I will never stop singing the praises of ?The Direct? format which Nintendo has utilized to make their announcements. These randomly announced, tightly edited bitesize videos are a nice treat between tentpole shows such as E3, Gamescoms and the various PAXes which are dotted during the course of the year. With the 12/15/2020 edition, the focus is on indie titles coming to the switch (Sorry 3DS fans, your 2 screened console is dead, somehow before the Vita…how?d that happen?). The disembodied voices of Paul and Kristen will be your guide to the indie titles that will be landing on the switch between today til later 2021.
Starting off a familiar cave explorer chisels her way to the Nintendo Switch! Anna Spelunky, star of Spelunky 2 will take her quest to find her parents to the portable Nintendo platform, and for those who are concerned that they?re not getting the full story, Spelunky which details her dad?s adventure will be released on the platform too! Both titles will be available Summer 2021
Smash Brothers Ultimate might have everyone, but they certainly don?t have this litter of furious felines. In Fisti-Fluffs, from Rogue Games you are a cat that has to tussle with up to 3 other cats in arena combat. A game which if done in real life would probably warrant a call to animal control, this title can be played against other people via nintendo online. You can also customize your cat by changing its clothes and color. Prove that you?re the Cat?s meow in Fisti-Fluffs coming Early 2021.
Don?t scratch the paint isn?t something that?s on the mind of Toyful games, developer of Very Very Valet, a frantic local multiplayer driving game where you need to deliver a car to their owner in the most efficient way…unfortunately that doesn?t necessarily mean safest. A timed exclusive, this title will be pull up early 2021
Tunche from Peruvian developer HyperTrain Digital scratches that Castle Crashers itch. With 4 unique playable characters and a cameo from Hat Kid from A Hat in Time, it looks like a rousing amazonian adventure will be had in the quest to find this cryptozoological creature named Tunche.
Mechanical Head Studios is a studio founded and operated by Aarne “MekaSkull” Hunziker. In the studio?s debut title Cyber Shadow published by Yacht Club Games, you?re tasked to venture into Mekacity to rescue your clansmen. While primarily a solo affair, Shadow can enlist the help of a certain cadre of knights using Shovel Knight amiibos. Set forth to purge Mekacity of it?s cybernetic infection when Cyber Shadow comes out January 26th 2021
Yeah we had Fisti-Fluffs, but you can never have too many cats. And just like cowbell, we?re gonna need more cats and Whitehorn Games will provide it. In their title Calico you?re tasked to re-build the town?s cat cafe and fill it with all sorts of furry friends. Those who think this will be a nice excursion away from the hell we live in is in luck, as Calico will be available today December 15th.
A game with an environmental message, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is the latest title from the ustwo games the developer behind Monument Valley. You play as Alba, a young girl who looks to help the animals on the island she calls home. This title looks like something that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and teach everyone a thing or two.
Gnosia is a visual novel where you need to uncover a malicious alien that has hidden itself amongst your crew. I?m sure you?re probably thinking of that multiplayer game and conceptually you wouldn?t be that off. However in this solo title, there are plenty of permutations and no game will be played the same and unlike that other trendy title the cast of characters that could be the Gnosia is pretty wild, among them are a ?gray? and even a dolphin. Put the right person in cold sleep or face the consequences when this title releases early 2021
Happy Game is anything but…in this surrealistic and psychedelic horror game from Czech developer Amanita Design, your task is to help a young boy survive a terrible nightmare by completing tasks and puzzles. If you?re up to it, this game comes out Spring 2021.
According to most sources meat?s shelf life is usually 4 days if refrigerated, 4 months to a year if frozen. A Meat Boy?s shelf life however is forever! In Team Meat?s third outing Super Meat Boy Forever, join Meat Boy and his now wife Bandage Girl as they have to wade through over 1000 procedurally generated levels to rescue their son Nugget from the nefarious Dr. Fetus. A console exclusive on the Switch, punch, kick and dodge your way to retrieve nugget on December 23rd.
