Tag: Indies
News Katana Zero's Long-Awaited DLC Is "Still Coming" To Switch
And it's "still free" when it arrives
During the Triple-i showcase earlier this week, developer Askiisoft reminded Katana ZERO fans about the free DLC. In this long-awaited development update for the indie action-platformer, it was confirmed the DLC is "finally nearing completion". Here's a bit about it direct from the PR, and you can see it in...
Random Mouse Work Dev Nitrome Shows Off Its "Frankenstein Joy-Con 2 Alternative"
This is what happens when you "don't have a dev kit"
Perhaps one of the most exciting games we've seen announced for the Switch 2 so far is Mouse Work, which makes full use of the Joy-Con 2's mouse-like capabilities across a variety of minigames. Surprisingly, the talented team at Nitro (Shovel Knight Dig, Bomb Chicken) don't even have a Switch 2...
News Don't Worry, Hollow Knight: Silksong Is Still Coming To The Original Switch
It's not a Switch 2 exclusive
Hollow Knight fans have been waiting over half a decade for Silksong and in that time the game has been publicised across multiple different platforms. While the game is still coming to every major platform, there have been some concerns raised following the Switch 2 Direct about the new entry potentially being a...
News This New Hand-Drawn 3D Platformer Might Be Teasing A Switch 2 Release
Coming to "Nintendo Switch(es)" this June
Last year, the "hand-drawn 3D platformer" Ruffy and the Riverside was announced for the Nintendo Switch. In an update, the German indie developer Zockrates Laboratories has now locked in a release date - confirming the game will be coming to "Nintendo Switch(es) on June 26th, 2025". Make of this what you...
News Vampire Survivors Teases New Free Update, "Probably" The Biggest One Ever
Cross-save is also expected, but Switch owners have to wait
The addictive must-play roguelike Vampire Survivors has received all sorts of updates since its arrival on the Switch eShop and this trend is set to continue in 2025. With thid in mind he creator Poncle is already teasing the next free update (Version 1.13) as "probably the biggest free...
Round Up Humble Games Showcase 2025 - Every Nintendo Switch Announcement
And some surprises...
The Humble Games Showcase aired this week and as usual there were a bunch of Switch-related indie game announcements. First up was some DLC for the fun 2.5 action platformer Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus. This was followed by a confirmation of the action RPG Town of Zoz for Switch, and the detective-inspired release On Your Tail...
News Indie Publisher Secret Mode Is Going Solo Following Sumo Group Split
Keeping a Secret
Investment firm Emona Capital LLP announced today that it has completed the successful buyout of Secret Mode — the publisher behind the likes of A Little To The Left, Wobbledogs, Loddlenaut, and more — from Sumo Group, a Tencent subsidiary. This isn't the firm's first foray into the gaming biz, either. Emona Capital currently...
Round Up Every Switch Game Featured At Xbox's Indie Showcase (February 2025)
All the reveals, all the announcements
Earlier on, Xbox held a special indie showcase featuring all sorts of games on the way to the green machine and certain other platforms. Many of these games happen to be coming to the Switch, so we've put together a round up of everything featured during the show that is en route to Nintendo's hybrid system...
News Stardew Valley Creator Doesn't Want To 'Close The Book' On Its Development
"Maybe even 50 years from now, I might add something"
Stardew Valley is perhaps one of the best-supported indie games of all-time with Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone now working on the title for over 12 years. While there have been questions raised about the farming and lifestyle sim's future now that the creator's attention has (mostly) shifted to his...
News 'Symphonia' Harmonises Hand-Drawn Art And Musical Platforming On Switch Today
Non-violint
After first catching our eye at the 2023 Gamescom Future Games Show, musical platformer Symphonia has finally finished tuning up and is ready to make some noise on Switch today. Developed by Sunny Peak and published by Headup, Symphonia is a non-violent platformer where you play as an adorable little violinist, determined to bring life...
News Celeste Dev Makes "Difficult Decision" To Cancel New Game Earthblade
Following "a disagreement about the IP rights of Celeste"
The Celeste developer Extremely OK Games has made the "difficult decision" to cancel the "2D explor-action" game Earthblade. This new project was originally revealed in 2021 and now in a blog update it's been revealed the new game was cancelled "late last month". This follows a conflict...
Random Balatro Dev Spreads Some Indie Love In His List Of 2024 Highlights
And the LocalThunk Award goes to...
Balatro was one of our games of 2024 and the vast majority of us at Nintendo Life Towers have poured more hours into its poker roguelike gameplay loop than we care to admit. But what were the games that caught the attention of its developer, LocalThunk? With 2025 finally here, the dev took to Twitter to share some...
Video Antonblast Switch eShop Review - Is This Wario Land-Inspired Indie Worth It?
