While I’m not sure that before this generation, and the explosion of so many indie games on the scene, there was such a game category as “cozy games” it appears they’re absolutely here to stay at this point. I’ve come to think of the label as sort of the antithesis of the roguelike titles I tend to love so much, working to calm everything down rather than amp it up, and to work towards feel-good vibes that players of just about any age or skill level could enjoy.

In the case of On Your Tail, this formula has been applied to a sort of adventure-meets-mystery-meets-coming-of-age-story. Your character Diana is struggling in school, despite her academic proficiency, with her professor sharing his thoughts on the fact that without having done enough living, that her writing is simply lacking in flavor. Determined to break free of her writer’s block and improve herself, she sets off to the small town of Borgo Marina. After getting a bit of a tutorial on the game’s major ideas on your way to get there, you’ll find yourself immersed in quite a variety of investigations into a series of burglaries, somewhat random activities, and colorful characters that will help her get out of her rut. 

One of the risks the game can run is that it simply tackles too many varied threads, mini games, and distractions that you can get pulled away from the main narrative. There’s a case to be made for that, and the fact that some activities and concepts aren’t always explained well can also contribute to a feeling that you’re getting lost in the weeds at times. That said, once you find your footing once again it doesn’t take too much effort to get back on track and into the thick of the core story. I did find that descriptively what the game or certain characters wanted me to do wasn’t always as clear as I’d like, causing some delays and frustration due to some misunderstandings, but I found this happened more early on and once I’d weathered a few issues like this I didn’t tend to struggle as much.

All in all, my main takeaway about the game is that it’s far bigger, deeper, and more ambitious than I would have ever guessed. The developers absolutely took some risks including so many varied tasks, loads of distinctive characters, and plenty of great upbeat dialogue that just about any cozy gaming fan should adore. Even for those gamers who may be a bit more serious and cynical, this is still a varied and engaging good time of a game that’s worth a look.