by The main showcase at Summer Game Fest is a nonstop barrage of huge trailers for massive games, but despite its two-hour runtime, there are plenty of upcoming games it doesn’t have time to feature. Luckily, the Day of the Devs showcase, which aired immediately after, is around to shine a spotlight on a promising batch of incoming indies. From new reveals like Battle Vision Network to the release date reveal of the long-awaited UFO50, here’s everything featured in today’s showcase in order of appearance.
Simpler Times
Simpler Times is a game with no combat, no timers, and no pressure. In this slow-paced lo-fi experience, you solve puzzles, listen to music, and paint pictures as Taina’s story unfolds. If you’re interested, you won’t have to wait long: it launches on Steam today.
Battle Vision Network
The next game from Capybara Games, the team behind Grindstone and Might & Magic, Battle Vision Network is a puzzle-based competitive multiplayer experience. The one-on-one color-matching combat will feature unique teams, unlockable hand-drawn units, and live season-based gameplay when it launches next year.
Cairn
Described as the “final part of a freedom trilogy” that includes The Game Bakers’ previous titles Fury and Haven, Cairn is a survival game about climbing a mountain. Each wall presents a unique challenge, and it’s up to the player to find the best path to reach the top using strategic footholds, an arsenal of climbing gear, and an eye for creative solutions.
Petal Runner
A game with a distinctly Game Boy aesthetic, Petal Runner is described as a slice-of-life RPG where you deliver digital pets (called HanaPets) to the people of Sapphire Valley. With a motorcycle to explore the world and your fox-like companion Kira by your side, embark on a journey to become a pixelated Petal Runner.
KARMA: The Dark World
This narrative psychological horror game takes place across two separate worlds: the real world’s Orwellian dystopia and a surrealist space in your mind called the World of Memories. Its trippy visuals and body horror galore will be coming to consoles and PC, though no release window has been specified.
UFO50
Made by the creator of Spelunky (and some of his friends), UFO50 is a staggeringly ambitious project. It tells the story of a fictional developer called UFO Soft that created a console that existed from 1982 to 1990. Players can play through the console’s entire 50-game library in chronological order, seeing the progression of its technology over time. Revealed back in 2017, the game will finally see the light of day this September.
Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit
Cozy Grove, the 2021 life-sim about managing an island haunted by friendly ghosts, is getting a sequel. With more ghosts to befriend, a new island to explore, and daily quests to tackle, your customizable Spirit Scouts will have plenty of new tasks to complete. The sequel will also allow you to adopt pets, including pettable dogs and for some reason, snails. The game will come to Netflix’s games library on June 25.
Koira
There are tons of video games about people’s relationships with their dogs, but not any that take place in a hand-drawn, musical forest. In Koira, there’s no dialogue or written text, but each animal and character is instead voiced by a musical instrument. You can get a taste of what it’s like to bond with your new puppy and venture through the woods when the game’s demo releases on Steam sometime soon.
Arranger
This “role-puzzling adventure” is like a typical grid-based action/adventure title, but every time you move, the entire row or column of your map grid slides with you. In fact, the entire world exists on one interconnected grid, so you’ll have to navigate every puzzle, town, and dungeon skillfully to get where you need to go. It hits PlayStation 5, Switch, PC, and Netflix games next month on July 25.
Fear The Spotlight
What do you get when you mix PS1-era graphics, two high schoolers, and Blumhouse Productions Games division? Fear the Spotlight follows Vivian and Amy as they sneak into school to mess around with an Ouija board, which naturally goes horribly wrong. Developed by Cozy Game Pals, this retro horror game will launch later this year.
Screenbound
We’ve likely all done some form of multi-screen multitasking with a game on one monitor and a show on the other, but in Screenbound, it’s a central game mechanic. While you navigate a first-person 3D area, you’ll have to simultaneously manage a 2D sidescroller using the handheld device in your hands. You can only see enemies in the 2D world, but you’ll have to pay attention to the 3D world to properly platform. It’s a unique pitch that we can’t wait to get our hands on.
