Wholesome Games premiered its very first gaming showcase (May 26), Wholesome Direct! They presented exclusive announcements and footage for over fifty calming, uplifting games. This showcase included some highly anticipated titles such as Ooblets and Spiritfarer plus some previously unannounced titles!
Wholesome Games: What Is It?
This community’s creation was almost an accident. Indie game developer Matthew Taylor began compiling a collection of games on Twitter that evoked a sense of comfort, compassion, and coziness in their players. This growing list drew others who were looking for similarly clean games, prompting discussion. This community expanded into Discord and between that and Twitter boasted over 35,000 members by the end of the year!
The games that they promote are light on violence and stress, feature positive, enriching themes, and healthy representations of marginalized groups. There’s also a recurring theme of cute or downright adorable titles.
Wholesome Direct
Wholesome Direct is the group’s latest method for communicating with their viewers. They hope to promote video games that can be used for healing individuals and unifying disparate peoples.
If you wish to watch this half-hour showcase, you can find it on YouTube here!
An Alternate Vision of Games
Both critics and members of Wholesome Games have noted the video game industry’s emphasis on bleak settings. Most of the greatest critically acclaimed games depict broken worlds or revolve around emotionally broken characters. Wholesome Games, however, wants to bring attention to the myriad games that show a brighter scene, yet have just as much emotional complexity as The Last of Us, for example. One of their goals as a community is to bring attention back to these games and help pull the industry out of a trend of violent and/or depressing games.
Wholesome Direct’s Showcase
The following games are those that Wholesome Games demonstrated in their showcase! Each of the @’s for each game is means to following them on Twitter. Be sure to do so!
Button City
2020 @buttoncity
Button City is a game about a group of friends trying everything they can think of to save their local arcade from being shut down.
Errand Boy
Q2 2021 @treegames
Errand Boy is a fantastical action-adventure game told through 5 interweaving adventures and heroes with one purpose: save the town.
Ooblets
2020 @ooblets
Ooblets is a farming, creature collection, and town life game where you explore the world of Oob, participate in dance battles, manage a farm, customize your house and character, and collect ooblet friends.
Kind Words
Out Now @popcannibal
Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to) is a game about writing nice letters to real people. Write and receive encouraging letters in a cozy room.
Snacko
2021 @snackodev
Snacko stars former big city kitties Momo and Mikan in a new life on a seemingly deserted island. Unravel its mysteries while you rebuild a community, farm, fish, and explore the island and beyond.
Chicory
TBD @chicory
In Chicory, you’re a dog wielding a magic brush! Use your painting powers to explore, solve puzzles, and make friends in this adventure game.
The Spirit and the Mouse
2021 @SpiritAndMouse
After a fateful encounter with a mysterious Spirit, courageous little mouse Lila resolves to help troubled villagers the best she can in The Spirit and the Mouse.
Spiritfarer
2020 @ThunderLotus
Spiritfarer is a cozy management game about dying. As ferry-master to the deceased, build a boat to explore the world, care for your spirit friends, and guide them across mystical seas before finally releasing them into the afterlife.
Sayri: The Beginning
Q4 2020 @sayriadventure
The best recipe for survival is friendship, as an adorable alien teams up with local creatures to find their way in Sayri: The Beginning. Use teamwork and telekinetic abilities to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles.
Mondo Museum
Early Access 2020 @KitfoxGames
Do you have what it takes to design and curate the world’s greatest museum? Fill your exhibit halls with extraordinary artifacts, hire staff to keep things running smoothly, and do everything you can to expand your visitors’ horizons in Mondo Museum.
Bird Alone
2020 @georgebatch
Become best friends with a lonely bird figuring out what life is all about, and face the heaviness of growing up together in Bird Alone.
Little Witch in the Woods
2021 @SunnySideUp_DEV
Little Witch in the Woods is a heartwarming life sim about Ellie, a witch’s apprentice. Make potions, study magical creatures, and help the local townspeople in Ellie’s journey to become a full-fledged witch.
TOEM
Q1 2021 @SWMGames
Travel by bus and take in all the sights on your trip to see the magical phenomenon called TOEM. Capture special moments with your camera and share them with the world!
