Sofia Marchetti

Sofia grew up in a loud Italian American household where the family computer lived in the kitchen, which she credits for both her love of cozy games and her ability to farm turnips through absolute chaos. Animal Crossing got her through exams; Stardew Valley got her through her twenties. She has been writing about the gentler side of gaming ever since a very earnest blog post about virtual gardening found an audience she didn't expect.

Her beat is the culture around play: the creators building kinder corners of the internet, the communities that make games feel like home, and the quiet rise of cozy gaming into one of the biggest forces in the industry. She interviews streamers, mod makers and indie developers, and she will absolutely cry at a well-written farming sim ending.

Current rotation: whatever just launched with a pastel palette, one long-term farm save she refuses to abandon, and an embarrassing number of hours decorating in-game houses. Her real apartment has more plants than furniture, which she considers on-brand research.