Posted in: Games, Indie Games, Video Games | Tagged: indie games, Summer Game Fest, Wholesome Direct

Everything Shown Off During The Wholesome Direct 2023

We quickly go over everything revealed during the Wholesome Direct, which took place over Summer Game Fest weekend.

During the Summer Game Fest weekend, a lot of livestreams were taking place, including the Wholesome Direct 2023 stream. While we were running around Los Angeles this weekend checking out a bunch of stuff, this livestream showcased over 50 indie titles on the way or at least in the works. Here's a full rundown along with the livestream of everything they featured.

Mineko's Night Market

In Mineko's Night Market, you play as Mineko, a curious girl who has just arrived at her new home on a struggling superstitious Japanese-inspired island. The locals on the island worship the Sun Cat, Nikko. What was always thought to be a long-told myth has the town puzzled, as sightings of Nikko have begun to surface among the residents of the island in recent days. Discover the secrets behind the town while managing your daily activities, completing various jobs, venturing on whimsical quests, and crafting peculiar items in preparation for the weekly Night Market!

Pekoe

Blend tea and friendship in the flavorful world of Pekoe, a cozy cat-filled tea-making simulator about taking the time for self-care and connecting with what makes you happy. Build relationships, upgrade your teahouse, and discover new recipes as you work towards creating a place you can call home.

Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To

Cast spells, be queer, & crash the biggest concert of the year! Spirit Swap is an action-puzzle game set in a lush, narrative-driven world of witchy demons.

Button City Soccer Days

Button City Soccer Days, the cozy soccer action game infused with RPG and visual novel elements from developer Subliminal Gaming, kicked off a budding sports rivalry at Wholesome Direct today. Rejoin the charming cast of Button City for a new adorable adventure on PC and console in early 2024. Excitement is brimming for the upcoming soccer tournament, and adorable fox Fennel is inspired to build a fluffy team with his best friends. Combine physics-based soccer matches with narrative gameplay, where weather, penalties, and injuries play a part in the storyline, and bring the Button City Soccer Club to victory!

Frogsong

Chorusis a little frog with huge dreams of protecting the world. Being a tree frog, however, society expects them to lead a life of religious studies, instead of training to be a warrior. Their small size certainly doesn't help anyone take them seriously, either. Seeking a better life, Chorus moves to Boreala, a village where members of the Defense Guild train under the wisdom of an old veteran. They quickly learn things aren't going to be as easy as they hoped. With a powerful army and a mysterious rumor both on the rise, Chorus needs to discover how they can protect the ones they love – before it's too late.

I Am A Caterpillar

I Am A Caterpillar is the story of a caterpillar that doesn't want to be a butterfly. Wriggling through the treetops and climbing giant mushrooms, you are a bug on a journey to take control of your destiny and explore an enchanting new world along the way. Experience a casual, non-violent adventure that will have you traveling through vibrant and colorful environments, where 'up' is only a matter of perspective. Climb over every surface and crawl along your path like the caterpillar you've always been in your heart.

Bubblegum Galaxy

Bubblegum Galaxy is a cozy narrative building game about rebuilding the galaxy tile by tile. Discover and design new planets, complete missions, explore your office and befriend your co-workers… all while trying to find out who deleted the galaxy!

Sticky Business

Sticky Business relishes in the wholesome fun and simplicity of childlike creativity: creating stickers! With thousands of design options at your fingertips, the task may seem daunting at first, but the game's approachable interface and charming visuals make a serene experience for the would-be small business owner. Of course, it can't be all sticky; there's also the tricky aspect of business management. Players must create an engaging, welcoming online storefront, allowing even more bursts of creativity and personal expression. From there, players can manage sales, pack orders, and even decide what sorts of goodies and cute additions customers receive in their boxes. But even the tricky parts of business ownership prove rewarding, as what comes next is sitting back and watching the positive impact your stickers have on your customers' lives.

Moonstone Island

Moonstone Island is a creature-collecting life-sim set in an open world with 100+ islands to explore. Take on the role of a young alchemist starting a new life on a floating island in the sky. Armed with simple tools, alchemical recipes, and the ability to tame nature spirits, you'll build a home and prove yourself as a true alchemist in a land threatened by dark forces.

