Indie Video Game Round-Up #2 - BRAWLHALLA, DAWN OF THE MONSTERS, SIFU, and More
There was a lot of news this last week for indie video games. There was Nintendo’s Indie World Showcase along with other news. I’ve done my best to gather some of the bigger indie announcements below. What’s been your favorite piece of indie gaming news lately?
We’ll kick things off with the biggest thing: Indie World Showcase. A slew of announcements were made and games shown off. You can find a list of some titles as well as the entire video here!
Rogue Legacy 2 from Cellar Door Games: Anyone can be a hero in this sequel to the beloved roguelite game where the adventure changes with every playthrough. Whether you’re a lute-playing bard with vertigo, or a colorblind knight, your goals are the same – gather countless riches, build up your castle and ensure your legacy. All your upgrades carry over to your heirs and each new successor wields their own personal traits and abilities. The Nintendo Switch version also includes the Fabled Heroes update, adding a ton of new content, including dozens of new sub-classes and items. Rogue Legacy 2 launches on Nintendo Switch later today.
Venba from Visai Games: Get a taste of this wholesome narrative cooking game set in the 1980s, in which you’ll help an Indian mother, who has recently immigrated to Canada, reconnect with her heritage by cooking a variety of mouth-watering South Indian dishes. Experience a story of love and loss through branching conversations, try to restore lost family recipes and bop along to a soundtrack inspired by Indian musicals. Venba comes to Nintendo Switch in spring 2023.
A Little to the Left from MAX INFERNO and SECRET MODE: A Little to the Left is a cozy puzzle game in which players organize household objects into satisfying arrangements. A mischievous cat who likes to shake things up will appear from time to time to make a mess of any beautifully organized objects. There are more than 75 delightful puzzles to discover, many of which have multiple solutions. A Little to the Left launches on Nintendo Switch later today.
Blanc from Casus Ludi and Gearbox Publishing: In the spectacular, monochrome world of Blanc, a fawn and a wolf cub must learn to rely on each other to find their way home. Throughout this co-op adventure, the unlikely friends must coordinate and use their individual strengths to navigate obstacles among the frosty terrain. Blanc is a completely text-free story with local* and online co-op play**, making it inviting for everyone to enjoy. Blanc launches as a console exclusive on Nintendo Switch on Feb. 14, 2023. Pre-orders begin in Nintendo eShop and the My Nintendo Store on Nintendo.com later today.
Have a Nice Death from Magic Design Studios and Gearbox Publishing: Don the robes of Death Incorporated’s CEO – Death himself – in this hand-drawn 2D action roguelike game. Explore the darkly charming, procedurally generated departments of the corporation’s headquarters, and use an arsenal of weapons, spells and special curses in your mission to round up the rogue employees who have been snatching up too many souls on Earth. Have a Nice Death launches for Nintendo Switch on March 22, 2023. Pre-orders go live later today in Nintendo eShop and the My Nintendo Store on Nintendo.com.
Once Upon a Jester from Bonte Avond and Crunching Koalas: Best friends Sok and Jester have devised a mischievous scheme to steal a Royal Diamond. But their plan hinges on receiving an invitation to join the famous Royal Theatrical Spectacle. They’ll have to improvise their way to fame and outperform every other act they encounter on the road. Their wacky, whimsical journey leads them across a fantasy kingdom full of silly characters and even sillier spectacles. Once Upon a Jester jingles onto Nintendo Switch later today.
Aka from Cosmo Gatto and Neowiz: Take on the role of the retired warrior Aka in this top-down, small open-world game and aim to find inner peace on an isolated island paradise. In handcrafted islands covered in majestic mountains, dense tropical forests and inviting hot springs, Aka can nurture flora and fauna, build a shelter, craft items or even feed baby dragons. Different quests await to ultimately meet the ghosts of Aka’s past. Aka washes up on Nintendo Switch on Dec. 15.
