While I truly do enjoy great cozy life sims, the preponderance of them over the last generation has actually become quite taxing, mainly because so many of them have been so shallow and disappointing overall. It seems that too many developers and publishers have been satisfied with slapping some cute characters, and maybe some cats for good measure, into an under-developed town where you may have something to do for a little while… but it all becomes dull too soon. Lacking the variety and pull of well-made gameplay beneath the hood, no amount of cozy feels can buoy weak experiences for long.

Cottonville, thankfully, does manage to elevate itself a bit over that more reductive and weak crowd, though you’d be forgiven for having a hard time telling them apart in some ways. The colorful and very cutesy characters have some appeal, but honestly they’re in a general art style that’s starting to feel overused to the point of it being practically generic. That said, unlike the case with many of its contemporaries, Cottonville is smart enough to add a new dimension to help differentiate itself, and that’s the ability to make and sell different fashions. Rather than cultivating crops from traditional farms, you’ll instead be growing different things you’ll need to bring your varied designs to life, and while mechanically it all plays very similarly to most everything else out there, the distinction at least does set it apart a little.

Now, whether or not the making and selling the clothing you create will sustain you for long, would be a fair question. Just because it’s a novel activity aesthetically, doesn’t necessarily make it refreshingly different either. While you will need to process your raw materials into the elements that you’ll need to create different pieces you’ve bought blueprints for, once you’re in the swing of things it will tend to get quite predictable in a hurry. In theory, you could decide to enjoy simply making the pieces in the colors you prefer, but since you’ll make far more money by satisfying your clients with what they’re looking for, you’re kind of on the hook to focus on giving the people what they want first and foremost, so that can limit your agency. Also, while there are people around town, there’s really no meaningful interaction or room for relationship building… so there’s little more here than the core activity loop, even if you could find it diverting.

All things considered, it makes for a relatively slight experience, even if it at least has managed to distinguish itself from being completely predictable like so many of its competitors. Keep in mind though, the difference in many ways is a shallow one, since in the end you’ll still be planting and cultivating crops that you’ll then sell. There just happens to be a few steps in the middle of that process where you’re using them to make clothing instead of merely selling them outright. If you’re a fan of simpler fare that’s cute and pleasant though, this is probably one of the best options out there in terms of its variety, even if somewhat limited.