Nintendo held another of its Indie World Showcases on December 15. And while Hollow Knight: Silksong was once again absent, the showcase featured a number of exciting new additions coming to the Nintendo Switch library.
Nearly 20 games were shown off throughout the event, most of which are on track for 2022 releases. There was plenty of variety in terms of genres, with a healthy mix of RPGs, puzzle games, and side-scrolling action games. Chances are there will be at least one announcement that will grab your interest, whatever your personal preferences are.
You can check out the full 24-minute presentation, as well as a quick rundown of every game shown off during it, below. Note that where we mention a season when listing release dates that's the season in the US/UK and other Northern hemisphere regions.
Every Nintendo Switch game from Indie World Showcase December 2021
The showcase began with Kickstarter-funded RPG Sea of Stars. From developer Sabotage Studio, it is deliberately inspired by classic 90s RPGs like Chrono Trigger and even has that game's composer Yasunori Mitsuda contributing music. It will release during 2022's holiday season.
Next is Allisha: The Oblivion of the Twin Goddesses, an adventure/puzzle game that puts you in control of a pair of sisters and has you use their unique abilities to solve puzzles in an ancient temple. Designed specifically for the Switch, it can be played solo or in co-op and releases in spring 2022.
Loco Motive, a point-and-click adventure title that's been favorably compared to the work of LucasArts, is technically already available on PC via itch.io. However, developer Robust Games, with help from publisher Chucklefish, is expanding it into a full game for Switch next summer. After a murder takes place on a train, the three main suspects must prove their innocence and solve the mystery themselves.
From the creator of Coffee Talk comes Afterlove EP, a visual novel/rhythm game/dating sim hybrid that boasts manga-inspired visuals and an Indonesian setting. You'll control musician Rama who's grieving the death of his girlfriend and struggling to move on, especially since his girlfriend's voice lives in his head. It will feature different story paths determined by your choices and releases next summer.
Dungeon Munchies was certainly something of a surprise, since it was released not long after the showcase wrapped up. A side-scrolling action RPG, you play as a revived zombie and, to escape the facility you're trapped in, work with a spectral chef to cook dishes made from the monsters you hunt.
Action-adventure game Figment is getting a sequel in February 2022, simply titled Figment 2: Creed Valley. Set within the human mind, you'll explore the unique environments and solve puzzles to rid it of Nightmares. The game also has a heavy emphasis on music, with boss fights described as having their own theme songs. A demo is available now as well.
Boardgame maker Oink Games has brought a selection of its work to Switch. Available now as a digital download, you can enjoy playing Deep Sea Adventure, A fake artist goes to NY, Startups, and Moon Adventure in both offline and online multiplayer.
Easily the most emotionally harrowing game of the showcase, Endling - Extinction is Forever has you play as the last surviving mother fox in a world ravaged by humanity. Your mission is to escort your three cubs to a safe haven while also feeding them and teaching them how to survive. How well you play will determine how many of them will make it to the end. It releases in spring 2022.
Less harrowing is a new trailer for skateboarding game OlliOlli World. A 2D platformer, it has a new release date of February 2022 and anyone who pre-orders it will receive some additional bonus cosmetics for their player character.
Shantae studio WayForward made an appearance to share a trailer for beat 'em up sequel River City Girls 2. Aside from returning protagonists Misako and Kyoko, there will be four other characters to play as. Plus new environments, baddies to beat, and techniques to pull off. It releases summer 2022.
What followed was a quick montage of upcoming releases. These are management sim Parkasaurus and multiplayer expansion Don't Starve Together (both spring 2022), top-down adventure Chicory: A Colorful Tale (available now), multiplayer arcade game Baby Storm (January 21, 2022), action-adventure RPG GRIME (summer 2022), narrative RPG Gerda: A Flame in Winter (2022), stealth-puzzle game Timelie (available now), and narrative game Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery (spring 2022).
The showcase capped off with OMORI, another Kickstarter-funded RPG. Based on a webcomic by the same name, it was released for PC in 2020 and became a critical darling for its gameplay and narrative. It releases for Switch in spring 2022.
2022 is already primed to be a year for big Nintendo Switch releases, like the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel and Splatoon 3. And with all these indie titles, none of us will run out of stuff to play in between Nintendo's first-party fare.
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