Tons of indies with some killer vibes
Today marks the Summer Game Fest kick-off, and both the Live showcase and ensuing Day of the Devs have come to a close. In the latter, there were a bunch of really rad games, from both well-known developers and exciting newcomers.
While the Summer Game Fest Live showcase tends to focus on bigger games, the Day of the Devs: Summer Game Fest Edition showcase centered on smaller projects and teams. It’s a tradition that Double Fine has organized for a decade at this point, and it’s always nice to see what neat projects make their way into the showcase.
This year had some absolute winners, too.Bear and Breakfastcontinues to look like a chill, fun management sim and it’s arriving very soon. So isEscape Academy, a school life-meets-puzzle room adventure. And then there’sChoo-Choo Charles. Good lord,Choo-Choo Charles.
But if evil hell-trains aren’t your thing, there’s the whimsy ofTime Flies, an open-world game about the life of a fly. Or the intricate puzzles ofAnimal Well, which had a puzzle baked into its trailer. Here’s the full rundown from today’s showcase.
Time Fliesby Michael Frei & Raphaël Munoz
Explore the life of a fly in this open-world adventure. Well, run-based open-world adventure. Flies don’t live very long, so you’ll have to tackle life goals and complete as much as you can before it comes to a close.Time Fliesis coming to PlayStation, Switch, and PC sometime in 2023. You can wishlist it onSteam here.
Planet of Lanaby Wishfully Studios
This side-scrolling adventure looks similar toInsideorUnravel. Team up with a little companion to evade baddies and save your sister sometime this year on PC and Xbox. Find it onSteam here.
Choo-Choo Charlesby Two Star Games
Build a train to kill the demon train. That’s the crux ofChoo-Choo Charles, an open-world exploration game with a giant spider train that’s like Thomas the Tank Engine on a very, very bad day. It’s set to launch on PC, with PS5 and Xbox Series X to follow later. Find it onSteam here.
Escape Academyby Coin Crew Games
This escape room game, made by real-life puzzle creators, has a narrative aspect and some wildly clever setups. You, the player, attend a school to become an escape artist, presumably after signing a staggering number of releases.Escape Academylaunches for Xbox, PlayStation andPCon July 14, and it’s a day-one Game Pass launch.
A Little to the Leftby Max Inferno
A cozy puzzle game that’s likely to appeal to anyone missing someUnpackingin their life.A Little to the Leftis all about tidying and organizing household objects to solve puzzles, while also having them disrupted by a cat. And I thought video games were about escaping reality.A Little to the Leftarrives later this year on PC and Switch. There’s also ademo live on Steam right now.
Bear & Breakfastby Gummy Cat
This seemingly delightful management sim about a bear opening its own bed-and-breakfast franchise finally has a release date. Open the woods up to travelers on July 28, for bothPCand Switch.
Animal Wellby Shared Memory
Heavy in pixel art and detail, this curious new exploration game is apparently littered with layers of puzzles.Animal Wellseems like something that can scratch both aMetroidandFezitch simultaneously, with some seriously great vibes. It’s in development for PS5 andSteam.
Naiadby HiWarp
Become the guardian of the river, and hang out with your super-cool aquatic friends. That’s the pitch onNaiad, and it’s a good one. Add in some gorgeous art and some theming around pollution and the climate, andNaiadcould be one to watch for when it launches for PC and consoles by the end of the year. Find it onSteam here.
Roots of Pachaby Soda Den
This village builder goes all the way back to the Stone Age.Roots of Pachahas you learn to domesticate animals, irrigate and raise crops, and possibly fall in love somewhere in-between. There’s ademo going live todayif you’re eager to make some caveman connections.
Desta: The Memories Betweenby ustwo games
This dreamy, surreal turn-based strategy game explores the past and relationships. It’s form the folks behindMonument ValleyandAlba: A Wildlife Adventure, so it’s bound to be both gorgeous and inventive. Find it onSteam here.
SCHiMby Ewoud van der Werf
This gorgeous-looking game has the player jump from shadow to shadow to move around. It’s like one giant floor-is-lava game, and you help other shadow denizens find their home shadow as you search for yours. Find it onSteam here.
Fox and Frog Travelers: The Demon of Adashino Islandby Rias (Rias Coast)
The first of two games from asobu, an indie community in Japan, is about a fox and a frog. These two travelers get caught up in a bad time on a mysterious island, brought to life beautifully by illustrator Rias. It’s planned for release in a few years.
Goodbye Worldby Yo Fujii
One of the show highlights for me wasGoodbye World, a solo project fromYo Fujiiabout the struggles of game development. The story follows two indie game creators, Kanii and Kumad, as they work to create their project while dealing with real-life. It’s a great idea with some really cool ways of tying in the actual game the pair are making.Goodbye Worldarrives onSteam later this year.
Birthby Maidson Karrh
This point-and-click adventure is about moving to a new town by yourself, and trying to make friends. And I mean quite literallymakea friend. It’s a mix of introspection and gorgeous art, arriving this August. Find it onSteam here.
How to Say Goodbyeby Florian Veltman, Baptiste Portefaix, ARTE France
Get through the afterlife by shifting the world around you inHow to Say Goodbye. This is another game whose visuals I really enjoyed, and it has some cool ideas in its trailer about moving the world around. It’s coming to PC sometime in 2022.
Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberlandby Peter Berkman (Anamanaguchi)
Platform around as a lil’ guy, using toys and stuffed animals to fend off baddies. The adventures ofLittle Nemoarehitting Kickstarter today, and the showcase highlighted the musical work specifically, with a performance from Peter Berkman of Anamanaguchi.
