Highlights: Wholesome Games’ Wholesome Direct (June 7, 2025)

Due to ongoing health concerns, I am unable to provide full coverage for most showcases this June. However, Wholesome Games’ Wholesome Direct is so darned… wholesome… that it couldn’t be left untouched. This is the showcase’s fifth year. To date, it has featured 375 games and raised over $200,000 US for charities. Today’s Wholesome Direct features surprise releases and world premieres. Many of last year’s featured games are seen again this year.

Before I begin, a quick note: when I write “summer,” I mean now through September.

Game highlights

Let’s Build a Dungeon (Springloaded, Kowloon Nights)

From the studio behind Let’s Build a Zoo, Let’s Build a Dungeon has players manage a game studio and design a virtual MMO. Hire applicants or recruit artists, programmers, and planners. Manage your staff, development schedules, advertising campaigns, and press relationships. It’s up to you whether you risk it all in search of a perfect build, push your staff to their breaking points due to crunch, and listen to community requests. At the same time, you’re designing an MMORPG set in a fantasy world. What type is up to you. Focus on what you want, whether that is catching monsters or cozily farming. Design quests, towns, monsters, and dungeons. There are thousands of objects, characters, and enemies to choose from. You can jump in at any time to ban rogue users or take in a new perspective on the digital world. Let’s Build a Dungeon is planned to release for PC and Xbox.

Winter Burrow (Pine Creek Games, Noodlecake)

Winter Burrow is a cozy woodland survival game. As a little mouse, you return from the city to find your childhood home in ruins… and your aunt has gone missing! It’s up to you to restore the burrow and find out what happened to your aunt. Brave the elements in the frozen wilderness to collect resources, but beware of the insect wildlife. The game features survival gameplay and allows you to choose its pace. Winter Burrow will be released for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox this year

Milano’s Odd Job Collection (Implicit Conversations, Wetsone, XSEED Games)

Previously only available in Japan, Milano’s Odd Job Collection will soon be localized in English. This version features quality-of-life improvements, trophies/achievements, and improved loading times; it includes English text, graphics, and voiceovers. In the game, 11-year-old Milano is on her own for the summer and plans to take up part-time jobs, shop for cool stuff, and have fun. These jobs include delivering pizzas, baking cakes, or milking flying cows. The game features nostalgic pixel art and cozy Japanese cuteness. Milano’s Odd Job Collection will be released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series this year.

Town to City (Galaxy Grove, Kwalee)

Town to City is a cozy city builder where you create a beautiful and bustling community by freely placing houses, shops, amenities, and natural elements. (And I mean freely—no grid!) This will attract new residents. As your population grows, branch into multiple towns that grow alone or thrive together. The game features what the developers describe as “a plethora” of customization options. Cater to the crowds while also completing individual requests. Assign workers to jobs. Research to discover new buildings and decorations. Town to City will be released for PC via Steam this summer; a demo is available now.

