Making a Cozy Game Hit in 5 Months

This is a conversation with Kathrin Radtke from Spellgarden Games, the tiny development team behind Sticky Business and Ritual of Raven. We talk about making successful cozy games, scope, marketing and more.

Links to my Guests

➤ Sticky Business on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2303350/Sticky_Business/

➤ Ritual of Raven on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2066520/Ritual_of_Raven/

➤ Spellgarden Website (Social Media links etc): https://spellgardengames.com/

Listen to the podcast on the go (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.):

➤ https://tyrollerjonas.podbean.com/

0:00 - Intro

0:41 - Why People Play Cozy Games

2:28 - Cozy Games on Steam: Size and Growth

5:06 - What Makes a Game Cozy?

7:08 - Spellgarden Origins and Sticky Business in 5 Months

10:20 - From Idea Board to 3‑Week Prototype, TikTok Devlogs

12:38 - Finding Ideas in Trends, Hobbies, and ASMR

14:09 - Designing Stickers with Stickers + Low‑Pressure Creativity

17:12 - Steam Page, Viral Tweet, and Finding a Publisher

19:51 - TikTok Strategy: Language, Algorithm, Results

22:36 - Turning Social Posts into Wishlists

24:31 - Why Simple Concepts Market Better

27:05 - Smaller, Clearer Projects and When to Share

30:05 - Will Spellgarden Stay in Cozy Games?

32:05 - Why “Work” Simulators Feel Relaxing

34:13 - Designing for Intrinsic Motivation (Not Scores)

40:01 - Ritual of the Raven: Automation and Coding

43:52 - From Concept to a Big Narrative

45:28 - Managing Scope Under Publisher Milestones

47:31 - Progression Across Regions, Tutorials, and Pacing

49:20 - Marketability vs Vision and What’s Next

51:11 - Crafting Ritual’s Art Style with One Artist

52:54 - The Pacing Problem in Automation Games

55:20 - Making Designs Click and the Cost of Lock‑In

59:46 - Advice for Aspiring Cozy Devs and Testing Interest

01:03:35 - How They Playtest Cozy and Creative Games

01:07:44 - Marketing Cozy Games: Platforms, Demos, Events

01:11:04 - Sticky Business DLCs: Why, How, and Backlash

01:17:29 - DLCs vs Early Access and Player Expectations

01:22:51 - Post-Launch Support and Cozy Recommendations

01:26:26 - Outro

My game "Thronefall":

➤ Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2239150/Thronefall/

➤ Discord: https://discord.gg/gVYctptyg8

➤ Nintendo Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Thronefall-2669627.html#Overview

My game "Will You Snail":

➤ Play Will You Snail on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1115050/Will_You_Snail/

➤ Join the Will You Snail Discord: https://discord.gg/G3mRDrK

For the game developers among you:

➤ Join our creative game dev community on Discord: https://discord.gg/Ye6zzfQ