Wholesome Games collaborated with The Game Awards to present an indie game showcase featuring over 20 upcoming titles. Titled Wholesome Snack: The Game Awards Edition, this 30-minute event unveiled several surprises, including a sequel to Toem, an update on Winter Burrow, and a selection of significant world premieres.
Renowned for its indie showcases spotlighting “cozy” gaming experiences, Wholesome Games has a track record of exciting reveals and surprise launches. This edition was no exception, with several titles and updates scheduled for release today and later this week.
The highlight of the showcase was the announcement of Toem 2, a follow-up to the 2021 black-and-white photography adventure, Toem: A Photo Adventure. While details were scarce, a logo for the game was revealed, and it is currently in development. Additionally, there was announcement of another sequel: Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping, continuing the popular series.
The event also featured various release date announcements. The minimalist river exploration game Naiad was released unexpectedly during the event. Meanwhile, the idle game Rusty’s Retirement received a free update, adding new crops and a winter biome. Additionally, the narrative adventure game Pine: A Story of Loss, which tells a tale of a woodworker grappling with grief, is set to be released this Friday.
In total, more than 20 games were spotlighted, showcasing several notable titles. Winter Burrow, originally announced during Xbox’s 2024 summer showcase, featured a new trailer highlighting its winter survival gameplay and cooking mechanics. The showcase also included a fresh trailer for Despelote, now confirmed for the Switch along with other platforms. A personal favorite was Piece by Piece, slated for launch in 2025, which revolves around the concept of repairing broken items.
The complete list of games featured in the showcase is provided below, with most available for wishlisting on Steam and some offering new demos for players:
- Capy Castaway
- Tales of Seikyu
- Piece by Piece
- Rusty’s Retirement
- Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping
- Lou’s Lagoon
- Pine: A Story of Loss
- River Towns
- Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To
- Winter Burrow
- Snufkin: Memories of Moomin Valley — Fuddler’s Courtship
- Aikyam
- Loftia
- Star Birds
- Locomoto
- Naiad
- A Waddleful Life
- Pinbleton Park
- Despelote
- Sugardew Island
- Wylde Society
- Toem 2
