Dina Bader: Nintendo-style Wholesome Direct will highlight over 75 indie games

Chill out with some wholesome indies.

What you need to know

Wholesome Direct 2021 is back and will premiere June 12th at 1 pm ET.
The Wholesome Direct is similar in style to Nintendo Directs and will feature over 75 indie games.
Wholesome games are laid-back, chill experiences that appeal to all kinds of gamers.
Wholesome Direct 2021 will reach a larger audience this year, thanks to support from Twitch, GameSpot, IGN, and the Guerilla Collective.

E3 is almost upon us, and developers and publishers are gearing up their own digital showcases for all of the great games coming in 2021 and beyond. Unfortunately, smaller games are often overshadowed by these events, but not for much longer. Wholesome Games has announced that they'll be hosting the Wholesome Direct 2021 on June 12.

Wholesome Directs are reminiscent of Nintendo Directs, in which new titles will be revealed and exclusive footage will be shown. More than 75 indie gamers will be highlighted during the showcase, and several will launch during the show, too.

The event is being organized with online game festival Guerilla Collective, which will be held over two Saturdays in June, and thanks to Twitch, IGN, and GameSpot, Wholesome Direct 2021 is sure to reach more viewers than ever before.

#WholesomeDirect returns on June 12 at 1pm ET! 📺 We'll have new game reveals, exclusive footage, and even games that will launch *during* the show! And thanks to our pals at @GuerrillaCollec, @Twitch, @IGN and @GameSpot, Wholesome Direct will reach even more players this year 🥳 pic.twitter.com/NGy9TrSWyd
— Wholesome Games (@_wholesomegames) May 12, 2021

Some of the games included in the showcase include the fishing simulator Moonglow Bay, the making-the-band style game We are OFK, and the cute and colorful farming game Ooblets.

If you don't know, a "wholesome game" is a strange little genre of game that has risen in popularity recently. The games are traditionally easy-going and relaxing, often preferring to tell more intimate, introspective stories or offer gameplay experiences that don't really have an end goal — Think Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

The Nintendo Switch has proven itself to be the platform of choice for indie games, especially those that fit squarely in the wholesome category. We're definitely expecting some of the indies revealed to land on our Switches.

You can check out the Wholesome Direct when it broadcast on June 12 at 1 pm EST on the Guerilla Collective Twitch Channel.