The Wholesome Direct 2023 showcased over 80 wonderful cozy games as a part of the annual Wholesome Games live-stream event on June 10, 2023. The Wholesome Games community began as a way to curate games that are focused on coziness, comfort, and joy rather than focusing on some of the dark or violent themes that many of the big-name games tend to have. The titles that were included in their Wholesome Direct are the more cheerful and cozy variety and often are from indie developers.The genre of cozy games doesn't specifically mean one type of theme, but can often cross over between farming simulators, adventure games, and more. They are all games designed to be of a more cheerful variety and are often slower-paced. The Fae Farm Preview: A Cozy, Magical Farming RPG
10 Lakeburg Legacies
Lakeburg Legacies is a village management simulation game that is focused on matchmaking. Players put couples together and observe families through generations, hopefully creating a happy village. Along the way, players also must keep track of the typical city management concerns of housing, food levels, business, and more and decide what type of ruler they want to be. Lakeburg Legacies will be released on Steam on July 20, 2023.
9 Little Friends: Puppy Island
Little Friends: Puppy Island is an adorable simulation game all about befriending and taking care of puppies on an island paradise. Players can construct shops and activity stations, find hidden treasures, and take care of puppies with over 140 variations. There are even over 350 accessories to dress up the cute pups before taking them to the puppy spa or frisbee parks. Little Friends: Puppy Island's demo is available now, and the full game will be released for the Nintendo Switch and Steam on June 27, 2023.
8 Station To Station
Railroad-themed games have been a fun trend lately, and Station to Station is a relaxing voxel-art variation that evokes a sense of calm. The relaxing game is about building railway tracks between stations and watching the surrounding areas come to life as connections are made. A demo for Station to Station is available now on Steam.
7 Gourdlets
Gourdlets is a unique take on sandbox city-builders where players create villages for vegetable folks to thrive in. By building adorable homes, businesses, recreation areas, and more, players can watch how their little Gourdlets will respond to their environments. Gourdlets is coming soon, and a demo is available now on Steam.
6 Go-Go Town
In Go-Go Town players take on the role of a new mayor who has to try to revitalize a rundown tourist town by constructing and repairing buildings like an arcade, burger t, souvenir shops, and more. Residents in Go-Go Town have different skills such as mining, fishing, farming, or even being good at selling hotdogs. Go-Go Town will be released on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on July 3, 2023. A demo is currently available on Steam.
5 Moonstone Island
Moonstone Island is a combination creature-collecting game and life simulation where players get to explore over 100 islands to make friends, brew potions, and collect creatures of adorable variety. Players can build and decorate a home on any of the islands to grow crops for potion crafting, and tame local spirit creatures to fight alongside the player's character in the perilous wilds, allowing for better resource gathering and exploration. Characters can even date local NPCs in the hopes of finding love. A demo for Moonstone Island will be available at Steam Fest in July 2023 and the full game will be coming soon to Nintendo Switch and PC.
4 Pekoe
Pekoe is a relaxing game where players own a teahouse in a village full of talking cats. Trying out different tea combinations and learning each of the Kitten-folk's unique likes and dislikes will be key to creating a successful teashop. Customizing the teashop and unlocking new items are cute features of the game, as is talking with the townsfolk to learn more about them. Pekoe will be launching on Steam at the end of June 2023.
3 Garden Buddies
Garden Buddies is one of the ultimate cozy game experiences that offer players a zen-like experience of teaching methods to help combat anxiety and stress. Its compilation of mini-games focuses on breathing, meditation, and more. Alongside this, players get to cultivate and decorate a beautiful garden and make friends with animals and vegetables alike in a calming space of relaxation. Garden Buddies is coming this summer to Steam and Nintendo Switch.
2 Mineko's Night Market
One of the biggest indie games coming in 2023, Mineko's Night Market is a heartwarming narrative-driven adventure story that includes crafting whimsical items, exploring a Japanese-inspired island, and petting lots of cats. The game is filled with many mini-games as players work towards discovering the mystery of Sun Cat. Mineko's Night Market will be released on Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC on September 26, 2023.
1 Little Nemo And The Guardians of Slumberland
It's hard not to smile when looking at screenshots for Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland. This hand-animated Metroidvania platformer lets players take on the role of Nemo, an adorable young child in pajamas, exploring the dream world of Slumberland. Little Nemo collects toys, candy, stuffed animals, and even special upgraded pajamas with new abilities. When Nemo takes too much damage, they simply wake up in bed and can either pet the cat and explore the bedroom, or fall back asleep to reenter Slumberland once more. A demo for Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland is available now on Steam.Wholesome Direct 2023 is available to watch on the Wholesome Games YouTube channel and has introduced new cozy gaming experiences that players can look forward to enjoying soon.Source: WholesomeGames/YouTube, Station to Station/Steam