Key Takeaways
- Multiple gaming showcases are revealing new announcements and games.
- Wholesome Direct was packed with 70+ indie games for cozy vibes.
- Unique indie games showcased include Fruitbus, Building Relationships, and Rooster.
The early weeks of June have been packed with gaming showcases. For almost a full week there are events running almost all day long where studios and developers are making new announcements and showing off new looks at some fantastic games on the horizon and beyond. There are a few heavy hitters that most people will be tuning in for, such as Summer Game Fest and the Xbox Game Showcase, but that’s just scratching the surface of all the announcements happening. Most of the bigger showcases only have a few actual surprises in them, while the smaller ones are almost guaranteed to show you something you’ve never seen before.
As great as the Devolver Direct was, it was limited to only those indie games being published by Devolver itself. If you wanted the most bang for your buck in terms of indie game goodness, the Wholesome Direct is on another level. This showcase was jam-packed with over 70 games meant to bring you those warm and cozy vibes. That’s a ton of games to keep in mind, let alone remember if you were watching live. If you happened to miss this delightful look at dozens of upcoming indies – plus a few that got surprise releases during the show – I can point out a handful of my favorites that I think you’d enjoy.
Xbox’s latest studio cuts prove consolidation is gutting gaming, and the worst is yet to come
The harsh truth is more Xbox studio closures are likely coming.
1 Fruitbus
Delivering smiles
There are plenty of open-world games, and plenty of cooking games, but I can’t think of any besides Fruitbus that combines the two. You will manage your very own Fruitbus to drive around, collect ingredients, and create your own meals to sell to the cute animal patrons. The more tasty your dishes are, the more your reputation with the customers will grow. You can upgrade your bus with more appliances to make even more delicious meals as you gain more money. Plus you can fully deck out the exterior to match your personality. There’s also a hidden mystery surrounding the bus’s past owner to help pull you along while improving your cooking skills.
4 LGBTQ+ inclusive games to play during Pride Month
Celebrate Pride Month by playing some great games that push the boundaries of representation.
2 Building Relationships
Literally and figuratively
We’ve had relationship games where you can play as a human, monster, and even pigeon, but never a house before. Building Relationships sounds like a game built off a pun, and I’m here for it. You play as a house rolling and sliding around the world looking for buildings to date. These can be windmills, tents, other houses, and who knows what else. While the actual dating mechanics aren’t fully shown, there does seem to be a dialog system full of building puns. There is also a fishing minigame where you fish for…cars. It looks completely off the wall, but also incredibly earnest.
5 live-service games you’ll lose days of your life playing
If you’re not careful, playing these life-service games will eat up all your free time.
3 Lost and Found Co.
The new Where’s Waldo
The magic of those old Where’s Waldo books wasn’t in the idea of looking for something hidden in a picture, but all the fun and cute things you found while looking for it. Lost and Found Co. nails that idea but also makes it even more charming thanks to adding in animations and more ways to look and explore a picture. You can zoom in and out, and even go inside buildings to look for specific objects. Every corner of the bright worlds you’re presented with is filled with personality and detail. It seems like a perfect game to chill out with and destress.
How to play all the Assassin’s Creed games in order
The Assassin’s Creed series is a mess of numbers and subtitles. Let me break down the timeline so you know where to begin.
4 Rooster
Happy new year
The first thing you will notice about Rooster is its striking watercolor art style. Both it and its themes and story are based on the Chinese zodiac. After Rooster is sent back in time to learn lessons about life, you will play as each of the main zodiac animals in their own chapters that feature completely unique gameplay elements. A few listed include a hidden object game, dating sim, puzzle, tower defense, and more. The overall core of the game is focused on creating joy, love, and helping others. That’s a message I think we can all use more of in gaming, plus the focus on Chinese mythology in an authentic way isn’t heavily represented either.
4 terrible entries in otherwise great video game series that we all pretend don’t exist
Even the greatest video game franchises can have a dud or two that we all try and forget even happened.
5 Afterlove EP
Follow the rhythm of your heart
Afterlove EP only had a quick trailer but instantly stuck in my mind. The crude but expressive art works perfectly with the somber musical tones of the soundtrack to make a vibe that feels very down to earth. Billed as part rhythm game and part slice-of-life visual novel, you take control of a young man named Rama who is grappling with the recent death of his girlfriend. The game will take place over 28 days as he tries to find a way to accept that loss and find a healthy way to move on and begin building his future. You can choose where to spend your time, with who, and what relationships are worth investing in. I can see this one hitting very hard for anyone who has experienced loss and in need of some catharsis.
5 impossible PlayStation trophies that have gamers hurling controllers
Anyone who is able to earn these PlayStation trophies deserves a real trophy.
Trending Products