Yes, it's a blast
We're still recovering from the New Year celebrations here on Nintendo Life, but in case you missed it - the Wario Land-inspired platformer Antonblast finally made its debut on the Switch last month after some last-minute delays. While we've already shared our written review, our video review has now gone live and our lovely...
News Ambient Aquatic Adventure 'Naiad' Finally Flows Onto Switch Today
Dive in!
Publisher and developer HiWarp initially announced that the gorgeous aquatic adventure Naiad would flow onto Switch in 2022. That, obviously, never happened, but after a further two years of waiting, last night's Wholesome Snack showcase finally delivered. Naiad's appearance in the presentation was enough of a surprise, but the dev had...
News 'Toree Saturn' Switch Release Delayed Until Early 2025
Update: Here's a new trailer to make up for it
A new trailer and PC demo for the upcoming release Toree Saturn have been released, with the developer Siactro also reconfirming the new entry will arrive at some point in 2024. This latest update mentions a Nintendo Switch release, too. When this new project was originally announced in September last...
News Delightful Shopkeeping RPG 'Moonlighter' Is Getting A Sequel, Switch Not Confirmed
The Legend of Sellda
Back in 2018, 11 Bit Studios and Digital Sun dared to ask the question, 'What if, between saving Hyrule, Link ran a little shop?' The result was Moonlighter, a brilliant little dungeon-crawling, shopkeeping roguelike with a dash of Zelda in its DNA. Well, this eShop beauty is getting a sequel — albeit one that isn't confirmed...
News Sea Of Stars Dev Points To Nintendo As Its Biggest Source Of Inspiration
You go, Garl
Sea of Stars launched on Nintendo Switch last year and, after a beefy free update and with an even beefier free DLC on the horizon, it's safe to say that it's a banger. But what inspired the developer, Sabotage, to make such a gem? What studios sit on its mood board? Who is the go-to touchstone for all things game-making? According to...
News Zelda: Cadence Of Hyrule Dev Releases Its New Rhythm Game In February 2025
On PC, consoles to follow "at a later date"
Brace Yourself Games - known for titles like Crypt of the NecroDancer and Cadence of Hyrule - has announced its new rhythm title Rift of the NecroDancer will launch on 5th February 2025, but only on Steam with the console versions "at a later date." This game was
News Wario Land-Like Indie Antonblast Releases Explosive Final Trailer
Blasting onto Switch eShop this December
Antonblast is arriving on the Switch in just a few weeks and before we blast off, Summitsphere has released an explosive final trailer. This Wario Land-like platformer is filled with fast-paced action, and in case you missed it, there's a demo available on the Switch eShop right now. The developer has also...
News Indie "Masterpiece" Neva Scores A Physical Switch Release, Pre-Orders Live
Arriving March 2025
Following last week's successful release of the new indie game Neva, Devolver Digital has now confirmed a Switch physical release is on the way. It will be released on 14th March 2025, with pre-orders now live on sites like Amazon. There are two options up for grabs - a standard version including a game cartridge and a deluxe...
Round Up The Reviews Are In For Neva
"So perfect it made me cry"
This week the creators of GRIS released a beautiful new game called Neva. Here on Nintendo Life we called this game a raw, engrossing platformer that looks incredible, and now even more reviews filled with praise are rolling in. Here's a round up so far: Nintendo Life (9/10) <related ids="172565"> Hardcore Gamer...
News Indie Publisher Merge Games Closes Down After 15 Years
Update claims it's actually been "integrated within Maximum"
Another video game company has announced its closure this week. This time it's Merge Games, who is apparently "closing down" after a 15 year run. In a now-deleted post, it was mentioned how the indie-focused team was made up of "incredible" people who "worked their hardest". "Starting...
News Penny's Big Breakaway Dev Downsizes Due To "Volatile Market Conditions"
"It is now an unavoidable reality for us"
It's been a tough week in the video game industry with Microsoft announcing another round of layoffs at its Xbox division and staff resigning at Annapurna Interactive. Now, to unfortunately add to this, Penny's Big Breakaway developer Evening Star has announced it's had to
Reminder Dredge's New Expansion Update 'The Iron Rig' Is Out Now
More DLC has arrived!
Update [Fri 16th Aug, 2024 06:00 BST]: The new expansion for Dredge 'Iron Rig' is out now on the Switch eShop. You can see what it has to offer in the original post below. Nintendo has also uploaded a launch trailer. Original article [Sat 8th Jun, 2024 22:00 BST]: The spooky fishing sim Dredge is getting its next dose...
News Mining Sandbox Adventure 'Core Keeper' Gets Delayed On Switch
Groundbreaking
After being revealed at the November 2023 Indie World Showcase, we were looking forward to digging into the Stardew Valley-style mining sandbox Core Keeper when it launched on Switch this month. However, just weeks before its release, developer Pugstorm Games has announced that the Switch version is being pushed to next month. 17th...
