The Winning Formula of Wholesome Direct: A Conversation with Matthew Taylor and Jenny Windom

The fifth edition of Wholesome Direct recently took place, featuring over 70 independent games. Since its inception as a Twitter account in 2019, Wholesome Games has evolved into a yearly digital showcase, a monthly newsletter, and a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate cosy games. This year's event included new trailers for highly anticipated titles such as Tiny Bookshop, Dungeons of Hinterberg, and Été, as well as a wealth of new titles from small indie studios. Wholesome Direct provides a platform for underrepresented games, genres, creators, and cultures, making it a safe space for a often-underserved segment of the gaming community. The team behind Wholesome Games has always prioritised giving a platform to marginalised voices, with Taylor stating that he wanted to integrate this into the platform as soon as he realised its potential for positive impact. This vision is exemplified by Wholesome Direct being the only show to acknowledge the situation in Gaza and show solidarity to Palestine, with merchandise sales going to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. Jenny Windom, the organiser and host, explains that the team considers "wholesome" to be an ethos that encompasses developers' lived experiences and the specifics of their games. The selection process for Wholesome Direct is based on the team's gut impression of each game, with a focus on curating a variety of titles that fit into the overall showcase. Wholesome Games has a "developer first" approach, which has led to the launch of its own label, Wholesome Games Presents. This initiative offers funding, QA, marketing, publishing support, and more to select games. The team has worked on two successful releases so far: Doot & Blibloop's Minami Lane and Jess Yu's Usagi Shima. Taylor and Windom discuss their vision for the future of Wholesome Games, with Taylor hoping to grow the brand in a way that allows them to help more developers and have a greater impact on the industry. Windom is keen to see more takes from developers on what wholesomeness means to them and is looking forward to growing the brand in a way that stays true to its values. The team acknowledges that cosy games have faced mockery in the past, but believes that recognition for these types of games is growing. They point to the success of Venba, a game that won awards and was taken seriously, as a testament to the fact that different types of games can be successful and appreciated. Taylor and Windom conclude that the state of the world is still dire, and people are looking for media that provides escape, solace, and space to grapple with harder conversations. They believe that Wholesome Games has a strong foundation and is well-positioned to continue growing and making a positive impact on the gaming industry.