Nintendo Indie World Showcase March 2026: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer

How would you rate it?

by Jim Norman 1 hour ago

Nintendo Indie World March 2026 — *Image: Nintendo Life*

We've had game-specific, movie-specific, Pokémon-specific and partner-specific presentations out of Nintendo and co. so far this year, and today, it was Indie World's turn to take the spotlight.

The March 2026 Indie World showcase brought us 15 minutes packed with glorious, smaller titles, heading to Switch 1 & 2 in the near future — there were even a handful that arrived today. Our wishlists are already booming, but if you missed out and want to see what was announced to add to yours, then we've got you covered.

Below, we have listed every announcement, reveal and trailer from the March Indie World. We've also linked the full presentation and a poll so you can share your thoughts on it.

Shall we dive in? Yes, indieed...

Nintendo Indie World Showcase March 2026 - The Full Presentation

Just in case you missed out on the show (or if you just want to watch it again), you'll find the full Indie World presentation below.

Every Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase February 2026 Game Announcement & Update

Now then, onto the news. Below, we have listed every announcement in the order it was made, accompanied by the relevant trailer and blurb text.

Let's meet the indies.

Denshattack! (Switch 2) - 17th June 2026

Travel across a colorful dystopian Japan in this off-the-rails extreme action-adventure platformer game. Flip, trick and grind a fast-paced train while racking up points and facing off against bizarre bosses. Take back the tracks with nothing but skill, speed and style as you ollie and kickflip through volcanoes, meadows and oceans.

My Little Puppy (Switch 1) - 29th May 2026

One day in doggy heaven, a Welsh Corgi named Bong-gu catches a whiff of his human dad in the afterlife. Sniff, bark, run and jump as you embark on a touching narrative adventure as Bong-gu to reunite with his dearly departed dad in a story of relationships, farewells and reunions.

Heave Ho 2 (Switch 1 & 2) - Summer 2026

Swing into action, reach out and offer your friends a helping hand … or lose your grip and send them tumbling to the deadly void below in this fiendish online and local multiplayer game for up to four players. Grab your pals and play couch co-op together, or play locally and online with GameShare. Explore new gameplay twists, from weightless space to cookery chaos and much more across eight themed worlds.

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault (Switch 2) - 2026

Live the double life of a fearless adventurer and a crafty merchant! Dive into vibrant dimensions brimming with shiny loot and pesky enemies. Each run becomes a tactical puzzle of how much loot you can carry back and how far you dare to explore. After each escapade, put your hard-earned treasure on sale. Set your prices, grow your shop, entice returning customers and make your mark among a ragtag community of castaways.

Woodo (Switch 1 & 2) - Summer 2026

Welcome to Woodo, a cozy puzzle game where you assemble wooden scenes piece by piece like a 3D coloring book. Place objects in their correct spots and watch each scene slowly fill with color and life, revealing charming animations and small surprises through handcrafted dioramas. Play at your own pace while the narrator’s voice keeps you company as you settle into a world that comes together one piece at a time. The Nintendo Switch 2 version also supports Joy-Con 2 mouse controls for smooth gameplay.

Minishoot' Adventures (Switch 1 & 2) - Today

Fly into a frantic, handcrafted world with crisp, twin-stick, shoot-’em-up action in this modern twist on the classic 8-bit adventure formula. Fight your way from the shiny overworld to the deepest caves, improve your ship and overcome dungeon bosses in intense, bullet-filled battles to rescue your friends. Explore lush caverns, ancient temples and sunken cities where each environment is full of treasures, challenges and secrets.

The Midnight Walk (Switch 2) - 26th March 2026

From the makers of Lost in Random and Fe comes the award-winning dark fantasy adventure built entirely in real life clay and animated in a stop motion style. Become The Burnt One, befriend a lost lantern creature named Potboy, and use his flame to light your way through a handcrafted world of wonder and horror.

Rotwood (Switch 2) - Today

Choose your weapon, master a diverse combat system and refine your builds in this stylish side-scrolling co-op action brawler from Klei Entertainment, the studio behind Don’t Starve. Battle corrupted beasts through dangerous forest arenas, and play solo or with up to three friends locally or online. Progress comes from increasing your skill as much as your loot, with challenging boss fights that demand practice and proficiency.

Mixtape (Switch 2) - 7th May 2026

From the developers of BAFTA award-winning game The Artful Escape, Mixtape unfolds in a narrative-driven adventure of three friends exploring the greatest hits of their teenage experience, from the first kiss to the last dance. Inspired by classic coming-of-age movies and featuring eclectic gameplay and a varied soundtrack of popular music from artists including DEVO, The Smashing Pumpkins and more.

