A Heartwarming Voyage: Discovering the Gems of Wholesome Direct's Indie Showcase

In this unwholesome hive of games known as ‘the video game industry’, there is something to cling to: the Wholesome Direct. A yearly celebration spotlighting indie games that are ‘positive, loving and/or wholesome’, and generally have the vibe of ‘video games to make your soul smile’. This year’s showcase featured more than 70 indie games of all shapes and sizes, and the world is a better place for its existence.

Heartwarming Favorites

These are 15 of our personal favourites from the event that might warm your heart and get your juices flowing.

• Pusheen Surprise: House No. 17 is a lonely house, and it needs a family to live in it. Help cats move in and furnish houses in this match-3 peg puzzle. Release: 2023
• The Mouse House is a strategy game about building and running your own home for cute little mice. Earn the trust of these tiny woodland creatures by crafting them the perfect living spaces. Beta: 2022
• Replace the Noise is a playful first-person adventure game where the main character’s world is filled with audio sensitivities. Travel around a randomly generated town in search of answers to your tinnitus. Release: 2023
...and many more heartwarming indie games.

THE ESSENCE OF HOME IN GAMING

The trope of home runs through many of these titles, grounding the gameplay, the narrative, and the emotional dynamics they want to establish. From sprucing up a mouse’s nest, to building friendships as a house, and restoring light to a village so it can feel like home again. Here, central to many of these indie gems, is a longing not just for belonging in the world but for comfort and community.

Home, Sweet Home: Squeakross: Home Squeeze Home

Squeakross: Home Squeak Home is a miniature puzzle adventure that doubles as a decorating sim, where bits of cheese morph into furnishings for your mouse’s house. Slated for Steam, supporting the Steam Deck.

On the Road Again: Fruitbus

Fruitbus invites you to run a food truck’s kitchen, gather ingredients, and cook delicious bites for adorable customers. Coming to Steam and consoles this October.

Spin the Records: Wax Heads

For music fans, Wax Heads is a unique game set in a struggling record shop, catering to music aficionados. Currently testing with its demo on Steam.

...and more exciting projects that bring the feeling of home into gaming.