Oooh boy, there’s a whole lot of juicy stuff coming from the indie world if Day of the Devs is anything to go by.
We got served this year’s Day of the Devs showcase smack bang after the choc-a-bloc main Summer Games Fest showcase, and I am frothing at the mouth, folks. Day of the Devs, presented by the good folks over at Double Fine and iam8bit, is an annual showcase that shows off fantastic work from the indie game world.
This year, they’ve given us a whole lot to get excited about, from announcements to gameplay footage to release dates for long-awaited titles. Why don’t we go through just what they showed off this year?
Desta: The Memories Between
ustwo games
A new turn-based strategy game about fixing your past friendships made by the creators of Monument Valley and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure. If Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was about tugging at your heartstrings. You play the role of Desta, a 20-something who aims to patch up the life they left behind in their hometown.
[Trailer]
Time Flies
Michael Frei & Raphaël Munoz from KIDS
This is a VERY cool concept. You are a fly, and flies obviously don’t live very long. You have to make the most of your time on this planet as a fly. Buzz around, play some guitar. Live your best fly life. You’ve got a bucket list you have to fill out before you die. Coming to PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac.
[Trailer]
Bear and Breakfast
Gummy Cat
WE FINALLY HAVE A RELEASE DATE FOR BEAR AND BREAKFAST! And even more gameplay footage too. Guys, I am so excited for this game. I have been waiting for it for so long. ‘Humans are coming back for some reason, and they need somewhere to stay,’ and that’s where you, a bear, comes in. You must manage this B’n’B while also uncovering the story of Bear and Breakfast. A very ‘go at your own pace’ game. We now know that Bear and Breakfast is coming out July 28th, 2022.
[Trailer]
A Little to the Left
Max Inferno
God yes, I love these guys. It’s important to know that a big, fluffy cat was vital in the development of A Little To The Left. Tidy up everyday household items, and be mindful of the cat that aims to cause problems on purpose. This is the game made for perfectionists, but also for perfectionists cursed to a life with a very cheeky cat.
[Trailer]
ANIMAL WELL
Shared Memory
This game is full of secrets. A very elusive puzzle platformer with much more than meets the eye. You are a little blob who must delve deeper and deeper into this labyrinth of pixels. There are many creatures in the game, but not all of them are your friends.
[Trailer]
Birth
Madison Karrh
A beautiful adventure puzzle game where you have to build your own friend out of bones and parts that you find, because you are very lonely. It is very sad but also very pretty. It’s made by solo developer Madison Karrh, and is a point-click-and-drag adventure that requires you to go through other peoples stuff and do the puzzles found within. Made with Karrh’s ‘whole heart’, Birth releases August 2022.
[Trailer]
Choo-Choo Charles
Two Star Games
Thomas the Tank Engine has seen better days. This game rocks so hard. Choo-Choo Charles comes from a solo developer, and is an open world horror game where you navigate an island on a train that you upgrade over time. You must summon Charles and fight him to the death, and in the process help locals and fight off cultists looking to quench Charles’ hunger for human flesh.
[Gameplay]
Escape Academy
Coin Crew Games
Described as ‘Hogwarts for escape rooms’, the game is made by Coin Crew Games, and is a co-operative escape room game coming out July 14th, 2022. The game teaches you to be the master escapist. The puzzles in the game never repeat, and require no dexterity, only your big juicy brain. It basically provides an experience that you couldn’t imagine in a real escape room.
[Trailer]
How to Say Goodbye
Florian Veltman, Baptiste Portefaix, ARTE France
A narrative puzzle game inspired by illustrated storybooks. The art style is very reminiscent of Moomin. You play the ghost of a person who has just died, and must traverse through puzzles to come to terms with your passing, while also helping other ghosts move on to the afterlife. Coming in 2022, this game is going to make me cry.
[Trailer]
Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland
Die Soft
This may surprise no one, but the music of Little Nemo unleashed something within me, and I bawled. Why am I crying in the club right now, Peter Berkman of Anamanguchi? Why would you do this to me? Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland is a platforming Metroidvania where you explore a dreamworld as a sweet little guy. I’m squealing with excitement. The game has just launched on Kickstarter, where you can support its development. Target launch date is December 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac.
NAIAD
HiWarp
A beautiful exploration game from solo developer HiWarp. Swim around a beautiful top-down world as the guardian of the river. Listening to this guy’s voice is an absolute dream. Definitely a game to play when you are very stressed. Available on PC and consoles by the end of 2022.
[Trailer]
Planet of Lana
Wishfully
Is Planet of Lana a little guy game? Perhaps. You and your new little friend must traverse a strange new world, avoiding beasties and strengthening your bond in the process. It’s like a side-scrolling, stylised version of The Last Guardian, except your animal friend is much smaller (and follows directions a big better).
[Trailer]
Roots of Pacha
Soda Den
A game inspired by Stardew Valley, this one goes much, much further back in time to bring the farming sim experience to the stone age. You can get a wife, make friends with mammoths, go back to your instinctual hunter-gatherer ways, and build your village from the ground up. Capitalism doesn’t exist yet in Roots of Pacha, so there are no stores, meaning you simply have to work with your community to build your village and make it thrive. You can play the demo right now.
[Trailer]
SCHiM
Ewoud van der Werf
This was one of the many indie games I was already very excited for. You are a schim, a little shadow creature, and you must try and find the human you belong to as well as helping other shadow friends find the objects they belong to. It’s beautiful, approachable, and full of life.
[Trailer]
Fox and Frog Travelers: The Demon of Adashino Island
Rias (Rias Coast)
A gorgeous 3D action-platformer where you play a little fox girl with a little froggy friend. A nice mix of freakin’ scary and absolutely adorable. The game concept came from illustrations done by the developer, Rias. Will release ‘in a few years’.
[Trailer]
Goodbye World
YO FUJII
A first game from a solo developer, the game follows two indie game developers trying to make a game. It’s a narrative, loosely puzzle-based game inspired by games like Mother 3, and is very reminiscent of games in the Game Boy Advance and SNES eras. Coming out later this year.
[Trailer]
Which games are you most excited for? Me personally, I am very pumped for… Actually, pretty much everything on this list. Good lord, what an incredible line-up.
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