As the nights draw in and those jorts are tucked away in favour of some fluffy long johns, what better way to warm your frosty innards than with some cosy indie games? And, would you believe it, that’s exactly what the latest Wholesome Snack showcase brought upon us. So if it’s cosy indies you want, it’s cosy indies you’ve got – and you’ll find everything featured during the event, all conveniently summarised for your easy consumption, below.
Capy Castaway
Camp Castaway is the work of developer Kitten Cup Studio and promises to whisk players away on a whimsical adventure requiring them to help a capybara pup and a clever crow find their way home. All this unfolds across a vibrant world of “wonder, challenges, and heartwarming friendships” that’s waiting to be sniffed, excavated, and explored. There’s no release date for Capy Castaway yet, but it’s coming to PC.
Tales of Seikyu
This “transformative life sim” from developer ACE Entertainment is looking to shake off the usual rhythms of farming, exploration, and relationship building with its focus on the yokai that inhabit the world. Players can develop their supernatural powers of transformation to assist in their daily toils, and there’s talk of secrets, magic, and adventure to discover too. Tales of Seikyu launches for PC in “spring 2025”.
Piece by Piece
In developer Gamkat’s Piece by Piece, players take on the role of an adorable fox who runs a repair shop in a sleepy little town. They can fix, build, paint, and resell a whole range of curiosities – from a pair of binoculars to a model cat – all while learning more about the locals. There’s also a farming element – paint pigment can be acquired by growing plants – plus competitive games of “Bear, Fish, Bee”. Piece by Piece is currently expected to launch on PC and consoles.
Rusty’s Retirement
If you’re already sensing a farming theme in this year’s Wholesome Snack showcase, you’d be right – and we’re far from done. Take developer Mister Morris Games’ Rusty’s Retirement, for instance; this idle farming sim (in which player must create energy efficient biofuel to power their robot helpers) is already out, but a free winter update launches today, 10th December. It includes new crops, new animals, a new snowy maps where robots consume more biofuel, and a new character selling some handy new goods.
Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping
Developer Happy Broccoli Games’ Duck Detective is back for more murder-free investigatory thrills in new standalone adventure, The Ghost of Glamping. This time around, our hero is summoned to a spooky luxury campsite where something foul is afoot, requiring players to flex their deduction skills in order to “quack the case”. Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping is currently set to release on PC.
Lou’s Lagoon
If it’s adorable archipelago adventure you’re after, then Lou’s Lagoon has you cover. Your Uncle Lou is missing, leaving you in charge of his seaplane delivery service – and so begins a game of tropical island exploration, where players can fly, float, fish, shop, scavenge, and build, all to complete jobs and grow their business. Lou’s Lagoon doesn’t have a delivery date yet, but it’s coming to Switch, PlayStation, and PC.
Pine: A Story of Loss
Made Up Games’ Pine: A Story of Loss follows a grieving woodcutter as he attempts to rebuild his life after the death of his wife. It’s a story conveyed entirely dialogue-free through the game’s striking hand-drawn animation, with players solving puzzles and engaging in simple mini-games as the woodcutter spends his days collecting wood, tending to his garden, and reminiscing about his wife – before carving his memories into wood. We’ve seen bits of Pine: A Story of Loss before, but it now has a release date: it’s coming to Steam
River Towns
Do you love rivers? Do you love TOWNS? Then developer Frogsong Studios’ River Towns might be exactly what you’re looking for. It’s a puzzle-style city builder where the goal is to plop down buildings and create vibrant districts in order to restore each level – the wrinkle being that each district has its own style and shape to complicate the challenge. River Towns is coming to Steam, and there’s a demo available now.
Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To
Pretty much everything you need to know about developer Soft Not Weak’s Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To is right there in the title. If you’re in need of a few more details, however, it’s described as an “action-puzzle game set in a lush, narrative-driven world of witchy demons” that involves casting spells to crash the biggest concert of the year. Alongside its new animated trailer above, Spirit Swamp also now has a release date: it launches 3rd February on Steam.
Winter Burrow
Winter Burrows, a “woodland survival game” from developer Pine Creek Games, is leaning extra hard into the whole “cosy” thing. It puts players into the tiny shoes of a mouse who returns home to restore their burrow – turning into a toasty retreat from the snowy cold outside. To do that, they’ll need to equip for adventure, explore by day and by night, build, make friends, cook and bake, and, of course, cosy up by the fire when the snow sets in. Winter Burrow launches for Steam next year.
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley – Fuddler’s Courtship
Developer Hyper Games announced its lovable musical adventure Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley would be getting DLC back in November, so the existence of Fuddler’s Courtship isn’t much of a surprise – but its Wholesome Snack appearance is a timely reminder of its imminent release all the same. This autumnal adventure – which sees the Moomins take a final camping trip before Snufkin heads off on his annual leave-the-valley as his friends go into hibernation – releases for PC and Switch on 19th December.
Aikyam
Thousand Stars Studios’ Aikyam not only looks adorable in its own distinctive way, it has an intriguing musical premise too. It’s all about charming your way into the hearts of grumpy locals and recruiting them in the fight against a demonic menace – skirmishes that plays out as extravagant turn-based battles. This “Bollywood-inspired fantasy RPG” is currently set to launch on Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, and a demo’s on the way too.