Winding Worlds
Out now @koopmode
Winding Worlds is a finger-wiggling puzzle-adventure. Join a cast of characters big and small in a heartwarming tale of grief, love, truth, and acceptance.
Get it now on Apple Arcade! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/winding-worlds/id1435217827
Tokotoko: Hako & Friends
Out now @tokotokogame_
See your drawings come to life in Tokotoko: Hako & Friends. In this all new story mode, you’ll solve puzzles with real drawings to help Hako find the other Tokotokos and become an artist.
When the Past was Around
2020 @MojikenStudio
When the Past was Around is a point-and-click adventure game about love, loss, and all the joy and pain in between.
A Space for the Unbound
2021 @ASFTUgame
A Space For The Unbound tells the story of two high school sweethearts in 1990s Indonesia investigating the supernatural forces threatening their small town.
Book of Travels
October 2020 @MightAndDelight
Book of Travels is an intricate fairytale world where you can roleplay without the restraints of linear quests and plotlines, forming friendships and overcoming obstacles as you go.
Garden Story
2020 @gardenstorygame
Traverse and rebuild a broken island, protect its inhabitants, and make friends with a fruity cast of characters in Garden Story.
Dépanneur Nocturne
Out now @koopmode
Explore an unusual corner store late at night to find the perfect gift for your girlfriend in Dépanneur Nocturne.
Get it now https://ko-op.itch.io/dep-nocturne or on Steam!
Calico
October 2020 @CalicoGame
Calico is a community simulation game that gives you an important and adorable task: rebuild the town’s cat café and fill it with cute and cuddly creatures.
Rainy Season
Summer 2020 @Inasa_Fujio
Rainy Season is the story of an ordinary family spending time at home during a storm. Listen to the rain, spend time with your family, and see for yourself how an ordinary day can lead to extraordinary moments.
Wayward Strand
2020 @WaywardStrand
Wayward Strand is a heartfelt interactive story. Play as teenage journalist Casey Beaumaris as she visits an airborne hospital for the first time.
Hoa
Q4 2020 @hoathegame
Hoa is a platforming adventure game with hand-painted art inspired by Studio Ghibli. Explore meticulously crafted scenery, make friends with magical creatures, and collect memory fragments as you piece together the long lost history of Hoa.
KeyWe
2021 @KeyWeGame
KeyWe is a cute, co-op postal puzzler starring Jeff and Debra, two small kiwi birds working in a whimsical post office.
Tracks of Thought
2022 @TracksOfThought
Tracks of Thought is a self-exploration game that helps you better understand yourself and others. Discover where you belong on a train bound for an unknown destination.
Melon Journey 2
2020 @froachclub
Melon Journey 2 is a story-exploration game about revisiting a town full of adorable animals with eccentric personalities. Beneath its cute surface lies a tale of crime and corruption centered around… melons.
Weaving Tides
2020 @followfeathers
Dive into a magical woven world on the back of your own carpet dragon in Weaving Tides! Explore the textile landscape, solve puzzles, and unravel the great mysteries of a long-forgotten past.
A Fold Apart
Out Now @lrgthunder
A Fold Apart is a puzzle game that explores the emotional rollercoaster of a long-distance relationship in a world of folding paper.
SkateBIRD
2021 @glassbottommeg
Grind on bendy straws, kick-flip over staplers, and carve killer lines through cardboard and sticky tape parks in SkateBIRD. Above all else, skate birds try their best!
Unpacking
2021 @UnpackingALife
Unpacking is a zen puzzle game about the familiar experience of pulling possessions out of boxes and fitting them into a new home. Create a satisfying living space while learning clues about the life you’re unpacking.
Sylvan Meadows
TBD @paranoodles
Sylvan Meadows is a village simulation game with RPG elements. Keep a little outpost running while bonding with its inhabitants. Make friends, solve problems, and take a nap in the meadow when you’re done.
Haven
2020 @thegamebakers
Play as two lovers settling on an unknown world in Haven. Survive together, glide over the plains, camp, restore the planet, and fight only if you have to.
