Wholesome Gaming Round-Up 2025 – 49

There’s lots to look forward to this week in wholesome gaming, whether you’re hunting for a good deal, eyeing upcoming cosy adventures, or checking out the latest updates.

You can pick up the cute Bubble Cow plush from Story of Seasons, look ahead to new arrivals like LOK Digital on Switch, the survival strategy game TownsFolk, the return of Pumuckl in early 2026, and the rogue-like wordplay of Letterally.

On the update front, Flotsam has officially launched, while Planet Coaster 2 adds fresh fun with its new Toybox Pack. If you’re ready to play something right now, Hello Kitty and Friends World has arrived on mobile and POPUCOM on Switch. And for a sneak peek at what’s next, you can try the new demo for Clean Up Earth.

Bubble Cow Plush From STORY OF SEASONS

Marvelous Europe has teamed up with Makeship to bring a brand-new plushie inspired by the beloved Bubble Cow from STORY OF SEASONS. If you’ve been tending virtual fields since the series first appeared back in 1996, this little companion will feel like a familiar friend.

The plushie looks like a cheerful farm buddy, perfect for brightening your desk or keeping you company while you play. It captures the cosy, colourful spirit that makes STORY OF SEASONS look like such a welcoming game.

You can order the Bubble Cow plushie from the Makeship Store for $ 29.99, but you can’t use it as a Christmas present, as production starts at the end of the year and the expected shipping date is April 24, 2026. It’s only available to order until 19 December 2025.

LOK Digital Coming to Switch

Margaret gave LOK Digital our highest rating when she reviewed the game on Steam. And now, LOK Digital is heading to Nintendo Switch on 9 December 2025.

LOK Digital is from the award-winning team at Draknek & Friends, the studio behind A Monster’s Expedition, Bonfire Peaks, and A Good Snowman Is Hard To Build.

If you enjoy thinky puzzle games that balance charm with brain-teasing depth, LOK Digital is one you’ll want on your radar.

New Demo For Clean Up Earth

A new demo of Clean Up Earth is now live on Steam, bringing a host of improvements inspired by early player feedback. And we are happy to report that one of the players who gave feedback was Soozi, as you can read in her playtest article.

You’ll find deeper gameplay, richer narrative elements, smoother onboarding, and expanded customisation, all designed to make the experience more engaging and accessible.

This update looks like a big step forward ahead of the upcoming Kickstarter campaign, while the full release of Clean Up Earth is set for Q1 2026 on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Survival Strategy Game TownsFolk

TownsFolk is a survival strategy game where every choice shapes the fate of your frontier. Starting with just a handful of settlers, you’ll guide them as they rebuild after ruin, manage scarce resources, and carve out a thriving village in the wild. Each tile you uncover looks like it could hold risks, rewards, or story-shaping decisions, so strategy really is key.

The game features handcrafted campaign missions across five regions, endless skirmish mode, and procedurally generated maps for high replayability. You’ll face dynamic weather, disasters, tribute deadlines, and more, while experimenting with multiple factions, adjacency bonuses, and weekly challenges.

TownsFolk is planned for 2026 on Steam.

Hello Kitty and Friends World – Out Now

You can now step into Hello Kitty and Friends World, a colourful new mobile game from Sanrio and Tap Tap Tales. It looks like a joyful playground where you explore a vibrant city alongside Hello Kitty, Kuromi, Pompompurin, and more of your favourite Sanrio characters.

You’ll find five themed houses, each with rooms you can fully customise – from cosy bedrooms to playful gardens.
It looks like a creative space where you can decorate, cook, and combine over 100 foods while interacting with animated furniture.
There are 27 mini-games, three for each character, designed to spark imagination and exploration.
You can collect more than 25 plushies to decorate your world or simply play freely.
Best of all, it looks like a safe, pressure-free environment – no timers, no rules, just fun and storytelling at your own pace.

Hello Kitty and Friends World is available now on Google Play, the Apple AppStore, and the Amazon Appstore.

Pumuckl Returns in Early 2026

If you grew up in Germany in the eighties, you’ll remember the cheeky red-haired kobold, Pumuckl. Now he’s back in Pumuckl and the Crown of the Pirate King, a colourful new adventure from Quantumfrog and THQ Nordic.

This time you’re not just visiting Master Eder’s Munich workshop – you’re stepping into a magical pirate world. It looks like the perfect setting for Pumuckl, who outsmarts skeleton pirates, solves clever puzzles in isometric 3D levels, and dives into mini-games. Along the way, you’ll meet new companions like Captain Krimskrams and Krakula the parrot.

You can play solo or team up in local co-op mode, guiding Pumuckl and Captain Krimskrams through their quest to uncover the Pirate King’s crown.

Pumuckl and the Crown of the Pirate King launches in early 2026 for PC and Nintendo Switch, priced at €39,99.

Letterally Brings Roguelike Flair to Word Games

You’ve seen word puzzles before, but Letterally looks like something different. Announced by Swedish solo developer The Tomorrow Committee, it blends competitive wordplay with roguelike progression.

Instead of relying purely on vocabulary, you’ll craft builds by upgrading letter tiles and picking up Totems between rounds. Each run takes you across a 10-level board, with a clever “turn economy” that lets you bank unused turns for the final showdown.

Boss battles look like the real twist here. More than 20 unique opponents not only play their own words but also change the rules – from banning certain letters to forcing you to discard tiles. It’s up to you to outscore them using your saved turns and item synergies.

With roguelike builds, meta-progression, and modes ranging from Campaign to Endless and quirky Challenges, Letterally looks like a word game where strategy matters as much as spelling.

Letterally is currently in development for Steam.

POPUCOM Landed on Switch

POPUCOM has just landed on Nintendo Switch, bringing its colourful co-op adventure to handheld play. It looks like a vibrant, multiplayer romp where teamwork and charm go hand in hand.

On PC, the game has also received a hefty update with fresh levels and smoother online features, so you can dive back in with friends. The POPUCOM × Arknights Collab Event adds exclusive outfit packs and playful mini-games aboard the Pancake, giving you even more reasons to jump in.

You can pick up POPUCOM now on Nintendo eShop for £15.75 / €17.99, with bundle options like the Too Many Clothes Edition offering extra outfits and collab packs.

There are also launch rewards: log in by 7 p.m. PST / 10 p.m. EST on 17 December 2025, and you’ll snag two free outfit sets (six items in total).

Full Launch of Flotsam

Flotsam, the colourful survival town-builder from developer Pajama Llama Games and publisher Stray Fawn Publishing, has officially sailed out of Steam Early Access today with its Version 1.0 launch. You can now dive into the full release for $24.99 / €22.99 / £19.99.

After years of community-driven development, the game arrives with a full story campaign, new regions to explore, and an upgraded gameplay experience.

You’ll meet four new specialists—Chemist, Electrician, Birdkeeper, and Aquaculturist—each bringing their own quests, and you can expand your floating town with new buildings and an upgrade system that adds helpful tools like Air Filters and Gas Bags. With achievements, quality-of-life improvements, and fresh story content, Flotsam’s big 1.0 update invites you to return to the waves and build your drifting community.

Planet Coaster 2 Toybox Pack is Out

The Planet Coaster 2 Toybox Pack is out now, bringing a playful burst of colour to your parks with five new rides, oversized toy-themed scenery pieces, and a brand-new Entertainer, Max Stormcloud. You can find more info about the update here.

Alongside the pack, you’re also getting a major free update that adds snow, thunderstorms, expanded management tools, and the return of the Festive theme. It’s a great time to jump back in and give your park a fresh, whimsical makeover.