Full list of featured games

• Leaf Blower Co. (LifT Games, Forklift Interactive) — launching for PC this year, demo available now
• Instants (Endflame) — available now for PC via Steam/Epic and Nintendo Switch
• Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar (Marvelous, Marvelous USA) — launching for PC via Steam, Switch 2, and Switch on August 27
• Gourdlets Together (Aunty Games, Future Friends Games) — launching this year
• Luma Island: Pirates (Feel Free Games) — launching for PC via Steam on June 20
• Is This Seat Taken? (Poti Poti Studio, Wholesome Games Presents) — launching for iOS/Android, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch this August
• MakeRoom (Kenney, Wholesome Games Presents) — launching for PC via Steam on August 7
• Ambroise Niflette & the Gleaned Bell (Topotes Studio) — launching for PC via Steam
• Let’s Build a Dungeon (Springloaded, Kowloon Nights) — launching for PC and Xbox
• Squeakross: Home Squeak Home (Alblune) — available now for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch
• Monument Valley III (Ustwo, Netflix) — launching for iOS/Android via Netflix, PC via Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch on July 22
• Big Hops (Luckshot Games) — launching for PC via Steam
• Little Kitty, Big City: free content update (Double Dagger Studio) — launching soon
• Vending Dokan! Kozy Kiosk (Aftabi Games) — available now for PC via Steam in Early Access
• Winter Burrow (Pine Creek Games, Noodlecake)— launching for PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox this year
• Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game (Wetā Workshop, Private Division) — launching for PC via Steam on July 29
• Haunted Paws (LazyFlock) — closed alpha launching for PC via Steam on July 24
• The Guardian of Nature, Episode 1 (Inlusio Interactive) — available now for PC via Steam
• Everdeep Aurora (Nautilus Games, Ysbyrd Games Worldwide Limited) — launching for PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch on July 10
• Seasonala Cemetery (Gabby DaRienzo and friends) — available now for PC/Mac via Steam… for free!
• Camper Van: Make It Home (Malapata Studio, Wings) — available now for PC via Steam
• Lynked: Banner of the Spark (FuzzyBot, Dreamhaven) — available now for PC via Steam
• Omelet You Cook (SchuBox Games) — available now for PC via Steam
• Milano’s Odd Job Collection (Implicit Conversations, Wetsone, XSEED Games) — launching for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series this year
• Fireside Feelings (Team Empreintes, The CoLab) — available now for PC via Steam
• All Will Rise (Speculative Agency) — launching for PC via Steam in 2026
• Gecko Gods (Inresin, Super Rare Originals) — launching for PC via Steam this autumn, demo available now
• One Move Away (Ramage Games, Playstack) — launching for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series; demo available now via Steam
• Heidi’s Legacy: Mountain Calling (Humble Reeds) — launching for PC via Steam in 2026
• Hotel Galactiv (Ancient Forge) — launching for PC via Steam on July 24
• Out and About (Yaldi) — launching for PC via Steam, playtest available now
• Discounty (Crinkle Cut Games, PQube) — launching for PC via Steam on August 21
• Islanders: New Shores (The Station / Coatsink) — launching for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox on July 10
• Collector’s Cove (VoodooDuck) — launching for PC via Steam, demo available now
• Town to City (Galaxy Grove, Kwalee) — launching for PC via Steam this summer, demo available now
• Fishbowl (imissmyfriends.studio, Wholesome Games Presents) — launching for PC via Steam and PlayStation 5, demo available now
• KuloNiku: Bowl Up (Gambir Studio) — launching for PC via Steam this year
• A Tiny Wander (Doukutsu Penguin Club) — launching in 2026
• Outside the Blocks (Michal Kubas) — demo available now
• Clawsome (Cometa Games) — launching for PC via Steam in 2026
• The Berlin Apartment (bft GmgH, Byterockers’ Games) — launching for PC via Steam this November
• Llamalandia (Paramo Games) — launching in 2026, demo available now
• Danchi Days (gingham games, Analgesic Productions) — launching for PC via Steam in 2026, demo available now
• Sheepherds! (Ultimo Disco) — launching this year, demo available now
• The Great Coffee Caper (Everyday Magic) — launching for PC via Steam in 2026
• Capy Castaway (Kitten Cup Studio, Big Blue Sky Games) — launching for PC via Steam
• Anxiety Puppy (Puppy Studio) — launching for PC via Steam this year
• MAFATE (Blue Ramen) — launching for PC via Steam in 2026
• Townbox (VideoDojo Games) — launching for PC via Steam
• Shiba Sweet (Maowoo) — launching for PC via Steam this year
• Muri: Wildwoods (Speldosa Interactive) — launching for PC via Steam this year
• Puni the Florist (Earthquack Games) — launching for PC via Steam, demo available now
• Mazey Village (Sloappy Inc.) — launching for PC via Steam in 2026
• Mecha (Shishi Studios) — launching for PC via Steam
• Dosa Divas (Outerloop Games) — launching for PC via Steam in early 2026
• Letters to Arralla (Little Pink Clouds) — launching for PC via Steam this year
• A Week in the Life of an Asocial Giraffe (Quail Button) — launching for PC via Steam this year
• Gemporium (Merge Conflict Studio) — launching for PC via Steam this August, demo available now
• Crescent Country (Electric Saint) — launching in 2026
• Pawsta (Cold Sector) — launching for PC via Steam in 2026
• On-Together (GigaPuff, Future Friends Games) — launching for PC via Steam this year

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