Wholesome Snack 2024: Our Top 3 Most Anticipated Games
We had the wonderful opportunity to co-stream this year’s Wholesome Snack showcase by Wholesome Games, which featured teasers and trailers for over 20 upcoming cozy indie games. Here are our most anticipated titles from Wholesome Snack 2024!
Wholesome Snack Key Art by Wholesome Games
If you love cozy, cute, and feel-good games, Wholesome Snack is your prime destination. The cozy indie games showcase hosted by Wholesome Games was livestreamed on December 10th, and we had the opportunity to co-stream it with our community, cheering and chattering excitedly about all the amazing games featured throughout. Although we found ourselves hitting that ‘wishlist’ button every time a new trailer popped up on our screens, we managed to pick out a few titles that we’re looking most forward to playing on release. Keep reading to discover our most anticipated titles from Wholesome Snack 2024!
Bran’s Picks
1. Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To
Release Date: February 3rd, 2025
Bran: A vibrant world, vibey lofi beats, and a ridiculously hot cast of characters make Spirit Swap the perfect matching game to get into for 2025! I have always been a fan of matching puzzle games, so when I downloaded and played the demo for Spirit Swap, I knew this wouldn’t be any different! I chose this game as one of my top picks from the Wholesome Snack showcase because of the unique spin it puts on matching games, especially when it comes to queer culture and representation. I’m excited about it because you can literally play for hours and it’s a very soothing game with color palettes that are comforting, especially for those of us with seasonal depression and minimal sunlight. What’s unique to me is the social life and bonding with the cast of witches and demons, with the option to romance them while swapping and matching those adorable little spirits! I’m so looking forward to everyone experiencing this game!
2. A Waddleful Life
Release Date: TBA
Bran: There aren’t many opportunities to play as an adorable duck leading your adorable ducklings through life, but A Waddleful Life is here to change that! In this precious outdoor adventure, A Waddleful Life is both relaxing and cute. You’ll play as a duck parent caring for your ducklings, helping them grow and take their first flight! I chose this game because I think we all need those go-to relaxing games that give us good feelings. What I also like is that it’s meant to be a cute and good experience. The ducklings have endless food and they are safe to be left alone, alleviating us from the anxiety that real world simulation games often cause. This game is truly an escape into a world that is safe and wholesome.
3. Wylde Society
Release Date: TBA
Bran: If you love a good period drama, look no further than Wylde Society! As a fan of Bridgerton, I am super excited for this game and the opportunity to host events and influence the town with a witchy twist! Not to mention having Vivian Wylde (who appears to be a Black Woman) as the center of society is very refreshing to see, especially given the historical time period. I’m super excited to plan tea parties, fancy dinners and balls for the town and see what kind of drama we can get into. There are many things that make this game unique, but being able to explore society rules and etiquette, while hosting seances and helping spirits all at once definitely make it stand out. Very excited for this game to keep me busy while I wait for the next season of Bridgerton!
Zainab’s Picks
1. Star Birds
Release Date: 2025
Zainab: The colorful 3D world of Star Birds drew me in immediately. This base building and resource management game by Toukana Studios features bright and vibrant space environments, where you’re tasked to set up your very own bird colony. There’s building, connecting, exploring, excavating, and so much more. And because the world is procedurally generated, populating itself with unique asteroids as you explore, I could easily see myself beginning a session at, say, 7 in the evening, and still being glued to my screen by 2 in the morning. The game is also accessible for all, welcoming those familiar with the resource-management and strategic aspects as well as beginners wanting to dip their toes into the genre, which I absolutely love as a beginner myself.
2. Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping
Release Date: 2025
Zainab: If the words “Duck Detective” and the accompanying visual of an old-timey duck sporting a detective noir costume pulled straight from the 1940s doesn’t have you immediately hooked, then I’m not sure what will. Happy Broccoli Games’ Duck Detective is a cozy mystery game featuring the Duck Detective himself, who finds himself embroiled in the case of a haunted campground. The art style is positively charming, with 2D Paper Mario-esque figures overlaid onto beautifully painted 3D environments. And of course, I can’t resist the promise of a thrilling investigation — this game features a de-duck-tions notebook, interviews with shifty characters, and good old fashioned evidence inspection. If you’re like me and you can’t wait for the 2025 release, you can play the first installment of Duck Detective on Steam!
Release Date: 2025
Zainab: Aikyam is pure positive energy bundled into a game — from the cute and lively animations to the dynamic and upbeat soundtrack, this game is sure to make you smile. This Bollywood-inspired fantasy turn-based RPG is being developed by Thousand Stars, and they’ve already published a free demo (also available on Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X). You play as Vishva, an aspiring Rakshak — a warrior who uses dance to protect the people of Aikyam — and your goal is to brighten up the villagers’ days and fight demons. How, you ask? With a little thing called razzle dazzle. Yes, you literally dazzle your enemies with your dance moves! The demo was adorable, and surprisingly hard! The combat system is solid, with classic RPG elements such as matching element types and move-based quick-time events that are sure to keep you on your toes. And the cinematography of it all — you get to become a veritable Bollywood star as you dazzle your opponents in the most extravagant way possible. I can’t wait for the full release, and I encourage you to try the demo out for yourself!
Wholesome Games is making a difference in the gaming showcase scene by featuring and uplifting small studios that tell stories that matter. We were absolutely thrilled to see all the amazing indie titles showcased during Wholesome Snack, with some lighthearted and adorable, while others are deep and poignant, and sure to draw a few tears from players’ eyes.
Wholesome Games also made a limited-edition Humble Bundle to commemorate Wholesome Snack, and it includes charming titles at a heavily discounted price and for a good cause – purchasing this bundle also helps to support World Central Kitchen. If you enjoy cozy indie titles for a bargain and want to donate to charity, be sure to check it out!