Nintendo Indie World 2023 live event showcased various indie games—some new, some old—slated for a Switch port. The 30-minute event was livestreamed on Nov 14, 2023, and showcased 11 indie titles that will be released for Nintendo Switch soon. Some of these games were even released during the showcase.
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Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution
Developer: WayForward
Publisher: Limited Run Games
Switch Release: 2024
The sixth game in the popular Shantae series, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is a platform adventure title. Originally slated for Gameboy Advance, this title was shelved by the developer in 2001. Now on its way to Nintendo Switch in 2024, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution brings back the once-popular franchise. Players take on the role of Shantae, hair-whipping her way through mazes of multi-layered levels, taking on hordes of monsters, and finding the way through misplaced towns, and scrambled lands, in order to defeat the notorious pirate Risky Boots.
The Switch version of this title was originally announced in July 2023 and Nintendo Indie World 2023 featured the first ever look at the revamped series title. The franchise has been revived over twenty years after the release of the last title. The developer, WayForward, has also announced that they have reunited the original developer team for this project, in order to accurately depict the series’ multi-faceted lore and in-game mechanics. WayForward has also announced an exciting new addition to the game—4-player versus mode.
Core Keeper
Developer: Pugstorm
Publisher: Fireshine Games
Switch Release: Summer 2024
Currently playable in early access on Linux, Windows, and GeForce Now, Core Keeper is a survival sandbox adventure game that is soon making its way on all gaming platforms, including Switch. The title features many similarities with other popular games in the sandbox genre. Various activities that players can partake in Core Keeper can be traced back to famed sandbox titles like Minecraft and Stardew Valley. Players can mine for resources, farm, explore the procedurally generated underground universe of the game, and craft necessary items.
The early access for Core Keeper began in March 2022 via Steam, and the game has been praised by thousands of players for its fresh art style as well as innovative game mechanics. While the game can be played in a single-player campaign mode, it also features a co-op mode which supports up to eight players. The entire game takes place in a series of procedurally generated underground caverns, with players tasked with exploration and defeating three major bosses spread out throughout the game’s sprawling map.
On Your Tail
Developer: Memorable Games
Publisher: Humble Games
Switch Release: 2024
On Your Tail is a story-driven life sim game, scheduled for release in 2024 for Nintendo Switch as well as PC via Steam. Taking place in a coastal village called Borgo Marina, On Your Tail is a peaceful game about relaxation and investigation. Helming the role of Diana, players are tasked with roaming the quaint town with an inquisitive mindset, exploring the town’s mysteries, making acquaintance with the town’s eccentric residents, and solving the town’s unsolved mysteries.
Players can relax in this virtual reimagination of an Italian seaside town, enjoy calming soundscapes, and shape Diana’s summer vacation as she puts on a deerstalker in this 3D narrative-driven adventure. Apart from sleuthing, players can partake in various relaxing activities, such as cooking, fishing, playing games at the beach and arcades, stargazing, or even cycling alongside soothing waves.
Howl
Developer: Mi’pu’mi Games GmbH
Publisher: Astragon
Switch Release: Nov 14, 2023
Howl, a turn-based tactical game was released during the Nintendo Indie World 2023 for Switch. Set in the Medieval ages, the game is based on a folktale about a sinister ‘howling plague’. A howl can be heard throughout the land and anyone who hears it transforms into a feral, beast-like creature. In this game, players take on the role of a deaf woman, immune to the plague but unsafe from the creatures, trying to find a cure.
Howl focuses on strategy and tact, with the developer stating that players need to ‘plan up to six steps in advance to outmaneuver your opponents’. While the game offers unique weapons to help players defend themselves from the ravaging creatures, their wits are the only things that can help them survive. The Howl also features a unique art style, utilizing ‘living ink’. This new flowing art style creates the visuals of the story as players move ahead, creating dark yet mesmerizing, almost fairytale-like artscapes.
The Star Named EOS
Developer: Silver Lining Studio
Publisher: Payism, Active Gaming Media
Switch Release: Spring 2024
The Star Named EOS, announced during the Nintendo Indie World 2023, is an emotional puzzle and exploration game. The game uses panorama technology to render masterful landscapes. Players take on the role of Dei, a young photographer trying to find her missing mother. Players are tasked with solving various puzzles, taking photos at memorable spots to unlock memories of their mother, and slowly follow the breadcrumb trail to find a way back to her.
The Star Named EOS employs a beautiful, hand-drawn art style. Players can gather various props to enrich their photos and interact with every element within the game’s world. There are tons of exciting puzzles in the game, with many of them aimed at recreating old photographs. According to the developer, players can’ Step back in time through the polaroids left behind (by Dei’s mother) to uncover the long-lost truth. With excellent visuals and an emotionally rich narrative, The Star Named EOS is set to be a deeply emotional and highly cinematic experience.
