Wholesome Games presents the Wholesome Games Celebration, running August 6-13 from 10am Pacific on Steam. You’ve probably seen Wholesome Games’ summer showcase and winter ‘snack,’ where dozens of new wholesome game trailers, launches, demos, and announcements are shown. This is their week-long festival with even more brand new game launches, all-new demos, and some updates and discounts on fan favorites that have already launched and brought smiles to many people. Elizabeth and Chris got a sneak peak at some of the demos and launches, and these are their micro-reviews.
Jigrift
Jigrift is a funky puzzle adventure about a three-eyed frog named Bert who learns a magical dance that allows him to reassemble (or assemble in a new way!) the broken island pieces around the sea. There is a mix of 3D and 2D jigsaw puzzles throughout the game world. I had a great time exploring the summery beach and mysterious caves as a dancing frog dude, and there are so many fantastic puzzles in and around the environment to solve. This looks like great fun for any fans of jigsaws or map-based games! (Elizebeth Hambleton)
Capy Castaway
Capy Castaway is a sweet little world filled with shipwrecked zoo animals who find themselves on Castaway Island with only a chatty crow and some racoons for company. You play as both Capy the capybara and Corvi the crow to go on a quest to speak with the wish-granting dragon. Along the way, you’ll clean up litter, stack things on your head, engage in amusement park games, and help characters deal with big emotions like break-ups or loss of a loved one. Capy and Corvi also both confront their own fears in this charming, heartfelt adventure. I played this one single-player, but there’s also a couch co-op mode for two players to control Capy and Corvi separately! (Elizebeth Hambleton)
Locomochi
This is a charming puzzle game in which you steer a toy train up and down tracks in a cutesy plasticine model train world. The puzzles are pretty easy to start with, and the aesthetics are oh so adorable, making it perfect for kids or adults who are looking for a relaxing, cozy time. It’s pretty much a pure puzzle game without too much story, so if that’s your vibe, check out the demo for Locomochi! (Elizebeth Hambleton)
Mind Inc
A series of excellent sokoban (block pushing) puzzles with a strange little story tying it all together. You play as a star working at Mind Inc., and you push blocks together to restore forgotten human memories. It’s a lovely mix of the Wilmot-style jigsaw puzzles and classic sokoban puzzles with buttons and moving parts to navigate. Not everything is as it seems, of course, but you’re going to be the best star you possibly can. Stir emotions with beautiful memories in this brand new puzzle game! (Elizebeth Hambleton)
Beastfolk Barber
Beastfolk Barber proudly continues the tradition set in motion by games like Coffee Talk and more recently by Tavern Talk or Wax Heads. It presents itself as a game about cutting magical beings’ hair, but it quickly turns into a whole lot more. Providing your customers with a new do is helped along by your nifty new mirror, which allows you to show your clientele a preview of what cut you want to give them. Use these previews wisely, and be sure to listen to what is asked of you to provide a little slice of happiness.
Things get complicated when a demon appears in your mirror, though. With an offer to grant you a wish if you give them a perfect haircut, they force you to face a past you might not be ready to deal with just yet. But getting them that haircut will require some reputation, so first you get to build relationships with all of your customers, hoping to see them again if they are happy enough with what you’ve given them. This is going to be a game to keep an eye on for sure, as the demo delivers on its premise and then some. Give the demo a try right now, over on Steam! (Christopher Lannoo)
The Little Crumb
I was quietly worried that The Little Crumb would prove to be too much Overcooked and not enough down to my own tempo. How wrong I was! In this delightful game, you get to customize your own character before starting out your own toy-like bakery. You start out small, with only two ingredients and one finished product to present to your customers, but as your success grows, you get to expand on what you offer, or if you’d prefer, you can decorate your bakery more to make it all your own.
The tempo of the game is completely dictated by you. In the mornings, you can bake as much as you want in preparation for the day, even if you might not know every single order that you’ll be getting. Or you can leave it all up to the moment and quickly try to keep up with your customers. Some of these customers will want to befriend you, as you become a valued part of the community. It’s just such a lovely time, which you can try out right now as the demo is available on Steam. And the wait for the full game shouldn’t be too long, with a release window of November being set. (Christopher Lannoo)
So there you have it! There are tons more games on sale and new demos on the Steam event page to explore. Browse all the wholesome content you can stand, download those new demos, and support your favorite cozy game developers at the Wholesome Games Celebration!