Sports Story from Sidebar Games: In this all-out sporting RPG, you’ll rise through the ranks of the sports world and prove your prowess on the golf course, tennis court and football pitch. By raising your sporting rank you’ll unlock even more disciplines, including BMX, volleyball, cricket and more. But the game isn’t just about sports – hop on a train or helicopter to explore dungeons, abandoned ruins and the mysterious Wildlands, or kick back at the mall with its daily attractions, specialty sports stores and minigames. Sports Story launches on Nintendo Switch this December.
Botany Manor from Balloon Studios and Whitethorn Games: Take on the role of Arabella Green, a retired botanist who owns a historical manor in the 19th century. Arabella takes care of the manor’s magnificent gardens by solving plant-based puzzles and preserving a collection of forgotten flora. Inspecting the manor will show clues, newspaper clippings, letters and more to help Arabella’s gardening skills blossom while you’re learning more about her. Botany Manor blooms on Nintendo Switch next year.
GOODBYE WORLD from ISOLATION STUDIO and PM Studios, Inc.: GOODBYE WORLD follows the story of Kanii and Kumade, two friends and indie game developers striving to find the perfect idea for their next game. Watch their story develop as you play through stages of a retro-inspired puzzle-platformer while following their day-to-day struggles. Will their friendship be able to take the strain of these challenges? GOODBYE WORLD launches on Nintendo Switch later this month.
Dordogne from Un Je Ne Sais Quoi, Umanimation and Focus Entertainment: In this immersive narrative experience, you’ll play as Mimi, a girl who spent all her childhood summers in the Dordogne region of France. Now Mimi returns to the home of her late grandmother, who has left behind a series of letters and lost family secrets to be uncovered. Play in both the past and the present – skip through the French countryside as 10-year-old Mimi, while exploring her grandmother’s house in the present. Discover the close relationship between grandmother and granddaughter, as you collect photos, objects and words to fill Mimi’s journal and keep her precious memories alive. Dordogne launches on Nintendo Switch in spring 2023.
A Space for the Unbound from Mojiken, Toge Productions and Chorus Worldwide Games: A slice-of-life adventure game with beautiful pixel art set in late ’90s rural Indonesia, A Space for the Unbound tells a story about the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers. When a mysterious power threatens their existence, they must explore their town to uncover hidden secrets, face the end of the world and perhaps learn more about each other. A Space for the Unbound launches on Nintendo Switch on Jan. 19, 2023.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly from Toge Productions and Chorus Worldwide Games: The coffee-brewing, narrative-driven visual novel is back for a second episode! As the barista of your own late-night coffee shop, you’ll meet quirky characters – not all of them human – listen to their stories and get to know them. There’s the right brew for each customer, latte art to dazzle them and even secret recipes to warm their hearts. Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly pours onto Nintendo Switch next spring.
ONI : Road to be the Mightiest Oni from KENEI DESIGN and Clouded Leopard Entertainment: Take on the role of a vengeful demon warrior in this spirited 3D action-adventure game. After his defeat at the hands of a Japanese folktale hero, Kuuta travels to a small island where he joins forces with the spirit Kazemaru. Ancient demons lurk within vast meadows and lush forests. To defeat them, you’ll control both characters simultaneously using a single Joy-Con controller. Wield Kuuta’s club to attack demons, then summon Kazemaru to draw out their spirits. ONI : Road to be the Mightiest Oni launches for Nintendo Switch on March 9, 2023.
Desta: The Memories Between from ustwo games: From the creators of Monument Valley comes a character-driven roguelike, featuring an immersive story, strategic turn-based tactics, as well as dodgeball action. Every night, when Desta falls asleep, they enter a mysterious dreamworld filled with scattered memories of long-forgotten locations and faces from days gone by. During their slumber, Desta uses powerful orbs to play a surreal turn-based ball game which can change the course of conversations. Desta: The Memories Between launches on Nintendo Switch early next year.
