Nintendo hosted another Nindies Showcase live stream, where they featured over a dozen new (and new-to-Switch) indie games, including promising titles from Devolver Digital and Double Fine. Each game, which we’ve summarized below, is coming out later this year. Watch the full half hour presentation above, or scope out individual trailers below.
To celebrate, Nintendo is also hosting an Indie Sale on the Nintendo eShop all week. The sale features select indie games up to 50% off (the sale mentions 30% but we spotted several games with a 50% discount). Discounted indie games include Moonlighter, Inside, Night in the Woods, Darkest Dungeon, Thimbleweed Park, and Firewatch. The sale ends March 27.
Cuphead
Cuphead is a challenging 2D platformer created with a uniquely, eye-catching art style, and support for up to two players. The art is designed to evoke the animation style of the 1930s. The game was in development for several years, with its first reveal back at E3 2014. Cuphead originally launched on PC and Xbox One in 2017.
Switch Release: April 18
Overland
Overland is a post-apocalyptic survival game told in an isometric perspective, one block at a time. Players control a squad of survivors and journey through procedurally generated levels where you’ll have to make tough choices and manage dwindling supplies.
Switch Release: Fall 2019
My Friend Pedro
My Friend Pedro refers to your guiding mentor Pedro, who happens to be a self-aware banana. The 2D action gameplay is full of bullets, leaps, twirls, and slow-motion as you battle through a violent sci-fi world. It’s published by Devolver Digital and looks pretty bananas.
Switch Release: June
Neo Cab
In Neo Cab you play as Lina, the last human driver in a neon-colored sci-fi future. Lina must balance her income as she meets a diverse cast of characters and their stories and tries to find her missing friend Savy in this emotional narrative-driven story.
Switch Release: Summer 2019
The Red Lantern
First person roguelike sled-racing survival game is not something we see too often, but that’s exactly what The Red Lantern is all about. A woman travels to Alaska to pursue a dream of racing in the Iditarod. The Red Lantern combines roguelike survival and danger with 100 different events, along with an emotionally-gripping story. The Switch version will feature exclusive gyro controls in handheld mode.
Switch Release: Summer 2019
Darkwood
Darkwood is a top-down horror game that takes place in a monster-infested, randomly generated European countryside. Players can gain powers by extracting mutated blood and injecting it into themselves, which sounds a tad dangerous. Darkwood originally launched on PC back in 2017.
Switch Release: May
Katana Zero
Another indie action game from Devolver Digital, Katana Zero stars the Dragon, a sword-wielding assassin who can deflect gunfire and kill enemies with a single blow. Unfortunately, the same weakness applies to you. You’ll need to complete a level without being hit once, or else start over and try again in this pixelated 2D action game.
Switch release: April 18
RAD
Beloved indie developer Double Fine revealed an entirely new 3D action game called RAD. RAD is set within a post-apocalyptic world. The bat-wielding teenage hero eagerly accepts mutations to power up exotic new abilities, like a snake head or bat wings. The action and gameplay look similar to Skylanders. RAD is also launching on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Switch Release: Summer 2019
Creature in the Well
Creature in the Well combines dungeon crawling with good old fashioned pinball. Players will journey deep within a mountain to restore power to an ancient facility, by bouncing balls around, naturally.
Switch Release: Summer 2019
Bloodroots
Bloodroots is a stylized isometric action game that takes place in a twisted version of the wild west. Mr. Wolf is a man with an appetite for violent vengeance as he uses the environment to concoct elaborate and bloody kills.
Switch Release: Summer 2019
Pine
Pine is an open world adventure starring a teenage hero named Hue on an island where humanity is the minority compared to several prominent anthropomorphic tribes. These factions trade and war with each other and it’s up to Hue to find out a place for his people.
Switch Release: August 2019
Nuclear Throne
The Switch is getting several Vlambeer games this year, including Nuclear Throne, Super Crate Box, and a new ongoing indie game collection called Vlambeer Arcade. Nuclear Throne is a roguelike top-down shooter with 12 playable characters and over 120 weapons. Super Crate Box is a retro-style arcade game that supports up to two players, while Vlambeer Arcade’s first game is Ultrabugs, a classic Galaga-like top-down shooter.
Switch Release: Nuclear Throne – Today! Super Crate Box – April. Vlambeer Arcade – 2019.
Swimsanity!
Swimsanity is a colorful multiplayer underwater shooter. Up to four players can play locally or online in both co-op and versus game modes and over 150 challenges. Players can switch between dual-stick controls or motion control aiming.
Switch Release: Summer 2019
Blaster Master Zero 2
The surprise sequel to 2017’s Blaster Master Zero was announced, and released, today. Zero was a well-received indie remake that captured the game’s 8-bit action gameplay that combined vehicular sidescrolling mayhem with top-down on-foot dungeon crawling. The sequel looks to capture more of that 8-bit magic with an all-new story.
Switch Release: Today!
Stranger Things 3: The Game
It’s a great day for fans of the Netflix sci-fi show Stranger Things, as the new Season 3 trailer just dropped today. On top of that, the Nindies Showcase revealed a pixelated retro adventure based on the series. The Stranger Things game follows the plot of the third season as up to two players can play 12 characters and battle the evils from The Upside Down world. The launches the same day as the third season.
Switch Release: July 4
Cadence of Hyrule
Nintendo loves to drop a big announcement right at the end. For the Spring Showcase, it’s a unique sequel to Crypt of the Necrodancer. As you can guess by the title, Cadence of Hyrule infuses the world, music, and characters from the Legend of Zelda series. Play as either Link or Zelda in randomly generated overworld and dungeons within the rhythm-based action game that features 25 remixed songs from the Zelda series.
Switch Release: Spring 2019
Nintendo very rarely allows other studios, much less indie games, use their franchises, so we’re hoping Cadence of Hyrule leads to more excellent crossovers and parternships. We’re excited about so many great indie games coming to Switch in the next several months.
