There are few things more relaxing than curling up under a warm blanket by the dancing glow of a fireplace, hot cocoa in hand, while snow piles up outside.  And of course, my favorite thing to do while relaxing in such a fashion is to play video games.  But if I could be transported to my favorite cozy locations within these video games, where, oh where, would I go…?

• Gnawty’s House – I’ve always loved Gnawty the beaver’s little home in the first Banjo-Kazooie.  Situated in Click Clock Wood, I believe you can first enter his house in autumn, but I find it much cozier in winter, even though getting inside becomes much more dangerous.  But if you can brave the frigid waters and swim quickly beneath the ice, you’ll be rewarded with a honeycomb piece!  And best of all, after travelling through those icy waters, the warmth of Gnawty’s fireplace feels that much more inviting!
• Moogle Houses – Surely I’m not the only person who fell in love with the darling Moogle houses in Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.  These houses are quite small, but this fact might only make them that much cozier!  Not only is the place lit by the glow of a crackling fireplace, but there’s a curved staircase along the back wall leading to a little bedroom.  I kind of wish I was a Moogle so I could live somewhere like this…
• Anju’s Grandmother’s Room – At this point, you might be noticing a theme (and you also probably read the title…).  And yes, this room, too, features a lovely fireplace, along with a wall of books one can read while lounging beside said fireplace.  In The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, Anju’s Grandmother lives in a rather cozy room at the back of the Stock Pot Inn’s ground floor, and it’s a perfectly pleasant place to listen to an old woman tell stories, long-winded though they may be.  I can think of worse places to wait out the end of the world…
• Rosalina’s Library – Or if you’d rather, you can also listen to the lovely Rosalina tell stories in her very own library, the most relaxing location in the Comet Observatory in Super Mario Galaxy.  Like any good library, it’s well stocked with books, and…bet you didn’t see this coming, a fireplace!  The depths of space have never before felt so welcoming!
• My Animal Crossing: New Horizons House – If I may say so myself, I think my charming abode on the island of Quacksville is quite a relaxing place to rest one’s soul.  Probably my coziest room would be the bedroom upstairs, where I have a little sitting area off to the side, along with…you guessed it, a fireplace!  (Unfortunately, I failed to take a screenshot of this room with this layout, so please enjoy this older picture…)  It becomes even more inviting when surrounded by the Falling-Snow Wall, which includes countless windows showcasing snow-laden trees and mountains in the distance!