What's Shown at Wholesome Direct 2025: A Ghibli-Style Simulator, a Metroidvania About a Kitten, and Many Cute Indies

Wholesome Direct is a conference dedicated to cozy and inspiring games, as well as indie projects. From our article, you will learn about the most important things that were shown at the exhibition in 2025.

This game was released last year as a Netflix Games exclusive, but from July 22 it will also be available on Steam. Monument Valley 3 is a set of puzzles that are created based on working with perspective and visual illusions.

An adventure in which you have to collect plants and cook various potions from them, as well as delicious dishes. Along the way, you can make friends with your neighbors. At the same time, the main character of Out and About has a noble goal — to restore the community after a devastating hurricane.

Luma Island is a life simulator that resembles Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. You and your friends explore the island, build farms, search for treasures and tame magical creatures. The Pirates add-on offers a set of new content, including a pirate location, additional quests, new mini-games, costumes and much more. The DLC is distributed completely free of charge, but you will need the original game to run. The release is already on June 20.

A logical puzzle with minimalistic graphics, where it is important to make people happy. You have to seat people, provide them with comfort and not forget about their needs, for example, do not forget to put a bag with luggage in the cargo compartment of the bus. The game will be released in August 2025.

This game looks like a separate mode The Sims, which is sold separately. Here it is proposed to do the arrangement of houses of the inhabitants of the whole island. You will choose the location and type of furniture, hang shelves, and also decide where to put the sofa and chest of drawers. In some cases, you will have to wipe puddles after rain or traces of wet paws of pets. The release is scheduled for August 7, 2025.

A quest in the spirit of classic LucasArts projects from the 90s. The action of Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell takes place in a cartoon world, and all the characters look like rag dolls. You will have to conduct a detective investigation and find out who stole the village bell. A great option for those who have missed games of this genre. The release date has not yet been announced.

A simulator of a video game developer who specializes in MMORPG. You need to hire programmers and testers, come up with location designs and quests, and calculate the budget. And after the release of your project, you need to maintain the interest of users, otherwise they will cancel the paid subscription. If everything works out, then your small studio will become a huge corporation.

A set of simple numerical puzzles, which is designed for children. For each solved puzzle, you will receive an item that can be used to decorate your rodent's house. This way, you can open chairs, beds, and even a synthesizer. The appearance of the mouse is subtly reminiscent of the cartoon "Ratatouille". The game is available on PC and Nintendo Switch now.

A 3D platformer in which you play as a cute frog. While exploring locations, she relies on a long and sticky tongue, which can attract various objects. She has a long journey ahead of her through different locations, from hot deserts to high mountains.

This simple economic simulator offers to install vending machines. It is important to choose the right products that people need, attract them with the colorful appearance of the machines, install them in the right places and try to make a profit from this venture. The game is available in early access from today.

A survival game in which you control a small mouse. You have to equip a home, look for resources and food, cook food and knit warm sweaters. The game's appearance is reminiscent of classic 70s cartoons and can evoke a sense of nostalgia.

A life simulator dedicated to the hobbits from The Lord of the Rings. You will be arranging their homes in the Shire and the areas around them, as well as cooking delicious dishes, and then treating friendly neighbors. As you progress, the village will change, becoming more cozy and beautiful. The game's appearance is reminiscent of the Fable series. On Wholesome Direct 2025 showed a full gameplay trailer. Tales of the Shire will be released on July 29.

This game interestingly combines a light quest and horror elements. You take control of two puppies who are looking for a familiar person in a creepy mansion with ghosts. In terms of atmosphere, the project is a bit reminiscent of Little Nightmares. At the same time, Haunted Paws has its own features, for example, the need to mark territory. The release date has not yet been announced.

A classic quest with a nice hand-drawn picture. You play as a botanist Henry, who goes on a journey to save nature. Among the hero's features is the ability to shrink to the size of a midget, which is actively used when solving local puzzles. The project is in early access and is available for purchase now.

A 2D pixel adventure set in a world that has survived the apocalypse. People have already gotten used to living underground, because the surface is too dangerous. You will explore this mysterious universe as a cat named Shell, who is looking for his mother. The release date has not yet been announced.

