Tag: Indie - Page 2
News Moon Dancer Brings NES-Style Beats And Sci-Fi Shmup Action To Switch Next Week
Dark side of the moon
Receiving a Steam release earlier this year (to positive reviews) followed by a Japanese Switch release back in July, publisher Regista has announced that the sci-fi shoot 'em up Moon Dancer will be flying in for Western consoles on September 29th. After having a blast
News Chroma Squad Dev's Next Project Is A Magical Girl Turn-Based RPG
Play dress-up to get powers
Brazil-based developer Behold Studios is best known for delivering the Super Sentai/Power Rangers-inspired RPG Chroma Squad back in 2015. Now, the developer is moving on from tokusatsu to magical girl with its next game, Mahou Senshi Cosplay Club. This marks the developer's return to its RPG roots following 2019's party...
News This Undertale-Inspired Timeloop RPG Will Have You Live-Die-Repeating A Lot
'In Stars and Time' comes to Switch next year
Waking up with each day feeling the same may have been a standard part of Pandemic living, but it is the driving force behind In Stars and Time, a new timeloop RPG coming to Switch in 2023. You will play as Siffrin, a hero who is attempting to stop a tyrannical ruler with their group of friends, but the...
News Praise The One Who Waits For This 'Cult Of The Lamb' Vinyl, Pre-Orders Open Today
Cult-ure shock
Those of you with a good enough memory to recall anything before yesterday's Nintendo Direct announcements (were there even games back then?) might remember the release of the creepy life-sim-come-cult-builder, Cult of the Lamb. Well, we had a great time with it — as seen in our 8/10 review — and now those of you who had a blast...
News Critically-Acclaimed Co-Op Game 'It Takes Two' Confirmed For Switch
Howdy there, partner
Hazellight Studios' Game of the Year winner at the 2021 Game Awards, It Takes Two, is making the jump to Switch on 4th November. This was one of the many announcements that was heavily rumoured by multiple people last week, but it's fantastic to see this acclaimed title finally hop over to the hybrid console. This platforming...
News Paper Animal RPG Is An Adorable Mash-Up Of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon And Paper Mario
Wrap it up
With multiple indie developers taking up the Paper Mario mantle — in aesthetics and gameplay — Paper Animal RPG aims to do something a bit different with this crafty style. Developed by Cuddling Raccoons Studio, Paper Animal RPG is an utterly adorable take on the N64 Paper Mario's visuals, leaning into the slightly-more pixelated...
News Alterium Shift Is A Super NES-Inspired RPG With Three Different Story Paths
Octopath Shift
If you were extra vigilant throughout this year's 'not-E3' season, and you like your JRPGs, then you may have spotted Alterium Shift during the 2022 Guerilla Collective showcase. Originally slated for a PC and "unspecified console" release, publisher Gravity Game Arise and developer Drattzy Games have revealed that the game will...
News Dead Cells Huge 'Enter The Panchaku' Update Finally Arrives On Switch Today
Pan nunchaku? Sign us up
After hitting "a snag" (along with a few more delays) with the release of Dead Cells' latest free update, Enter the Panchaku, Motion Twin has announced that Switch owners — and other console players — can at last experience this latest batch of new content! There are a ton of new features in Enter the Panchaku — not...
Random This Fan-Made Crash Bandicoot Game Remakes A Hidden GBA Minigame
Aku Aku-knowledging the past
After having a lot of fun with Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time when we reviewed the game last year, we have been eager to hear more news about the orange blur. An upcoming fan project from Unknown Door Games seems to do just that, though in a slightly less official release/full game kind of way. Posting their...
News OmegaBot Is A Colourful, Retro-Inspired Platformer, Reboots On Switch In 2023
Robots really are a thing of the future
We heard back in June that Red Art Games' upcoming release, OmegaBot, would be landing on Switch in September (much like every other game in the world!). However, today the studio has reached out to say that the game is being pushed back to a release on January 20th 2023. In its statement, Red Art Games...
