Wholesome Snack Live Coverage - All the wholesome game stream news as it happens

Tchia

First up we've got the tropical open-world adventure Tchia! The developer behind this game, Awaceb, has revealed on Twitter that its game will make an appearance and that the team has "cooked something very special to show you!" Which can only mean we're about to find out even more about the very exciting game.

We were lucky enough to experience some of this game, which you can read all about in our Tchia hands-on preview. 

Mineko's Night Market

Another developer who has shared that its game will be at the event is
Meowza Games, who will soon be bringing us Mineko's Night Market! This narrative-driven adventure game celebrates Japanese culture and will see little Mineko set up shop in a mysterious and rundown village. There's still a lot to discover about this game but one thing is for sure, it's going to have A LOT of cats in it. What's not to be excited about?!

We recently got a brand new gameplay trailer for this game and it did in fact feature lots of cats. 

Mail Time

We're also going to see more of the adorable mail delivery sim game Mail Time! This cottage-core-inspired title is being developed by a solo developer:
Kela van der Deijl (aka @KelaMakesGames!) If you're after a game that is literally just cuteness and good vibes, you need to look into Mail Time when it releases sometime in 2023!

We liked Mail Time so much that it even made our 7 upcoming cozy games that should be on your radar list!

Blanc

We first saw Blanc during a Nintendo Direct earlier this year where it very quickly won over the hearts of everyone thanks to its adorable fawn and wolf pup protagonists. We're about to see it again during today's Wholesome Snack as developer Casus Ludi confirmed late last month. Thankfully, we don't have to wait long for this one as Blanc is due to release on PC and Nintendo Switch on none other than Valentine's Day 2023 (Feb 14). 

We were lucky enough to speak to studio founder and Blanc game designer Florent De Grissac who told us the reasoning behind the unlikely pairing. 

Spirittea

If you're a fan of the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away, as well as games like Stardew Valley, then this is a game you should look forward to seeing more of today. Thanks to a tweet from developer The Cheese Master, we now know that we're going to see more of Spirittea at today's Wholesome Snack.

That's me done for now! I'll be back just before Wholesome Snack: The Game Awards Edition kicks off in around 4 hours' time! 

See you then! 

30 mins to go

Here we go! The 30-minute countdown has begun! As this is only a Wholesome Snack and not a full Wholesome Direct, it's likely that the live stream will only last around 15 - 30 minutes this time. That's still plenty of time to find several exciting games to add to your wishlist though, so make sure you've got Steam open at the ready to search for any of the games that take your fancy! 

Not long to wait now!

5 mins to go

It's almost here! Time to get cozy...

Mail Time

First up we've got Mail Time! Have you ever seen a game as cute as this? As I mentioned earlier, Mail Time is being developed by solo developer Kela van der Deijl and is hugely inspired by the Cottagecore aesthetic. The exciting news we got this time around is that Mail Time will be releasing in April 2023! On PC, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch!

Mineko's Night Market Steam demo

Here's Mineko's Night Market! I know this game is at the top of a lot of people's wishlists so great news, a demo for Mineko's Night Market is now live on Steam! It's also due to release on Nintendo Switch sometime next year. 

A Most Extraordinary Gnome

I love the scrapbook aesthetic of this game, it's really giving me Super Paper Mario vibes. A Most Extraordinary Gnome is a 2D platformer that features all of the things we associate with Gnomes, including a forest, toadstools, and animals like deer, rabbits, moles, and even a skunk. If you were a fan of this trailer, the great news is that A Most Extraordinary Gnome is out today on PC!  

Spirittea

Here's Spirittea that we mentioned earlier! This bathhouse is full of unusual guests of the spirit variety. Just like in the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away, it looks like players will have to appease the guests whilst managing the bathhouse, making friends with the locals, and playing a variety of minigames. This trailer revealed that we will be able to play Spirittea in Q1 2023 and that it'll be available via Xbox Game Pass on day one.