No one has heard from Nathan Vella as he closed out his time at Capybara Games with the release of Grindstone on Apple?s Apple Arcade, but I?ll come out and say it, I miss you man! As the title that pretty much kept me subscribed to the platform despite Apple seemingly having forgotten it?s existence, Grindstone is set to make it?s console debut and my finances are happier for it. In this addictive puzzler, you?re just an adventurer trying to slay critters while climbing your way up Grindstone mountain. As you make your arduous climb, you can secure blueprints to build gadgets and gear which could mean the difference between death and survival. Looks like I can finally relieve remove one of Apple?s tentacles from wallet with a single payment of $14.99 (price will go up to $20 after the launch period)
The presentation finally winds down with a montage of indie titles that I will not recap in a sentence or two so please enjoy these bullet points.
- When the Past was Around – Chorus Worldwide Games/Mojiken Studio – Available 12/15/2020
- Kosmokrats – Modern Wolf/Pixel Delusion – March 2021, Time exclusive.
- Hoa – PM Studios/Skrollcat Studio – April 2021
- Hazel Sky – Another Indie/Coffee Addict Studio – March 2021
- Trash Sailors – tinyBuild Games/fluckyMachine – Spring 2021
- Finding Paradise – X.D. Network Inc/Freebird Games – Spring 2021
And you know it can?t be a presentation without ?one more thing? and that thing is the perennially trendy title which has swept the popular zeitgeist, Inner Sloth?s Among Us. It lands on the Switch December 15th, so I?m pretty sure you can play with people on the phone and pc and find who amongst your friends is a sociopath that can lie through their teeth and keep a smile on their face.
So a pretty strong showing for Nintendo on the indie front. So while you can?t exactly take a trip to Night City, Switch owners certainly will have plenty of other worlds to visit. I look forward to taking back 4.99 (and applicable taxes) from Apple and pitting cats to fight one another in a variety of contemporary environments. How?s your Indie outlook in 2021?
Indie World Showcase 12.15.2020 – Nintendo Switch:
Among Us screens:
See the press release from Nintendo below.
The Nintendo Switch system offers access to a treasure trove of indie games, with even more arriving before the end of this year and into 2021. Today, Nintendo unveiled a new Indie World Showcase presentation, which includes some notable surprises in its upcoming game launch calendar. Highlights of the video include Among Us, the riotous social-deduction survival game, which launches for Nintendo Switch later today! Other featured games in today?s showcase include Super Meat Boy Forever, the highly anticipated sequel to Super Meat Boy, and Spelunky and Spelunky 2, the cavernous exploration platformers that have set players? imaginations (and bomb bags) on fire.
?We want Nintendo Switch owners to feel like they?re on a journey of discovery, with new indie gems to uncover around every corner,? said Steve Singer, Nintendo of America?s Senior Vice President of Publisher and Developer Relations. ?Thanks to the dedicated ingenuity of independent developers around the world who have chosen Nintendo Switch as a home for their games, the system continues to host a flourishing collection of unforgettable indie experiences for players to enjoy.?
To view the Indie World video in its entirety, visit https://indieworld.nintendo.com/. Some of the highlights revealed in the video include:
- Among Us from InnerSloth: Discover which of your friends is a secret imposter in Among Us, the survival social-deduction game that has taken outer space by storm. Work together to complete tasks on a spaceship before the imposter sabotages or takes out the other players. Think a crewmate is acting strange? Call for emergency meetings and discuss who the suspected imposter is ? but make sure you?re confident before you vote to eject someone into the cold reaches of space. Among Us launches on Nintendo Switch later today featuring cross-platform play!*
- Spelunky and Spelunky 2 from Mossmouth: With Spelunky and Spelunky 2, brave your way through treacherous tunnels and caverns, outfitted with the survival supplies you find along the way. Featuring dense worlds teeming with secrets, surprises and slapstick hilarity, each time you play promises danger and delight. Watch out for leprechauns, ghosts, flying fish and galloping turkeys as you explore the unknown. Plunge into Spelunky and Spelunky 2 when both games launch on Nintendo Switch in summer 2021.
- Grindstone from Capybara Games: CAPY?s hit puzzle-battler Grindstone smashes its way onto Nintendo Switch. Clobber creeps to rack up huge combos and earn precious Grindstones. Cash in your grindstones to craft new gear and overcome devious enemies, obstacles and boss encounters as you conquer Grindstone Mountain. With more than 200 brutal levels to tackle, get ready to rise, grind and repeat when Grindstone gets its console launch on Nintendo Switch as a timed exclusive later today.