News Switch Physical Release Of Psychological Horror RPG 'Omori' Cancelled
After "technical problems" impacting European localisation
Physical releases have thrived during the Switch generation, so this latest announcement is quite unique. The Spanish publisher Meridiem Games has announced it will actually be cancelling its previously announced physical copy of the psychological horror RPG OMORI. This impacts not only the...
Feature 10 Switch Games We've Played At BitSummit 2024 - Here's What We Thought
The indie darlings of the future, today!
BitSummit 2024 has been and gone, and we've got the details on all of the best games we saw at the sure. If you’re unfamiliar with BitSummit, it’s a gaming convention dedicated to indie developers from around the globe. Taking place in the heart of Kyoto every July, there’s no better place to get a...
News Mario Kart Live Dev Interested In Returning To Knockout City Universe "When The Time Is Right"
The live service multiplayer shut down last June
Although the free-to-play multiplayer brawler Knockout City shut down last June, developer Velan Studios is still interested in revisiting this new IP one day. In an official update about its "big week" where it announced a new multiplayer shooter M
News Retro-Style Racer 'Victory Heat Rally' Power Slides Onto Switch Winter 2024
Published by Playtonic Friends
Victory Heat Rally has been a long time coming but the indie title published by Playtonic Friends has finally locked in a Switch eShop release date. It will be speeding onto Nintendo's hybrid system at some point in "winter 2024". The exact date will apparently be shared "very soon". As previously mentioned, this game...
Round Up Every Switch Highlight At The Future Games Show - Summer Showcase 2024
So many games!
There's already been a bucketload of game announcements this week, and now the Future Games Show - Summer Showcase for 2024 has featured more than 40 exciting upcoming games for multiple platforms including the Switch. Some of these include console announcements and a handful of them have also been confirmed for the Nintendo Switch...
News New Cartoon-Like Game Teased By Ex-Cuphead And Rick & Morty Developers
A full reveal will take place later this year
To go out with a bang, the Future Games Show teased a new project by the indie studio Woodrunner Games. This team has developers who worked on games like Cuphead and Rick and Morty, so it's easy to see where some of the inspiration has come from. The brief scene features a frog in a teacup trying to eat...
News Homebrew Games Summer Showcase 2024 - Celebrating 120 Titles Across 15 Platforms
NES, SNES, Game Boy and Virtual Boy titles featured
Although the game industry is all about moving forward, there are still many talented individuals and teams out there developing titles for past-generation systems. That's where the 'Homebrew Games Summer Showcase' comes in - celebrating new games on retro consoles and classic handheld devices...
News Yacht Club Broadcasting Shovel Knight 10th Anniversary Presentation Next Week
Celebrate a decade of digging!
Yacht Club Games has announced it will be hosting a "special edition" of its broadcast to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Shovel Knight. This event will take place next week on 14th June 2024 and will be live-streamed via YouTube with a runtime of approximately 20 minutes. You can see your local time and date for...
News Crash Bandicoot And Spyro Studio 'Toys For Bob' Is Now Officially Independent
It will partner with Xbox to publish its next game
In March, the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro developer Toys for Bob announced it would leave Activision and the Xbox team to become an independent studio. In an update on social media, it's now made this official with a profile update. In its bio description on X, it now says "We are an independent game...
News Monster-Collecting RPG Cassette Beasts Scores Stunning Physical Deluxe Edition Next Month
Including the DLC packs!
Super Rare Games has today revealed its physical copies of the 2023 monster-catching RPG Cassette Beasts and they look wonderful. Releasing on 6th June (and expected to ship in July/August) the physical version comes in both a Standard and Deluxe edition — with varying amounts of bonus goodies depending on which you...
Round Up Indie Live Expo 2024 - Every Nintendo Switch Game Showcased
The 10th outing featuring more than 150 games
The digital showcase Indie Live Expo returned for its 10th outing and as part of this, it's showcased more than 150 games - with plenty of them coming to the Nintendo Switch. Some of these games have already been released, some are coming soon and the rest are arriving at a later date. So, in case you...
News Sonic Adventure-Like 3D Action Platformer 'Spark The Electric Jester 3' Coming To Switch
Electric!
If you're a fan of series like Sonic Adventure and want a similar slice of speed, you'll be pleased to hear Spark the Electric Jester 3 is on its way to the Switch. Following a PC release in 2022, this high-speed 3D action platformer starring Spark is now "coming soon" to Nintendo's hybrid device. It's being ported by FreakZone games and...
News Sequel To Roguelike Hit Hades Enters Early Access With 'Overwhelmingly Positive' Reviews
Nintendo release when?
