Wholesome Gamesis a small collective ofindie developers, producers, and directors that work to promote and showcase games with cozier and comforting vibes containing uplifting and life-affirming themes and presentations. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, theWholesome Directdigital showcase just wrapped up after putting a spotlight on a whole new batch of titles.
The next crop ofrelaxing gamesincluded dozens of titles, many featuring a poignant narrative or framework along with a striking array of styles from whimsical stop-motion to more realistic and natural art design. A number of these were announced as immediately available during the event, while others locked in their release dates, along with a few other major announcements and content drops.
For 2025, Wholesome Games has partnered with Point of Pride, an NPO dedicated to providing aid, care, and support for trans persons with merchandising proceeds going towards the organization’s efforts.
Wholesome Games Direct 2025: Shadow Drops
Camper Van: Make it Home
Camper Van: Make it Homehas players traveling around in their own personalized vehicle as they discover their place in life. Fans will be able to build and extensively customize their mobile digs through gameplay that focuses on organizational puzzles while choosing various styles to put their own touches on the van’s design.
Fireside Feelings
Fireside Feelingsis a “cozy conversation simulator.” It will let players create an anthropomorphic animal character along with their safe space. They can then invite a variety of NPCs to chat about a range of topics while sitting beside a welcoming campfire, with each interaction adding to the greater collective of tales.
Instants
Blending narrative and puzzledesign with player-driven creativity,Instantstells the tales of a family presented through photographs and scrapbook albums. Fans are given multiple tools to decorate each album, assemble the history behind each story, and celebrate the busy lives of the members of each generation.
Omelet You Cook
Omelet You Cookis a roguelikecooking gametasking players with preparing perfect omelets for the students and faculty members of Middlesville Central Cafeteria. The core loop involves choosing the right ingredients to sate each person and earning money to purchase new ingredients for more elaborate and specialized dishes. At the end of each day, they will be judged on how good their meals were by the strict Principal Clucker.
Out and About
Out and Abouttakes inspiration from real-life foraging processes. Fans will need to properly identify wild plants, fungi, and other organic ingredient in order to cook up edible recipes, concoct herbal remedies, and help rebuild the local community following a devastating storm.
Seasonala Cemetery
Seasonala Cemeterycomes from the creators ofA Mortician’s Tale. It is a free game that promises a “meditative experience that invites players to explore the serene beauty of a living, breathing cemetery.” The game will make use of fans' systems' actual date and time to dynamically react to and tailor the experience. For example, in the summer, the cemetery may be full of life, while winter will see it emptier and more contemplative. Players will also be able to observe and interact with NPCs as well as wildlife, while enjoying an ambient soundscape recorded from a real-life cemetery.
Squeakross: Home Squeak Home
Squeakross: Home Squeak Homesees fans play as an inquisitive and resourceful mouse. They will need to solve puzzles to build and transform furniture and other decorations for the rodent protagonist.Squeakrosswill offer players hundreds of decorations, accessories, and stickers to collect as they work towards making the mouse’s house comfortable and colorful.
Vending Dokan: Kozy Kiosk
InVending Dokan!: Kozy Kiosk, the goal is to form and manage a vending machine empire from humble beginnings to full-on franchise. Along with itssoothing musicand laid-back vibes, fans can also obsessively manage every detail of their customized machines inVending Dokan!or sit back and let their business grow and thrive more passively.
The Guardian of Nature
The Guardian of Natureis apuzzle adventure game. As botanist Henry, players will embark on a magical journey, with Henry’s size-changing ability allowing him to explore the world and the interconnectivity of nature both above and below. The game features a hand-drawn animation style and “solar-punk puzzles” for fans to solve and restore balance to the natural world.
