Nintendo Switch Indie World Showcase August 2020 Roundup

Nintendo Switch owners got to see a collection of exciting new indie games that will be coming to their system during the Indie World Showcase earlier today. With announcements galore, here is everything that was shown off during the presentation, including which games you can play right now.

nintendo switch indie world showcase august 2020 roundup

Indie developers from around the world had the opportunity to showcase what they’ve been working on for Nintendo Switch during today’s 23 minute online presentation. From creative new gameplay experiences to eye-catching art styles, here is a convenient roundup of everything that was shown during Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase August 2020.

HADES (SUPERGIANT GAMES)

Hades is the new rogue-like dungeon crawler inspired by Greek mythology from the incredibly talented team behind indie darlings Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre. The game adopts the isometric perspective and vivid colour palette commonly used by Supergiant Games, with a hack ‘n’ slash combat that looks equal parts brutal and beautiful. The gorgeous animated trailer shows the protagonist calling upon the aid of Zeus to help vanquish his foes, with the promise of teaming up with a variety of Greek gods sure to make this adventure through the underworld an epic one.

Cross-save with the PC version of the game also means that anyone already playing through the early access form of the game can transfer all of their experience over to the Switch port when it launches Fall 2020.

HYPNOSPACE OUTLAW (NO MORE ROBOTS)

Painful nineties slang terms aside, Hypnospace Outlaw looks like a lovingly crafted homage to the days of the early internet. It’ll be interesting to see how much freedom the game gives you to explore its blocky, pixelated version of the net as you try and hunt down online pirates and hackers. We won’t have to wait long as the game will be coming out on Switch August 27, with a demo available today.

SPIRITFARER (THUNDER LOTUS GAMES)

Get ready to bring the tissues for this one.

Get ready to bring the tissues for this one.

Spiritfarer promises to hit you in all the feels with its touching story of a young girl Stella helping the sprits of the dead make their final journey into the afterlife. Labelled as a ‘cosy management game’ by Montreal-based developer Thunder Lotus Games, Spiritfarer sees Stella travel the seas on her customisable ferry as she befriends these waning souls and helps bring them to their final resting place. With a melancholic premise bolstered by heart-warming scenarios, Spiritfarer has the opportunity to be one of Switch’s surprise emotional entries of the year when it launches on the system today.

Buy Spiritfarer right now on the Nintendo eShop for USD $29.99.

GARDEN STORY (PICOGRAM/ROSE CITY GAMES)

This adorable pixelated action-adventure game takes a community focus to heart by showing the power of friendship and helping those in need. By trying to restore your home island as a Guardian Grape, Garden Story looks like the kind of chilled out, wholesome cute-fest that gamers have been turning towards this year. The game will be releasing in 2021.

SUBNAUTICA & SUBNAUTICA: BELOW ZERO (UNKOWN WORLDS ENTERTAINMENT)

No Man's Ocean.

No Man’s Ocean.

Switch gamers will finally get to experience this pair of atmospheric underwater exploration games when they emerge on the system in early 2021. Subnautica sees the player land on a mysterious alien planet in the middle of a vast ocean, with the only way of escape through gathering resources from the dark, eerie waters below. Otherworldly sea creatures are both a wonder to behold and a potential nightmare to encounter, so Switch gamers who don’t like underwater monsters may want to play this one with the lights on.

Meanwhile, Subnautica: Below Zero is a standalone expansion which sees the game take a chilly turn on an arctic planet where a research station experiences a disaster. Both of these games are some of the most fleshed out experiences to come from an indie developer, so let’s hope the Switch versions do justice to their idiosyncratic qualities.

TAKESHI AND HIROSHI (OINK GAMES)

Here’s another really interesting indie game that you can pick up on Switch today. Brotherly love is expressed in Takeshi and Hiroshi with you playing as the older brother designing a fantasy RPG for his younger brother to keep him entertained. This should be a fun one for any budding game designers, or simply anyone who wants to try their hand at the craft.

Buy Takeshi and Hiroshi right now on the Nintendo eShop for a discounted USD $8.09. 

RAJI: AN ANCIENT EPIC (NODDING HEADS GAMES)

Bollywood enters the games industry.

Bollywood enters the games industry.

