Gaming Influence: Thoughts - Indie World Showcase 11.14.2023

Hello everyone, 

Welcome to Gaming Influence, a reboot of the same name I created in WrestleCorp. However, not only will I be giving my thoughts on certain video games and video game series, but also video game movies, video game anime, video game digital presentations, etc.

For this edition of Gaming Influence, I'll be giving my thoughts on the Indie World Showcase which happened on November 14, 2023.

Before I start, not every game that was shown in this presentation will be talked about as I will mainly talk about games that I care about and am interested in. If the games you care about and are interested in don't show up here, don't take it personally, have nothing against the games, but they're not just for me or it's just that I don't have much to say about them except cool. However, if you are happy with the games that you care about and are interested in I'm not or have nothing to say about it, good for you and I'm happy for you.

Anyway, let's get started!

This Indie World Showcase will cover indie games that will be coming to Switch later this year and in the future so let's get to it!

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is a platformer developed by WayForward and published by Limited Run Games. The game is set to be released on Switch in 2024.

Holy crap! Didn't see this coming, but this was a nice surprise as this game is basically a never-released sequel of the first game that is finally complete and out and that's awesome. This looks like a classic GBA Shantae game but with more modern controls than the recent Shantae games which is nice. A very nice surprise from WayForward that I didn't see coming and looking forward to playing it when it comes out next year.

Core Keeper is a survival sandbox game developed by Pugstorm and published by Fireshine Games. The game is set to be released on Switch in Summer 2024.

This game honestly reminds me of a mixture of Stardew Valley with its art style and SteamWorld Dig with its gameplay mechanics for mining for materials and resources. Either way, this looks to be a fun game where even multiplayer can be involved with up to eight players too which is nice. Looking forward to seeing how this game will turn out once it's released next summer.

On Your Tail is a narrative life simulation game developed by Memorable Games and published by Humble Games. The game is set to be released on Switch in 2024.

I really like the art style of this game as it looks to be an interesting narrative life simulation game with interesting characters and a very cool environment and area to explore. I also like how this game has a mystery to it as well with that mysterious masked figure that is following the protagonist throughout the game which I find interesting. We'll see how this game will turn out once it's released next year.

Howl is a turn-based tactical game developed by Mi'pu'mi Games GmbH and published by Astragon. The game is available now to play on Switch.

Wow, this was a nice surprise as I really like the art style, and the fact that this art style is hand-drawn is very impressive. This also looks to be a pretty good strategy game as well and the fact that this game is available now with a demo too is a great way for people to try it out. Will definitely give this a try as I do love strategy games and if you're a fan of strategy games, would give it a try as well to see if you like it or not.

Backpack Hero is an inventory management roguelike game developed by Jaspel and published by Different Tales. The game is available now on Switch.

Another game that surprised the heck out of me that I didn't see coming and it looks so fun and unique that you have to be wary of what equipment and items you have in your inventory as you have limited space to use, but gets expanded over time. The inventory management in this game reminds me of Resident Evil on the way it's set up and the amount of space you have for weapons, items, etc. The fact that this game is roguelike as well is quite fascinating too. Looking forward to trying this game out once I get the chance as it's available now on Switch. 

Blade Chimera is an action game developed by WSS playground and Team Ladybug and published by Playism. The game is set to be released on Switch in Spring 2024.

Okay, this was another highlight for me as this game looks sick. This looks to be a Metroidvania mixed with pure action gameplay and I loved it for that. This game is definitely on my radar as I love the art style it has and the gameplay looks like a lot of fun to play. Looking forward to playing this game when it comes out spring of next year.

A Highland Song is a narrative adventure game developed and published by Inkle where the game will be released on Switch on December 5, 2023.

Okay, this was another surprise I didn't expect as the developer of this game, Inkle, also developed Heaven's Vault and Overboard! which are also great narrative adventure games so the fact that they're making another one with A Highland Song is great to see. This looks to be another interesting narrative adventure game from this team and I'm interested to see how this game will turn out where I love the environments that the protagonist travels to so looking forward to it when it comes out next month.

