One of the best places to discover charming, chilled games for all platforms, including mobile, is Wholesome Games.
This past weekend, Wholesome Games presented a Wholesome Snack, a 20-minute indie games showcase on their YouTube channel – an online space that, if you didn’t know, is full of trailers and gameplay for upcoming “cosy games.” It’s also a good idea to follow the Wholesome Games Twitter account to stay up to date with titles releasing in the same vein.
Anyway, you can watch the full Wholesome Snack showcase here, but we picked our favourites from the literally short and sweet presentation.
Little Kitty, Big City
Annapurna Interactive’s Stray isn’t the only upcoming indie game about a lost feline navigating urban spaces. From Double Dagger Studio, there’s Little Kitty, Big City, about a mischievous black cat who causes chaos during their attempt to return home. For the record, this is a game where right trigger is swipe with your right paw, left trigger is left paw. There’s no release date yet for Little Kitty, Big City – “cats don’t have deadlines” is the official stance on the topic – but the game will be coming to Steam and Itch.io.
Wishlist Little Kitty, Big City on Steam here.
River Tails: Stronger Together
Yes, yes, another game with a cat is making our list. River Tails: Stronger Together, from Kid Onion Studio, looks to be (ahem) scratching that itch for a cute-and-clever couch co-op platformer. In this unlikely two-person team-up, one person plays as a land-based cat, while the other is a sassy water-bound fish. Working together is the only way for this pair to successfully traverse the lush tropical forest and overcome foes.
River Tails: Stronger Together launches on Kickstarter on November 16. It’s being aimed at all major platforms. You can play the Alpha demo right now on the official site.
Naiad
In dreamy and colourful Naiad, from developers HiWarp, you play as a river nymph just floating through life. The game is marketed as a relaxing and wholesome adventure where you flow through rivers and other watery environments. However, the trailer suggests it will be harbouring some darker mysteries behind its zen exterior. Naiad is currently set for release on PC and Mac in Q2 2022.
Wishlist Naiad here.
The Spirit and the Mouse
Turns out Pikachu has some competition in the “lightning rodent” department. Meet Lila the kind-hearted mouse with electrifying powers. Working with Lumion the Spirit guardian, the pair restore balance (and light) to their quaint French village by helping locals and befriending other spirits. The Spirit and the Mouse is a narrative-centred adventure game from developer Alblune and publisher Armor Game Studios.
The PC game’s release date has yet to be confirmed, but you can wishlist The Spirit and the Mouse here.