June is not a good time to release a videogame. You’d think with school letting out kids would have more time to play games, but there are summer camps and vacation Bible schools and family vacations, so they often have less time than they would during the school year. As such the release schedule is usually pretty light this time of year. With E3 falling in June every year, people who passionately follow videogames will be too busy looking forward to the future to pay attention to what’s coming out today. So yes, it was hard to put together five games we’re legitimately excited about this month. Who’d want to read a list with only two games on it, though, or even three? So here are five games, some of which we want to play, some of which you’ll probably want to play, and all of which we know are coming out this June. Who knows, maybe somebody at E3 will pull an Apple or a Sega Saturn and announce that some exciting new game is immediately available for purchase.
1. Super Exploding Zoo
Release Date: 6/2
Platforms: Playstation 4, Playstation Vita
Super Exploding Zoo is set in a zoo where everything explodes. We use the word “adorable” a lot here because it is a good word that describes things that we like but it almost feels inadequate to describe exactly how adorable this game is. It looks like a cartoon that we want to watch and plays like a surprisingly complex action puzzle game. It’s also made by the people responsible for last year’s underrated treat Hohokum. Best yet, it’ll be free at launch for Playstation Plus subscribers, on both the Vita and PS4. That means you can download and play this thing today without having to whip out your credit card.
2. Wander
Release Date: 6/4
Platforms: Playstation 4, PC
Wander bills itself as the “non-combat MMO.” As you explore the game world with no maps or instructions, you’ll encounter other players, and have to cooperate to discover more of the environment around you. As the game’s lead developer, Loki Davidson, told Polygon last year, the goal is to make players feel like “part of the rainforest.” Go ahead and be reductive and call it Journey Online. We’ll just sit here with our open mind and an urge to play more games that aren’t about destruction.