Fae Farm

The Stardew Valley dupes have been coming in thick and fast lately and it looks like they're not going anywhere anytime soon as we've now got Fae Farm to add to our wishlists. Just like a lot of games that came before it, it looks like players will be farming, decorating their homes, and dabbling in magic every once in a while. What makes Fae Farm interesting though is that it can be played with up to four players at once!

Way to the Woods

It feels like I've been waiting forever to see more of Way to the Woods and now, (finally!) we've got a release date! This gorgeous exploration game features more deer who are on a journey to get back home. We can look forward to playing Way to the Woods in March 2023. 

Tchia

It's Tchia! This game has been on a lot of people's wishlists for a while now, and clearly for a good reason! Tchiawill have players learning all about the island of New Caledonia (an island in the South Pacific) by meeting the locals, learning the language, and playing the Ukulele. We'll be able to explore the game's idyllic setting in "early 2023" on PS4, PS5, and PC (via the Epic Games Store). 

Loddlenaut

Oooh a satisfying ocean clean-up game! Also, Loddles?! I've never been more convinced to play a game in my life. In this underwater exploration game, players will be responsible for cleaning up the ocean and making friends with these adorable little creatures called Loddles. If you're desperate to give this game a go ASAP, the good news is that Loddlenaut has a demo available right now on Steam! We'll also be able to play the full thing in September 2023. 

Blanc

I've been looking forward to Blanc ever since it popped up in a Nintendo Direct earlier this year! Although a fawn and wolf pup may seem like an unlikely duo, these two obviously make it work though in this co-op narrative adventure game. To make things even cuter, the release date for this game is actually Valentine's Day! - that's February 14, 2023, for those not in the know!

Tiny Glade

Ahhh a relaxing city builder, I could watch this for hours. Tiny Glade is literally just building up the world around you, with no management, no combat, and no wrong way to do it. This is very much for the cozy gamers out there who just want to kick back and relax by building tiny walls and adding tiny gates to them. Oh also, there's tiny sheep too!

Bits & Bops

Wait, is this like WarioWare but with adorable animals instead? Sign me up! The world definitely needs more rhythm games, especially ones as cute as this one. We don't have a release date for Bits & Bops just yet since the game is still currently on Kickstarter! You can play a demo for it via Steam right now!

Distant Bloom

If a game starts off with a voice-over from a David Attenborough sound-a-like, you know it's going to be good. This laid-back management game features some of the cutest aliens I've ever seen. Unfortunately, no release date yet, we just know it's coming to Steam sometime in 2023, and you can play its demo right now! 

Valley Peaks

Look at the little frogs! There's something weirdly hypnotic about watching a frog fling itself up a mountain in the first-person perspective, so this game is probably going to be really addictive to play. It's also giving me flashbacks to A Short Hike, so if you're a fan of that climbing game, you'll probably like this one too! It's set to release sometime this year and has a demo available to play now on Steam.

Europa

I know I've already mentioned Studio Ghibli a lot in this post but boy, does Europa give off Ghibli vibes (specifically Castle in the Sky!). It's also reminding me of Breath of the Wild - which can only be a good thing! It seems like we're still a little off of this game's release right now as there's no demo just yet. It is due to release sometime next year though so it's a good idea to keep track of Europa by adding it to your wishlist! 

It's done!

And that's a wrap! There's been so many exciting indie games featured this evening, and even more are expected to pop up later in the night! If you liked any of the games that appeared during the Wholesome Snack direct, don't forget to add them to your wishlist on your chosen platform and to follow the games' devs on socials!

If you're sticking around for The Game Awards later this evening (7:30PM ET / 4:30PM PT / 12:30AM GMT), you can keep up to date with our The Game Awards 2022 coverage, as well as find out how to tune in yourself with our how to watch The Game Awards 2022 live guide (it's linked above!)

Thanks everyone!