Station to Station

In Station to Station, your world starts small with a handful of rural structures. Place stations and create connections to foster growth and expansion. The more connections you build, the more your area will grow, bringing with it a vibrant, lush environment full of life and color! Hop on board and steam through colorful biomes. Breathe life into the dry desert sands, and transform the untamed mountain terrain. Build and watch your tranquil world come to life with an ever-widening tapestry of flora and fauna!

The Palace on the Hill

A slice-of-life adventure game set in 90s rural India. Explore ancient palace ruins, set up your garden, cook Indian food, run errands for quirky characters, and learn about your history by making art.

Usagi Shima

Usagi Shima is a relaxing, idle bunny collecting game. You've been tasked as caretaker of an abandoned island — as you decorate it over time, curious (but adorable!) bunnies start to appear. Entice cute bunny tourists to pay your island a visit! Decorate and personalize your own island with all sorts of toys, plants, and buildings. Relax and enjoy the calm and cozy island ambience, synced to your time of day. Pet and make friends with all sorts of cute, lovable bunnies that visit based on how you've decorated and arranged the island. You can dress them up with all sorts of adorable hats too! They may even give you a special gift if you become best friends with them!

Flutter Away

Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos, kill nothing but time. Find peace amongst the rustling shrubbery and chirping creatures of the Amazon rainforest. Embark on a brief five-day camping trip as a butterfly researcher equipped with a notebook and camera, ready to document all of the adorable animals. Explore the winding paths of the jungle, photograph charming critters, befriend new pals, and journal everything along the way! Capture pictures of flora, fauna, the tracks they leave behind, and more. Take notes on the special qualities of each species encountered. Complete a variety of tasks during both the day and night in a relaxing atmosphere with no pressure. Meet an especially shy Capybara and build an unlikely friendship, investigating her secret and the hidden objectives found throughout the forest.

Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge

Kamaeru is a cozy farming sim about collecting and raising frogs, farming, and preserving nature. You play as a kind soul helping an old friend restore the wetlands of your childhood by transforming them into a safe haven for friendly little frogs. With the help of the game's cast of welcoming NPCs, you will photograph and breed frogs to increase your reputation, decorate your refuge, and plant native crops to help your amphibian abode thrive!

Baladins

Inspired by tabletop roleplaying campaigns, Baladins is a choose-your-own-story game for players of all ages and experience levels. Embark on your quest as one of the Baladins: the imaginative Cook, the crafty Luxomancer, the strapping Dancer, or the expressive Pyro. United by their passion for happiness, each Baladin brings their own unique skills to the table and can hone their talents further throughout the adventure by making choices and collecting items. Roll the dice and see where your adventures take you. Your decisions are not inherently good or bad–just creative approaches that can lead to interesting outcomes!

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

This musical adventure will task you with helping Snufkin restore the harmony of Moominvalley, which has been disturbed by the spread of unsightly parks that threaten to ruin the valley's natural balance. The game is an ambient and cozy adventure experience for any age, and combines open world-mechanics with puzzles, stealth and melodic elements.

Henry Halfhead

Henry Halfhead is a quirky sandbox adventure game about an odd little character with the peculiar ability to possess and control any object within their reach. Discover every object's unique properties and abilities and cleverly combine them to progress through Henry's not-so-ordinary everyday life.

Gourdlets

Grab a blanket, brew up a cup of chamomile tea, and get snuggled in with Gourdlets, a city-building sandbox about crafting adorable towns for little vegetable folks.  Pick from an uber-cute catalogue of buildings, plants and decorations to design the perfect cozy paradise. The Gourdlets will arrive by train and start to inhabit the world as you build it, fishing in the pond, snoozing by the fire, and generally having a grand old time. Gourdlets are super easy to please and will be happy no matter what, so it's your job to decide what their new home should look like! Gourdlets is designed without objectives, rules, or any kind of fail state. The only way to lose is not to play

Lakeburg Legacies

Lakeburg Legacies is a social-based village management sim focused on pairing up your townsfolk to make the most effective, and most loved up, couples. Think you've made the perfect match? Then follow your families generation after generation and watch their lineages blossom or wilt. See what effects they have on your realm!