Moonstone Island is a creature-collecting life-simulation game developed by Studio Supersoft and published by Raw Fury. The game is set to be released on Switch in Spring 2024.

This game is pretty much a hybrid between Pokémon, Animal Crossing, and Harvest Moon into one which I'm totally down for. Really love the art style of the game and the game looks to be a lot of fun and relaxing as well which should be a fun time. Hope to see more of this game in the future when it comes out next spring.

Death Trick: Double Blind is a puzzle adventure game developed by Misty Mountain Studio and published by Neon Doctrine. The game is set to be released on Switch in 2024.

I really like the art style of the game as it's definitely unique and fits the vibe of the game it's trying to tell too with it being a detective game. I do enjoy my Ace Attorney and Danganronpa games when it comes to murder mysteries and this game seems to be up my alley. The fact that the game has a demo available now as well is nice too. Looking forward to seeing how this game will be when it comes out on Switch next year.

Outer Wilds - Archaeologist Edition is a puzzle adventure game developed by Mobisu Digital and published by Annapurna Interactive. The game is set to be released on Switch on December 7, 2023.

Very cool to see that the full game including the DLC for Outer Wilds is coming to Switch. That's awesome. Really enjoy Outer Wilds, but never had a chance to try out and play the DLC due to playing other games. However, would definitely play the game again for the full experience with the DLC included so if you haven't already, if you like puzzle adventure games, Outer Wilds is for you and you can play it when it comes out on Switch next month.

Planet of Lana is a puzzle platformer developed by Wishfully Studios and published by Thunderful Publishing. The game will be coming to Switch in Spring 2024.

Great to see that this game will be coming out to other platforms as this game is pretty good as it has a beautiful art style and a wonderful soundtrack to listen to. The game can be quite fun to play as well with its puzzles and platforming. If you haven't played the game yet and enjoyed puzzle platformers, check out Planet of Lana which will be coming to Switch next spring.

The Gecko Gods is a relaxed puzzle platformer developed by Louis Waloschek and published by Super Rare Originals. The game will be coming to Switch in Spring 2024.

This game looks awesome as you get to be a gecko exploring the world solving puzzles and the platforming looks to be a lot of fun too. This game just looks cozy and relaxing to play so definitely looking forward to trying this game out once it's released on Switch next spring.

Passpartout 2: The Lost Artist is a role-playing adventure simulation game developed and published by Flamebait Games as the game is available now on Switch.

Wow, nice to see that the sequel to the first Passpartout is coming to Switch. It's a pretty fun game in that the player becomes an artist as they try to grow as an artist and improve from there. The fact that this game is available now is also cool as well so if you want to try this game out and become an artist, do so here.

Braid Anniversary Edition is a puzzle adventure platformer developed and published by Thekla Inc. as the game will be coming to Switch on April 30, 2024.

Great to see that this game is coming to Switch as this is pretty much a classic indie game that people should definitely play. If you're into puzzle adventure platformers, Braid Anniversary Edition is the game to play as it'll be coming to Switch in five months.

Overall, this was a good presentation for Nintendo. Even though this doesn't have anything groundbreaking, it still has some nice surprises and some great indie games coming to the system. I will admit that the narrators in this presentation definitely felt like they were talking to five-year-olds in terms of their tones and the way they explained things multiple times when we got it the first time. Personally, it doesn't bother me that much, but something I did notice and want to bring out. Also, kind of disappointed that they didn't do the one more thing where I feel like a few of the games they showcased here could be the one big last thing to end the presentation. However, they didn't do it which is kind of a bummer. Other than that, it was a good presentation that continues to highlight indie games and I hope they continue to grow and get the exposure that they deserve.

You can catch the whole presentation of the Indie World Showcase yourself with the link below:

What are your thoughts on the Indie World Showcase?

What were your highlights and what games do you really want?

Let me know in the comments below and thank you for reading.