Nintendo hosted its Indie World Showcase on August 11, and there were a number of games becoming available the same day. The 20-minute presentation featured trailers and developer interviews around games coming to the Nintendo Switch, both new and coming from other platforms. The livestream introduced a number of titles, gave updates on anticipated releases, and let Nintendo fans know when to expect the games to come to the Switch console, including several unexpected same-day launches.
Though they lack the budget and marketing power of AAA games, indie game releases are often anticipated, important events in the gaming community. Minecraft, Stardew Valley and Hades all started with small teams, and all have grown into acclaimed titles. The large user base of the Nintendo Switch makes the portable console an ideal home for new indie titles, as it gives the games more exposure than they might have had on Steam alone.
Most titles announced at the Indie World Showcase are coming later this year, such as Toem: A Photo Adventure, Loop Hero and Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, among others. Still more are expected to release in 2022, such as Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Far: Changing Tides and Metal Slug Tactics. One game, Eastward, got a Sept. 16 release date, with pre-orders starting today for interested players. To the undoubted delight of indie fans, however, not all titles from the showcase are releasing in the future. Seven titles announced at the Indie World Showcase are going to be available for download later today.
Nintendo Indie World Games Available Today
Some of the Nintendo Indie World Showcase games coming later today are simply new versions of already-released games. Necrobarista: Final Pour is the director’s cut version of the game which has already been on PC and Apple Arcade for a year. Final Pour brings new story content, remastered graphics, and a studio mode. Additionally, Islanders, originally released in 2019 for the PC, is now releasing its console edition for the Switch effective today. Curious Expedition 2, a procedurally generated roguelike narrative adventure, got a stealthy drop on the Eshop today, as did Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition (not a typo), a long-requested Switch addition that’s a dream come true for many hardcore fans.
Garden Story, Boyfriend Dungeon and Axiom Verge 2 all had their premiere launches today as well. Garden Story, a Stardew Valley style game in which players assume the role of a grape tasked with revitalizing their town, is releasing exclusively for the PC and Nintendo Switch. Likewise, Boyfriend Dungeon, a genre-mixing dungeon crawler dating sim in which romanceable characters turn into players sentient weapons, is launching for PC, Switch and Xbox today. Axiom Verge 2 is a prequel to Axiom Verge, taking place in the same universe but featuring new characters and abilities. Axiom Verge 2 is available today for Nintendo Switch (as well as the PlayStation 4 and PC), rounding out the day’s releases – a strong showing for Nintendo’s Indie World showcase.