Loftia

Drawing inspiration from beloved cozy games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, along with classic MMOs, we've crafted a new, solarpunk world where you can build your new home, and work together with others toward a brighter, more sustainable future. Cute picture of Pebble the chinchilla in a mushroom hat

Beastieball

Coach a sports team of Beasties in this turn-based volleyball RPG! Your Beasties' relationships power up their teamwork! Beasties' teamwork is powered up by the relationships they form together. Whether they become BESTIES, PARTNERS, RIVALS or SWEETHEARTS they'll get a powerful combo move that's unique to every pair and can turn the tide in a tough match!

Smushi Come Home

Smushi Come Home is a cozy exploration adventure game where you play as a tiny mushroom who's trying to get back home! Play as Smushi, who was taken from its home unexpectedly and dropped into the middle of the forest. Lost and confused, you must journey through different areas of the forest and find your way back with the help of your new tools and fellow forest creatures!

Garden Witch Life

After losing your job you end up in a small town far away from home. As luck would have it you get to stay in an vacant witches house and start building your new life. Build your own garden, grow plants for your potions and spells and build friendships with the town's folk.

Orange Season

Make your farmer's dream come true in Orange Season. With your parent's help, you've finally saved enough money to buy a plot of land in the charming farmer's village of Orange Town. Build a thriving farm as you grow crops, raise animals, fish, and mine materials to establish your farm in town.

Surmount

Surmount is a free-flowing, physics-based platforming adventure where you'll experience the joys of mountain climbing. Make your perilous ascent through the various handcrafted and procedurally generated challenges of Mount Om, all the while following a silly story with eccentric folks along the way. Master your own unique style of climbing either alone or with a friend, upgrade and customize your climber to stand a better chance, and maybe just maybe, you'll be the first ever to reach the top!

Grimoire Groves

The witches couldn't wait to finally move to the fabled Grimoire Groves: A forest, which – according to old myths – is a home to magical creatures and plants! But as the witches arrived at their new home, they immediately noticed that something was off. Only a few plant creatures were still around, and the forest spirits were missing. Though a shocking revelation, not all is lost. With a little dedication, investigation and magic, the witches might just be the ones to restore the Grimoire Groves to the lush forest it once was!

Garden Buddies

Unleash your inner gardener and immerse yourself in the serene world of Garden Buddies, cultivating a vibrant flower garden alongside your new friend Mutsy. Discover an enchanting and fulfilling experience to release your stress.

A Tiny Sticker Tale

In A Tiny Sticker Tale, take anything from the world around you, turn it into a sticker, and use your creativity to stick it back in different places, solving puzzles, and helping your new friends! In this wholesome bite-sized adventure, step into the tiny boots of Flynn, the donkey, and journey across Figori Island, discovering the vibrant quests that will require the power of a very special magical sticker album.

Everdeep Aurora

As an apocalyptic meteor shower ravages the world, civilization has no choice but to continue underground, separating a little cat named Shell from her mother. Forge a new path into the Earth as Shell, drilling through procedurally-generated tile-based rocks and creating platforming opportunities on the kitty's downward journey in hopes of reuniting with her family. Learn how life has fared under the surface by navigating temples, underground lakes, abandoned ruins, and suspicious science labs while befriending the eccentric subterrestrial denizens occupying them. Encounter more than 20 charming underground denizens, forming bonds along the journey. The horned ram Remulus offers to upgrade Shell's trusty drill, Aster cultivates botanical gifts in her hidden garden, and Ribbert leads the way to refuge. Hum to the tune of each character's distinct musical theme while recovering collectibles, ores, and fulfilling side quests to foster their friendship. As Shell continues downward, the distant sounds of their secluded melodies may be the only motivation to keep her going…

Kibu

From the creator of indie hit Omno, Kibu is a tranquil adventure in the heart of the wilderness. As a solitary monk, you must build a temple, brew delicious teas, and journey into the wilds seeking out the ancient spirits of the land. Carve out your own special corner of home in a beautiful, mysterious land.

Magical Delicacy

The cooking in Magical Delicacy utilizes a deep attribute-based ingredient system, which gives players the freedom to be creative while presenting puzzling challenges as they create crowd-pleasing meals. Each item used for cooking has its own unique properties, which affect the flavor, portions, and other aspects of each dish. Orders received from Flora's friends and customers will always come with specific requirements that she must fulfill, so choosing the right things to add will require some strategic culinary planning.