A sad, but at the same time, charming game, the action of which takes place in a cemetery. We see how it changes throughout the year, and people come to the gravestones to remember their departed relatives. Outwardly, the project resembles the quest The Witness by Jonathan Blow. Seasonala Cemetery is available now, and completely free.

A casual game that invites you to take up the arrangement of your own van. According to the developers, it will become your home, so it should be made as cozy as possible. Camper Van: Make it Home is available for purchase from today.

A pixelated chef simulator where you need to cook gourmet dishes based on scrambled eggs. Your goal is to satisfy the demands of customers with refined tastes. The game is available today.

The original game was released on PlayStation 1 only in Japan. Now it will be available on all platforms. Milano's Odd Job Collection is about finding a job for a teenage girl who wants to earn money during the holidays. And then you can choose how to spend the money. For example, you can do some home improvement in your room.

This is not really a game, but a space for conversations between people. According to the developers, users will control anthropomorphic animals and talk about various topics around a campfire. At the same time, artificial intelligence ensures the safety of such dialogues. Freeside Feelings is available today.

An unusual adventure game in which you travel with a raven and a capybara. The bird can climb to hard-to-reach places at great heights, and the animal has a keen sense of smell and can dig the ground. These skills are used to solve puzzles, like in The Lost Vikings.

In this game, you are offered to manage a large supermarket. In addition to the economic component, it is worth noting the need to establish friendly relations with customers. This is not only interesting, but also profitable, because the next day they can go to you, and not to competitors. But keep in mind that some of them can become your enemies.

A touching story of an adult girl who cannot come to terms with the death of her beloved grandmother. The game shows how the heroine sorts out things related to her childhood, indulges in memories, tries to improve her life and, ultimately, finds the strength to live on. The appearance of Fishbowl resembles the delightful To the Moon.

A city-building simulator where you will be engaged in the arrangement of a resort in the 19th century. It is necessary to create conditions for settlers to come to you. It is important to provide them with everything they need, but at the same time do not forget about the economic life of the city. Your buildings, industries and recreation areas should bring good profits.

This game offers to set up a floating farm on a ship. The plants available for planting will change as you visit new biomes. You can also fish and establish relationships with an intelligent beast that will accompany you.

A clicker with a multiplayer mode, where you myou can compete with your friends. In addition, On Together has a lot of additional mini-games, including throwing a ball into a hoop and fishing.

A quest in which you play as a gecko that can crawl on walls and ceilings. The lizard will face many intuitive puzzles. I would like to separately praise the appearance of the game — sun-drenched ruins and warm sea water create a pleasant summer mood.

This game offers to take control of a hotel. Your task is to make it attractive to tourists who are looking for a place to stay for the night. It should be noted that the game's appearance is reminiscent of the anime from Studio Ghibli in the spirit of Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away.

A puzzle game that is dedicated to a topic familiar to many of us — moving. It is important to take everything you need with you and make sure that the trunk of the car closes.

A city-building simulator that takes place on the islands. The gameplay here is meditative and unhurried, no one will interfere with your imagination. The game will be released on July 10, 2025.

A game that offers to wedge into the balance of factions of a large city in order to gain respect from their leaders or, on the contrary, to pit warring clans against each other. Your task is to get to the bottom of the true culprits of the disaster and make them punished. The appearance of All Will Rise is a bit reminiscent of cartoons for an adult audience of the 80s in the spirit of "Heavy Metal".

The action of Heidi's Legacy takes place in an alpine village. You will have to explore the open world and choose an occupation to your liking, from farming to grazing cattle.

A simulator of a janitor who is tasked with removing fallen leaves. As you progress, new tools will be unlocked and more complex tasks will be unlocked. The game can be praised for its bright graphics and detailed elaboration of each leaf.

A spin-off of the city-building simulator Gourdlets, which is tailored for cooperative play. A separate island is allocated for this, where you can experiment.

Story of Seasons is a series of Japanese games that are farmer simulators. Grand Bazaar offers to restore prosperity to a large bazaar that has fallen into disrepair. You are offered to fill it with goods and make trade attractive to locals.

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Do you like indies? Or do you prefer expensive blockbusters? Share your opinions in the comments!