Blighted (Switch 2) - Fall 2026

Battle through a deadly, psychedelic Western nightmare to reclaim the memories of your people in this exploration-driven action RPG from the creators of Guacamelee! and Nobody Saves the World. The evil Sorcisto has consumed your village and infected the world with a deadly Blight. As the lone survivor of his rampage, you must fight through surreal, hostile environments to defeat powerful bosses and recover the memories of your people ... before your own Blight overtakes you. Play solo or with a friend via local or online multiplayer, as you uncover the mysteries of this twisted world.

Deadzone: Rogue (Switch 2) - 17th March 2026

Step into a forsaken space station in this fast-paced roguelike shooter where every run is a heated fight for survival, solo or with friends online. Battle through shifting, procedurally generated corridors overrun with biomechanical creatures. Scavenge and combine experimental weaponry to grow stronger and evolve with every encounter. Harness powerful gear, wield the elements in high intensity combat and push deeper into the station’s heart to uncover secrets. Plus, use Joy-Con 2 mouse controls for smooth loot and shoot action. Fight, revive, adapt and carve your own path through the void – can you survive long enough to conquer the Deadzone?

Grave Seasons (Switch 1) - Summer 2026

Establish your new farming life and embed yourself in an idyllic town with some seriously unsettling vibes. Your peaceful life is put at risk when you discover someone in town is a supernatural serial killer.

Unrailed 2: Back On Track (Switch 1 & 2) - May 2026

The chaotic co-op railroad builder returns, bigger and wilder than ever. Work together in online multiplayer to gather resources, craft tracks and guide a constantly moving train without letting it derail.

Toem 2 (Switch 1) - Summer 2026

Set off on a new photo adventure, spurred on by your awakened passion for discovering and photographing mysterious “events” known as TOEMs. Jump and climb across new regions, lend a hand to new faces and create lasting friendships along the way.

inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories. (Switch 1 & 2) - 30th April 2026

Step into the quiet glow of a late-night konbini (convenience store) set in a 1990s town inspired by Japan, and discover the hidden joy in daily routines. Stock shelves, explore the colorful neighborhood, and meet charming customers with stories of their own that you can help shape.

Outbound (Switch 1 & 2) - 23rd April 2026

Turn an empty camper van into the home of your dreams in this cozy, off-the-grid exploration game. Play solo or in online multiplayer that supports up to four players and craft workstations, gather energy from natural sources, upgrade and customize your vehicle, grow crops and explore a colorful world.

Ratatan (Switch 2) - 16th July 2026

Command over 100 unique characters in this rhythm roguelike action game that blends musical timing with side-scrolling combat. Play solo, or in local and online multiplayer for up to four players.

Blue Prince (Switch 2) - Today

Welcome to Mt. Holly, a peculiar manor with ever-changing rooms. This genre-bending, DICE award-winning game is filled with mystery, strategy and puzzles that weave together with every room explored. Chart a path through chambers that harbor secrets and challenges to find the enigmatic Room 46. Be aware: The mansion resets every day, and every doorway becomes a new choice. Plus, smoothly navigate Mt. Holly with Joy-Con 2 mouse controls. Unravel the truth day by day, step by step and room by room.

Japanese Indie World March 2026 Bonus Announcements

As well as all of the games outlined above, the Japanese Indie World showcase also packed in a handful of games that did not appear in the Western presentation — including a shadowdrop that's available worldwide.

Below, we've listed all of these extras.

夢物語の街 (Switch 1) - May 2026

A relaxing and soothing tidying and interior decorating game. As you help the townspeople with various requests - moving, tidying up, cleaning, etc. - you may unexpectedly have an impact on their lives or discover little secrets... (translated via Google)

Öoo (Switch 1) - Today

A Bomb Caterpillar's Big Adventure! "Öoo" is a charming yet mysterious exploration puzzle platformer where you discover creative ways to use bombs!

Little Witch In The Woods (Switch 1) - 2026

Little Witch in the Woods tells the story of Ellie, an apprentice witch. Explore the mystical forest, help the charming residents, and experience the daily life of the witch.

Schrodinger's Call (Switch 1) - 28th May 2026

When the world is coming to an end, who would you want to speak to one last time? Schrödinger’s Call is a visual novel that lets you experience the pain and salvation of human connection, as if you were turning the pages of a picture book.

Japanese Rural Life Adventure (Switch 1) - Today

Japanese Rural Life Adventure is a relaxing slow-life simulation where you can experience the charm of traditional Japanese countryside living, all in a beautifully crafted pixel-art world.

Magical Girl Witch Trials (Switch 1) - 9th July 2026

Thirteen girls awaken, only to find themselves in a prison. What awaits them: a Witch Trial. Help them prepare for the trial by exploring the prison in order to find the witch hidden amongst them. Find the witch, learn what kind of magic she holds, dispel the lies, and prepare for the execution.