Wholesome Games Presents Publishing Initiative
Fishbowl
Fishbowlfollows 21-year-old protagonist Alo getting her first job working remotely in a new city after the recent death of her grandmother. The title is centered around hercoming-of-age storytold over the course of a month. Players will have to solve unpacking puzzles as they rediscover Alo’s childhood memories while also balancing personal care and various chores one hectic day at a time as she works towards self-discovery and satisfaction.
Is This Seat Taken?
Fans will find themselves in the role of matchmaker inIs This Seat Taken?, a logic puzzle game where they must arrange groups of characters, each with their own silly quirks and eccentricities. The challenge lies in finding each person the perfect spot and mate to advance to the next level, while making sure the connections are firmly established.
Release window announcement: August 2025.
MakeRoom
MakeRoomwill let fans design and create an array of cozy dioramas. From designs like a compact kitchen, a luxurious living room, and even a vampire’s den,MakeRoomwill accommodate a wealth of possibilities asplayers will be able to make use of over one thousand objects to choose from and arrange as they please. Itwill also let fans show off their unique creations to others.
Wholesome Games Direct: Games With New Release Dates
Discounty
Discountyis acozy life simbased around owning and operating a small supermarket in the sleepy town of Blomkest. Players will need to be mindful of their store’s appearance and organization while interacting with and befriending the local customers to grow the business and inject a sense of positivity into the community.
Release date: August 21 on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox Series X, GOG. Demo out now.
Everdeep Aurora
Everdeep Aurorastars Shell, an adorable kitten equipped with a drill. Shell must dig through the subterranean depths in search of her missing mother.Everdeep Aurorafeatures classic pixel art, and it will be free of combat and full of exploration as players delve deeper down and uncover the secrets buried beneath its detailed2D world.
Release date: July 10 on Steam and Nintendo Switch. Demo out at Steam Next Fest.
Hotel Galactic
Hotel Galacticwill have fans aiding protagonist Gustav in his search for redemption. By building and decking out a tourist getaway, players will also find themselves bonding with other creatures to eventually revitalizeHotel Galactic’s colony.
Release date: July 24 on Steam. Console launch TBA.
ISLANDERS: New Shores
Like the originalISLANDERS,New Shoresis arelaxing minimalist city builder. Expanding on the core loops and mechanics with a range of new features and locations, including volcanic areas and more,ISLANDERS: New Shorespromises all the charm of the first with a host of additional items.
Release date: July 10 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X.
Monument Valley 3
The latest installment in the award-winningMonument Valleyseries, the next upcoming entry asks fans to “restore the fading light of a world on the brink of destruction.“Monument Valley 3will see fans explore more gorgeous hand-crafted environments, from solitary temples to decaying ruins, all “bursting with color, emotion, and atmosphere.”
Release date: July 22 on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X.
The Berlin Apartment
Set in the titular city, players will inhabit the role of a handyman inThe Berlin Apartment. As fans work to refurbish a dusty old apartment, they’ll uncover its storied history through the artifacts left behind by its prior occupants. Each of these tales will have its own protagonists, plots, and even genre, and as the worker relays his discoveries to his daughter, they’ll piece together the whole tapestry of its past.
Release date: November 2025 on Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X.
Wholesome Games 2025 World Premieres
Gourdlets Together
Gourdlets Togetherbuilds upon the relaxing framework of its popular parent title. Fans will now be able to design and expand their island homes inhabited by the cute vegetable critters with a greater focus ononline and social aspects.Gourdlets Togetherincludes a host of updated and new features for players to enjoy and share together as well as with the wider community.
Heidi’s Legacy: Mountains Calling
Inspired by the iconic novels,Heidi’s Legacy: Mountains Callingis an exploration and management title. Its story centers around “breathing life back into a mountain village” and taking on the job of raising and caring for their sheep and other farmland animals in an idyllic country setting.
Milano’s Odd Job Collection
Milano’s Odd Job Collectionis a retronostalgic pixel arttitle, and it is now officially releasing to Western audiences for the first time. Playing as the 11-year-old protagonist, fans will pick up part-time jobs, go shopping, hang out with friends, and more, all within its trademark cozy and cute Japanese animation and presentation.
