Wholesome Direct Recap: My Top Ten Game Highlights

Amongst all the hustle and bustle of a jam packed week in the gaming universe, you may have caught sight of the Wholesome Direct!

Having gone live on Saturday 7th June 2025, the direct from start to finish was full of exciting and interesting new games releasing in the coming months.

Now, originally the lovely team at Wholesome Games invited me to co-stream the direct with them, however due to real life commitments and not currently being a creator who streams I was unable to this time around. However, I wanted to take the time to highlight some of the standout games and some of my favourites from the Wholesome Direct instead!

Wholesome Direct Recap!

If you missed the live showing of the Wholesome Direct, don’t worry as you can watch and even re-watch the entire jam packed livestream below!

Now, let’s check out some of my top ten picks from yesterday’s livestream!

Is This Seat Taken?

First off, Is This Seat Taken?

The upcoming Wholesome Games Presents and Poti Poti Studio’s game, is an upcoming logic puzzle game with where players play matchmaker. However, you’ll be playing matchmaker with some incredibly unique and hilarious characters.

Each of the people you are required to seat will have a pet peeve, adding to the challenge as to where to seat them. Is This Seat Taken aims to take you through various levels full of cosy vibes, relatable characters and just a lot of silliness!

Keep an eye out as Is This Seat Taken launches this August across multiple platforms. You can check out the demo on Steam now!

Let’s Build A Dungeon

Having previously played Let’s Build a Zoo, seeing news that Let’s Build a Dungeon was on its way had me intrigued to say the least. Oh, how I was wrong, because I was not expecting the trailer and the game to be what was showcased and this was in a good way.

In Let’s Build A Dungeon, you will find yourself looking after and managing a game studio. It’s task, is making the world’s best and greatest MMORPG. Players will find themselves hiring a variety of coders, testers and engineers to curate a new fantasy world ready to welcome in hundreds of thousands of players.

That’s not all! The Springloaded Team have also made it possible that you can even play the game that you create. However, I’ll let the trailer do all the talking for now!

Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar

Also launching in August and across multiple platforms is Marvellous Inc and XSEED Games’ new Story of Seasons game! Now, I’m still relatively new to this franchise, but I’m certainly interested in checking this latest instalment out.

In Story of Seasons Grand Bazaar, you’ll be changing up your scenery in search of the dream peaceful farming life. Accompanied by a mountain village, a fresh breeze and a market stall of your own, Zephyr Town has plenty to offer. From meeting and getting to know the locals, raising your own animals and growing your own crops, you’ll soon be bringing this village back to its former glory!

Fishbowl

From imissmyfirends.studio and Wholesome Games Present, Fishbowl is an upcoming slice of life story that is spread over the course of one month.

You play as Alo, who is a work from home video editor for a well known social media star. Throughout your time in Fishbowl, you’ll be given a variety of choices which will in time lead to a one of a kind journey of self discovery.

Stay in touch with others via video calls, edit videos using arcade style matching games, rediscover your past through various puzzles, and take the time to look after your home and yourself.

Fishbowl is a game that not only looks at the character’s journey of self discovery but also tells a tale of isolation, friendship, nurturing and navigating grief.

MakeRoom

As a longtime Simmer who spent far too much time building and decorating a variety of different houses and lots, MakeRoom is certainly up my street!

Create a number of miniature dioramas, decorate them with over 1,000 objects to choose from, create and craft your own furniture and complete specific design requests from an array of clients. You could find yourself creating rooms for curious cats, gloomy and moody vampire hideaways and more!

MakeRoom has been developed by Kenney and will publish under the Wholesome Games Presents banner in the near future!

Everdeep Aurora

An apocalyptic meteor shower has forced people across the world to retreat and build their lives underground. In Everdeep Aurora, you play as Shell, a small feline child who has woken up to discover her family gone. Unsure as to what lies ahead, Shell begins to drill deeper into the depths of the underworld to discover a hidden world, unusual inhabitants and a secret or two along the way.

Everdeep Aurora from Nautilus Games and Ysbryd Games takes you on a 16-bit asthetically inspired narrative and platform experience. A game that really gives you a feeling of nostalgia and playing those classic Game Boy Games late at night using street lamps just by watching the trailer!

Luckily, there isn’t too long to wait until you can play as Everdeep Aurora launches on 10th July 2025!

Out and About

Take a step back and relax with Yaldi Games’ upcoming release, Out and About.

This cosy and wholesome game takes you on a path where you can explore a natural open world full of beautiful locations, create a cosy character, make friends with the local characters, cook a variety of recipes, brew herbal remedies and learn about over a hundred different real life plants and fungi!

After a storm has caused havoc in Portobello you’ll also find yourself learning about the local surroundings and nature as you help the town as well as rebuilding your home after a storm caused havoc recently.

Haunted Paws

LazyFlock’s upcoming cosy co-op horror game Haunted Paws has you playing as two adorable little puppies. Your quest, is to help save your human friend who’s been kidnapped from the incredibly scary and haunted mansion!

Player’s will be able to create their own puppy, explore mysterious spooky locations, defeat evil enemies and wear cool hats and funky costumes!

Omelet You Cook

Rougelike and cooking game all in one? Surprise launch and playable now? Sign me up!

Omelet You Cook is fun, chaotic, cosy and everything you could hope for when combining ingredients to meet the demand of your customers! However, you’ll find yourself putting your skills to the test in varying ways to help push your culinary skills and knowledge to the edge!

With a variety of ingredients at your fingertips, various synergy-enabling relics, unique customer traits and more, Omelet You Cook will certainly be keeping you on your toes!

Discounty

There has been a lot of hype and anticipation for Discounty, and it’s not far from being released!

In Crinkle Cut Games’ and PQube’s upcoming game, you’ll be managing your own discount supermarket! Yet, you’ll find yourself also getting caught up in all the local small town drama as well as organising your store, and it’s layout, making questionable trade deals and expanding your empire.

Discounty is planned to hit shelves on 21st August 2025!

Honourable Mentions

Of course there are still a few more games that I wanted to mention as well that I loved during the Wholesome Direct:

This year’s Wholesome Direct was packed full of over sixty recently released and upcoming games. Each having its own unique charm and curiosity surrounding them. It was incredibly hard to decide on which games I wanted to highlight, as I’d love to talk about them all.

In the meantime, there are plenty of the games shown during the Wholesome Direct that have either released or have limited time demo’s that you can check out. Simply head over to the Wholesome Direct page on Steam here!

Did you watch the Wholesome Direct over the weekend? Let me know what games you loved from the showcase below!