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Sometimes conventions get way too noisy.

As gamers, we’re used to controlling the amount of sound in our environment. You can mute an annoying player in your team’s voice chat in Overwatch and Marvel Rivals with a click of a button. If the music during the first town scene in Resident Evil 4’s remake gets too intense, you can turn it down on your headset. Even if you don’t regularly struggle with getting overstimulated, you might long for some peace, quiet, and cozy vibes at a big show like PAX East. 

Enter: PAX East's Cozy Gaming Lounge. I walked in, and immediately felt a sense of calm wash over me. Around the room were gaming PCs where you could play games like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and Little Kitty, Big City. In the center of the room were soft bean bag chairs that could be shaped into whatever type of furniture suited your needs best. (Having a bit of dramatic flair myself, I tend to opt for a good ol’ chaise lounge formation.) The lights of the room were turned off, and everything was illuminated by gently twinkling colored lights. Infant Jules would have fallen asleep immediately there. 

As I sat in a bean bag chair to take it all in, the Cozy Gaming Lounge brought back positive memories of the library I visited when I was a kid - down to the bean bag chairs. And while my childhood library could sometimes seem a bit uptight to me as a little kid, I saw plenty of elementary-aged kids absorbed in their game of Little Kitty, Big City or what have you in the lounge. A sign for the room advises attendees to keep their voices low and to use headphones with their handheld devices, and this covenant was respected by everyone there. 

If you’re ever at a PAX show in the future, I highly recommend seeking out the Cozy Gaming Lounge, even if you’re not into cozy games. Hell, I would play Alan Wake or Dead Space in there any time (away from young eyes of course). When you’re feeling cozy, you feel safe being you. And that’s a feeling everyone should experience at a convention. 

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