Technology

FINALLY, AN ONLINE COMMUNITY THAT CELEBRATES THE CHILL AND COZY SIDE OF GAMING—HERE’S TO THE ‘WHOLESOME GAMES’

Not all of us are into action, high-intensity adventures, and jamming our controls at utmost speed to defeat boss levels. There's a growing group within the gaming community that's starting to be more vocal about their relaxing interests, and "Wholesome Games" is at the initiative's front lines.

PAULINE NACAR / 25 June 2021

The most common picture of gaming these days revolve around hardcore gamers enjoying heavy action games and mega-excitable experiences, and the titles that are often depicted as successful are the ones that fit that particular bill. But, as gaming becomes more accessible for everyone, games are also diversifying their genres with more laidback titles that aim to relax someone’s mind, instead of amping up their hearts.

One of the biggest platforms making this happen is Wholesome Games, an online community that started out as just a Twitter account sharing relaxing titles. Over the past few months, the account has grown tremendously as more cozy gamers join in on the fun, and the community it fostered has grown on Discord, YouTube, Twitter, and more virtual spaces. The page amplifies indie cozy games, and not just the big titles like The Sims, Animal Crossing, and other huge franchises that have basically been the whole genre for the past few years.

As major gaming platforms held their respective annual E3 events (Electronic Entertainment Expo trade events for the video game industry) where the biggest announcements for the coming months is revealed mid-year, Wholesome Games also hosted their own E3 stream for all the laidback gamers out there.

Titled “Wholesome Direct”, fashioned after the Nintendo Direct showcase, the admins listed down some of the most exciting releases in indie simulation, cooking, storytelling, and more. What also sets this exhibition apart is that it’s not limited to one gaming console alone like Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, or PC—it’s for every cozy game in the market, regardless of which platform it’s hosted on.

Some of the most highly-anticipated indie games highlighted on the event includes Paralives, a new life simulation game giving The Sims a run for its money, Bear & Breakfast, a management game that lets you run a bed&breakfast in the woods as a bear, and Unpacking, a puzzle-type title that literally asks the player to go through boxes of clutter to design various rooms with, to name a few out of the 70 games revealed.

If you’re looking for heartwarming games to play right now, though, there are loads of ready-to-play titles on all the Wholesome Games pages, YouTube for trailers, Twitter for regular announcements and shares, and Discord for your usual cozy game discussions.

It could truly be a long task just to find that perfect game to enjoy before going to bed, or after a stressful day in school or at work. This is especially true as online algorithm systems usually put violent and thrilling titles on top of the search piles. But thanks to groups like Wholesome Games, there’s finally a corner on the Internet where the best “wholesome” games come to stay and play.