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The Nintendo Switch has become an excellent home for indie games over the past three years. And earlier today, Nintendo showcased more than 20 exciting indie titles coming to the Switch in 2020. And the Switch will be the place to play most of them early as timed exclusives. You can watch the roughly 20-minute showcase here. Or you can find a breakdown of each game below.
Blue Fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32X77EYRYDE
If you’re craving more 3D platforming with an action twist, then developer Robi Studios and publisher Graffiti Games have got you covered. Nintendo opened its showcase with this quick-paced, cel-shaded adventure. Players will control a miniature ninja, fighting his way through dark ruins filled with intimidating swordsmen and creatures. There will also be plenty of collectibles to uncover and challenging platforming sections. It launches as a timed exclusive in the Summer of 2020.
Baldo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rqgaiGV30U
Baldo caught my attention immediately when the first trailer launched last Summer. Its anime-inspired art style should entice fans of Studio Ghibli and Ni No Kuni. Beyond that, the action-adventure RPG features an open world with plenty of puzzle-heavy dungeons to explore. This means fans of The Legend of Zelda should also keep their eyes on this one. It comes from Naps Team, a two-person Italian development studio that’s been making games since 1994. And Nintendo gets first dibs as a timed exclusive this Summer.
I Am Dead
With a title like that, you wouldn’t expect I Am Dead to be as delightfully colorful as it is. This point-and-click puzzler puts players in control of a dead person. You’ll explore your home island, uncovering its ancient secrets while trying to save it from a volcanic eruption. It comes from Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg, the team behind Wilmot’s Warehouse. And it’s being published by Annapurna Interactive as a timed exclusive later this year.
B.Ark
Nintendo will never forget its roots when it comes to great local multiplayer, even in its indies. B.Ark comes from Tic Toc Games, the developer behind Adventures of Pip. But this looks to be their biggest game yet. Players will be able to choose from different animal pilots as they shoot their way through space. Each animal has different playstyles. And teaming up with friends for couch co-op means combining those playstyles to defeat foes. It also launches as a timed exclusive in late 2020.
Cyanide & Happiness – Freakpocalypse: Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIedjxqe8i4
Cyanide & Happiness is a hilarious webcomic whose art style seems perfect for an indie adventure game. And that’s precisely what we’re getting. Freakpocalypse will let players explore, solve puzzles, and deal with the fact that no one likes you. It’s being developed by Serenity Forge, who brought us the lauded A Case of Distrust. If you know the webcomic, then you know you want to play this game. And it launches as a timed exclusive for Nintendo Switch this Summer.
Summer In Mara
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naQLMMp_ANw
Fans of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley will probably want to pay attention here. This single-player adventure game follows Koa, a young girl who takes care of her own island by farming and crafting. However, players will also be able to venture out to sea on their boat. You’ll discover over 30 different islands with unique characters to befriend and explore the ocean’s secrets. It comes from Chibig, the developers of Deiland, and will launch as timed Nintendo exclusive in the Spring of 2020.
Quantum League
Quantum League is one of the only games in the showcase that won’t launch as a timed exclusive. And it’s had plenty of coverage so far. Nevertheless, it will be nice to get another competitive FPS on Switch. Quantum League interestingly has you stuck in a time loop. You’ll team up with past and future versions of yourself in order to outsmart your opponents in 1v1 or 2v2 matches. It comes from Nimble Giant Entertainment and launches in late 2020.
The Good Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87bDlqM7mPo
The Good Life is a debt repayment RPG set in a town whose citizens turn into cats and dogs at night during the full moon. Yeah, it sounds pretty odd. However, this charming British town is hiding a mysterious secret. As a journalist researching the town, you’ll use the skills of each animal form to solve a murder. White Owls, Inc. is launching this title on Switch sometime this year, as well as on PS4 and Xbox One.
The Last Campfire
The Last Campfire comes from one of the showcase’s more well-known developers, that being Hello Games of No Man’s Sky fame. This adventure title puts you in the shoes of Ember, who’s trying to return light to the world and turn others back from stone. It should provide plenty for puzzle fans to dive into as well as a touching tale about hope. It launches this Summer.
PixelJunk Eden 2
The original PixelJunk Eden was praised for its unique visuals and simple but addictive gameplay. And its follow-up looks to bring more of the same. Players control a small creature called a grimp as it swings and connects to various plant-like structures. Stages generate based on your actions as techno beats bump along to the gameplay. And it also offers local co-op. Q-Games, who has worked on the PixelJunk series since 2007, will release it this Summer.
Faerie
This indie showcase truly proved there’s something for everyone on Nintendo Switch. And while Faeria isn’t the first strategic card game on the system, it does come with a unique premise. Yes, you’ll build up your deck with powerful creatures. But you’ll also gather resources and craft the terrain of the battlefield. Developer Abrakam originally launched Faeria on the PC. The Switch version will come with all DLC, as well as the option of cross-play. It launches later this Spring.
Eldest Souls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_5dtevGXJU
From United Label comes an intense, top-down, boss rush fighter. The hosts of the showcase took the time to point out this game’s difficulty, so it should be right up the alley of players looking for challenging action. Combat customization with various power-ups and abilities will also play a big part in the gameplay. Nintendo will get Eldest Souls as a timed console exclusive this Summer.
Exit The Gungeon
Nintendo ended the showcase with a bang, quite literally. The sequel to 2016’s brilliant Enter The Gungeon, Exit trades in the top-down view for a sidescrolling approach. But developers Dodge Roll and Singlecore look to have packed even more explosive mayhem as was seen in the original. It’ll no doubt offer insane gameplay through enemy-filled screens and constantly changing elevators as you ascend. The best part? It launched as a timed console exclusive today.
Other Games
Before Exit The Gungeon, Nintendo showed a short spread of other indie titles coming to the Switch this year without going into full detail about them. You can check those titles out below, along with their release windows.
- Blair Witch – Summer 2020
- Ghost of a Tale – Spring 2020
- Sky – Summer 2020
- Sky Racket – Available Today
- Superliminal – Summer 2020
- Wingspan – Spring 2020
- Dicey Dungeons – 2020
- Bounty Battle – Summer 2020
- Moving Out – April 28th, 2020
Nintendo also announced the new Indie World Twitter account, @IndieWorldNA. So be sure to go tell them which upcoming indie titles you’re most excited about.