Homura Hime (Switch 2) - 2026

Homura Hime is an anime-style 3D action game merging exhilarating thrills with the tension-filled gameplay of bullet hell. Players dodge hails of projectiles, unleash combos that blend close-quarters and ranged attacks, and utilize dodges and parries to withstand the fierce onslaught of demons.

Poll - How Would You Rate It?

And just when we thought our backlogs could get any bigger! Not a bad lineup, eh? You can let us know what you made of the Indie World March 2026 Showcase, and your favourite announcements from it, in the following polls.

Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since.

1
Erigen
1 hour ago

Loved the direct, far better than the last one in my opinion.
I did not expect Grave Seasons to come to Switch. To anyone interested, it's similar to Stardew Valley, but the twist is that everytime you create a new save file, the game randomly picks one of the npcs to be a serial killer. The relationships and romances you form can change the story as well, even potentially unknowingly romance the murderer.

Another dark, cozy farming game that is said to come to Switch, but not featured in the direct is called Grimshire. About a farming town full of anthropomophic characters where you can choose to be a carnivore or herbivore. Blight has corrupted the land making it difficult to grow food and hunt meat, causing tensions between the two. Due to the scarcity of food, characters can starve to death, but carnivores (including yourself) could potentially eat the herbivores (including yourself).

2
DennyCrane
1 hour ago

Midnight Walk piqued my interest with it's Tim Burton look to it, will keep an eye on it.

3
Kraven
1 hour ago

There were a few bangers, in my opinion. Denshattack looks cool, Rotwood looks like the perfect successor to Absolum, and Drinkbox has a new game coming out.

4
JohnnyMind
1 hour ago

I'd say this was a pretty good Indie World in general and for me personally 8 - Great (maybe even more considering the games exclusive to the Japanese version, but I'm not fully checking those to keep them as a surprise for my stream tomorrow) thanks to the variety of games shown, a couple of big announcements, shadowdrops, games using Switch 2 features, even an exclusive and so on - my favorite announcements so far not considering the Japanese version as abovementioned were Denshattack!, My Little Puppy, Outbound, Ratatan (these two also considering that I've supported them myself on Kickstarter) and last but certainly not least Blue Prince!

5
BIG3
1 hour ago

I've been waiting for Mixtape!!!

6
Whirlwound
1 hour ago

That was the best showcase I’ve seen in quite a while - and that’s before the big drop at the end. Quite a number I’m going to dip for here.

7
IronMan30
1 hour ago

9/10, for me. It had a ton of great NS2 and NS1 games.

8
MoldyPasta
1 hour ago

Horrible direct, literally nothing I cared at all about.
If they had Silksong Sea of Sorrow, I would've voted a 9 or 10. This was thoroughly disappointing.

EDIT: After getting over my initial disappointment of no Silksong DLC news, I rescind my ealier statement and now believe that this was a 4/10 direct. Good news is, we all know what's next.

9
Divide_and_Wander
1 hour ago

I put this around the 8 mark. There were quite a few games I was personally interested in. I was bummed we didnt get a Mina update though.

I think we all know what Direct is coming next too!

Honestly Indie Worlds I always set expectations low, lower than even standard directs, even when I barely have them in the first place, because you can't really make predictions of what they'll show with such variety available. They had quite a few games I was already interested in that are now coming over to Switch and Switch 2 like Denshattack and Minishoot Adventures so the fact that there were quite a few games I was looking forward to in such as short time span made this one really good!

11
Darthmoogle
1 hour ago

This was possibly the best Indie World Showcase Nintendo has ever put out! I always have a difficult time getting into Indie World presentations as they rarely show anything that grabs my attention. This one though I felt showed banger after banger. Though I have to ask where in the world is Enter the Gungeon 2? We haven't heard anything about it since the first Switch 2 direct.

12
invictus4000
1 hour ago

Indie showcases are always meh. Haha. Indie games have their place and I respect them for what they are but I'm just kinda over them. They are all so samey these days.

13
LastFootnote
1 hour ago

Öoo is out on Switch today and they didn't even include it in the sizzle reel? I'm baffled.

Do companies have to pay Nintendo to be included in these showcases, or is it the other way around? Or neither?

14
lechugajr
1 hour ago

Cmon people. Drinkbox is money. Blighted will be great.

15
LastFootnote
58 mins ago

@lechugajr I just wish it looked great. You know what I mean?

16
lechugajr
53 mins ago

@LastFootnote Youre not wrong there. Room for improvement!

17
Metazoxan
53 mins ago

It was as good as you could expect a 15 minute indie showcase to be.

Some decent looking indie titles for those that like those genera. Nothing terribly noteworthy ... But it's indie, not every indie game is going to shake the industry.

I'm surprised that train game is coming to switch. I might get that.

A couple other undies are a maybe.