- Calico from Peachy Keen Games: Magical girls, cat cafes and cuddly animals ? what more do you need in life? Fill a cozy caf? with cute creatures, charming furniture, festive decorations and yummy pastries. It?s the purr-fect way to spend a day! You can begin relaxing in Calico when it launches on Nintendo Switch later today.
- Super Meat Boy Forever from Team Meat: The highly anticipated sequel to Super Meat Boy has arrived! In Super Meat Boy Forever, Meat Boy and Bandage Girl’s adorable baby girl, Nugget, has been kidnapped. You?ll get put through the grinder as you jump, slide, punch and kick through several worlds containing thousands of hand-constructed levels that are randomly smashed together to create a unique gameplay experience with each save game. With bosses, secrets, dying, awesome music, vibrant art and even more dying, prepare to face some intense challenges. Super Meat Boy Forever squishes onto Nintendo Switch on Dec. 23 as a console launch exclusive.
- Cyber Shadow from Mechanical Head Studios: Dash, slice and leap your way through futuristic levels as you take down more than a dozen apocalyptic bosses in this action-platformer ninja game. The world has been taken over by synthetic lifeforms. A desperate plea for help sets Shadow on a journey. Nimbly navigate the ruins of Mekacity, leap past traps and defeat the techno hordes. You can even scan an amiibo of a Shovel Knight series character for a little help from a familiar friend. Unlock the secrets to your ninja clan?s ancient powers in Cyber Shadow, coming to Nintendo Switch on Jan. 26, 2021.
- Tunche from LEAP Game Studios: Tunche is a 2D beat-?em-up game with breathtaking hand-drawn art, set in the Amazon Rainforest. It can be explored with one of five heroes, each with their own distinctive skills and abilities, including Hat Kid, the protagonist from the 3D platformer A Hat in Time. Unravel the rainforest?s secrets in search of a mythical beast, the Tunche. Enjoy a unique experience every time you journey into the jungle, traversing different paths and facing fantastic creatures. With charming hack-and-slash combat, local co-op play and a pinch of shamanic witchcraft, you?ll experience a magical tour of Peruvian legends and folklore. Venture into the jungle when Tunche arrives first on Nintendo Switch in March 2021.
- Very Very Valet from Toyful Games: Get behind the wheel to pick up, park and return cars in over 20 locations. Up to three other players can join you in this frantic and fun party game. Very Very Valet accelerates onto Nintendo Switch first as a timed exclusive in early 2021.
- Fisti-Fluffs from Playfellow Studio: Watch out ? these kittens have claws! In this physics-based party game featuring fierce felines, you?ll need to whack and pounce your way to victory. Turn the playroom into a battleground by smacking into objects and launching them across the room. Experience the pinnacle of cat-tussling fun by proving your wobbly cat is the best cat. Take the competition locally at launch, with online multiplayer coming in a post-launch update. The paw-sibilities are endless! Fisti-Fluffs gets frisky first on Nintendo Switch in spring 2021.
- Happy Game from Amanita Design: Solve unnerving puzzles, endure a few unsettling songs and survive face-to-face encounters with suspicious smiley faces. Earn your sweet dreams in spring 2021, when Happy Game launches on Nintendo Switch.
- Alba: A Wildlife Adventure from ustwo games: The award-winning studio that created Monument Valley is delivering a new open-world experience ? Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. In this game, even the smallest person can make a big difference. Join Alba as she visits her grandparents on a Mediterranean island, ready for a peaceful summer of wildlife exploration. But when she sees her beloved Island in danger, she realizes that she needs to do something about it! Recruit volunteers for your cause, help heal sick animals, clean up the wilderness and ultimately save the island. A visually stunning season of exploration awaits in Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, coming to Nintendo Switch in spring 2021.
- Gnosia from Playism: In this one-of-a-kind sci-fi adventure game, a spaceship is overtaken by aliens who can take the form of humans. Meet an eclectic cast of characters and help unravel their mysteries in a fascinating narrative spin on the social-deduction genre where you play against up to 14 NPCs. Overcome your fears when Gnosia launches on Nintendo Switch in early 2021.
The Indie World presentation also included a montage of upcoming indie games, including When the Past was Around, which will be launching for Nintendo Switch later today. It also featured Finding Paradise, Hazel Sky, Hoa, Kosmokrats and Trash Sailors, which are all headed to Nintendo Switch.
For the latest news and updates about indie games on Nintendo Switch, follow the Indie World Twitter account @IndieWorldNA.