Check out all the kind and cute games shown off in the Wholesome Direct
Sugar, spice, and everything nice
June's not quite here but we're already being treated to a few digital showcases in the style of E3 presentations. Wholesome Direct rounded up a whole 55 indie games with varying styles of kindness and cuteness to show off in a 35-minute show. A few big names like town sim Ooblets and boat manager Spiritfarer showed up to join arms with some smaller but equally swell looking games you may not have heard of. You can rewatch the entire show below.
"Wholesome" is of course just a jumping-off point, a loose connective tissue between all the games selected by the Wholesome Games Twitter account wot spearheaded the showcase. Some eschew combat entirely and some don't. Some have a sugary sweet art style and others are rougher. Generally speaking, they've all got some quality that makes them gentle or kind or cute, though that doesn't mean they can't tackle some tough topics too.
Ooblets showed off a new video full of farming, fishing, and Oob dance battles. Glumberland didn't opt to toss out a release date though, going for "coming pretty soon" instead.
Magical girl cat cafe sim Calico announced an October release window along with a new look at its cake decorating, cat collecting, and some new characters for the very pink magical village.
There are a ton, 53 specifically, of other games to spot in the presentation. Some are accompanied by developer commentary and a few just have quick video snippets at the end. Stardew-like farm and town sim Snacko (pictured up top) showed off placing buildings and its two kitten protagonists. Mondo Museum, a museum management sim, announced plans for early access this year. Co-op puzzler KeyWe gave a look at its two cute kiwi protagonists in their little post office.
If you're looking for a bit of sweet in your genre of choice—whether that be puzzles, dating sims, adventure games, or something else—you'll probably find something to keep an eye on in the showcase above.