Exhibiting off over 70 indie video games with positivity and compassion at their core, right this moment’s Wholesome Direct had fairly a number of neat video games to control, whether or not right this moment marked their world premiere or simply the debut of a model new trailer. A handful of video games even acquired shock releases, and there are fairly a number of extra demos out proper now!
From a cheese-filled adorning simulator for mice to an exploration sport the place you play as a home on a date (and a formidable variety of video games with “lands” someplace of their titles), listed below are 15 of our favourite video games from this 12 months’s Wholesome Direct.
Squeakross: Residence Squeak Residence
Receiving a world premiere at right this moment’s Wholesome Direct, Squeakross: Residence Squeak House is an adorably named mixture between a puzzle sport and a adorning simulator. Gamers will clear up furniture-shaped puzzles fabricated from cheese, watch because the cheese turns into furnishings, after which use it to brighten rooms for his or her mice. With tons of of furnishings objects, stickers, and equipment obtainable, I’m already decided to gather the whole lot and be the very best mouse father or mother I might be.
Squeakross doesn’t have a launch window but, however it’s headed to Steam (and can run on Steam Deck).
Fruitbus
Within the upcoming journey sport Fruitbus, gamers will get to customise their very own meals truck, drive round and collect elements from an open world, and assist lovely clients by cooking. Whereas the core sport loop is concentrated round cooking and experimenting with recipes, there’s additionally a story in regards to the earlier proprietor’s previous to uncover, stirring up what seems to be a tasty stability between open-ended gameplay and story.
Fruitbus is headed to Steam and consoles this October, and it additionally has a demo out now.
Wax Heads
I’ve at all times been on the hunt for a sport that authentically nails the sensation of simply actually caring about music, and Wax Heads appears to have it down completely. Set within the struggling retailer Repeated Data, gamers will assist quirky clients discover the proper album to take house. Alongside the best way, they’re going to play minigames, get distracted by the store’s secrets and techniques, and study every musical act (like Scandinavian metallic band Jarhead, which can or might not have… murdered their very own singer and stored his head in a jar).
It’s headed to Steam and has a demo out proper now — no phrase on a launch date but, although.
Constructing Relationships
Flaunting what’s presumably the weirdest idea I’ve ever seen in a Wholesome Direct, Constructing Relationships is a courting and exploration sim the place you play as… a home. Whereas exploring a 3D island and its many biomes, you’ll seek for eligible bachelor pads, fish for vehicles, uncover secrets and techniques, and unlock motion expertise that allow you to lumber up mountains.
Constructing Relationships is headed to Steam, Itch.io, and consoles later this 12 months.
POOOOL
Sitting someplace between final 12 months’s viral Suika Recreation and GamePigeon 8-Ball is POOOOL, a tiny physics puzzler about combining pool balls with faces whereas saving area for extra. It’s clear, colourful, and stuffed with satisfying sound results. It’s additionally simply unexpectedly difficult to get the hold of, as pool balls get heavier and slower as they develop, which provides a neat dimension of talent to the rising camp of 2048-like video games.
Receiving a shock launch throughout right this moment’s Wholesome Direct, POOOOL is out now on Steam.
Littlelands
All the things seems like a toy in Littlelands, an journey sport with detailed, stylized environments that simply make the characters look… so small and cute! It’s just a little bit like Animal Crossing — gamers can catch bugs, fish, develop berries, and befriend their neighbors — however it additionally has an exploration component, and gamers may even head to harmful areas inhabited by goblins.
Littlelands doesn’t but have a launch window, however it’s headed to (*15*).
Tiny Lands 2
What’s even smaller than Littlelands? Tiny Lands 2! On this discover the distinction puzzle sport, gamers will discover the variations between photorealistic miniature worlds that inform their very own tales. Every scene made up of huge objects is inhabited by little individuals, whether or not they’re conducting site visitors amid a cluttered desk stuffed with artwork provides, gathering round a fireplace beneath a tea kettle, or diving right into a cup of espresso.
At the moment’s Wholesome Direct marked the world premiere of Tiny Lands 2, which is headed to Steam, the Epic Games Retailer, and Swap.
