A mere seven days after its third-party-focused partner showcase, Nintendo has given indies a turn, detailing exactly what Switch and Switch 2 players can look forward to in between those bigger-budget releases. And while its latest Indie World Showcase was certainly a brisk affair, it still managed to pack a lot in, so if you missed it live – or simply want a refresher – here’s everything featured this time around. And to avoid an overwhelming sense of crushing disappointment, I’m just going to tell you now: there wasn’t even a whiff of Silksong.
Mina: The Hollower
But as starters go, Mina: The Hollower set a high bar. It’s the latest game from Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club, and sees the titular mouse embarking on a retro-tinged quest to save a cursed island. Mina was actually announced all the way back in 2022, but it finally has a suitably spooky release date. It’s heading to Switch eShop on 31st October and a demo’s out today.
Well Dweller
Coming from Crypt Custodian and Islets developer Kyle Thompson, Well Dweller is a “dark fairytale metroidvania” charting the adventures of a tiny bird named Glimmer. Armed with a matchstick, players must brave the kingdom’s perils in order to save Glimmer’s siblings from the queen – who’s determined to make them part of her gown. This one’s coming to Switch sometime next year.
Neverway
If you’re an indie showcase connoisseur, you’ll probably be more than familiar with Neverway by now. It’s a “nightmarish life sim RPG” that follows protagonist Fiona as she quits her job, makes a fresh start on a farm and, in something of a departure for the genre, gets recruited as the immortal herald of a dead god. It’s got all the usual stuff – fishing, farming, crafting, romancing, and so on – but unspeakable horrors are beginning to leak into this reality and it’s up to Fiona to fight back using her sword, hookshot, and other abilities she’ll gain as players start to bond with the townsfolk. Neverway still doesn’t have a release date, but it’s coming to Switch next year.
Herdlings
Herdlings is the latest adventure from developer Okomotive, the studio behind the well-received Far: Lone Sails and its sequel Changing Tides. It sees players embarking on a “tale of beauty and companionship” as they shepherd a steadily growing herd of mysterious creatures across its striking vistas of mist-shrouded forests, forgotten valleys, snowy plateaus, and more. Amid all that traversal, there’s promise of challenges and threats to overcome, alongside light puzzling, and it’s coming to Switch’s eShop on 21st August.
Is This Seat Taken?
In Poti Poti Studio’s “pleasant” logic puzzler Is This Seat Taken?, the goal is to satisfy the demands of a particularly fussy group of chair occupiers and establish a seating plan that’ll keep everyone happy. You’ll be re-arranging bottoms across a host of environments – from the bus to a banquet to the office to a picnic – and if that appeals, you won’t have long to wait. Is This Seat Taken? is out today on Switch.
Little Kitty, Big City
Here’s a quick one for you. Little Kitty, Big City – the feline-focused open-world adventure from Double Dagger Studio – is poised to bring its latest free update to Switch. There’s talk of new story content, a new neighbourhood to explore, and new characters to meet. That’s alongside new photo mode options, a new cat customisation feature, and more. There’s no specific release date for all this on Switch yet, but it’s due later this year.
Content Warning
Content Warning, the co-operative horror romp that become something of a surprise internet sensation when it launched for PC last year, is making its way to Switch – and there’ll be a Switch 2 version too. The gist, if you’re unfamiliar, is that you and three friends must descend into nightmarish depths and capture the horrors within on camera. At least one of you must survive long enough to escape so you can upload your footage to the fictional SpöökTube in a bid to rack up the views and become a viral sensation. It’s a fun time and is coming to Nintendo’s platforms next year.
Ball x Pit
What happens if you combine the classic arcade brick-breakers of yore with base-building, grimy fantasy, and roguelite survival? Ball x Pit, from developer Kenny Sun and publisher Devolver Digital, is your answer. Inspired by the likes of Loop Hero and Vampire Survivors, players battle their way though auto-scrolling levels, using brick-breaking-style ball attacks to smash their way through barbaric hordes of oncoming enemies and massive bosses. Completing levels earns resources used to expand a settlement which in turn unlocks new bonuses characters, new power-ups, and more. Ball x Pit launches for the original Switch on 15th October, with the Switch version due this “autumn”.
Ultimate Sheep Racoon
Ultimate Sheep Racoon is a game of tumbling, side-scrolling, bike-riding action, where up to eight players can work together – either locally or online – to create perilous obstacle courses and then battle for chaotic supremacy. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because is the spiritual successor to Clever Endeavour Games’ Ultimate Chicken Horse, and it’s coming to Switch and Switch 2 – complete with cross-platform play support – this “winter”.
Glaciered
65 million years have passed and the world has frozen over, sealing the oceans beneath a thick layer of ice. That’s the starting point for Glaciered, a “chill” underwater action game from Studio Snowblind said to be inspired by the rich ecosystems and cold climates of Hokkaido, Japan. Playing as a Tuai, an avian species evolved from dinosaurs that can control heat and cold, players are tasked with traversing the diverse underwater world in order to fend off the creatures threatening the Everwinter. Appropriately enough, Glaciered comes to Switch 2 this “winter” and is a timed console exclusive.
UFO 50, Caves of Qud, and more!
And that’s mostly it. However, in typical Nintendo fashion, the company squeaked in some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it exciting reveals in one final lightning-fast montage. Alongside appearances from the likes of Winter Burrow, Undusted: Letters from the Past, Tiny Bookshop, Strange Antiquities, Opus: Prism Peak, and Go-Go Town, we also got word that developer Freehold Games’ superb retro roguelike Caves of Qud – which earned itself a five star Eurogamer review last year – is also heading to Switch, alongside the equally wonderful UFO 50. The latter, essentially a collection of 50 new games designed to look like very old games from the team behind Spelunky – is surprise-launching onto Switch today!