Everything about Raji: An Ancient Epic is designed to celebrate the rich history and mythology of ancient India, from the art style inspired by traditional Indian paintings to the weaponry taken from the country’s past. An action-adventure game about battling against the Demon Lord that will be coming to Switch today as a timed console exclusive, Raji: An Ancient Epic looks to be a wonderful representation of a part of the world that gaming often ignores.

Buy Raji: An Ancient Epic right now on Nintendo eShop for a discounted USD $22.49.

BEAR AND BREAKFAST (ARMOR GAMES STUDIOS)

A contender for best game title of 2020, Bear and Breakfast sees you play as Hank the Bear trying to flip a rundown lodge in the woods into a thriving BNB establishment. It looks to be a charming management game with a personality all its own and will be coming to Switch as a timed exclusive in 2021.

A SHORT HIKE (WHIPPOORWILL LIMITED)

A Short Hike looks like a perfect fit for any gamer yearning for a leisurely stroll (or flight) through nature while not having to worry about any rush or deadlines or any kind of pacing other than the one you choose. This is another game that you can purchase on your Switch today, and fits in nicely with the Zen feel of several games featured at this Indie World Showcase.

Buy A Short Hike right now on Nintendo eShop for a discounted USD $7.19. 

CARD SHARK (NERIAL)

Let's hope the final boss is an actual shark.

Let’s hope the final boss is an actual shark.

As everyone knows, the only thing more enjoyable than beating someone in cards is beating someone in cards by cheating. It’s this concept of deception and manipulation that is the driving force behind the devious new card game Card Shark, which explores the high stakes world of taking the unsporting approach to playing cards and the grave consequences of being caught in the act. With authentic card manipulation tricks and an expressive art style, Card Shark could be an ace up the sleeve when it releases on Switch next year.

TORCHLIGHT III (PERFECT WORLD)

The third game in this action RPG series will be coming to Switch this Fall, with the classic loot-gathering, dungeon-exploring, monster-bashing gameplay all being carried over to this port. This is sure to be an addictive time for anyone looking to save the land of Novastraia.

MANIFOLD GARDEN (WILLIAM CHYR STUDIOS)

This game is all about puzzle solving through shifting perspectives in levels designed to look like optical illusions. A mind-bender in every sense of the world, Manifold Garden can be played on Switch today.

Buy Manifold Garden right now on Nintendo eShop for a discounted USD $17.99.

EVERGATE (STONE LANTERN)

Another one of those charming games about death.

Another one of those charming games about death.

This one gives off some strong Ori and the Blind Forest vibes, with its whimsical main character and art style setting the backdrop to an engaging-looking 2D platformer. Set in a dreamy version of the afterlife, the game looks to place heavy emphasis on making navigating these worlds a dynamic process thanks to the Soulflame mechanic which can slow down time and shoot the character off into different directions. And you guessed it, Evergate will also be available on Switch today.

Buy Evergate right now on Nintendo eShop for a discounted USD $16.99. 

SIZZLE REEL

Here is a quick glace at all of the other indie games shown off during the presentation’s rapid fire sizzle reel:

  • Haven (The Game Baker) releasing later this year.
  • Going Under (Aggro Crab) releasing September 24th.
  • The Red Lantern (Timberline Studio) releasing Autumn 2020.
  • Unrailed! (Indoor Astronaut) releasing September 23rd.
  • Struggling (Chasing Rats Games) releasing August 27th.
  • INMOST (Hidden Layer Games) releasing August 21st.
  • She Dreams Elsewhere (Studio Zevere) releasing early 2021.
  • Grindstone (Capybara Games) releasing Autumn 2020
  • GONNER2 (Art in Heart) releasing Autumn 2020.

CO-OP IN UNTITLED GOOSE GAME

And finally, there will be a free update coming to last year’s indie sleeper hit Untitled Goose Game adding co-operative multiplayer so the snoozy village can now be terrorised by a pair of geese. Arriving on September 23rd, this mode of play sees you team up with a friend and go about all the cheeky shenanigans that made so many people fall in love with this game when it launched. Being able to share the honking fun with a pal will give this short game some much appreciated replay value and will undoubtedly bring about some great videos online.

And there you have it, every announcement that was made during August’s Indie World Showcase. Were you satisfied with the presentation? Did you feel like it promises a strong future for the Switch in what has otherwise been a quiet year for the system? Let us know in the comments and hopefully it won’t be too long before Nintendo drops a fully featured Direct telling us even more about the future of this console/handheld hybrid.

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