Solo developer Thomas Waterzooi worked for AAA development studios in the past, including Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3) and IO-Interactive (Hitman). He left because he wanted to create wholesome, casual indie games — and I’d say he’s found his sweet spot showcasing real-world artworks in an approachable manner. He invited players to touch the artwork (twice), but now he is…
I fell in love with Squeakross: Home Squeak Home during last year’s Wholesome Direct, so much so that I couldn’t stop thinking about it a week after its PC announcement. At the time, I pointed out that it was the perfect game for Nintendo Switch… and now it’s available for…
Last year’s Duck Detective: The Secret Salami was one of my highlights…
Get ready to tidy, tinker, and play with your food in Umami,…
Solo developer Thomas Waterzooi worked for AAA development studios in the past, including Larian Studios (Baldur’s Gate 3) and IO-Interactive (Hitman). He left because he wanted to create wholesome, casual indie games — and I’d say he’s found his sweet spot showcasing real-world artworks in an approachable manner. He invited…
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I fell in love with Squeakross: Home Squeak Home during last year’s Wholesome Direct, so much so that I couldn’t stop thinking about it a week after its PC announcement. At the time, I pointed out that it was the perfect game for Nintendo Switch… and now it’s available for…
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Last year’s Duck Detective: The Secret Salami was one of my highlights of the year. A wonderfully slim yet totally fulfilling 2-3 hour noir satire, the game offered just the right balance between quality humour, puzzles that were both puzzling and made you feel good about yourself, and the all-important…
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Get ready to tidy, tinker, and play with your food in Umami, the debut game from indie developer Mimmox. Each stage in a large, 15-course meal contains a handcrafted and hand-painted diorama to which you affix wooden blocks to the 3D board. Rotate, tinker, and test each block’s placement. The…
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In a world that is as toxic, complex, and fundamentally unpleasant as the one we now live, whimsical, wholesome little things like Tempopo are the escapism we need. It’s a simple puzzle game in many ways, but the sweet, buoyant presentation, and the brilliant way it integrates music into the…
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I’ve written about psychological escape room game Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo before when a demo launched last November. The game promises to blend classic escape rooms with a deeply emotional story. New details about the game have emerged and the first official trailer was revealed during Indie Live Expo. In Type-NOISE:…
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My first glimpse at Woodo was during the Women-Led Games 2024 Summer Showcase. In my recap of the event, I waxed nostalgic about how it instantly transported me back to my childhood, my grandfather’s woodworking shop, and the amazing puzzles he would make us. The cozy 3D puzzle adventure features…
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Developer Choice Provisions is best known for the BIT.TRIP series of games, and it is about to enter the classic realm of another beloved B-titled game: Breakout! Breakout Beyond is a neon-drenched take on the classic 1976 arcade game. Players must break through each puzzle by clearing each block until…
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Every new Wholesome Direct results in my game wishlist overflowing with cute and cozy games. Hovering around the top slots from the showcase’s 2024 edition is Squeakross: Home Squeak Home. (It helps that I love pet rats, having had two pairs in the past: Cow, Pig, Leigh, and Zoe.) The…
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Tetris Forever is, in one sense, not really a collection of games for Tetris fans. The game library includes multiple different versions of Tetris, which is more like a Tetris spin-off than actual Tetris. There are also three different versions of Hatris, which is categorically not Tetris at all. There’s…
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