Little Friends: Puppy Island

Little Friends: Puppy Island invites players on an adventure across a paradise island where they'll get to become best friends with nine unique puppy breeds, including Shibas, Labradors, Corgis, Huskies, Dachshunds and more. Head out on walks across exciting locations, dig up hidden treasures, build and expand your holiday resort, and meet adorable pups to care for on a tropical island adventure. Dress up your pups with over 350 outfits and accessories, and explore sandy beaches, snowy mountains, cherry blossom sanctuaries and more. Care for your puppies by bathing, brushing, feeding, walking and playing with them. Find the paw-fect locations to build new accessory shops and activity stations to become the ultimate puppy paradise, and train your puppies' skills to become the ultimate pup stars.

The Guardian of Nature

Use your ability to change in size to explore every nook and cranny of nature, from big to small. Wander through giant forests of mushrooms, access underground ant tunnels or fly on the back of a bird and explore various environments which are all connected. Go on a magical journey towards the Mother Tree, explore areas above and below ground and find out about the interconnectedness of nature. Follow the crucial mycelium network that connects the whole forest and dive into the marvelous world of nature.

Townseek

Townseek is a relaxing exploration-trading game where you take to the skies and explore the world of Explora discovering the lost legacy of Sir Reginald Sharkingston! Travel far and wide, discover exotic landmarks, visit faraway towns, trade with whimsical characters, catch fish, discover artefacts, and so much more! The whole world is your sea now, so be sure to see all that it has to offer!

Feed All Monsters

Monsters have it tough. All day long they have to wait at one specific spot until the player comes along. And not all of them remember to bring a lunch box. Here you come to the rescue! As the owner of a Monster Food Delivery Service you guide your three employees on their quest to visit all the floating islands and give tasty food to all the monsters. Feed All Monsters is a Line Puzzle with a little twist: Instead of completing a grid, you have to find the optimal path to deliver food to every monster. You do this by dragging a line next to the monster in question. There is no pressure, and you can take as much time as you need to find the optimal path.

Manitas Kitchen

Manitas Kitchen is a cooking game in which you play as Trexito, a Tyrannosaurus with a dream to fulfil: make P I Z Z A S, but their short little hands are making it hard. Bring together a group of dinosaurs with extraordinary skills to make up the best kitchen brigade the world has ever seen. All under the supervision of a very rude and very tiny boss Dough, ingredients, oven… wait, don't forget the sauce! All together to make the perfect pizzas and deliver up on time through the more modern and cool delivery tube a cave has even seen!

Solarpunk

Solarpunk is a survival game in a technically advanced world of floating islands. Alone or together with your friends, you can construct buildings, grow food, craft gadgets and hop on your airship to explore distant islands in the sky.

While the Iron's Hot

In the faraway land of Ellian, legendary artisans have gathered for ages to perfect their craft. Now it's your turn to join them. Step into the boots of a journeyman blacksmith on a quest to become a master in While the Iron's Hot, a crafty adventure assembled with mystery, wit, and charm. Forge, smelt, and combine works of metal to grow your smithing skills and discover exquisite new items to create. Explore an island filled with resources, treasures, puzzles, and fellow artisans with their own motives and designs. Rebuild the ruins of Ellian's long-abandoned blacksmiths' village to restore its former glory and grow your own crafting capabilities—and ultimately become a true master smith.

Wylde Flowers

Play as Tara (she/her), who has just moved to a cute rural island to help out her grandma and the family farm. Get to know a memorable cast of fully voiced characters with intriguing backstories — find friendship or even romance! Relax into your rural lifestyle as you tend crops, care for animals, fish, craft, and more throughout the day. By night, nurture your inner witch as you learn to fly your broomstick, brew potions, control the weather and seasons or even transform into a cat!

A Highland Song

Moira McKinnon is running away. A wild adventure through the Scottish Highlands, with open platforming and dynamic storytelling, maps and music. From the creators of Heaven's Vault and 80 Days. To reach the sea, Moira must first cross the Scottish Highlands—a wilderness of paths, peaks, shortcuts, dangers, and song.