Pepper Grinder from Ahr Ech and Devolver Digital: Shipwrecked and robbed, treasure hunter Pepper must spin up her trusty drill, Grinder, to reclaim what was stolen from her in this spicy action-adventure game. Cruise through a colorfully animated world with fluid drilling and thrilling leaps. Chew through the terrain with Grinder and unlock new drill bits to ramp up the chaos and solve clever puzzles. Collect treasure and other riches, then cash them in to pep up Pepper, open up new paths on the world map and snag collectible figures for your gallery. Pepper Grinder launches for Nintendo Switch in 2023.
Another indie game that made an announcement was Dawn of the Monsters. The game from 13AM Games and WayForward announced that it will be adding a new playable character and the fans can vote on which of three it should be. I personally enjoy the game and you can find my full review from earlier this year, so I’m pumped to get a new character. I think my vote goes to Meteor Temujin! In addition to a new character, fans will find new game modes, missions, and even Japanese voiceovers made available through free and paid DLC. The new content for Dawn of the Monsters will be available in 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox (affiliate link).
Three behemoth brawlers are ready to earn your vote: the ape-like Ziranoth, the stone warrior Daizosan, and the mecha combiner Meteor Temujin. Resembling a primate wearing a mantle of vegetation, Ziranoth is a guardian of nature with an animalistic fighting style; its "operator" is Li Mei, a girl who befriended the beast while stranded on an uninhabited island. Diazosan, meanwhile, is a living statue that specializes in Rage generation and can trample enemies with ground-shaking rampage attacks. Last but not least is Meteor Temujin, a combining, multi-melee-weapon-wielding ATOM piloted by college genius Grace Galvan and her friends. Though all three giants are prepared for combat, only one will join the fight!
If you enjoy the free-to-play flatform fighting game Brawlhalla, you’ll be excited to hear that characters from Avatar: The Last Airbender will be joining the game on November 16. You’ll be able to play as Aang, Toph, and Zuko as Epic Crossovers for Wu Shang, Kor, and Hattori respectively. Who will you play as?
Aang, an Epic Crossover for Wu Shang, is the last Airbender and only known survivor of the Air Nomads. His destiny is to learn the art of the Avatar and defeat the Fire Lord of the Fire Nation. Because Aang is the Avatar, he must learn how to bend all four elements: water, earth, fire, and air. He is a trickster and longs for a life full of fun experiences. Aang uses Gauntlets and Spear, and his Signature attacks show Aang bending all four elements, even entering the Avatar state.
Toph, an Epic Crossover for Kor, was born blind and grew up learning to adapt and thrive. As a powerful Earthbender, she’s stubborn, uninhibited, exuberantly self-confident, and loves to say and do whatever she pleases. She has no patience with other people telling her what to do, but she’s more than happy to boss others around. Used to being underestimated, she uses people’s misperceptions of her to gain an advantage over them. Toph uses Gauntlets and Hammer, and her Signatures use her earthbending skills to increase the power of her attacks.
Zuko, an Epic Crossover for Hattori, is the son of Fire Lord Ozai and a powerful Firebender, banished from the Fire Nation for speaking out against his Father and the Fire Nation’s conquest. During his mission to retrieve the Avatar, Zuko faced much internal struggle and turmoil. Supported by his uncle, General Iroh, Zuko ultimately joined the Avatar's group to become Aang's firebending mentor and restore both his and the Fire Nation’s true honor. Zuko uses Sword and Spear, and in his Signatures he takes on the disguise of the Blue Spirit and unleashes his firebending mastery.
Meanwhile, Team17 and RocketBrush Studio launched their dark fantasy action-RPG The Unliving into Steam Early Access. The game aims to combine rogue-lite and real-time strategy gameplay into an exciting experience. You’ll play as a Necromancer trying to bring about the fall of humanity.
