Round Up: Nintendo Indie World Showcase – 19 April 2023
Nintendo has just hosted their first Indie World Showcase of 2023 and in the 20 minute presentation sped through a large number of games made by independent studios that’ll make your wallet shiver. We’ve rounded up everything in the presentation for your reading pleasure.
There was a bucket load of games and DLC announced in the 20 minute presentation but we’ve condensed everything in one handy page for you. Grab a cup of tea and have a perusal at all the lovely Indie Games coming to the Switch in the next year!
If you prefer to rewatch the presentation, the full video can be found here:
ANIMAL WELL
Shared Memory and Bigmode
Animal Well is set in an atmospheric pixelated world, where you search for treasures as you slowly explore a dense environment. Many interesting creatures live here, but some might be hostile so any items you’ve picked up can be useful in an number of ways. There’s a lot to uncover, as you can explore the world in any way you see fit.
Animal Well is set for a Winter 2023 release.
Blasphemous 2
The Game Kitchen and Team 17
Blasphemous 2 see us return to follow The Penitent One through a mysterious land filled with nightmares. In this sequel to the nightmarishly fun hack-’n-slash platformer Blasphemous, explore a dark world that’s brings skill-based combat and tricky platforming elements, but also improves upon its signature pixel art stylings. The range of abilities at your disposal has grown and features progression systems that allows you to custom builds your own move set.
Blasphemous 2 is coming to Nintendo Switch this summer.
Crime O’Clock
Bad Seed and Just For Games
There’s no time to waste in this puzzle-exploration game; there’s over 40 cases to solve across time and space. There are many eras to visit, from the Lost Age to a cybernetic future and in each era you’ll see how crime scenes develop. Taking action in one era can change events in another and by travelling through time, meeting characters and resolving each case, the map will evolve and adventures will be unlocked.
Crime O’Clock is out on 30 June.
Mineko’s Night Market
Meowza Games and Humble Games
Mineko’s Night Market has you playing as the adorable titular Mineko in this narrative adventure-sim. Here, working various jobs, befriending the townsfolk and crafting all sorts of doodads and nic-nacs for the weekly Night Market is the order of play. There’s are a ton of things to do like joining parades, entering cat races and performing on stage, but if you ever get tired of working, the island has many secrets to uncover and puzzles to solve so feel free to explore at your leisure.
Mineko’s Night Market is set for a 26 September release.
My Time at Sandrock
Pathea Games and PM Studios
In this sequel to My Time at Portia, you’re tasked with restoring a post-apocalyptic desert community to its former glory. My Time in Sandrock has you playing through a captivating story rife with dozens of characters and side quests and hunting for resources. Once you’ve got all the necessary bit you can assemble machines and transform a derelict workshop into a finely-tuned facility.
Sandrock’s popular with the monsters, so all the resource gathering will come in handy as you work to keep them at bay. Sandrock will launch as a single player game but if you have the main game, a separate online multiplayer version will be available after the game launches, so you and your friends can help Sandrock thrive together.
My Time at Sandrock is set for a Summer 2023 release.
OXENFREE II: Lost Signals
Night School Studio and Netflix
Set five years after OXENFREE, Riley returns to her hometown of Camena to research strange electromagnetic waves. Tune the radio to communicate with supernatural beings, manipulate the world around you and watch out for a shadowy cult attempting to open a reality-altering portal. While exploring the town, use the new walkie-talkie conversation system to connect with local contacts. Your choices will have an impact on Riley’s development, relationships and the story.
OXENFREE II: Lost Signals launches on 12 July. Pre-orders are now open on the Nintendo eShop.
PlateUp!
It’s happening and Yogscast Games
PlateUp! is a management sim where you create, decorate and automate the restaurant of your dreams. Lots of hungry and demanding customers clamour for meals at lightning-fast speeds and its your job to manage both the kitchen and front of house to keep everyone happy. Unlike real life, at the end of every randomly generated shift, you can acquire new high-tech appliances like turbo ovens to upgrade your kitchen and make your next restaurant venture even more successful. If you’re still wanting to make a successful business, up to three friends can join to help run your culinary empire.
PlateUp! launches in October.
Quilts and Cats of Calico
Monster Couch
Quilts and Cats of Calico is the virtual take on the tabletop game Calico. Place pieces on a board and sew buttons to score points and attract adorable cats. Cat owners will know that every feline has a different personality and in-game each cat has their own a preferred pattern, so stitching your quilts in style that matches the cat’s preferences is key to becoming an expert quilt maker. You can also take some time to customise your cats and get cosy with up to three friends in local and online multiplayer.
Quilts and Cats of Calico has an autumn release window.
