Why gamers are hugging animals rather than fragging enemies

The numbers are in: games are becoming less violent. A study of this month’s E3 trade event by industry publication Gamesindustry.biz found that 33 per cent of the games shown at the event contained no violence, almost double the number identified in 2019. This is heartening news because, while we know violent games do not cause real-world violence, it’s refreshing to see developers tackle a broader range of themes which represent the interests of an increasingly diverse gaming audience.

Of the 115 non-violent titles on show, including six from Nintendo and four from Xbox, a striking 63 came from just one presentation: a new platform called Wholesome Games. Founded by indie developer Matthew Taylor in 2019 to spotlight “uplifting and thoughtful” games, the volunteer-run project now boasts 200,000 fans across various platforms. At E3 it crammed 75 games into an hour-long showcase with no incentive other than to promote developers who operate outside the gloomy, blood-spattered halls of the gaming mainstream.

“Wholesome” refers to a tone rather than a gameplay genre. Most examples are brightly coloured with charming characters and storylines that eschew saving the world in favour of more mundane goals: cooking, farming, hiking, fishing, looking after a pet. Wholesomeness is a question of game design as much as aesthetics — instead of motivating players by exploiting the fight-or-flight response, gamifying bloodlust and punishing failure, wholesome games often elicit empathy and kindness via a more positive mechanic sometimes known as “tend-and-befriend”.

A sample from this year’s Wholesome Direct showcase includes games where you can play a farming cat, a photographer of dogs, a skateboarding pigeon, or, approaching wholesomeness terminal velocity, a café owner brewing artisan tea — for cats. 

These titles may seem cutesy and lightweight, but there is a serious mission driving Wholesome Games. Taylor notes that the most commercially and critically successful games are often the darkest and most violent. Wholesome titles stand apart: they rarely contain elaborate systems or demand fast reflexes and so are suitable for casual gamers — a group often overlooked in conversations about “proper games”. This inclusivity also stretches to development teams: Wholesome Games spotlights women and creators of colour far more than big publishers, and these developers see a sharp surge in interest in their games after being featured in its presentation. 

Our industry has catered specifically to young white men for nearly its entire existence

It’s tempting to draw a connection between the rise of Wholesome Games and the fact that the real world feels like an increasingly oppressive place for younger players. Between the pandemic, environmental collapse, and social media that monetises our anxiety, it’s understandable that gamers might choose a honey-hued world of talking animals over ultraviolence and trauma. Yet Taylor believes the rising visibility of wholesome titles is due to a rise in supply, not demand. “I genuinely believe the players who want these kinds of experiences have always existed, but our industry has catered specifically to young white men for nearly its entire existence,” he told me. Successes such as Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley have paved the way for a wave of indie developers to address these previously overlooked communities. 

There is a danger that an organisation promoting wholesome games may appear to cast a moral judgment on games that fall outside its remit. Wholesome Games acknowledges the possible connection between wholesomeness and “toxic positivity” on its website, referring to language like “family values”, a euphemism sometimes used by conservatives to oppose sexual and bodily rights. Yet Wholesome Games makes clear that its definition of “wholesome” is subjective and open for debate. Taylor’s response to online critics is typically sympathetic: “The truth is that there are smart, good-hearted people who want to make sure that the promotion and popularity of wholesome games doesn’t interfere with any creator’s ability to tell complicated, messy, sometimes violent stories.”

Other critics have wondered if wholesomeness can be limiting — how deeply can a game explore important themes if it needs to maintain an unwaveringly serene, stress-free atmosphere? Yet there is a surprising degree of latitude to explore political and psychological topics within the framework. Signs of the Sojourner’s vibrant world belies a deep exploration of the pain of miscommunication, and while Spiritfarer may allow you to hug your animal pals, it also tackles topics such as grief and mental illness.

In a world where violent, portentous, hypermasculine games are the norm, Wholesome Games argues that making a game which is uplifting, low-stakes, and even feminine, is truly rebellious. “Sometimes it’s a radical act to make dark or upsetting art,” they write, “and sometimes it’s radical to make hopeful art in times of adversity.”