Each new run in The Unliving sees the Necromancer return stronger than before, learning from his mistakes with each failed attempt, and offering a new chance for humanity to fall. In the brutal and procedurally generated world, players will slay armies, defeat epic bosses, collect and harness powerful spells, and gather resources to restore his citadel, all while uncovering the secrets of the Necromancer and his faithful followers.
The roguelike Dead Cells also got some fun new content. New outfits and weapons are available from other beloved indie games including Shovel Knight, Katana ZERO, Slay the Spire, Hotline Miami, Risk of Rain and Terraria. Here’s the list:
Terraria - The Character - Starfury Sword
Hotline Miami - Jacket - Baseball Bat
Shovel Knight - Shovel Knight - King’s Scepter
Slay The Spire - The Ironclad - Diverse Deck
Katana Zero - Subject Zero - Throwable Objects
Risk of Rain - The Commando - Laser Glaive
Humble Games and Nikko Nikko announced the upcoming rhythm RPG Infinite Guitars will be released on Nintendo Switch, PC [Steam|Humble (affiliate link)], and Xbox for $19.99 on December 13. In addition, the Infinite Guitars lofi album will be avialable on Apple and Spotify to stream and enjoy.
In Infinite Guitars, a world shredded by the devastating war against the Mechs, the remnants of humanity scavenge and fight to survive. Now, the metal war machines have reawakened—and only your electric guitar can turn their technology against them! Gather up the party, tune up your favorite axe, and get ready to rock in Infinite Guitars, a genre-melting rhythm RPG featuring vibrant anime-inspired art, adrenaline-fueled Mech battles, and a blazing original soundtrack.
The spacefaring MMO EVE Online also launched their new expansion EVE: Uprising. In addition to new story elements and 8 new ships, other improvements include a new default overview inspired by the Z-S Overview Pack, refined audio and soundtracks for Factional Warfare sites, the inclusion of a Spanish-language client, the addition of Object Instancing and Ambient Occlusion, and AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 1.0.
If you’re wanting to work on your language skills, Lingo Legend is a mobile game from Hyperthought Games releasing on Google Play on November 29. The game is currently available through the Apple App Store and is highly rated among users. As an Android user, I’m excited to be able to play this fantasy RPG designed to help keep players motivated to play which means more motivation to practice your new languages. The game supports learning Spanish, French, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, German, Italian, or Portuguese and has some adorable art. In addition, with the Android launch, the iOS version will see a new update that provides a training mode, onboarding experience, and ability to customize your avatar.
If you need kung-fu action on the go, the hit game Sifu from Sloclap was released for Nintendo Switch digitally and physically through select retailers including GameStop (affiliate link).
If you want to build your dream Viking city, Land of the Vikings launched on Steam Early Access for $19.99.
Mommy’s Best Games announced that Game Type DX is releasing on PS4 and PS5 on November 17. This will bring new levels, enemies, game modes, and power-ups into the beloved game. If you don’t want to wait, you can play it now on Nintendo Switch and Xbox.
The Icelandic studio Arctic Theory, led by CCP Games and EA veterans, announced they’ll be releasing a genre-defining MMO in 2023 currently codenamed Annex. The game will be a persistent single-shared world that nature has overtaken.
Codenamed Annex, the game takes place in a persistent, single-shared world where nature has taken over the remnants of a long-vanished civilization. By searching for resources, building infrastructure and solving logistical challenges, players will alter the landscape of Annex, creating everything from lone outposts, trade networks and humble settlements to large-scale, democratically run cities of industry.
Ziggurat Interactive made the announcement that BloodRayne: Terminal Cut, BloodRayne 2: Terminal Cut, and BloodRayne Betrayal: Fresh Bites are now available through the Epic Games Store. Also, you can win a copy of BloodRayne Limited Run Collector’s Edition by using the Rayne Filter on Instagram (found on Ziggurat’s profile) or TikTok and share and tag using #zigguratinteractive & #Bloodrayne20. You have until November 18 to enter.