News Game Boy-Inspired Metroidvania 'Haiku The Robot' Gets September Switch Date
WALL.E with a sword
September is already setting up to be a packed month for game releases. Lego Brawls, Temtem, Splatoon 3, Return to Monkey Island, The DioField Chronicle... the list goes on. But despite the fact that our micro SD cards are already dropping a belt loop to make way for all of this upcoming content, we couldn't help but get e
News Cadence Of Hyrule Dev Brace Yourself Games Announces Publishing Label
"Stay tuned for great new titles"
Brace Yourself Games - known for the rhythm music games such as Cadence of Hyrule and Crypt of the NecroDancer - has announced a new publishing label. Brace Yourself Publishing wants to help smaller indie developers make their own dreams a reality. As the company has grown, it's gained capabilities, resources and...
News Stardew Valley Creator Uploads New Screenshot Of His Next Project
Introducing the Bee Boss
Stardew Valley creator "Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone has already shared a new screenshot of his next project Haunted Chocolatier earlier this month, and now he's released another one. It's perhaps the sweetest one yet - revealing one of the boss enemies in game. This one is simply referred to as "Bee Boss" for now, and as you...
News Fight Monsters And Clear Hairballs In This Upcoming 1-Bit Feline Dungeon Crawler
Paw Swords
How many times have you thought, "yes, this dungeon crawler is great, but I wish there was the option to play as a cat"? Well, UnderDungeon, developed by Josyan, might be just the game to fill this retro feline-focussed hole in your gaming collection. The newest release from publisher RedDeerGames will see you taking on Zelda-inspired...
Out Now Bear-And-Bloke Platformer 'Timberman: The Big Adventure' Chops Its Way To Switch
If you go down to the woods today
If you are looking to return to your Nintendo roots with a good old-fashioned platformer then you may need to look no further than Timberman: The Big Adventure, which lands on the Switch eShop today. This retro-style side-scroller sees you playing as either a heavily-bearded lumberjack named Timber Man or an...
News Change The Past To Avoid A Terrible Fate In ‘The Wreck'
Coming to Switch later this year
Back in 2019 we gave a strong thumbs up to Bury Me, My Love in our Nindie round-up. This text game from The Pixel Hunt told the story of a Syrian refugee attempting to cross her war-torn country and make it safely to her husband and a new life in Germany. Three years on and the studio is back to pull on our heart...
News Freedom Planet 2 Switch Port Now In Development, Arriving Summer 2023
Launching on PC this September
GalaxyTrail has finally confirmed Freedom Planet 2 will be coming to the Nintendo Switch, as well as Xbox and PlayStation. All of these console ports are "now in development" and are scheduled for release in Summer 2023. The release schedule for PC and Linux remains on track - launching on these platforms next month:...
News Mini Metro Copycat Game Has Been Removed From Switch eShop
"The team would like to express their thanks for your support"
Just a few weeks ago, we reported on a suspiciously titled, familiar-looking game that reminded us — and many others — of Dinosaur Polo Club's Mini Metro. That game, Mini Subway: Logic on the Metro Line, appeared on the eShop, and fans of the addictive 2018 puzzle game immediately...
News Stardew Valley Creator Shares A Brand New Screenshot Of His Next Project
Says "progress is pretty good"
Stardew Valley is an amazing game that seems to just keep getting better and better, and while Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone appears to still be working on future updates for it, he's also busy with his next project Haunted Chocolatier. Now, in a new update - Barone has shared what seems to be a new screenshot, just to...
News Nintendo Announces Return To BitSummit, Will Showcase 7 Indie Titles
Nintendo's booth is back for the first time in three years
Nintendo is always hosting special indie world game presentations, and now, for the first time in three years, its booth will be returning to Japan's largest indie game event 'BitSummit X-Roads' next month from 6th August to 7th August. It will be held in Kyoto City, with the first day a...
