Wholesome indie games to make you feel a little bit warm and fuzzy. π₯° Inspired by Wholesome Games.
“A single player, 3rd-person adventure game inspired by the breathtaking and mysterious landscapes of Iceland. The story takes root from various pieces of Nordic folklore. The game is unique in that it purposefully has no dialog or narrative. Players must breathe in their surroundings to solve various puzzles and speculate the meaning of a lost ancient civilization.”
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Release: May 7, 2020
“A narrative card game about relationships and communication.Β Encounters are conversations rather than combat.Β You’ll travel through a diverse landscape, meeting people and collecting regional foods and treats to bring back to your hometown shop.Β As your relationships grow you’ll learn about their everyday problems, their friendships and rivalries, their ambitions and secrets.
“Learn to communicate with characters from different cultures and backgrounds.Β You may find that becoming well-versed in one communication style will open up some opportunities, but stifle others.Β Your deck is your character, shaped by your experiences and relationships.Β Different decks will lead to different narrative paths as your cards impact your ability to communicate with various characters.Β You will have to make decisions about who you want to be in this world and how you relate to others.”
Platforms: Windows, Mac (Nintendo Switch to come)
Release: May 14, 2020
“A ridiculous physics-based moving simulator that brings new meaning to “couch co-op”!Β Thereβs no task too dangerous or strange for this busy team of go-getters.Β Grow your business to brave new heights, recruit colourful customizable characters, and save your town from furniture peril!”
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Release: April 28, 2020
“You’re the captain of an airship!Β Sell items, gather resources and build your own trade empire in the clouds!Β Merchant of the Skies is the trading game with light base-building and tycoon elements.Β You start off as a captain of a small cloudship and work your way towards establishing your own trade company.”
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
Release: April 17, 2020
“As resident pilot, it is your duty to help the three islands that sit beneath you.Β On these islands reside islanders who harvest carrots all day long, only to be disturbed by swarms of fly guys.Β Head into the sky to seek water from storm clouds, bring it back to the islands to restore their supply, and keep the flies at bay by waterlogging them with your water blaster.Β Don’t forget to fuel up, and be careful out there! “
Platforms: Windows
Release: April 21, 2020
“A rom-com adventure with a charismatic 3D pixel art style.Β Follow the journey of 6 ordinary people who found each other in extraordinary ways.Β From eight hours to eight years, this time-jumping saga will change the way you feel about fate forever.”
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Nintendo Switch
Release: March 12, 2020
A deer and their fawn journey across a world abandoned by the old gods in order to find their way home. Seek food, shelter, and safety from other animals like wolves. Find answers and explore strange places like Cat Town.
Inspired by Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and The Last of Us. Also containing music by Stephen Universe’s Aivi and Surasshu.
Platforms: Xbox, Windows
Release: 2020
“A serene puzzle adventure that follows three adorable explorers as they take on an icy mountain full of trials in search of a lost treasure.Β Control three characters, use their teamwork, leave no one behind, and hopefully find some gold!”
Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Nintendo Switch
Release: April 14, 2020
via Wholesome Games
A cute little pixel art adventure that I’ve been following for a short while on twitter. I decided to put together a collection of some of the gifs that they’ve posted over the last year as it really is a cool project with lots of neat details like the grass blowing in the wind and the beautiful water. I guess the salamander is okay too.
The main focus of the game seems like it will be exploring the quaint town and interacting with its citizens in order to further the story. Also included will be a splash of platforming, puzzle solving, and maybe the ability to throw balls of yarn at people. There was a mention of cooperative play but I’m not certain if that is still on the table as things do tend to change and it was brought up a while ago.
I think we can all agree writing is not my strong suit so rather than listening to me any further if you would like to learn more you can follow the developer Rujik on twitter or check out their blog below. π
Platforms: TBA
Release: TBA
A gorgeous post-apocalyptic action adventure featuring cute cats and a photographic twist. There isn’t a lot of information go on in terms of what else you can do in the game (at least that I can find with Google translate), but a demo is planned for this summer so I suppose we will find out then.
I’m not sure how many areas there are to take pictures of but even if it’s limited the sense of depth it adds is wonderful for a 2D game, and it really makes me want to go exploring. What would you like to be able to photograph? π¦
Platforms: TBA
Release: 2021