Healthful Direct 2024: the cutest video games

Regardless of its cozy look, Healthful Direct 2024 is definitely shaping as much as be essentially the most packed occasion of Summer season Sport Fest. The hour-long presentation featured greater than 70 totally different video games. Some have been brand-new bulletins, some have been beforehand recognized video games that acquired a contemporary trailer or launch date, and a handful of titles even launched throughout the occasion.

Now, 70 is a big quantity, so to assist, I’ve curated the video games that stood out to me essentially the most. You can too watch the total presentation proper right here to soak in each element. Even higher: lots of the video games have demos on Steam you can take a look at. Anyway, listed below are my picks, in no specific order.

Kamaeru appears like a extra interactive tackle Neko Atsume, solely with frogs as a substitute of cats and a fantastic painterly artwork type. The objective is to not solely construct a sanctuary to boost these frogs in but in addition restore their wetland habitat. Better of all: it’s out at the moment.

That is what would occur for those who mashed Animal Crossing with Picross. The sport is all about fixing nonograms, which then create objects (out of cheese, naturally) that you should use to brighten a comfortable residence. It additionally appears to be jam-packed with mouse puns.

Calling Stardew Valley followers. Discounty appears prefer it has a equally charming vibe, solely with much less farming and extra enterprise. As a substitute of build up a farmstead, you’re tasked with working a grocery retailer in a small city, which naturally means getting deeply concerned locally.

A side-scrolling platformer that appears a bit like Tremendous Mario Bros. 2, if solely it was coated in Japanese folklore and mythology. It additionally comes from the identical developer behind the oddball political platformer Tremendous Bernie World.

Moonstone Island is already out on PC, however its mixture of life sim and creature assortment seems like an ideal match for the Swap. There’s lots happening on this sport: farming, potion brewing, card-based battles, and spirits to tame. Plus, you’ll be able to experience round on a brush.

The top of the world is normally darkish and dire, however Caravan SandWitch takes issues in a barely extra healthful path. It’s an exploration sport about venturing by means of a wasteland in your trusty van, and it has no fight or loss of life, so you’ll be able to drive round at your personal tempo.

That is trying like essentially the most charming The place’s Waldo?-style sport since Hidden People. However whereas that was a black-and-white world, Misplaced and Discovered Co. is bursting with shade. It even has a cute little dragon.

From the creators of Espresso Speak, Afterlove EP is described as “a colourful mixtape of genres” that’s half relationship sim, half rhythm sport, and half story-driven journey. No matter it’s, it each appears and sounds nice, with hand-drawn artwork from Soyatu and a soundtrack of Indonesian pop-rock from L’alphalpha.