Sushi Ben VR

Sushi Ben VR is a slice of life anime sim where your favorite sushi bar is about to go out of business and it's up to you to save it! Loosely based on the life of the creator's friend, who he used to work with at a sushi bar. The player's goal is to convince NPCs to eat with them at the sushi bar, with the hopes that they will become regular customers. But it won't be easy!

The Star Named EOS

Capture photos and step back in time to experience the moments held within them in The Star Named EOS. Solve a variety of puzzles to help a young photographer uncover the truth about his mother's disappearance and rediscover the beauty that is to be found in the world.

Fall of Porcupine

Fall of Porcupine is a unique story adventure. The collision of work and daily life – an exciting reflection of an unhealthy healthcare-system. Experience the exciting story of Finley and his friends in a lovingly illustrated world – and uncover the darkest secrets of Porcupine and its residents.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

Put down roots on your new farm in the peaceful town of Forgotten Valley. Forge precious memories as you weave your own generation-spanning tale of friendship, family, and farming. Bring life to the land by cultivating crops and raising animals, find love among the town's friendly folk, and make lasting memories with a family of your very own in this reimagining of a beloved farming classic.

Tiny Bookshop

Leave everything behind and open a tiny bookshop by the sea in this ambient narrative management game. Stock your tiny bookshop with different books and items, set up shop in scenic locations, and run your cosy second-hand bookshop while getting to know the locals.

Wood & Weather

Wood & Weather is a single player god-game created as a sandbox for introducing unplanned weather on a wooden toy city and dealing with the dramatic changes it causes over time. Play as an ethereal blue hand, and with the aid of a friendly wizard, you have the ability to fly, walk, and manipulate the little open-world through unexpected physics-driven, toybox interactions The small wooden people who make up the vibrant city are trying to make their place in the world. How much of a permanent effect will you have in their lives? Only time (and weather) will tell.

Campfire Cat Cafe

Build, manage, and design a relaxing cat cafe & snack bar in the forest. Invite cute animal guests and cook delicious food from around the world in your animal restaurant. Watch your kitty staff work and earn tips while you are idle in this adorable restaurant game.

Sopa

When Miho steps into the pantry to get a potato for his grandmothers' soup, he's pulled into a distant fantastical land where he must retrace the steps of a mysterious great traveler before him. He must venture through a world of endless deserts, floating mountains, and talking beasts, outsmarting thieves and meeting quirky characters along the way. But each time he returns to the kitchen with an ingredient, things have changed in unexpected ways. Venture forth in the search for Nana's exotic ingredients and learn the secret behind Sopa.

Tracks of Thought

Welcome to "The Train." What was supposed to be just a regular commute took a strange turn after a mysterious tunnel caused everyone to forget their final destination. Where is everyone headed? What is really going on? Is it even a real train? Whatever happened, it's up to you to step up and solve the mystery. You won't be doing it alone either – there are dozens of other passengers on board who all want to know where they're going. But not everyone will want to work together either. It's up to you to resolve differences, using a card-based battle-of-wits system, where the goal is to resolve the conflict and find common ground.

Go-Go Town!

Roll up those sleeves and turn some underhanded shenanigans that brought you here into lemonade as the new mayor in charge of revitalizing a once-thriving town. Hop straight to it and experience a borough full of lovely characters and a ton of customization potential. Start by terraforming the land to make room for improved tourist destinations. Build adorable shops and delicious eateries, grow and nurture thriving orchards, and pave interconnecting road systems, all while overcoming unforeseen challenges with a smile. Provide townsfolk everything they need to lead a thriving life in their new modern settlement. Mingle and lend a helping hand or empower residents to help themselves by assigning a delightful day's work.

A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers

A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers adds 25 new drawer- and cupboard-themed puzzles to the game. From junk drawers to jewelry boxes and everything in between, players will enjoy new mechanics such as switching between drawers and opening hidden compartments. And who knows, perhaps a feline friend will make an appearance as well…

Fields of Mistria

Start your new life! Build the farm of your dreams as you discover a world brimming with possibilities. Magic, romance, and adventure all await you in this nostalgic farming/life sim RPG!

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