As a love letter to retro 2D platformers, pixel.games and Flynn’s Arcade are launching Donut Dodo on Nintendo Switch on December 1. The game is currently available on Steam and unfortunately only localized in English at the time.
Play as baker Billy Burns, who has to run, jump and climb to outwit Donut Dodo and his clueless minions. Your goal is to collect all the donuts in each level in the best possible time. Donut Dodo is tough as nails and features no "continues".
Amplitude Studios took some time this week to release the Together We Rule expansion for Humankind. There’s also a free update that adds Stealth, revamps independent peoples, and more.
Freedom Games announced the following 5 games are being ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2023:
Monorail Stories, the award-winning asynchronous multiplayer narrative experience from Stelex Software - Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023
Mars Base, the out of this world farming sim from KZ Games - Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023
Monster Outbreak, a retro-inspired 2D tower defense survival game from GameMunchers - Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023
Tyrant’s Blessing, a tactical turn-based RPG from Mercury Game Studios - Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023
Terracotta, an action-puzzle pixel art adventure from Appnormals - Thursday, March 16, 2023
Digital pre-orders opened for The Rumble Fish 2 on Nintendo Switch. The game will launch on December 8 and can be wishlisted on Steam and PlayStation now.
Idea Factory announced the upcoming action RPG Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters will be avialable on January 24 for North American and European audiences both digitally and physically. A Digital Deluxe Edition will also be available with a Swimsuit Costume Set, digital artbook, original soundtrack, avatars for PS4/PS5 gamers, and wallpapers for PC and mobile if you buy the Steam version. A Limited Edition for the physical version will have an exclusive trading card, large mousepad, and more.
In Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters, you play as the Goddess Candidates, led by Nepgear, who awaken from a two-year-long slumber to a Gamindustri that has been upended by a treacherous threat called the Trendi Phenomenon. While they've been sleeping, the citizens of Gamindustri have turned to using a new device called the rPhone as their main method of communication as they've been unable to leave their homes while monsters lurk outside.
Now, work together with friends both new and old to prevent the total destruction of Gamindustri as we know it!
PQube and TrickJump Games announced a cyberpunk action roguelite called ArcRunner set to release on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox consoles in 2023. Up to 4 players can team up to bring down the evil AI.
On board the Titan-Class space-station “The Arc”, a meta-virus has infected KORE – the station AI. Every robot on the station immediately turned on its inhabitants, and they’ve all mysteriously disappeared – location unknown.
The ArcRunner protocol is initialised: The stored mind of the greatest tactical operative downloaded into a cybernetic android body and released with one goal: Defeat the zone Guardians, make it to KORE and restore it to sanity.
Finally, SNK Corporation announced that NeoGeo Pocket Color Selection Vol.2 released on Nintendo Switch and PC this week bringing 10 masterpieces to modern hardware. Please note that all games except Mega Man Battle & Fighters and Ganbare Neo Poke-Kun are available in English.
Iconic characters duke it out in an all-star brawl in "SNK VS. CAPCOM CARD FIGHTERS' CLASH".
Stunning wrestlers settle it in the ring in "BIG BANG PRO WRESTLING".
Pilot your Unitron and aim for the top in "BIOMOTOR UNITRON".
Go wild in the world of MEGA MAN with "MEGA MAN BATTLE & FIGHTERS".
The second installment of masterclass puzzles is here: "PUZZLE LINK2".
Play through 30 different mini games in "GANBARE NEO POKE-KUN".
Roll the dice in "THE KING OF FIGHTERS BATTLE DE PARADISE", the fun KOF-themed board game.
Simplistic baseball has never been so fun with "BASEBALL STARS COLOR".
Serve your opponents your best shot in "POCKET TENNIS COLOR".
Build in "NEOGEO CUP '98 PLUS COLOR" the strongest team in the league.