Wholesome Direct 2025 was filled to the brim with exciting upcoming indie games. As a true celebration of "artistic, uplifting, and emotionally resonant" new experiences from a wealth of different developers around the world, we got to see fresh reveals, release date announcements – for the likes of puzzle game Is This Seat Taken?, and the new diorama decorating delight, Make Room – and much more. While the showcase gave us plenty of new games for 2025 and beyond to add to our wishlists, we were also treated to a lineup of surprise shadow-drop releases during the showcase.
With nine games in total officially out now as of the end of Wholesome Direct, we've brought together a helpful roundup highlighting all of the different adventures you can tuck into right now that appeared during the show. From venturing through heartwarming journeys to customizing your own cozy spaces and tucking into a cooking-themed roguelike, there's undoubtedly something for everyone. So read on below to rediscover all of the Wholesome Direct 2025 shadow-dropped releases you can play right now.
Fireside Feelings
Platform(s): PC
Developer: Team Empreintes
Fireside Feelings is all about sharing stories and emotions around the campfire under the stars. With a heartwarming concept, the new life sim lets you create your own cute character, and you'll answer a variety of questions to share your own stories and personal experiences. While there's no direct contact with other players, you can leave your stories for others to discover and listen to their experiences, too.
Designed to give you your own little safe space that you can customize, you'll unlock new environments and characters along the way as you take part in shaping collective stories. It sounds like a delightful way to play on the idea of passing on stories around a campfire setting.
Instants
Platform(s): PC, Switch
Developer: Endflame
Instants captures the cherished snapshot moments that chronicle the life of a family, and it's up to you to arrange them and uncover their story. The heartfelt experience strives to be both relaxing and creative, with a combination of puzzle elements and also crafting.
The puzzle comes into play as you try to put the family photos in the correct order within each album, while the creative side lets you decorate and customize the album with different backgrounds, stickers, and typography. You'll also get to unlock more options as you progress, and if you ever find yourself getting stuck, a fluffy little cat can help with some optional assistance if you need it.
Camper Van Make it Home
Platform(s): PC
Developer: Malapata Studio
If you enjoy building in games like The Sims or the satisfying organization of Unpacking, Camper Van: Make It Home is officially here to give you a cozy, creative outlet with similar ingredients. As the name of the game gives away, you'll have a camper van that's yours to decorate and customize to your liking, from finding the perfect spot to place down your belongings to changing up the look and design of your van inside and out.
As you sink back into some chill interior design and complete organizational puzzles, you'll get to travel to different locations, such as a beach, or a forest, as you set out on what promises to be a "journey of self-discovery". Oh, and there's also a dog companion, just in case you needed any more convincing.
Omelet You Cook
Developer: SchuBox Games
Platform(s): PC (Early Access)
Omelet you Cook is a tasty looking roguelike that's all about cooking. With a pinch of coziness and a dash of chaos, you'll set out to try and create the perfect omelet by combining a host of ingredients from a conveyor belt and try to cater to the ever-growing demands of the students and faculty at Middlesville Cafeteria – all of whom have their own unique personalities, traits, and tastes.
Each round will bring with it new restrictions, hazards, and score thresholds, and you'll unlock more ingredients as you go. Set to put your culinary creativity to the test, Omelet You Cook looks like a riot and draws inspiration from the likes of Balatro and Ballionaire.
Seasonala Cemetery
Developer: Gabby DaReinzo, Kait Tremblay, Jen Costa, Nina Wong, halina heron, Mobeen Fikree, Jacquelin de Leon
Platform(s): PC
Seasonala Cemetery is a new free-to-play game out now that lets you step into a "living, breathing cemetery" that's yours to explore. A meditative experience where you can learn about the history of the city through gravestones, you can also meet animals and various NPCs during your visit and collect flowers, pinecones, and more to set by graves.
Featuring ambient sounds recorded in a real-world cemetery, Seasonala is also tuned to the date and time of your PC or Mac – which means that the landscape will change dynamically as the seasons change, so it'll look different depending on when you decide to explore.
Out and About
Developer: Yaldi Games
Platform(s): PC (Playtest)
Out and About promises to take us on a nature-filled adventure as you forage for real-life plants. In the town of Portobello which you call home, a storm has just recently hit, and it's up to you to try to rebuild and help out the community by learning about the plant life in the open-world setting around you.
With over 100 real-life plants and fungi to identify, you'll search for food, cook recipes and herbal remedies, and get to know the town's residents as you all come together as a community. Complete with a customizable character and an inviting setting to explore, Out and About is now available to playtest on PC ahead of its launch, and is also set to release on consoles in 2026.
Squeakross: Home Squeak Home
Developer: Alblune
Platform(s): PC, Switch
Looking for a cheesy puzzle game with lots of decorating goodness? Well, look no further, because Squeakross: Home Squeak Home quite literally has you complete various cheese-themed puzzles. Each puzzle you complete then transforms into a piece of furniture that you place down to decorate your rodent abode.
Plus, it boasts a "rodent editor" which allows you to create your very own rodent, customizing their snout, ears, tail, and more so you can bring to life your very own little squeaky friend. With no time-limit on the puzzles and a hint system if you need help, it strives to be a laid back experience that has oodles of unlockable decorations and accessories to deck out your rodent and their home.
The Guardian of Nature
Developer: Inlusio Interactive
Platform(s): PC, Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, iOS, Android
The Guardian of Nature is a new puzzle adventure game that's all about our connection to nature. In a rather delightful twist, we'll take on the role of Henry, a guardian of nature who's able to change their size to interact with the environment in different ways as you set out to save The Tree of Life.
With a book of nature that chronicles your discoveries along the way, you'll also solve puzzles and uncover more about the guardians and their inventions as you explore the land. Described as a "modern-twist on point-and-click adventures", the first episode of the game is out now for you to try out.
Vending Dokan! Kozy Kiosk
Developer: Aftabi Games
Platform(s): PC (Early Access)
If you're on the lookout for a new idle game that can run in the background while you do other things, this one could be for you. Vending Dokan! Kozy Kiosk is a new idle simulation game that's all about you building up your very own vending machine empire. You'll be able to set down machines in a variety of locations across a city, and customize and design each area to your liking.
You can then hire to keep things running smoothly by assigning them to repairs, restocking, or cleaning, and make sure their needs are met to keep morale within your work force. Designed to be taken at your own pace, you can let your empire grow passively in the background, or be more hands-on when you want to, complete with some soothing music to add to its laid-back vibes.
