The November Nintendo Indie World showcase has come and gone, and while there’s still no news of Hollow Knight Silksong, Nintendo and its publishing partners highlighted plenty of promising indie games to the Switch. Wayforward is bringing back a long-lost Game Boy Advance game, there’s a circus murder mystery, a life-sim with furry characters, hiking games, geckoes, and a whole lot more. Most of the games shown are coming to Switch in the next six months, with a few demos available now, so you won’t have to wait long if you see something you like.
Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution
Nintendo and Wayforward kicked the presentation off with a surprise announcement: a Shantae game for Game Boy Advance that never saw the light of day. Wayforward is bringing the stylish genie back, with stage customization and even four-player multiplayer support.
Expect this one sometime in 2024.
On Your Tail
Detective games and life sims are still going strong, and On Your Tail puts both of them together in a furry new adventure. You play as a detective taking it easy in a remote coastal town when a strange mystery and an even stranger masked man show up and ruin the quietude of your vacation. Sort of. There’s work to be done, but you can still take it easy and go fishing for the day if you’d like.
Howl
Howl is an evocative tactics game where you play as a deaf prophet, the only one of her kind able to resist the plague-inducing howl that’s creeping across the land. While the trailer doesn’t go into too much detail, Howl is available now on the Nintendo eShop if you want to try it out.
Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition
Annapurna is bundling the contemplative space game Outer Wilds and its DLC expansion Echoing Eye into one package, Outer Wilds: Archaeologist Edition, and it’s coming to Switch on Dec. 7, 2023. You can also grab the bundle on Steam now if you’d rather not wait.
A Highland Song
If you fancy a walk in the Scottish highlands without the risk of extreme weather, cold, and potentially getting lost, then the thoughtful, charming Highland Song is probably for you. This one launches on Dec. 5, 2023, so it’s just around the corner.
Death Trick: Double Blind
What do a circus, a mystery, and some fantastic visual style have in common? Probably a lot, depending on the circus, but the right answer here is Death Trick: Double Blind, an inventive new crime game that’s launching on the Switch in 2024, with a demo available on the eShop now.
Moonstone Island
Moonstone Island, an ambitious blend of life-sim with roguelike elements, is already available on Steam, and it’s coming to Switch as a timed console exclusive in early 2024.
Backpack Hero
If your favorite part of a game is arranging your inventory, then Backpack Hero wants a word with you. This puzzle game is all about rearranging your backpack so everything fits. It looks like a pretty chill experience, and it’s out now on Switch.
Core Keeper
Core Keeper is a roguelike adventure where you and up to three other friends delve into the mysteries of a dangerous underground world in a bid to power the even-more-mysterious core and make it out alive. It sounds pretty standard as far as roguelike adventures go, but it certainly looks lovely. Core Keeper is expected to launch in summer 2024.
The Star Named Eos
This one’s probably my favorite from the showcase. The Star Named EOS is a photography puzzle game that explores the significance of life’s fleeting moments. It looks gorgeous and calm, exactly the kind of thing you’d want to curl up with on a dark winter’s evening. Shame it isn’t out until spring 2024, then.
Other Nintendo Indie World announcements
Nintendo also ran its usual sizzle reel of upcoming games, including the indie gem Planet of Lana.
- Planet of Lana (spring 2024)
- Enjoy the Diner (out now)
- Heavenly Bodies (February 2024)
- The Gecko Gods (spring 2024)
- Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist (out now)
- Urban Myth Dissolution Center (2024)
- Braid: Anniversary Edition (April 30, 2024)
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