18
Nabbit01
53 mins ago

Wait, Öoo is out but only in Japan? I guess that's going to have to be a region switch game. As the next game from the creator of ElecHead, I recall it got a lot of praise on PC. Must play for me as ElecHead was beyond rad.

Edit: disengaging the klaxons - it's out in or the regions too!

https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/ooo-switch/

19
anoyonmus
51 mins ago

Deadzone looked cool and so did Ratatan

20
invisibot
51 mins ago

@LastFootnote I didn't even think to check if Öoo was released outside of Japan until your comment. That is odd that it wasn't mentioned.
Homura Hime also looks prettty cool but no mention of it coming outside of Japan yet.

21
somnambulance
46 mins ago

Why isn’t Öoo in the western presentation? It’s on Steam right now. The game’s really solid too. I think I preferred Elechead, but it’s one of the better indie titles released last year.

This presentation was sort of mid for me. I got a Steamdeck last year and honestly… the best games on here are out on Steam already. Denshattack might be the only one I’m interested in. Big drop off from the last Indie World Showcase for me. Not enough retro style stuff for me.

22
UpsideDownRowlet
46 mins ago

Blue Prince coming to Switch 2 is neat but otherwise nothing really piqued my interest. I voted "Average".

23
Nabbit01
46 mins ago

More reasons to be excited about Öoo:

"Several critics named Öoo as one of the best titles of the year,[1][6] comparing it to titles including Animal Well and Celeste.[6][3] Critics praised the puzzle game design. Many appreciated how the game required players to experiment with mechanics to find solutions,[3][1] with Moises Taveras of The A.V. Club stating the game is "constantly teaching the player to throw away what they believe to be the conventions of platforming logic, and think outside the box in order to make breakthroughs".[7] The game's short length and focus on its key mechanics were praised.[1][7] John Walker of Kotaku said the game's lack of upgrades or additional bombs focused on demonstrating "imagination for how [the bombs] can be used in ever-more interesting ways".[1] Inverse similarly observed that the game's "genius puzzle design" introduced new mechanics and solutions "with just two buttons and not a single word".[2] Kris Holt of Engadget commended the game's "thought, care and detail" behind the game's design.[3] Praise was also directed to the game's visual and audio design,[1] with Inverse praising the "cheerful and clean" art and the use of theme variation in the game's soundtrack.[2]

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Öoo for Outstanding Achievement in Game Design at the 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards"

I'll stop now, I promise, just surprised this flew so far under the radar after ElecHead was an indie feature.

24
datamonkey
38 mins ago

Forgot it was even on so have a bit of catching up to do!

25
Bex_Tries
36 mins ago

Added 7 games to my wishlist, so I guess that's pretty good for a quicker direct!

26
Anachronism
26 mins ago

I'd say this was one of their best indie presentations. Most of the games looked awesome. Even the ones I'm not interested in had some really unique art styles. The Japan-only ones are interesting too, so hopefully they all get localized.

27
nusco
25 mins ago

@somnambulance Yes, it's wild that Öoo wasn't in the western Direct, especially given how it shadowdropped worldwide. And I'm pleased to find another ElecHead enjoyer here! I keep recommending that game to everybody–it's a true hidden gem.

28
Quarbit
22 mins ago

Nothing for me in this one.

29
nhSnork
22 mins ago

Banger upon banger, but it's fairly typical of IWs to deliver particular headturners. Although while welcoming Deadzone Rogue among the rest (FPS roguelites are still relatively uncommon), I'm left wondering if the game also has gyro and lowkey concerned about third parties starting to focus on "mousecons" over it despite the latter tech being naturally awkward in one mode of the console's three and borderline unusable in another. Not quite an equivalent exchange if we're talking feature priorities. Oh well, if I got through all three Bioshocks on sticks alone...

(On a side note, new game showcases are obvious article fuel and all, but surely NL hasn't forgotten what date it is overall?😏)

30
Axecon
19 mins ago

This was easily one of the strongest Indie Directs. A bunch of new stuff that was not previously announced or leaked, good-looking games with great gameplay variety, and rapid releases. Significantly better than the wet fart of a Partner Direct we got a month ago.

31
Ogbert
7 mins ago

One of the better indie directs in a long time!

Very excited for Denshattack! Pleased to see The Midnight Walk make it's way over, I love it on PS5. Toem 2 was an awesome surprise! Woodo finally getting a date and seeing more Ratatan.

Honestly the only thing I wasn't interested in is Blue Prince but only because I played it elsewhere and couldn't get into it.

32
Mallow
7 mins ago

Why does every announcement presentation need a grade or rating? It's almost as if the real interest in gaming has become parsing through announcement messaging and quantifying hype against a given individual's expectations. Maybe marketing and sales messaging is the real hobby now and actual games are secondary to the dopamine hit of the new and its delivery methods.

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