On-Together
Full offun activities and mini-games,On-Togetheris a “cozy multiplayer productivity game” that can be managed at players' own pace from the bottom of their screens. Fans can meet up with friends for study or work sessions, hit the café for a chill chat, shoot some hoops, or engage in events like fishing tournaments among other activities.On-Togetheris both a task manager and a laid-back experience meant to provide the perfect wind down with friends after a long day.
Wholesome Games Direct 2025: Games with Ongoing Kickstarter Campaigns
All Will Rise
In this stylishdeck-builder, fans will play Kuyili, a kind of lawyer/investigator, in a grounded fantasy setting.All Will Riseis also a narrative courtroom drama in the vein of theAce Attorneyseries. Players must follow leads, gain allies, and bolster their decks to achieve winning arguments in “a city of godmen, eco-terrorists, conspiracy theorists, and hacker seeresses.”
Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell
Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bellis a 3D investigation game inspired by miniatures and stop-motion aesthetics. The renowned detective is called upon to solve the mystery of the theft of the apple bell in the sleepy village of Touvoir. Players must gather information through conversing with the townsfolk, exploring Touvoir, and using their intuition and collected evidence to reveal contradictions in the hopes of uncovering the culprit behind the crime.
Crescent County
A “heartfelt gameabout kissing, drifting, and being a mess in your 20s”,Crescent Countytakes place in a “painterly solarpunk witch-tech open-world.” Fans will hop on their motorbrooms for a single-player adventure as they make deliveries across the island, upgrade and customize their brooms, and meet new friends or potential romance partners.Crescent Countyalso touts a lo-fi and crunchy alt-rock soundtrack for players to vibe to.
Pawsta
Originally debuting as a Wholesome Game Jam 2024 project,Pawstais a cozy cooking game with claymation-style art.Asthe mouse Rigatoni, fans “will travel the world working towards mastering the art of various cuisines and collecting ‘mice-alin’ stars along the way.“Pawtsalooks to capture the core of cooking games with an incredibly cute presentation and compelling loop.
Wholesome Games Direct 2025: Demos Available Now
Collector’s Cove
Aboard a boat ferried by an aquatic animal companion,Collector’s Coveis a mix ofcozy farmingand exploration. Fans can sail to collections of islands, all with differing climates, to “uncover the secrets of fabled crops and fish and become a Named-Rank Collector.” Both the vessel and animal partner will be highly customizable as fans add to their collections.Collector’s Covepromises “low pressure stakes and no time limits,” giving fans the freedom to discover and build at their leisure.
Danchi Days
InDanchi Days, main character Hoshino endeavors to revive the forgotten Summer Festival. Fans will need to “surf the NeighborNet” in the hopes of turning strangers into good friends through engaging with a variety of colorful mini-games and uncovering interesting secrets about their potential new neighbors, all in the service of bringing the Festival back to life for all.
Gecko Gods
Gecko Godsis a"serene lizard-sized puzzle platformer where you explore a forgotten archipelago.” As the titular gecko, fans will sail to and explore a range of regions, using the gecko’s natural abilities to climb and investigate areas while solving puzzles throughout. With an almostWind Waker-like style,Gekco Godslooks to channel a similar feeling of freedom and beauty in a peaceful but mysterious world.
Haunted Paws
Haunted Pawssees players “em-barking” on asupernatural adventureas two brave and inquisitive pups. Focusing on co-op but also playable solo, fans will navigate a haunted mansion full of “shadowy yet playful environments and ghostly encounters” in search of the pup pair’s owners.Haunted Pawshighlights a sense of teamwork as the cute canines face challenges together in an experience that aims to create an air of mystery and suspense without being too overwhelming.
Leaf Blower Co.