After a surprise announcement at The Game Awards in 2022, the sequel to Hades has finally entered its early access phase. While it's only available on PC for now, it's given many fans of Supergiant's original roguelike hope there'll be an announcement about console devices at some point in the future. On the developer's...
News Nintendo Partner Paladin Studios Closes Its Doors After "Almost 19 Years"
"Our quest has ended"
Netherlands indie developer Paladin, who worked with Nintendo in 2020 on the Switch eShop title Good Job!, has announced it has "closed the studio" after "almost 19 years". Apart from Nintendo, the 45-person studio (which began life in 2005 and peaked at 55 people at one stage) worked with various other "incredible partners"...
News Score Up To 75% Off Select eShop Games In Nintendo's Indie Sale (Europe)
Reminder: The sale wraps up today
A friendly reminder that the European eShop's Indie Sale comes to a close today, so this is your last chance to make a saving on all of the included games, a selection of which can be found below... Hot off the back of Nintendo's Indie World showcase a brand new European eShop sale has gotten underway, bringing up...
News The Switch eShop Sensation Suika Game Is Getting Official Merchandise
Watermelon themed items come to Japan next month
The eShop hit and viral sensation Suika Game (Watermelon Game) will be getting its very own merchandise in Japan next month on 24th April 2024. As highlighted by Siliconera, this new range of items will include a watermelon cushion (featuring a built-in pocket to place your arm in, so you can rest...
News Balatro Surpasses 500,000 Sales In First 10 Days
Ante social
We love Balatro. You love Balatro. It's safe to say at this point that everyone loves Balatro. Need proof of the word of mouth on this roguelike deckbuilder? It has surpassed 500,000 units sold in its first 10 days across all platforms. Five. Hundred. Thousand. These are big numbers for any old game, but it's extra impressive for an...
News Head To Outer Space In The New Free Update For Vampire Survivors
The 'Space-54 update' has arrived
If you're still enjoying the roguelite bullet shooter Vampire Survivors, you might want to check out its latest update which sends players to space (again). It's officially titled the 'Space-54 Update' and is completely free. It adds one new bonus stage, two new characters, four new weapons, a new relic, and seven...
News Crash Bandicoot Dev Toys For Bob Splits From Activision & Xbox, Goes Independent
"We're thrilled"
It's been another wild week for the video game industry and it seems we're not done just yet. After mass layoffs at companies like PlayStation and Electronic Arts, we've now got developers splitting from their owner groups. Adding to this is the Crash Bandicoot and Spyro developer Toys for Bob, which has now announced it's leaving...
News WarioWare-Like Minigame Collection 'Super 56' Brings The Party To Switch This Year
One-button fun
WarioWare: Move It! came to Switch in 2023 and threw us back into the wild world of wacky minigames. Those who enjoyed the experience might want to check out SUPER 56, which launches on Switch later this year and looks to be just as bonkers. From indie development team Onion Soup Interactive and publisher WhisperGames, SUPER 56...
News 'Death Trick: Double Blind' Brings A Murder Mystery To The Circus Next Month
Round up, round up
If you cast your mind back to the November 2023 Indie World showcase, you might recall seeing a mystery-filled visual novel called Death Trick: Double Blind. Well, even if you don't, this circus story has now revealed a release date of 14th March and it has scored a new trailer too. Developed by Misty Mountain Studio, Death Trick...
News New SteamWorld Game Sales Fell "Slightly Short" Of Thunderful's Expectations
It's also putting one SteamWorld project "on hold"
The December release SteamWorld Build has not met Thunderful's sales expectations according to its latest fiscal report. Thunderful CEO Martin Walfisz explained how despite "new momentum" the game had fallen "slightly short" of expectations. He further noted how the genre didn't really appeal to...
News Indie Hit Celeste Celebrates 6th Anniversary With Free N64-Style 3D Platformer
It's officially titled 'Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain'
You know how Celeste is currently celebrating its 6th anniversary and the official social media account said it was cooking up something small but cool? Well, it's now been officially revealed as Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain. It's a computer game that allows fans to "relive the...
News League Of Legends Developer Riot Games Axes 530 Jobs Globally
"We're ending new game development under Riot Forge"
Riot Games, the American-based developer and publisher behind insanely popular game series like League of Legends, has today announced it will be eliminating 530 jobs globally across the company. This equates to "around 11% of Rioters" and the biggest impacts have hit teams "outside of core...
News Indie Horror Hit Choo-Choo Charles Arrives On Switch Early Next Year
Japan's eShop gets it sooner
If you happen to like horror games, spiders and trains, the indie hit Choo-Choo Charles by Two Star Games is one upcoming release you won't want to miss when it arrives locally on the Switch on 18th January 2024. According to the Japanese eShop, the game is arriving in Japan later this week on 21st December 2023. This...