Backpack Hero
Developer: Jaspel
Publisher: IndieArk, Different Tales
Switch Release: Nov 14, 2023
Another game released during the Nintendo Indie World 2023, Backpack Hero is a quaint little inventory management roguelike game. The game is currently in early access, available for MacOS, SteamOS, and Windows OS players from Aug 15, 2022. Backpack Hero revolves around five playable characters and a shared bag. Players are tasked with taking on a variety of formidable foes, gathering, and most importantly, correctly managing resources found while exploring dungeons.
Players can use these gathered resources to enhance the central area of the game, upgrade the buildings, and eventually unlock newer characters. While many reviewers thought the game to be a bit awkward in the beginning, after a year of early access, many have come to a consensus about the title being ‘impressive’, ‘very charming’, and ‘one of the most inventive deckbuilders ever’.
Blade Chimera
Developer: Team Ladybug, WSS Playground
Publisher: Playism
Switch Release: Spring 2024
A 2D Metroidvania action game, Blade Chimera is based around the primary in-game tool of the Lumina Sword. Players can use this legendary item to slash down waves of enemies and even interrupt the time and use it to their advantage. The game is pretty exploration-heavy, tasking players with exploring mazes of dark dungeons. The demon sword Lumina can also be used in the game to repair broken platforms, interfere with the past, and shield the protagonist from incoming enemy attacks.
Blade Chimera can be described as a futuristic metroidvania, featuring 2D, side-scrolling gameplay. The game allows players to find creative solutions for their problems, with the demon sword capable of conjuring new structures to help them overcome tricky obstacles. It also features a giant panoply of enemies, including giant frogs, demonic sumo wrestlers, mechanical dragons, and monstrous birds.
A Highland Song
Developer: Inkle
Publisher: Inkle
Switch Release: Dec 5, 2023
The studio responsible for 80 Days is coming up with a new narrative adventure game about exploring the musical highlands of Scotland. A Highland Song depicts the story of Moira, running away from home in order to traverse the beautiful landscapes inspired by Scottish highlands. The game features Scottish folk music and creative platforming challenges. Running from her home, Moira has to scale the cliffs, slide down the slopes, climb the hills, cross the forests, and even spelunk some caves throughout her adventure.
Making way through dangerous valleys, bracing cruel weather, and meeting some interesting people along the way. The game focuses on platforming and aims to tell fascinating stories about wild Scottish highlands. According to the developer, A Highland Song is a ‘mesh of history, mythology, and family secrets’.
Moonstone Island
Developer: Studio Supersoft
Publisher: Raw Fury
Switch Release: Spring 2024
Moonstone Island, revealed during the Nintendo Indie World 2023, is an open-world sim game. It primarily focuses on creature collection and features a massive open world that houses more than 100 islands that players can explore leisurely. The game offers a calming exploration experience, where players can make friends, play cards, collect spirits, and brew magical potions.
The protagonist of Moonstone Island wants to master the mystical art of Alchemy and many quests revolve around finding and collecting rare items and creatures. Players can truly immerse themselves in Moonstone Island, with over 11 NPCs with whom they can form relationships and even form romantic partnerships. They can woo their chosen romantic interest by gifting them items collected throughout the open world, and even go on dates.
Death Trick: Double Blind
Developer: Misty Mountain Studio
Publisher: Another Indie, Neon Doctrine
Switch Release: 2024 (Demo available on Nintendo eShop)
While Death Trick: Double Blind will ultimately be released next year, players can download the demo for the game through the Nintendo eShop. The demo was released during the Nintendo Indie World 2023. The title is a non-linear detective game, where players are tasked with finding what happened to the star magician of a circus, who’s gone missing. Essentially a puzzle adventure game, Death Trick: Double Blind features an extensive cast of colorful circus folk that have their own stories and secrets.
This is a turn-based strategy game that features a unique mechanism. Players have to consider two distinct perspectives, achieving this through alternating between two different playable characters. Combined, these two hold the answers to the deepest mysteries and collect various bits and pieces of crucial information.
Outer Wilds: Archeologist Edition
Developer: Mobius Digital, Annapurna Interactive
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive, Limited Run Games
Switch Release: Dec 7, 2023
After recent Outer Wilds Switch port rumors, the Indie World showcase finally announced that this extremely popular game is indeed coming to Switch. The Archeologist Edition of Outer Wilds features its expansion called Echoes of the Eye, along with the base game. Outer Wilds is an immensely popular action-adventure game that features one of the best instances of non-linear storytelling.
It features an expansive open world, gripping mysteries to be solved, puzzles that require unconventional solutions, and picturesque outer space landscapes. The game primarily encourages players to explore its breathtaking map and uncover the remains of a long-lost civilization. The USP of the game is its unique time-loop mechanism, where every gameplay run comes to an end after 22 minutes.
Apart from the aforementioned games, Nintendo Indie World 2023 also featured a montage of some other titles making their way to Switch pretty soon. These games include:
- Enjoy the Diner (Nov 14, 2023)
- Heavenly Bodies (February 2024)
- The Gecko Gods (Spring 2024)
- Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist (Nov 14, 2023)
- Urban Myth Dissolution Center (2024)
- Braid: Anniversary Edition (April 30, 2024)
