingdoms and Castles and The Wandering Village both have more menus and systems to navigate, but they’ve been adapted thoughtfully for gamepad play. There’s the occasional fiddly moment, especially when trying to place roads or rotate buildings just so, but nothing that breaks the flow.

Each game also presents its own kind of challenge. Islanders is about efficiency and elegance — how to make the most of limited space. It’s a game of restraint, of knowing when to stop and move on. Kingdoms and Castles challenges you to balance growth with defence, to build a thriving kingdom that can withstand the occasional hardship. And The Wandering Village asks you to think on your feet — to adapt your strategy as the world shifts beneath you, sometimes literally. None of them are too brutal, but they each ask something different of the player.

So which one is right for you? If you’re looking for something light, beautiful, and almost meditative, Islanders: New Shores is a perfect fit — especially for younger players or anyone who just wants to unwind. If you want a bit more structure, a sense of progression, and the occasional dragon attack, Kingdoms and Castles offers a satisfying middle ground. And if you’re after something with a bit more narrative flavour, a touch of survival tension, and a world that feels truly alive, The Wandering Village is the one to go for.

Each of these games brings something unique to the table, and all three are worth exploring. They’re not about winning or losing — they’re about building, adapting, and finding a little peace in the process. And in that sense, they’re not just cozy city builders. They’re cozy little worlds, waiting for you to make them your own.