Wholesome Snack may be a mini version of the Wholesome Direct, but it’s always packed to the brim with games I’m excited to play. Last year’s Wholesome Snack showed off games such as Mail Time, Mineko’s Night Market, and Tchia. This one holds even more goodies, including several game announcements and release date windows. It even features one game that was shown off at the very first Wholesome Direct in 2020.

Game highlights

Vivarium

Somewhere in rural America, there’s a missing terrarium that’s been lost and forgotten. But inside the jar, the sun is rising. It’s time to get out of a comfy bed inside a world that nobody knows exists, one filled with places that nobody has ever been in a town of mysteries full of people that nobody remembers.

Snacko

Featured in the very first Wholesome Direct back in 2020, Snacko is finally ready for an Early Access launch. Former big city kitties Momo and Mikan are starting a new life on a cursed island. They will grow crops, raise animals, fish, and explore while players customise and decorate as much as they want. Oh, and it’s up to these two kitties to lift the curse and revitalise the island. Good luck! Snacko is available now in Early Access for PC via Steam.

Eastward – Octopia DLC

Octopia is DLC for Eastward, a game where players journey through a society on the brink of collapse. In the upcoming Octopia DLC, Sam and John are back for a new, story-driven farming adventure. Grow crops, tend to livestock, and turn an abandoned fairground into a thriving village. The pair will be helped out by the cast of beloved Eastward characters. Don’t get confused, though: this is a parallel universe. Eastward’s Octopia DLC will be released for Nintendo Switch on January 31, 2024; no information on other platforms was announced.

Duck Detective: The Secret Salami

Honestly, I’m just into Duck Detective: The Secret Salami because a) there’s a duck as a detective and that’s hilarious, and b) the word salami amuses me greatly. This short (90 minutes) narrative adventure is described as Aggretsuko meets Return of the Obra Dinn, which is a tall order. Players join the Duck Detective on his latest and greatest case by interviewing suspects to learn their secrets before using that information to choose a main suspect and break the case wide open. It’s kind of… fill-in-the-blank-y? Duck Detective: The Secret Salami will be released for PC in 2024.

Momento

Fans of Unpacking and A Little to the Left, Momento might be right up your alley. It is a cozy room decorator where the objects you choose to keep influences the life you lead. It is highly replayable, with branching narratives and multiple endings. Each players receives a different set of objects with each playthrough. Momento is developed by two small Aussie studios, Fat Alien Cat and Nomo Studio; it is set to be released for PC.

Full list of featured games

• Vivarium
• Communite (launching for Android, PC)
• Flock
• Pine Hearts (launching for PC in early 2024)
• Lightyear Frontier (launching for PC, Xbox Series, and Xbox One in March 2024)
• Go-Go Town! (launching for PC; couch co-op coming in February 2024)
• Snacko (available now in Early Access for PC)
• Usagi Shima – Beach Update (game and update available now for iOS/Android)
• Baladins (launching for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in early 2024)
• Eastward – Octopia DLC (launching for Nintendo Switch on January 31, 2024; information on other platforms not announced)
• Simpler Times (launching for PC)
• Summerhouse (launching for PC in 2024)
• Sky: Children of the Light – Days of Feast event
• Bugaboo (launching for PC and Nintendo Switch in 2042)
• Europa (launching for PC on April 16, 2024)
• Duck Detective: The Secret Salami (launching for PC in 2024)
• Trash Goblin (launching for PC)
• Momento (launching for PC)
• Sticky Business – Plan with Me DLC (launching for PC on December 18)
• Voyagers of Nera (launching for PC in 2024)

Watch the showcase