LikePowerWash Simulator, Leaf Blower Co.is a game about “getting in the zone and clearing away leaves with the signature tool.” With a full story mode, fans will explore and tidy up a variety of locales, dealing with varying weather and other obstacles.Leaf Blower Co.also promises a plethora of “Easter eggs and optional objectives” for players to discover as they work towards uncluttering each area through the campaign.
Letters to Arralla
Letters To Arrallais “a wholesome,exploratory RPGset on a small fictional island off the coast of Victoria.” Fans will take on the role of a newly recruited “cheeky turnip” hired to deliver letters and packages around the island. Using a pictogram as their “address,” players will set off to ensure each delivery arrives on time to the proper person while roaming and discovering the other hidden parts of the island.
Llamalandia
A cozy adventure game with town-building elements,Llamalandiais about “finding your family and bonding with each llama you meet.” Fans will be able to construct sanctuaries to shelter and raise their flocks of llamas. As they establish a home, they’ll also be able to invite other endearing animals to join and live on their bespoke farms and strengthen their familial ties.
MAFATE
As a mail carrier in a remote valley in the Indian Ocean,MAFATEhas players photographing and delivering letters while exploring itspicturesque setting. They must also assist Luna, a young Creole girl magically transformed into a camera and transported back in time. Fans will be given the ability to “take control of animals to access hidden areas in the magical world.” They’ll also need to care for these animals while building relationships with other villagers and helping to solve their own troubles.
One Move Away
Bringing to mindUnpacking,One Move Awayis “a cozy, first-person puzzle game where you pack your belongings for each move and embark on a new chapter in life.” As players move to new locations, they’ll explore the lives of three characters and gradually uncover their personal stories told through the collection of items that they saved or left behind.
Puni the Florist
InPuni the Florist,playerswill have to balancemanaging their own cozy flower store and designing unique bouquets for customers, all with a talking flower living atop office worker-turned-botanist Puni’s head. Incorporating shop and item management mechanics with the charming twist and vibrant art,Puni the Floristseeks to deliver plenty of fun for fans as they arrange and sell beautiful and detailed floral displays.
Sheepherds!
Sheepherds!is aco-op party gamewhere players and their friends will “guide their sheepdog buddies and herd colorful flocks through beautiful landscapes” either online or in solo play. Fans will be free to stop and smell the roses, or roam and run around for the sheer joy and thrill of it. ButSheepherds!will also offer numerous challenges and tasks to earn further rewards and treats for the faithful hounds.
The Great Coffee Caper
Blendingclassic Game Boy RPGsand modern indie elements,The Great Coffee Caperis “a playful and comedic cozy experience.” When a nefarious bandit steals all the town’s coffee beans, it’s up to fans as Detective Hootsworth to track down clues, question the locals, and overcome Clue Battles to get the bottom of “hooo dunnit” within a colorful autumnal forest setting.
Wholesome Games Direct: Exclusive Showcases
A Tiny Wander
A Tiny Wanderis an adventure game set entirely during the nighttime. Players will join the traveler, Buu, as they search for secrets in the moonlit Hotarumi Valley. Buu must set up their campsite and explore the Valley, with fans required to “observe the surroundings carefully and chat with passersby to solve the mysteries of Hotarumi.” Along the way, they’ll also be able to engage in fishing, camping, and other related cozy pastimes.
A Week in the Life of Asocial Giraffe
Taking a bit of a more serious angle, but with plenty of humor to match, A Week in the Life of Asocial Giraffeis a point-and-clickstealth gamecentered around surviving an average week in the titular Giraffe’s life. Players will need to cross off the various items on Giraffe’s to-do list while “making sure nobody talks to you so that your head doesn’t explode.“A Week in the Life of Asocial Giraffesets out to explore real social issues through a more charming and understanding lens.
