The Wholesome Games Direct’s vibes steal the summer show again

Now that the summer gaming event has splintered and is no longer just E3, some familiar patterns have emerged with the new slate of shows. The Summer Game Fest Showcase has more or less taken over as the “main event” to see new game reveals or new trailers. Usually we can expect to see a Direct from one or more publishers (Xbox and Ubisoft this year, for example). And then there’s “the rest,” a collection of gaming shows usually focused on a single objective, be it indie games, accessible games or something else.

In my opinion, the Wholesome Games Direct has swiftly emerged as consistently the “best of the rest.” 2024 was no different, as the Direct featured a number of beautiful games by small developers of the sort you don’t see in the other showcases. There’s also a greater variety of games on offer, as we saw the likes of restaurant management sims (Magical Bakery; Traveler’s Rest; Fruitbus), puzzle games (Dungeons Of Hinterberg; Mythmatch; Tiny Lands 2); and a surprisingly large number of creature-based games (Critter Cafe; Moonstone Island; Fantastic Haven).