The Wholesome Games Celebration Is Back!
Over 150 new games to add to your wishlist! Or not. It's totally up to you.
The Wholesome Games Celebration starts today, running from 6th to 13th August! If you’ve not come across it before, it’s the closest thing our cosy corner of gaming has to its own festival week. Woohoo!
Over 150 titles get a spotlight through demos, discounts, new releases and first reveals, all curated around the same idea that’s brought most of us to this genre in the first place… that games can bring creativity and joy. I was lucky enough to be sent a handful of keys ahead of time to try before the Celebration opened, which is where the rundown below and this week's coverage on my YouTube channel come from.
This is the event’s fourth year, and if June’s Wholesome Direct is anything to go by, expect the week to be full of the kind of games that we are going to want to add to our wishlists.
Here's a rundown of the titles I think are the best of the best in this year’s celebration:
Sandcastle. Carve moats, raise towers, decorate with driftwood and shells, and build something you’d be sad to see the sea wash away.
Spiritstead. This city builder I’ve had on my wishlist for a while, where you grow a village with the help of spirits you uncover as you go. More on this below…
Jigrift. You wash up on a lost island that turns out to be a giant jigsaw puzzle, and have to piece the land back together to earn your place among its froggy inhabitants.
Mind Inc. A puzzle adventure set inside the mind itself, gathering scattered thoughts to restore forgotten memories. This will be another game I will live stream, as I’m very interested in games that explore mental health and wellbeing.
Little Sheep Valley. A Mediterranean ranch-builder built around a flock of sheep you can decorate for, expand for, and yes, cuddle!
Beastfolk Barber. You play a barber in a city of beastfolk, giving customers a new look and helping them see something different in themselves along the way. This one has very cute pixel art and characters.
Locomochi. A toy train puzzler, delivering wagons and solving railway puzzles through a world full of characters you’d expect from a children’s picture book.
Tony the Mole. You’re a mole called Tony with a digging habit and a dream of reaching the surface, helping townsfolk and collecting hats along the way!
The Little Crumb. A toy-like management sim about running a bakery, customising your character and befriending the local wooden townsfolk.
Wild n Chill. An off-grid wilderness escape about foraging, hunting and crafting your dream cabin with a companion at your side. From the same studio as Cast n Chill, which I adore. More on this below too.
Capy Castaway. A capybara pup and a crow explore a flooded island together, solving puzzles and helping stranded animals find their way home. Playable solo or co-op.
That’s 11 titles, and the Celebration’s full lineup runs to over 150, so it’s well worth a proper browse of the Steam page to see what else tickles your pickle.
I’ve had early access to a couple of titles ahead of the event, and I’ve got two things to share:
First, my playthrough of the Wild n Chill demo is live on my YouTube channel now!
A laid-back wilderness-and-crafting demo about building an off-grid cabin with a cute companion by your side. Warning: there is some hunting in this game which I do try in the demo. I also get attacked by a bear 🫠
And on Friday, I’m live-streaming my first hours with Spiritstead, a city builder set in a world of magic that’s been sitting on my wishlist for a while. I’ll be building my first village and meeting whatever spirits turn up to help, so come along and watch it happen in real time!
Both games were sent to me free to try ahead of the Celebration, and as ever, what I think of them is entirely my own.
More to come as the week goes on, including a look at a couple of the other demos I’ve had a chance to play. For now, happy browsing, and let me know if anything from this year’s lineup has caught your eye!
Oh, you started a Youtube channel? GJ and GL with it, I'll definitely join in. :)
Quite an awesome selection of cozy games.