Wholesome Direct’s success can be attributed to its "wonderfully simple" winning recipe

The most recent iteration of Wholesome Direct occurred on Saturday, unveiling over 70 indie games.

Wholesome Games began as a Twitter account in 2019, created by Matthew Taylor. Since then, it has evolved into an annual digital showcase starting in 2020, complemented by a monthly newsletter and a thriving community devoted to cozy games.

This edition featured trailers for eagerly awaited games such as Tiny Bookshop, Dungeons of Hinterberg, and Été, a prominent title spotlighted in last year's showcase, now slated for a July release. Numerous new games from small studios were also introduced, including Mythmatch, Caravan SandWitch, Littlelands, and many others. The event is known for highlighting unconventional concepts, as seen with Optillusion's While Waiting.

Wholesome Direct serves a niche within the gaming community and industry that often lacks representation. It puts a spotlight on underrepresented games, genres, creators, and cultures. Notable examples this year include Niku Games' The Palace on the Hill, set in 90s rural India, and Sticky Brain Studios' Rooster, which honors ancient Chinese culture. In earlier showcases, Visai Games' multi-award-winning narrative cooking game, Venba, received similar attention.

Matthew Taylor, the founder, emphasizes the importance of providing a platform for marginalized voices, saying, "I think as soon as I realized we had a platform of any meaning whatsoever, I wanted to integrate that into it because that's just another component of changing the industry in a good way that will hopefully outlast Wholesome as a label... That's a positive impact we can make that literally changes people's lives."

Wholesome Direct also stood out last week for recognizing the Gaza situation and expressing solidarity with Palestine. Proceeds from its merchandise sales were directed to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.

Specifically discussing Venba, Taylor adds, "Knowing that we had any impact whatsoever on a developer getting such an important project out is maybe the proudest moment for me in Wholesome Games." The collective effort of the Wholesome Games team shines through events like these.

Jenny Windom, the event's organizer and host, returned to anchor the showcase this year. She emphasizes that the selection process for games is deeply rooted in the developers' lived experiences.

Windom explains, "When we started talking about wholesomeness and what we were hoping to curate, I thought a lot about specifics... What's really interesting, to carry that over into these stories from developers that we haven't heard from, is that a lot of them are really specific. So it's this idea [of] enjoying not only the specifics in our daily lives... but also taking the specifics of people's lived experiences and really appreciating them for what they are, and allowing people to share them."

The goal at Wholesome Games has always been to champion "cosy" or "wholesome" concepts, which are more about a feeling or vibe rather than fitting into a specific genre or gameplay style.

Taylor elaborates, "When we first started Wholesome Games, I kept saying I want to curate games by the way they make me feel instead of how you play them." Windom agrees, adding that the team does not use a checklist but instead trusts their gut feelings when selecting games.

"A lot of it is, truly, we all take a look at every game and have this initial gut impression... We've seen huge creativity from developers on what their interpretation of wholesomeness looks like, so that's been really fun."

At Wholesome Direct, there is also a strong emphasis on showcasing games for the first time, offering vital visibility at the outset of indie studios' marketing efforts. To support this mission, Wholesome Games has launched its own label, Wholesome Games Presents, providing funding, QA, marketing, and publishing assistance. This initiative has successfully supported games like Doot & Blibloop's Minami Lane and Jess Yu's Usagi Shima.

"It almost feels by design that you didn't know about it because it's something I'm very eager to start slowly, and build, as opposed to just busting out of the gate and saying 'here we are,'" Taylor concludes.

"I've always been keen to collaborate closely with certain developers, particularly those working on smaller projects that might not get much attention otherwise. When I looked at our team, with people like Jenny and Victoria [Tran, Innersloth's communications director and Wholesome Direct organizer], and recognized the expertise we've all gained from both Wholesome Games and our regular jobs, it became clear that we could provide more assistance to a few select games. This could be through using our connections or offering an external viewpoint," Taylor noted.

The goal of Wholesome Games Presents is to support games that prefer to stay understated and do "not aim to become a global phenomenon or generate millions purely to satisfy executives," according to Taylor.

Windom commented, "The focus of Wholesome Presents arises from observations within the industry, especially related to funding and sustainable game development. Many teams struggle to secure financing, not because funds are unavailable, but because their projects aren’t seen as viable in terms of scalability."

"Supporting smaller studios and projects aligns with creating a sustainable model for the industry, which I hope becomes widespread. It’s crucial for uplifting a part of our industry that often doesn’t get to thrive," Windom elaborated.

"Many teams can’t secure funds not due to a lack of availability, but because their projects aren’t deemed scalable."Jenny Windom

Some gaming communities have previously derided cozy games, dismissing them as "not real video games." Following the success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons in 2020, the surge in farming simulation games sparked some criticism even within the game industry itself.

We inquired with the Wholesome Games team regarding the recognition these games receive.

"It's improving, but it will take time,” Taylor responded. “There will always be some bias against colorful, optimistic games in this industry. We discuss in our FAQ how award-winning games are often dark and gritty. This seems true across various mediums, but I believe this industry trend will gradually change."

"Five years may seem lengthy to me, but it’s relatively short considering the industry’s history and its former focus on a different kind of player and audience," Taylor continued.

The success of titles like Venba illustrates that different genres of games can win accolades and be taken seriously.

Launching during the COVID-19 lockdowns and benefiting from the popularity of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Wholesome Direct has continued to grow, according to Taylor. "Players are here to stay; it’s not just a fleeting trend," he added.

"Although the overall environment has changed, the way we produce the Showcase remains similar to five years ago: simple and accessible," Taylor emphasized.

Windom remarked, "Even though people aren't confined to their homes as before, the world remains troubled, and many seek solace or escape through media. They look for content that is not just comforting but also encourages tackling challenging topics."

"We have a solid foundation, and a physical presence would be appealing."Matthew Taylor

When asked about the future of Wholesome Games, both Taylor and Windom shared their aspirations.

"Naturally, the instinctive answer is 'let's grow.' However, my goal is to assist more and find new avenues for support," Taylor started. "The combination of our strong social presence and the Direct has been effective, and Presents adds a more direct approach. A physical presence would be a great next step."

"I recall PAX East 2020, just before the pandemic, where many of our ideas materialized. Meeting Jenny in person for the first time sparked a lot of inspiration. I envision that happening again now that Wholesome Games has garnered more recognition. Much like you’d head straight to a trusted booth at a convention, having a similar setup would be fantastic. This would require significant logistics, unlike digital events, but it would be a valuable next step," Taylor concluded.

Windom is eager to see diverse developer perspectives on what wholesome means and envisions Wholesome Games expanding in a thoughtful manner.

"We aim to grow intentionally, not for size, scale, or speed, but to ensure we conduct our work effectively. This means supporting developers properly and maintaining the trust we’ve built within our community over the years," she explained.