Little Rocket Lab
Little Rocket Lab, from developer Teenage Astronauts, looks to have a little bit of everything. It’s an isometric pixel art adventure with crafting, automation, and friendship-making that begins when aspiring young engineer Morgan returns to her childhood town of St. Ambrose, to help her aunt finish building the rocket her mother always dreamed of. It’s coming to Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC sometime in 2025.
Loftia
And if all this talk of building virtual friendships with NPCs doesn’t appeal, how about with real people? That’s the hook of Loftia, a “cosy, solarpunk, farming/life/social sim MMO” from developer Cloud Games. Player can farm together, visit each other’s homes and neighbourhoods, create communities and host social events, all as they work toward building a sustainable city. Loftia is heading to PC, Mac, and Switch, and is aiming to launch into early access “late” next year.
Star Birds
If you’ve been wondering what Toukana Interactive, the studio behind the wonderful puzzler Dorfromatik, is up to, here’s your answer. Star Birds is a “cheerful asteroid base-building and resource management game” that sees players venturing out across “countless” asteroids in order to create production networks and guide their colony of spacefaring avians to new horizons. And if that’s tickled your tail-feather, it’s launching into Steam early access in 2025.
Locomoto
What if village life sim, but train? That’s the basic premise of Green Tile Digital’s Locomoto. Here, you take charge of a “dream train” (whether that’s a train made of literal dreams, or just a really desirable one is unclear) then renovate and decorate it in order to bring happiness to the animals that reside in the stations along its line. Fishing and farming also feature as your cross-country journey continues, with Locomoto currently set, appropriately enough, for Steam.
Naiad
Naiad – a “relaxing, minimalist, and colourful adventure” about exploring a river from developer HiWarp – has been floating around indie showcase for a while now, but the wait is finally over. Players eager to don the guise of a water nymph and dive into its peaceful world – swimming, dashing, befriending animals, and restoring life through song – don’t have to wait much longer. Naiad launches today for PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch – although it’s worth noting European Switch owners won’t get to play until 23rd December.
A Waddleful Life
Ducklings are cute. Protect the ducklings! That’s essentially the premise of A Waddleful Life, in which players become mama duck and guide their tiny charges from hatchlings to first flight. It’s an adventure that unfolds in the safety of a small, quiet park – which players will need to explore as they forage for food and gather up sticks for stick-based amusements. A Waddleful Life doesn’t seem to have a release date yet, but it’s coming to PC.
Sky: Children of the Light
Journey developer thatgamecompany‘s acclaimed free-to-play “social adventure” Sky: Children of the Light has been doing its own thing for a little over five years now, transporting players across the seven realms of a beautiful kingdom located among the clouds. A big part of the experience is its regular seasonal content, and next up is an Alice in Wonderland-inspired collaboration that’ll be running from 23rd December until 12th January next year. And you can see a little more of its whimsical treats in its newly released trailer above.
Pinbleton Park
Okay, so how about this one: what if village life sim, but PINBALL? The excellently named Pinbleton Park from solo developer Turtlesoup Games is exactly that, challenging players to turn their cosy village into a giant pinball table. There’ll also be neighbours to help and lost sprits to gather when Pinbleton Park launches for PC at some currently unspecified future time.
Despelote
We’ve had our eyes on Julián Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena’s dreamy Ecuadorian football adventure Despelote for a good long while now. This semi-autobiographical slice-of-life adventure about “childhood and the magical grip soccer held over the people of Quito, Ecuador in 2001” looks like an absolute treat, combining an immediately arresting art style with some wonderfully laidback tunes. So first the bad news: Despelote won’t make its previously announced 2024 release window. On the up side, it’s now scheduled to release for Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC in “early” 2025.
Sugardew Island
Sugardew Island island might be yet another farming sim on a list not exactly short of farming sims, but it does add a few wrinkles to the formula. For a start, you’re not just running a farm, you’re also managing your own farm shop – selling your lovingly prepared wares to the local population of Forest Folk and maybe even indulging in a spot of romance. The big departure from the norm, however, is Sugardew Island’s “stress-free” promise. There’s no in-game timer and its day/night cycle is turn-based, meaning you won’t constantly feel rushed off your feet. And if that sounds intriguing, it’s coming to PC, PlayStation, and Switch.
Wylde Society
Studio Drydock’s Wylde Society is a “period drama sim” in which players – taking on the role of witch, socialite, and innkeeper Vivian Wylde – must build and manage their own magical boarding house at the turn of the century. “Host splendid events, expand your witchcraft, and influence the town,” Drydock explains. “Who will you invite for tea?”. Wylde Society doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s currently confirmed for PC.
Toem 2
And finally, some exiting news from developer Something We Made: its acclaimed photography puzzler Toem is getting a sequel. Details are limited, but it looks like players can expect more quirky characters and chill beats as Toem’s photographer protagonist sets off on a brand-new adventure about “uncovering hidden details, helping friends along the way, and documenting the world’s little wonders”. The most obvious change this time, is its art; the original’s stylised blend of 2D elements and simple polygons has had a bit of a glow-up, retaining its black-and-white looks while embracing far more detailed 3D. Sadly, there’s no word of a release date for Toem 2 yet, but we do know it’s heading to PC.