Feature 'Ex-Zodiac' Is The Star Fox Throwback You Wish Nintendo Would Make
And it's got its sights on Switch
It’s been a while since Nintendo did anything of note with Star Fox. The last new entry was 2016’s Star Fox Zero (along with asymmetric tower defence curio Star Fox Guard), with Star Fox Command for DS coming a decade earlier in 2006. Fox McCloud and Falco Lombardi appeared in Smash Bros., but there’s been a...
News Mini Metro Developer Responds To Knock-Off Release On Switch eShop
"If required, we will take legal action"
A game where you design the intricate subway layout for an ever-expanding city. Sounds like Dinosaur Polo Club's highly addictive 2018 release Mini Metro, right? Well, it's launching again today on the Switch eSho—hang on, that's not right. In fact, today is the launch day for Red Fables' suspiciously...
Feature "A Story Without Antagonism Or Violence" - How Blanc Tells The Story Of Two Unlikely Friends
A chat with Casus Ludi
During June's Nintendo Direct Mini, you may have seen a game that looked a little bit like heartbreaking Disney flick The Fox And The Hound — except instead of a fox, it's a wolf, and instead of a hound, it's a deer. This was Blanc, a gorgeous, monochrome, hand-drawn game from French studio Casus Ludi, coming to the Switch...
News Beekeeping Sim APICO Gets Brand New Trailer To Celebrate Switch Launch
Keeper of the bees
APICO is out today, bringing beekeeping, honey-making, hive-swapping goodness to the Nintendo Switch. In celebration of the news, we've got an exclusive early sneak peek at the trailer so you can bee ready. The game combines resource gathering, biology, and mini-games that are all inspired by real bee facts, teaching you how to...
News Surreal Murder Mystery 'Lord Winklebottom Investigates' Coming This Summer
Risking your neck
Sometimes murders happen in the animal kingdom, and who can solve it? Doctor Doolittle is a doctor, not a detective, and Sherlock doesn't speak bee or dog or whatever. So it's up to the animals, and in particular, Lord Winklebottom — a dapper detective who also happens to be a giraffe. Lord Winklebottom Investigates is a...
News Chicory: A Colorful Tale Gets 4X Vinyl LP With Liner Notes And Tons Of New Art
One of the best soundtracks of 2021, now made real
One of last year's GOTYs is getting a physical soundtrack, and it's available for pre-order right now! Chicory: A Colorful Tale is getting a 4x LP of the complete soundtrack on vinyl, with four discs and a hard shell box. The soundtrack, by Celeste and Minecraft composer Lena Raine, will also...
Exclusive Zelda-Meets-Stardew In 'Moonstone Island', The Game That Has It All
Farming, Fighting, And Fishbo
Disclosure notice: In the time since the publication of this article, Nintendo Life staffer Kate Gray has contributed writing to Moonstone Island. She has had no involvement in our coverage since joining the project, and we won't be reviewing the game. Moonstone Island is one of the games we're most excited about this...
News LumbearJack Is A Deforestation-Fighting, Tree-Protecting Bear Game, And It's Out Right Now
Ursine of great things
There must be something in the water, and that something is Bear Juice, because after the announcement of Bear & Breakfast's release date earlier this week, and Cozy Grove getting a sequel, we've now got the surprise release of LumbearJack, too. We're not complaining, of course. It's bearrific news. LumbearJack, as the...
News Every Game From The Wholesome Direct 2022 Coming To Switch
Over 50 games!
As part of the Summer Game Fest and IGN's Summer of Gaming, the Wholesome Direct took place on June 11th, 2022, with around around 100 game trailers and announcements, all themed around the "wholesome games" trend. We saw games about frogs, cats, bears, witches, and mail delivery — but which of them are coming to Switch, you ask?...
News Cosy Hotel Sim 'Bear And Breakfast' Swipes Summer Switch Release
I'll have the eggs bear-nedict
Good news, everybear! The wholesome, charming, very fluffy Bear and Breakfast has locked down a Nintendo Switch release date as part of yesterday's Day of the Devs showcase. The trailer above is new, as are the screenshots below, and here's a description of the game from the developers, Gummy Cat: In Bear &...
