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Each year at Summer Game Fest, nestled between the blockbuster showcases, the Wholesome Direct offers a nice change of pace. It's also full of games – this year's edition had more than 50 – but the atmosphere is more relaxed and, well, healthy. Like previous years, I've posted some of the more intriguing reveals and announcements, although you can watch it all for yourself here. And if you want to check out some games – a few are available now and several have demos – there's a dedicated Steam page.

The cutest games from the Wholesome Direct 2026 showcase

A sequel to Hidden Folks, a new Moomins adventure and many other cool games.

In 2017, Hidden Folks helped usher in a new genre of search and discovery games – and now it has a sequel. There aren't many details yet, but Hidden Folks 2 will feature "interactive, hand-drawn miniature landscapes in various new themes, as well as sillier jokes, more mouth noises, and various quality of life improvements." It will be launched in 2027 on mobile and PC.

In the drift

This narrative adventure comes from a new studio led by Sable co-creator Daniel Fineberg. And the premise is certainly intriguing:

In The Drift follows the story of Luna, a young woman who begins her new job as a telecommunications engineer in space. Solve problems at work during the day, then spend the evening hanging out with the ship's crew. In The Drift is the story of trying to be a good person and finding hope and meaning in a world that seems to be slipping away.

Moomin: Midsummer Madness

We already know that the Finnish Moomin Kingdom translates well to games set in winter, and now we'll have something a little warmer to enjoy. Midsummer Madness changes things up with a painterly visual style, as well as a more fantastical premise involving "an abandoned floating theater filled with riddles and mysteries." It will be launched in 2026 on PC and Switch.

Patience is a virtue

Described as "a mysterious puzzle game about communicating with people you don't understand," Patience Is a Virtue puts you in the role of a recent college graduate who has returned to his childhood home to learn that things are very different. Things get even worse when he is attacked by a sentient cassette player. You can check it out for yourself with the Steam demo.

Watery

A cozy take on city builders, Waterful tasks you with digging riverbeds in order to guide water, rejuvenate desert valleys, and attract wildlife. And since the locations are procedurally generated, it should offer plenty of replayability when you need to relax.

Completely lost

Did I choose this game because of its adorable title? Sure, but the game also looks great. It's described as an open-world adventure in which you play as a lost otter who will "meet quirky animal friends, solve gentle puzzles, and enjoy light-hearted platforming." It gives me Ecco the Dolphin vibes, only in 3D, and it launches on Steam in September.

The Wandering Village: The Last Leviathan

The Wandering Village was a great version of City Builders where your city was on the back of a giant, walking creature. The game is now getting a big expansion called The Last Leviathan, which, you guessed it, gives you a new aquatic being to build on. The update also adds new mechanics based on the creature's body temperature and mood, as well as an Arctic Ocean to explore.