The Wholesome Direct showcase continues to be one of the highlights of Summer Game Fest, with charming content creators and earnest developers highlighting dozens of indie games, with an easy-to-follow theme of coziness.
Dare I say, I even enjoyed this year’s Wholesome Direct more than Summer Game Fest 2025!
In its fifth anniversary, Wholesome Direct continued to showcase wishlist-worthy indie games.
New reveals include Gourdlets Together, a multiplayer fish ’em up on an island of veggies, and On-Together, a cozy hang-out life sim that can chill at the bottom of your screen (check out our list of our favorite desktop idlers).
Many indie developers smartly timed their release with their Wholesome Direct appearance. The following cozy indie games are newly released on Steam:
- Camper Van: Make it Home – Design your own home-on-wheels, travel the land, and meet furry friends
- Omelet You Cook – A wacky roguelike cooking game, assembling meals via a conveyor built
- Instants – A scrapbook ’em up of assembling pictures to uncover a family’s story
- Squeakross: Home Squeak Home – Transform logic puzzles into furniture to customize your rodent’s home
Find more cozy indies at the official Wholesome Games Steam page.
Some indies are first going the crowdfunding route, and are now on Kickstarter, including mystery adventure Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell, and witchy broom-based delivery game Crescent County.
Wait, didn’t I play a witchy broom-based delivery game recently?
Plus, there are big free updates for Little Kitty, Big City, and Luma Island arriving this summer.
In addition the annual showcases, Wholesome Games also raises money for charities. To date it’s raised over $200,000. This year, Wholesome Direct 2025 merchandise sales will go to Point of Pride, a nonprofit that supports trans lives via health care. Fans can also subscribe to the Wholesome Games newsletter.
