The Wholesome Direct returned with another tight hour-long show featuring a BUNCH of games. As always, the focus here is on “wholesome games,” which can be subjective but is usually a feeling in how a game looks, the type of gameplay it features, or the story it’s trying to tell.

For the first time, Wholesome Direct had a pre-show this year featuring a couple of announcements and trailers before rolling into the main show, which lasted around an hour.

Here are all the trailers and news from the pre-show and main show at the Wholesome Direct 2023.

Pre-Show 

Mineko’s Night Market 

Mineko’s Night Market is releasing on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC on October 26th.

Pekoe

Manage your tea house in Pekoe when it releases “the end of June.”

Spirit Swap

Dating and match-3 to lo-fi beats when Spirit Swap releases soon.

Button City: Soccer Days

A new Button City game all about soccer is coming to PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Frogsong

Out today in a surprise launch, Frogsong is a frog RPG.

Main Show

I Am Caterpillar

Go on an adventure, dodge birds, and solve puzzles in I Am A Caterpillar, which will release on PC “soon.”

Bubblegum Galaxy

This lo-fi strategy game has you playing as a planet architect. 

A demo for Bubblegum Galaxy is available now on Steam.

Sticky Bussiness

You run a stick business. Create them, ship them and enjoy the wholesome vibes in Sticky Bussiness, which is coming to PC soon.

Moonstone Island 

A cross between multiple genres in Moonstone Island, an open-world RPG, life-sim and features deckbuilding. 

A demo will be available during Steam Next Fest from June 19th.

Station to Station

A very cosy-looking railway construction game is coming to Steam soon.

Palace on The Hill

Serve tea, create art and enjoy a slice of life in Palace on the Hill which is coming to Steam and mobile devices in August.

Usagi Shima

Pet all the cutie bunnies and decorate your island in Usagi Shima when it releases on September 1st for mobile devices.

KarmaZoo

Spit on your friends to make them sticky, spin a spider web for others to climb and more in this animal game about combining powers and weird wonders.

Flutter Away

Collect pictures and details on butterflies and make friends with a Capybara in this photography adventure coming to Steam on August 3rd. 

Kamaeru: A Frog Refuge

Build a sanctuary for frogs and reintroduce biodiversity into the wetlands in Kamaeru. 

Ablegamers Partnership

Limited edition t-shirts are available now for pre-order, with all the proceeds going to AbleGamers. 

Baladins

This is a whimsical co-op adventure inspired by classic tabletop adventure games that you can play with up to four friends. Baladins will release on PC in early 2024.

A Little to the Left: Cupboards & Drawers DLC

The DLC launches on June 27th.

Henry Halfhead

Henry is half a head, and you must solve puzzles and tasks in this sandbox game with a sense of humour.

Gourdlets

A chill pixel-art farming game is coming soon.

Lakeburg Legacies

You get to play match-maker in this management sim coming to PC on July 20th.

Loftia

A world premiere, Loftia is an MMO about building a sustainable city together. The Kickstarter is launching soon.

BeastieBall

Get your team of Beasties together and face off in volleyball matches, and rise through the ranks to become the best in the world. The Kickstarter for Beastie Ball has started now. 

Smushi Come Home

A surprise launch for Sushi Come Home, the mushroom adventure, which is out now on Steam and Nintendo Switch.

Venba

The narrative cooking game Venba will release on July 31st for Steam.

Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland

A platforming adventure in Nemo’s adventures is coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam.

A demo is out now on Steam.

Garden Witch Life

A closed beta of Garden Witch Life is out now. 

Orange Season

Farming continues with the focus on oranges in Orange Season coming to Steam. 

SurMount

This is a physics climbing game that you can play with a friend in co-op and attempt to climb up a mountain together. Try a demo during Steam Next Fest on June 19th.

Grimoire Groves

In this cozy rogue-lite dungeon crawler, you play as a young witch who is growing magical planets. The Kickstarter for Grimoire Groves has launched now.

Garden Buddies

Grow a lovely garden with your buddies in Garden Buddies, which is coming to Steam and Nintendo Switch this year.  

A Tiny Sticker Tale

Play as a donkey trying to reunite with their father. You must use the stickers of the world to solve puzzles and help your new friends. 