Anxiety Puppy
Described as “a fairy tale for adults”, inAnxiety Puppythe central emotion is personified as a small puppy. It’s a 2D interactive visual novel exploring the facets of anxiety and its effects on the main character as she is pulled into a surreal world in her attempts to grapple with coping and overcoming her consternation. Through its presentation and story,Anxiety Puppyaims to show that “anxiety is not a monster, it’s just a puppy easily unsettled.”
Big Hops
Channelingclassic3D platformers,Big Hopsalso offers a fresh take on the genre. Whisked away from his home by a mischievous spirit, fans must use Hop the frog’s tongue to parkour around and assemble the pieces of an airship to make his way home. It will feature a unique vegetable-planting mechanic, allowing Hop to literally grow new ways to advance through the levels and escape his predicament.
Capy Castaway
Capy Castawayis “Spirited AwaymeetsUntitled Goose Game.“After a massive flood upends the lives of several zoo animals, a small capybara and their crow companion are washed ashore on a mysterious island. There, they will undertake an adventure composed of “sniffing, digging, and exploring a vibrant world brimming with wonder, challenges, and curious characters at every turn.”
Clawsome
For fans of the arcade claw machines,Clawsomeis a 3D puzzler with a “diorama-building twist,” where players control one of these machines seeking to collect a pool of prizes. While doing so, they will “meet charming characters, and solve chill-yet-clever challenges.“Clawsomepresents challenges of varying complexity but retains cozy vibes throughout the experience.
Dosa Divas
Dosa Divas is a narrativeturn-based RPGwhere fans play as two sisters piloting a “spirit-mech” as they battle an evil fast-food empire. The divas will also need to prepare and cook meals while garnering a reputation within the communities to bring their friends and loved ones together and save their business.
Gemporium
After inheriting his “grandmole’s” shop and prospecting license,Gemporium’s anxious mole lead quickly realizes it also came with a hefty debt. Players must pay back the Loan Shark by starting small and expanding their gem business as they delve into the mines and bring back more valuable treasures. Along with the upkeep of their shop, they will decide what gemstones and materials to use to craft into better tools and what ones they are willing to sell to eager customers to keep operations going.
Kuloniku: Bowl Up
A game inspired byCooking Mama,Kuloniku: Bowl Upis a cozy cooking title that puts the players in the role of the scrappy chef of a local restaurant. Fans will engage in designing meals and taking part in cooking battles against their competition, like Stella, the imposing chef of the famous Starstruck Diner.Kulonikuwill offer “tactile mechanics, a colorful and stylized art style, a light-hearted story, and customization features.”
Let’s Build a Dungeon
From the creators ofLet’s Build a Zoo,Let’s Build a Dungeonis likewise a multi-layered management sim. Fans will head a game studio and tackle all aspects of development and business, including schedules, ad campaigns, and press relationships. With the right decisions and vision, players will be able to “grow their studio from a scrappy indie team into a juggernaut, whilst designing and building the MMORPG of your dreams.”
Lynked: Banner of the Spark
Lynked: Banner of the Sparkis acolorful action RPGand management sim rolled into one. Players will participate in battling waves of enemies in solo or co-op modes. By completing missions and rescuing a range of robot helpers, they can then return to a home base and use the bots' parts to construct a town and “bring a brighter future into the world.”
Mazey Village
A tornado has scattered a cozy village’s homes and its citizens' belongings inMazey Village.As an expert navigator, fans will undertake solving labyrinthine levels to recover the lost itemsand help rebuild the town. They will also meet and befriend a host of friendly characters and cheerful creatures who will assist them in this task.
Mecha
Mechastars Coni, a brilliant engineer in a wheelchair, on a mission to fix her malfunctioning robots in the city of Montrea. After her inventions inexplicably go haywire in her lab’s testing grounds, Coni is joined by her companion B1U3 to discover the cause of the Mecha’s issues and bring them back to working order. As Coni, players will solve puzzles, avoid devious traps, and defeat bosses on their journey to right the robots and the city.