Sally
There’s lots to do in Sally, which doubles as the secret in addition to its topic, a magical ship that’s in quest of floating islands. Gamers can cook dinner, deal with animals, work within the machine room, and disembark to assemble sources from floating islands, all whereas main the Sally to its vacation spot. Better of all, although, they’ll make pals and discover a sense of group amongst a roster of characters that modifications with each sport — “everybody’s in the identical boat.”
Sally has a brand new demo out now and is headed to Steam and Swap.
Misplaced and Discovered Co.
Misplaced and Discovered Co. is a hidden objects sport that takes place in a superbly hand-drawn world stuffed with persona. Alongside a solid of quirky characters, gamers can seek for objects in bustling boardwalks, eating places, houses, gardens and extra, getting to brighten their workplace (and restore the celebrity of a forgotten goddess, no large deal) as a neat little reward.
With a brand new demo out proper now, Misplaced and Discovered Co. is headed to Steam, consoles, and cell.
Into The Emberlands
Into The Emberlands is an exploration sport about bringing gentle again to a procedurally generated world engulfed by darkness (and serving to carry house the villagers who acquired misplaced alongside the best way). As soon as they’re house, gamers might help their newfound neighbors thrive by repairing homes, working errands, and increasing the village. Simply don’t let the lantern gentle fade!
Into The Emberlands is slated for launch on Steam later this 12 months and acquired a brand new demo right this moment.
Tracks of Thought
Tracks of Thought is a comfy thriller that’s set on a practice. After the practice goes by a mysterious tunnel, each bug on board one way or the other forgets the place they’re headed. By way of card battles, gamers (enjoying as a extremely cute ladybug) might help their fellow bugs resolve conflicts, attain a consensus, and clear up the thriller, all whereas making their technique to the management room by the practice’s many various vehicles.
Tracks of Thought additionally acquired a shock launch right this moment, and it’s out now on Steam and the Epic Games Retailer.
Curiosmos
A photo voltaic system seemingly made out of clay is the participant’s canvas in Curiosmos, an lovely area journey sport that acquired a brand new trailer throughout right this moment’s Wholesome Direct. Gamers can chip away at planet surfaces with meteors, drag particles into black holes, and add gravity (and even life) to lovely planets with faces. Whereas there isn’t a lot details about Curiosmos obtainable but, I’m curious to see what sort of sandbox journey it’d form as much as be.
Curiosmos isn’t but slated to launch on a particular platform, however extra info might be discovered on its website.
Rooster
Receiving a brand new trailer throughout right this moment’s Wholesome Direct, Rooster is a degree and click on narrative journey in regards to the animals of the Chinese language zodiac. Every stage has utterly completely different gameplay that ranges from cooking and courting sims to tower protection and hidden objects (all depicted within the sport’s beautiful watercolor artwork fashion), and all of it culminates in a narrative about serving to others and sharing love.
It’s headed to Steam and consoles early subsequent 12 months.
Caravan SandWitch
Caravan SandWitch is a story journey a few younger girl looking the desolate world of Cigalo for her misplaced sister. Whereas the trailer reveals off the sport’s exploration, together with driving the sport’s signature yellow caravan by superbly modeled futuristic environments, using on a zipline, and traversing by huge storms, the Steam web page additionally guarantees a significant narrative about residing in concord regardless of over-exploitation.
Caravan SandWitch is headed to Steam and the Epic Games Retailer together with Swap and PS5, and it acquired a model new demo throughout right this moment’s Wholesome Direct.
Goodlands
Goodlands is a sport about being a dinosaur and unearthing fossils of different dinosaurs in an open world impressed by the Badlands. With an artwork fashion vaguely paying homage to A Quick Hike, gamers will customise their very own dinosaur, clear fossils in minigames, and restore an empty museum by donating their model new digs.
Goodlands was briefly proven off through the direct’s montage part and is headed to Steam and Itch.io.
Discover extra info on all of those video games (and the remainder we couldn’t match on this roundup) on the Wholesome Games website or on the Wholesome Direct Steam curator page. Wholesome Direct can also be a part of IGN’s Summer time of Gaming, which accommodates fairly a number of showcases and runs by the tip of June.
Amelia Zollner is a contract author at IGN who loves all issues indie and Nintendo. Exterior of IGN, they’ve contributed to websites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun, and so they’re at present growing a sport known as Garage Sale. Discover them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.