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Our favourite picks from the Wholesome Direct 2023 showcaseGrab a cuppa and get cosy
Grab a cuppa and get cosy
Wholesome Directis my favourite showcase from not-E3, because I feel like it’s a show directly catered to my interests. Cats, cooking, seaside towns, pretty landscapes, magical girls - Wholesome Direct has it all. This year we from the RPSIndiescovery Podcastwatched the show and have plucked out a handful of games that we’re looking forward to the most, which was pretty difficult. There were a lot of great games this year.
There were around 70 games spotlighted during the showcase, so there was no way we could possibly list them all, but we’ve done our best and here are our bestest best picks. If you’re after more gaming news and announcements from this year’s not-E3 check out our coverage ofnot-E3 2023,Summer Game Fest round-up, andDay Of The Devs round-up. For now though, have a pleasant scroll through which wholesome games we have our eyes on.
Station To Station
Station to Station - Demo TrailerWatch on YouTube
Station to Station - Demo Trailer
Sticky Business
Sticky Business | Announcement TrailerWatch on YouTube
Sticky Business | Announcement Trailer
Rachel:Haven’t we all had that little thought in the back of our minds to just quit our jobs and start a cute Etsy shop? Well,Sticky Businessis my fantasy brought to life. It’s a laid-back puzzle game that casts you as the owner of an incredibly cute sticker business where you need to create, sell, and pack orders for stickers. I love that you can get creative designing your own stickers, and boxing them up all nice and neat looks so satisfying. There are also light story elements too, like hearing about the lives of your customers. I cannot get enough of this game, I’m such a sucker for a cute sticker IRL, and I slap them on everything. Very keen on this one, folks.
Tiny Bookshop
Tiny Bookshop Announcement TrailerWatch on YouTube
Tiny Bookshop Announcement Trailer
Rebecca:Tiny Bookshophas been leading my list of most-anticipated games of 2024 ever since I played the demo at EGX last year. The new footage shown at Wholesome Direct shows off more locations in the idyllic seaside town of Bookstonbury, which is giving me Untitled Goose Game vibes with its delightful hand-drawn art style, despite the apparent absence of naughty waterfowl. We also got to see our protagonist’s interactions with members of the community and how those choices can affect the story: helping a local metal band promote their concert has a rather sweet result in this trailer. And, of course, there’s a display of the all-important ability to recolour and decorate your caravan. Yeah, this is still my dream life simulator, and possibly the most relaxing management sim you’ll ever set eyes on.
I Am A Caterpillar
Image credit:Joe @DevFatigued
Rachel: More games about bugs please! I’ve been following the platforming silliness ofI Am A Caterpillaron Twitter, as developer Joe posts the cutest gifs of the game, for a hot minute now. From this new trailer, though, we get to understand a bit more about what I Am A Caterpillar is about, and it might surprise you. Turns out this caterpillar is having a bit of an identity crisis. They don’t want to be a butterfly and are quite content being a cute caterpillar, regardless of what the other woodland creatures say. It feels veryFrog Detectivein tone and the platforming and puzzle-solving look fun seeing as you’re a creepy crawly caterpillar. What a treat.
Wood and Weather
Wood & Weather - Coming 2050 (or sooner than you think)Watch on YouTube
Wood & Weather - Coming 2050 (or sooner than you think)
Rachel: A sandbox sim where you’re the omnipresent God of a cute, clunky toy town? Now that’s a cool idea. InWood and Weather’s lovely trailer you can see the residents of the wooden world go about their merry day, and playing as a giant blue hand you can help them continue living their peaceful existence or be a little more mischievous. I can’t wait to poke and prod my giant blue finger around this physics-driven toybox. No release date on that one unfortunately but let’s hope it’s soon.
Kibu
Image credit:Future Friends
Liam: Oh,Kibu. Your solemn red panda protagonist has stolen my heart. Seemingly alone in an autumnal forest, they spend their days exploring the great unknown, chopping down trees and leaping over perilous gaps as the sun sets dramatically behind them. Back home they tend the fields, work on restoring a temple and drink a piping hot cup of delicious tea. If games are intended to fulfil a personal fantasy, I think Kibu has been made just for me. This critter is living the life I crave, one of uncompromised peace and total solitude. Fishing in azure coloured streams. Running free through dense, golden grass. Give me this game immediately. Thanks.
Henry Halfhead
Henry Halfhead - Reveal TrailerWatch on YouTube
Henry Halfhead - Reveal Trailer
A Highland Song
A Highland Song - Teaser TrailerWatch on YouTube
A Highland Song - Teaser Trailer
Liam: OfcourseA Highland Songis a rhythm game. What a brilliant idea! I’ve never thought about it, but hiking, fundamentally, is a rhythmic activity. One crunching step in front of another. The gentle crinkle of your backpack as you trod along the dirt and stone and grass. Your breath, steady but even. The bubbling of a stream. The wind rustling through the undergrowth. It’s music! And you, as you venture through its soundscape, are but one instrument within a larger orchestra. Inkle are some of the smartest creators in the industry, so it’s no surprise that they made that connection when it came to their game about venturing through the Scottish Highlands on a quest to see the ocean. A hiking rhythm game with narrative and survival elements. What a glorious, inspired idea.
Venba
Venba Nintendo Switch TrailerWatch on YouTube
Venba Nintendo Switch Trailer
Rachel:Venbafinally a release date, and it’s July 31st! That’s not that far away and we’re all very excited to finally play this gorgeous foody game. If you’re not familiar with it, Venba is a story-driven cooking game where you play as an Indian mother who has emigrated to Canada with her husband and kid. During the move, Venba lost her family recipes so you’ll be helping her restore them through cooking mini-games. You’ll also be exploring the family’s story and Venba’s personal life through branching dialogue options in-between the food bits. You can watch the trailer above and I highly recommend you do as the meals look amazing. I can practically smell the spices through my screen.
Bubblegum Galaxy
Bubblegum Galaxy - Reveal TrailerWatch on YouTube
Bubblegum Galaxy - Reveal Trailer
Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To
Spirit Swap | Wholesome Direct 2023Watch on YouTube
Spirit Swap | Wholesome Direct 2023
Rachel: We’ve had our eye onSpirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 Tosince we hadRPS Magic Week, and wow have I played the demo multiple times since then. It’s a match-3 puzzle game where you play as a cute witch with a big floppy hat who can cast spells into the puzzle grid for a higher score. There are story elements too, where you can meet other witches and demons to take on in match-3 play-offs or simply hang out. It looks super colourful, queer af, and a generally great time.
Everdeep Aurora
Image credit:Ysbryd Games
Rachel:Everdeep Auroraimmediately caught my attention during the showcase. I usually love the bubblegum pop colour scheme that many of the spotlighted games during the direct have but watching the trailer for Nautilus Games' 2D adventure game, I appreciate the stark colours and dark pixel palette. You play as a little cat who is looking for her missing mother in the depths of the Everdeep which sounds quite serious in tone but from the look of the trailer is a little more lighthearted. I like the idea of exploring a gothic world without a bunch of horrible monsters out to kill me. These kinds of darker, moodier worlds can be cosy too in their own way, and Everdeep Aurora definitely captures that. A nice wistful refresher in a sea of sugary pastels.
Go-Go Town!
Go-Go Town! Announce TrailerWatch on YouTube
Go-Go Town! Announce Trailer