Everdeep Aurora 

Play as an adventurous cat searching for her missing mother in Everdepp Aurora, a small exploration game coming to Steam and Nintendo Switch in 2024.

Kibu

Tend to your garden, build a temple, create delicious tea and go on an adventure in Kibu, which is coming to Steam. 

Magical Delicacy

Cook magical delicious meals and take them to people around town in this cooking platformer coming in 2024.

Little Friends: Puppy Island

Be friends with all the doggos in this adventure coming to Steam and Nintendo Switch on June 27tg,

The Guardian of Nature

In The Guardians of Nature, you play as Henrgy, who is trying to save the mother tree. You must use Henry’s ability to change the size to explore the world, solve puzzles, and put nature back in order. 

Towneseek

Trade with friends, explore the world and team up with familiar faces from games including Lil Gator Game, Cult of the Lamb and A Short Hike, in Townseek, which is releasing on PC in early 2024.

Feed All Monsters

This is a grid-based puzzle game about feeding all the monsters.

Manitas Kitchen

You’re a dinosaur with small hands, but you are not letting it hold you back from trying to be the best cook in the world. 

Unpacking

One of the best games of 2022 is coming to mobile and tablet devices later this year.

Botany Manor

Collect seeds, water plants, care for them and explore Botany Manor. A demo is available now on Steam.

While the Iron’s Hot

Re-build and re-forge the blacksmiths’ village by exploring, crafting and forging in While the Iron’s Hot, which is releasing in 2023.

Wylde Flowers

A new trailer for Wylde Flowers showcases its recent updates, with the game out now for Steam, Nintendo Switch and Apple Arcade. 

Sushi Ben

A VR game in which you are fishing, creating sushi and making new friends. 

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

Go on an adventure as Snufkin, and rescue your best friend when Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley releases on Steam. 

A Star Named EOS

Solve puzzles and re-created photos in A Star Named EOS when it releases in 2024 for Steam.

Fall of Porcupine

Narrative adventure Fall of Porcupine will release on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PC on June 15th.

Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life

This remake of Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life will finally release for fans on June 27th. 

Tiny Bookshop

A narrative management game in which you run a mobile bookshop. Talk to your locals, make friends, choose what books you hold, upgrade and decorate your bookshop and more. 

Wood & Weather

A new trailer for Wood & Weather from Melbourne-based developer Paper House Games is here. A demo is out now on Steam. 

Campfire Cat Cafe

Open a restaurant in a forest filled with cute animals and build your customer base in Campfire Cat Cafe. Out now for mobile devices.

Sopa

Sopa is a narrative adventure inspired by Hayao Miyazaki films where you are pulled into a fantastical land and must go on a journey to get home. Sopa will release in 2024 for Steam.

Tracks of Thought

An RPG set on a train about dealing with conflict. Tracks of Thought will be released in 2024.

Go-Go Town 

In this sandbox you play as the Mayor who has a button to control a bunch of drones to do your handwork. 

Wholesome Direct 2023 Hype Reel

  • Cato (2024)

  • Let’s Revolution (28/06)

  • Diluvian Winds (Out Now)

  • Ducky’s Delivery Service (20/07)

  • Tall Trails (TBD)

  • Petit Island (2024)

  • Quilts & Cats of Calico (2023)

  • Pizza Possum (2023)

  • The Last Alchemist (2023)

  • Mars First Logistics (22/06)

  • Fishbowl (2025)

  • Mirth Island (2024)

  • Garden Life (2024)

  • Sanya (2023)

  • March of Shrooms (Q3 2023)

  • Toasterball (Out Now)

  • Townframe (2024)

  • Window Garden (Out Now)

  • Word Factor (Q3 2023)

  • Life After Magic (Out Now)

  • Athenian Rhapsody (Q3 2023)

Fields of Mistria

A farming game with the lot in Fields of Mistria where you can rebuild the town to its full potential following an earthquake, explore ancient ruins for treasures, get to know the villagers, and even date some of them. Fields of Mistria will be released in 2024 for PC. 

If you want to watch Wholesome Direct 2023 in full, watch the video below.

In the comment section below, let me know what you thought and which games you were instantly clicking the wishlist button on in the comments section below.