Tracks – The Train Set Game
Out Now @tracks_game
Create colorful railway systems, decorate beautiful towns, transport commuting passengers, and even ride your train in first-person in Tracks – The Train Set Game.
Frogsong
2022 @frogsonggame
Frogsong is a heartfelt adventure where it’s okay to be small. You’ll make new friends, explore beautiful environments, and embark on a journey to find your place in the world.
Later Daters
Out Now @bloom_digital_
In Later Daters you’re the newest resident at Ye OLDE retirement community, where you’ll meet a cast of seniors who are all excited to meet you.
Clouzy!
2021 @tinymoonteam
Clouzy! is a farming game about filling the world with cute clouds and positive emotions.
Creature Resort
TBD @creatureresort
Creature Resort is a resort management game where your guests are creatures from all over a colorful and mysterious fantasy world.
Pushy and Pully in Blockland
Out Now @ResistanceStdio
Pushy and Pully in Blockland is a colorful co-op arcade game that will take you and a friend through ever-challenging levels. Recover your spaceship and escape Blockland.
Onsen Master
Q4 2020 @onsenmastergame
Onsen Master is a hot spring management game. Players must revitalize various onsens across the fantasy island of Izajima.
Old Friends Dog Sanctuary
2020 @playoldfriends
Welcome to Old Friends Dog Sanctuary, where love never grows old! A game about friendship for people who love dogs.
Critter Cove
2021 @crittercovegame
Become captain of your own ship crewed by fun, quirky characters in Critter Cove: a tropical seafaring adventure.
Roots of Pacha
Q2 2021 @rootsofpacha
Roots of Pacha is a co-op farming and life sim game set in the Stone Age. Carve your path in the earliest days of civilization.
A Monster’s Expedition
2020 @Draknek
A Monster’s Expedition is an adorable and relaxing open world puzzle adventure for monsters who love to learn about humans!
The Other Side
2020 @FlorianVltmn
Navigate an intricate world filled with mind-bending yet fun puzzles, find clues about the identities of our spirit friends, and help them reach The Other Side.
BattleCakes: A Snack-Sized RPG
Q1 2021 @volcanobean
Get ready to explore Pasteleria, an enchanted kingdom that’s jam-packed full of magic and mystery in BattleCakes, all-ages snack-sized RPG.
Alchemic Cutie
Q3 2020 @alchemiccutie
Alchemic Cutie is a relaxing RPG set on beautiful Wimba Island. While taming wild jellies, you’ll meet villagers, enter jelly competitions and uncover the secrets of the island.
Pekoe
TBD @kittencupstudio
Pekoe is a tea-making simulation game about a countryside town of cats and tea houses.
Ollie Oop
2021 @ollieoopgame
Ollie-Oop is a game about a skateboarding dog who goes on an adventure to find his friend Reggie.
To The Rescue!
2021 @totherescuegame
Take care of unique dogs and find the right homes for as many of them as you can in To The Rescue!, a dog shelter simulator.
Rolling Hills
TBD @rollinghills
Rolling Hills is a life sim about opening your own sushi restaurant in a cozy village. Assume the “roll” of a budding sushi chef as you work to improve the lives of your neighbors and make new friends.
Wishlist on Steam today! https://store.steampowered.com/app/1235100
Himig
September 2020 @onionblaze
Himig is a game about experiencing calm, everyday moments while making memories and finding joy in the little things.
Orange Island
Q2 2020 @orangeislandok
Orange Island is an authentic 8-bit action-adventure game with heart.
Misc.
2020 @FluminusStudio
Misc. is an adventure game starring Buddy and BagBoy, two tiny beings made of miscellaneous items.
Elliot & Ko
TBD @cloutsocks
Meet friends, explore soft, low-poly worlds with slice-of-life dialog, cute aesthetics, puzzles, and interactive turn-based battles in Elliot & Ko, an adventure inspired by Paper Mario.
Further Info
If you want to find out more about Wholesome Games and Wholesome Direct, then you can check out their website here or find their Twitter account here!