Muri: Wildwoods
Muri: Wildwoodsseeks to put a new twist on thecleaning sim genreby mixing in equal parts adventure and coziness. Muri is tasked with “ridding the world of corruption using their trusty water gun and its different modes.” Fans will balance platforming, exploration, and simple puzzle solving. They’ll also have the chance to save and befriend various animals on their way to restoring nature. And in celebration of Wholesome Direct,Muri: Wildwoodsis coming to Steam in 2025.
Outside the Blocks
Outside the Blocksis “the ultimate playground for builders and creators who want to express their artistic side in a relaxing, stress-free environment.” Agame with no objectivesor pressures of any kind, players can make use of its full-featured diorama model builder to their heart’s delight.Outside the Blockswill give fans the tools to construct all kinds of terrain, assemble modular homes with various decorations, and let them display their creative constructions.
Shiba Sweet
Shiba Sweetwill see fans playing as an aspiring chef who also happens to be a Shiba. Inheriting a dessert shop from their retired grandmother, the Shiba will need to start by buying ingredients to bake delicious desserts and sell them to prospective customers. As they earn more from their delectable creations, fans can upgrade their kitchen, further decorate the shop, and unlock new recipes with the goal of becoming the most beloved bakery in town.
STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar
Inspired by theclassic handheld game, the latest iteration,STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaar,will similarly let playersharvest crops, raise animals, and craft dishes. As Zephyr Town’s once-famous bazaar has fallen on hard times, fans will endeavor to revitalize it by selling wares and expanding their inventory.STORY OF SEASONS: Grand Bazaarwill be “more alive than ever thanks to incredible new visuals, new characters, expanded story, and full character voice work.”
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game
A title that has likely been on many cozy game fans' radars,Tales of the Shirewill let players live out their fantasy life as a hobbit. It will encompass all the expected pastimes: gardening, fishing, cooking and eating, and, of course,decorating a Hobbit-holeto their own liking.Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Gamepromises to deliver “a refreshingly wholesome journey into the iconic setting of Middle-earth.”
Launch date: July 13, 2025.
Town to City
Town to Cityis by Galaxy Grove, the developers ofStation to Station.The studio’s new outing is a beautiful voxel art city builder. Fans can freely place “houses, shops, amenities, decorations, and greenery to delight your residents and encourage new families to move in.” As players increase their population, they’ll be able to expand outward to construct multiple additional towns that can remain isolated or be linked together.
Townbox
Townboxis “a single-player sandbox town-building game with an emphasis on creativity and self-expression.” Fans will play the part of a planner-in-training, taking their vision of the ideal city from humble beginnings on a smaller starting island and eventually into a bustling metropolis.Townboxwill also have a feature allowing players to switch to “resident mode” to appreciate their designs at the street level and interact with NPCs to discover other useful and surprising items.
Wholesome Games Direct: New Updates and Content Drops
Little Kitty, Big City
Little Kitty, Big Cityis getting a free new content update this summer on all available platforms. The update will include “a cat customization feature, hours of new delightful story content, quirky new characters to meet, and a whole new area of the neighborhood to explore.”
Luma Island
A free major update for the base game,Luma Island: Pirates, launches July 29, 2025. It adds a new profession, Lumas, outfits, and a pirate cove filled with mini-games, temples, traps, and treasures. It will also offer further accessibility with the Cozy, Adventure, and Hero modes.
Winter Burrow
Winter Burrowis an upcoming cozysurvival game. As a small mouse hoping to weather the cold season, fans will “explore and gather resources to craft tools and items like knit sweaters, bake pies, and meet other locals.“Winter Burrowwill now be coming to Nintendo Switch in addition to PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
With a promising selection of fantastic-looking games across the puzzle, management, narrative-driven genres and more, the latest lineup to come out of Wholesome Direct 2025 is set to give players a great range of emotionally uplifting and stress-free experiences throughout the year and beyond.