Rift of the NecroDancer
Tic Toc Games and Brace Yourself Games
It’s been a while since Crypt of the NecroDancer, but Tic Toc Games are back with this spin-off. Move to the rhythm with a new musical twist to lane-based combat. Monsters will come flying at you, so match the on-screen prompts to battle through them. Each enemy has a different movement pattern, and some take multiple hits to defeat. Boss battles are back and are designed to test your skills, and a special minigame to play for each of the five character storylines.
Rift of the NecroDancer is set to launch in 2023.
Teslagrad 2 and Teslagrad Remastered
Rain Games and Modus Games
Rain Games are giving us a double whammy of fun with Telagrad Remastered and Teslagrad 2. In the sequel, you harness electromagnetic powers to solve physics-based puzzles and move seamlessly through Scandinavian-inspired environments. Fearsome beasts and tough puzzles stand in your way and look to halt progression.
A remastered version of the first Teslagrad is also available. With enhanced visuals and 10 extra challenge levels this is the best time to jump into the series.
Teslagrad 2 and Teslagrad Remastered are available now either separately or in the Power Pack Edition.
Shadows Over Loathing
Asymmetric Games LLC
Set in the 1920s within the West of Loathing universe, Shadows Over Loathing is a slapstick RPG full of silliness and stick figures. Venture through a sprawling black-and-white world filled with talking frogs, sentient math and eldritch horrors.
The digital version of Shadows Over Loathing launches today with a physical edition following in the autumn.
DLC Updates
It wasn’t just new games announced by Nintendo as the Indie World Showcase also dove into expansions and updates of games already released. This included Shovel Knight and the hotly anticipated Cult of the Lamb expansion:
A Little to the Left – Cupboards & Drawers DLC
Max Inferno and Secret Mode
More puzzles await in the Cupboards & Drawers DLC for the organisational puzzle game A Little to the Left. 25 new puzzles are available in this expansion that lets you explore a world of small spaces and secret compartments. Hunt surprising bits and bobs that have stuffed into every drawer and arrange them into their places.
A Little To The Left – Cupboards & Drawers DLC launches on Nintendo Switch this June.
Cult of the Lamb – Relics of the Old Faith DLC
Massive Monster and Devolver Digital
Massive Monster have created a a free update to Cult of the Lamb that includes dozens of new items, relics and enemies are scattered across remixed dungeons. Guarded by new versions of the four guardian bishops, you have to take your spoils back to the cult with new buildings to construct and followers to recruit and maybe unlock a new quest. The Relics of the Old Faith update also includes additional postgame content with the new Permadeath, Gauntlet and Boss Rush modes.
The free Cult of the Lamb – Relics of the Old Faith update launches on 24th April.
Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon – Puzzler’s Pack DLC
Vine and Yacht Club Games
Dig into more puzzle action in the free Puzzler’s Pack DLC for Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon. VTwo newly playable characters have been added to test your puzzle prowess with Quandary Challenges set in the perplexing halls of Castle Quandary. You can also pay Mr. Hat a visit for over 20 in-game hats to modify runs or pick up some nifty new relics in Chester’s Shop.
This DLC hasn’t got a firm date but is due in the next few months.
Quick Fire Round
As always with Nintendo presentations, the Indie World Showcase also included a Rocky-style montage of quick fire games. While they didn’t get a full viewing like the above titles, we suggest you don’t sleep on these titles:
- Brotato from Blobfish and Seaven Studio, a top-down arena shooter roguelite that lets you play a potato wielding up to six weapons at a time to fight off hordes of aliens, launching this year.
- Bomb Rush Cyberfunk from Team Reptile, a game where you can dance, paint, pull off tricks, face off with the cops and reach new heights of graffiti, launching on 18th August.
- Chants of Sennaar from Runedisk and Focus Entertainment, which launches on 5th September and features an endless labyrinth where ancient languages are both the lock and the key.
- Escape Academy: The Complete Edition from Coin Crew Games and iam8bit, featuring hand-crafted escape-room puzzles that can be played couch co-op or online with friends, launching this autumn.
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach from Steel Wool Studios and ScottGames: Is the latest instalment of the family-friendly horror games. Playing as Gregory, a young boy trapped overnight in Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex, you must survive the near-unstoppable hunt of reimagined Five Nights at Freddy’s characters – as well as new, horrific threats. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach is out today.
- Little Kitty, Big City from Double Dagger Studio, in which a peaceful catnap turns into a whimsical adventure full of sandbox exploration and plenty of customisable kitties, launching in 2024.
- Paper Trail from Newfangled Games, an adventure game where you fold, twist and rotate the world itself to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles, launching in August. We played this at WASD 2023 and is definitely one to watch for puzzle fans!
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