Round Up Every Switch Game Featured In The Day Of The Devs 2022 Presentation
A presentation with Switch games!
Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest 2022 Opening Showcase has come and gone, and following directly after was the indie-focused Day of the Devs 2022 presentation. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Double Fine and iam8bit's showcase, this second part of the Summer Game Fest stream featured significantly more Switch...
News A Sequel To Wholesome Animal Crossing-Like 'Cozy Grove' Is In The Works
2 Cozy 2 Furryous
Last year, the adorable life sim-esque game Cozy Grove came out on Switch, and although we gave it a bit of a lukewarm review at the time, we were still won over by its gorgeous visuals and its commitment to being a game that demands very little of your time. With a frankly ludicrous amount of updates since then, the game has only...
Exclusive Take A Look At This New Trailer For Adorable Chibi-Robo-Like, Misc. A Tiny Tale
Frog hat!
Big (tiny) news! One of our favourite indie games on the horizon just got a new trailer and a bunch of new screenshots, and we've got the exclusive! Misc. A Tiny Tale is a beautiful little gem of a game that was confirmed for Switch last year, and features two tiny robots, Buddy and Bagboy, on an adventure to collect cogs and help out...
News Beekeeping Game APICO Waggle-Dances Its Way Into A Summer Switch Release
What's the buzz?
Beelieve it or not, there's a game on the way that's all about our honey-making, pollinating friends, the humble bumblebee. It's called APICO, and it's a simulation game that tasks you with the running of an apiary — that's a house for bees — and discovering all the bee species along the way. As part of the announcement,...
News Blossom Tales Sequel Reveals August Release Date In New Trailer
Physical release also confirmed
The follow up to the 2017 indie hit Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King has finally confirmed a release date. Blossom Tales II: The Minotaur Prince will be launching on the Switch and Steam on 16th August this year. If you played the original game, you should already be familar with the "story within a story" concept...
News New Indie Game Funding Initiative, 'Bright Gambit', Introduces Its First Five Recipients
Including our fave, Lonesome Village!
A new indie funding initiative is on the rise: Bright Gambit, a collective of industry veterans that have come together to provide financial and industry support to indies that need it. Their announcement today covers the first five indie games to receive funding, and here's what Bright Gambit had to say about...
News Retro-Styled RPG Eastward Gets Physical Edition, Vinyl Soundtrack, And TWO Board Games
Now available to buy from iam8bit and Amazon
[Update: Wed 25th May, 2022 19:00 BST] The day is finally here! Eastward's physical release is available to purchase from iam8bit, with limited inventory — so if this is a game you want to get your physical mitts on, here are the links: Amazon — Eastward Physical Edition (includes game cartridge,...
News Cosy Stardew-Meets-Alchemy Game 'Potion Permit' To Get A Physical Release
Fire burn, and cartridge bubble
We still don't have a concrete release date for upcoming wholesome game, Potion Permit, but now that you can pre-order the physical version of the game, we're tempted to say that it'll be sooner rather than later. In Potion Permit, you'll play the role of a small-town chemist whose job it is to heal, treat, and win...
News Clan O'Conall Is A Hand-Drawn Action-Platformer Hopping Over To Switch Very Soon
Celtic footfall
Fancy a game on Switch that's based on Celtic mythology? We don't get too many of those, sorry — but you'll enjoy Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag, an action-platformer made by Canadian studio HitGrab. Based on Irish, Welsh, and English archaeology, art, and history, Clan O'Conall is all about a group of three fighters —...
News Brainy Box-Burning Puzzler 'Bonfire Peaks' To Get Three New Chapters Of DLC
Also, Photo Mode!!
Bonfire Peaks is a game about setting your belongings on fire. On purpose. In order to progress through its increasingly difficult puzzle levels, you'll have to stack, balance, and eventually burn crates, which sounds much easier than it actually is. You may not have heard of Bonfire Peaks, but if you're a puzzle fan, you might...
