Nintendo broadcast its latest “Indie World Showcase” today, and the 20-minute event was pretty packed full of announcements for upcoming Switch games. There’s a good amount of variety, too: everything from fantastical skateboarding worlds to procedurally generated road trips to a puzzle classic that’s available later today. If you missed out on the presentation, here are the highlights.
Road 96
Described as “a narrative-focused game with a mix of adventure, exploration, and puzzle-solving,” Road 96’s story features procedurally generated elements, meaning no two road trips will be exactly alike, and choice will also play a big part in how it unfolds. It’s expected to launch on the Switch later this year.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
A surprise sequel to the incredibly surreal adventure game Oxenfree, which has some strong Stranger Things vibes. The sequel is set five years after the first game and will be launching sometime this year.
OlliOlli World
One of the best skateboarding games around is getting a bit… weirder. OlliOlli World trades in real-world locations for a strange fantasy world where you set out in search of mystical skate gods, but it looks to keep the same tight 2D skateboarding action as its predecessors. It’s due out this winter.
Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield
Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield is a runner, but one with an incredible amount of style. It takes place in a futuristic take on Detroit, one inspired in part by Tokyo, and it has a soundtrack that jumps between hip-hop and jazz. It’ll be available on the Switch starting on May 19th, with a demo out later today.
The Longing
The Longing is already out on PC, but the Switch version — which is out today — gives a new audience a chance to experience this strange game that takes 400 real-world days to finish. Seriously. Here’s the basic premise:
Play as a lonely Shade, the last servant of a king who once ruled an underground kingdom. The king’s powers have faded and he falls asleep for 400 days to regain his might. It is your duty to stay in the earthen palace until he awakens.
As soon as you start, the game inevitably counts down the 400 days: even when you stop playing and exit the game.
It is now up to you to decide what to do with your solitary existence beneath the soil. Don’t stress yourself, you have plenty of time.
Fez
One of the most influential indie games of all time, the perspective-shifting puzzle game Fez is making its much-belated debut on the Switch. Even better: it’s out today.
Hindsight and Last Stop
Annapurna Interactive — a publisher with an incredible track record, thanks to games like Florence and Sayonara Wild Hearts — revealed that two of its upcoming games are headed to the Switch. They include Hindsight, a game about discovering memories through objects, and Last Stop, the next release from Virginia studio Variable State. Both are expected to launch this year.