News Three Extra Games To Be Bundled With A Monster's Expedition Physical Release
Plus a vinyl, a poster, a free update...
Fans of gorgeous, intricate puzzle game A Monster's Expedition will be feeling like today is Christmas Day, and Puzzle Santa has just landed on your roof with a bulging bag full of gifts just for them. Why? Because the developers, Draknek and Friends, just announced a bunch of new stuff: A new, free "Hint...
News Mind-Melting Recursive Puzzle Game 'Patrick's Parabox' Is Coming To Nintendo Switch Soon
Boxception
Today, as part of a "Draknek Direct", puzzle developer and publisher Draknek and Friends announced that they're bringing Patrick's Parabox to the Nintendo Switch. If you're a fan of the kind of puzzle games that make your brain drip out of your ears, then you'll love this one: Patrick's Parabox is an award-winning puzzle game that...
News Legend Of Zelda Fans Accuse Indie Game Of "Ripping-Off" Link's Awakening
"Nintendo is just waiting to sue"
A new indie project called Mysplaced is being called out by Legend of Zelda fans on social media for supposedly copying Grezzo's Switch release Link's Awakening. This "Metroidvania" was featured in IGN's latest episode of Rogue Jam and was created by indie developer Soheyl Ghiami. As you can see in the video above,...
News The Wholesome Direct Returns With News On Coffee Talk, PuffPals, And Moomins
Moomincredible news
What do cats, frogs, birds, witches, and snow-white Finnish teddy-bear-things all have in common? That's right! They're all wholesome, a sort-of game genre that has blossomed over the past few years. Wholesome games are all about prioritising fun, friendship, and relaxation — and they'll all be in the next Wholesome Direct...
Review The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe - A Mind-Bending Mess Of Wonderment
The end is never the end is never the end is never
This is the story of a man named Alex. Alex was employed by a company called Nintendo Life, and one of his many duties was to review video games. One day when at his desk Alex heard the news that The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe would be releasing on the Nintendo Switch, the games console which...
News Bear And Breakfast's New Video Shows Off The Game's Management And Decoration Mechanics
Bearcon and Bearggs
If you're a fan of extremely cute story-led management adventure games, you'll likely have Bear and Breakfast on your radar — you play as the titular bear, Hank, running the titular "and breakfast", which is short for "bed and breakfast", which is a type of cosy hotel that offers a bed, plus food. In this new gameplay video,...
News Check Out The New Trailer For Zelda-Meets-Animal Crossing Game, Lonesome Village
For fans of Moonlighter and Littlewood
After a strange calamity wipes out Lonesome Village, the townspeople enlist the help of Wes, the coyote, to help them rebuild. You'll have to rescue each townsperson from the perilous dungeons, escort them home, and then help them restore civilisation by fishing, gardening, decorating, and exploring — imagine...
News Save Your Family's VHS Store In Super-'90s Adventure 'The Big Con', Coming To Switch
Radical, dude
Furbies. AOL. Wearing caps backwards. VHS tapes. Cups with those teal and pink squiggles on them. These are the '90s staples upon which The Big Con is based, as a loving parody of the decade that introduced us to questionable fashion decisions and incredible music. You play as Ali, a high schooler who decides to help out her family's...
News Wylde Flowers Is A Cosy Gardening Game Where Your Grandma Wants You To Join Her Wizard Cult
Magic: The Gathering
Have you seen those whackadoo adverts for mobile games where the sedate match-3 mechanics are apparently just the coat of paint on a story about your man-murdering grandma? Well, it looks like Wylde Flowers took the idea of "cute game + grandma with dark secrets" and ran with it, as you can see from the trailer above. The first...
Round Up Best Of PAX East 2022 For The Nintendo Switch
Golf! Spiders! Eldritch nightmares!
Although Nintendo Life couldn't be at PAX East this year, we'll still be keeping an eager eye on the goings-on in Boston from today (Thursday 21st April) to Sunday, April 24th, if only to see which games we should be excited about. And now, with the help of this handy list, you can hop on board the bandwagon of...