Zoochosis
Zoos are a great place to visit with your family during the day, but at night, it might be a different story entirely. Zoochosis is a narrative horror game about being trapped in a zoo full of horrifying mutating animals. Your goal is to save the animals, but with multiple endings, your success will vary from playthrough to playthrough.
Tom the Postgirl
Despite having her job in the tile, this game isn’t really about mail delivery. Tom mostly just wants to creep on her neighbors. Peering through windows, cracked door frames, and holes in fences, observe the bizarre inhabitants of Tom’s town. With a hand-drawn art style ripped straight from a picture book, this game is somehow as creepy as it is cute.
Psychroma
There are a lot of directions developers can take the cyberpunk aesthetic, and Rocket Adrift, the developers of Psychroma, are leaning into the most horrifying aspects of the genre. With an amnesiac protagonist, lanky, pixel-based character art, and deep questions about identity and humanity, Psychroma looks like an intriguing investigation into the human condition.
Building Relationships
Described by its creator as “A Short Hike, but stupid,” Building Relationships is a short narrative experience where you play as a human-sized house that is romantically interested in other human-sized buildings. Roll around the low-poly island (I mean this literally – you move by rolling), fish, unlock abilities, and, as the title implies, build relationships.
A Little To The Left: Seeing Stars
This DLC for the organization-based puzzle game A Little To The Left has more of everything people liked about the base game – more levels, more solutions, and even more cats. This expansion hits digital storefronts later this month on June 25. Read our review of the base game here.
Hello Again
It’s Groundhog’s Day meets Animal Crossing. When a time loop traps you on a chill, remote island, you’ll be able to explore the village, chat with the local anthropomorphic animals, and solve puzzles to master your 12-hour experience. You can discover the game’s hidden story when it comes out next year.
While Waiting
As you follow Adam’s life from birth until death, you’ll begin to notice a not-so-subtle trend. He has to wait a lot – and he hates waiting. Goof off in dozens of patience-themed levels by entertaining yourself with the things around you, or just wait patiently and see what happens. Ironically, you’ll have to wait an undetermined amount of time for the game to come out, but you can wishlist it on Steam in the meantime.
Afterlove EP
This narrative game about a musician is set in Jakarta, a fitting location given its Indonesian developer. The protagonist hears the voice of his girlfriend after her death, and the game will focus on themes of love, grief, and identity. And of course, it wouldn’t be a game starring a musician without rhythm minigames. Afterlove EP is out later this year, with a demo available now.
Phoenix Springs
Illustrated with a striking, textured art style, this mystery adventure game is a little different from a typical point-and-click. Instead of items, your inventory is made of concepts and ideas, which you can use to solve puzzles and learn information through conversations. From developer Calligram Studio, Phoenix Springs will launch on September 16.
Tides of Tomorrow
You know how in some racing games, you can race against the “ghost” of a person’s high score as if you’re competing with them? That’s kind of like the concept of Tides of Tomorrow, a game where you follow in the footsteps of past playthroughs (either friends or streamers); only in this case, their decisions will affect your story. It’s the latest game from DigixArt, the developer of Road 96.
How did you feel about the Day of the Devs showcase this year? What game are you most excited by? Let us know in the comments!
The main showcase at Summer Game Fest is a nonstop barrage of huge trailers for massive games, but despite its two-hour runtime, there are plenty of upcoming games it doesn’t have time to feature. Luckily, the Day of the Devs showcase, which aired immediately after, is around to shine a spotlight on a promising batch of incoming indies. From new reveals like Battle Vision Network to the release date reveal of the long-awaited UFO50, here’s everything featured in today’s showcase in order of appearance.
Simpler Times
stoneskip.
Simpler Times is a game with no combat, no timers, and no pressure. In this slow-paced lo-fi experience, you solve puzzles, listen to music, and paint pictures as Taina’s story unfolds. If you’re interested, you won’t have to wait long: it launches on Steam today.
Battle Vision Network
Capybara Games
The next game from Capybara Games, the team behind Grindstone and Might & Magic, Battle Vision Network is a puzzle-based competitive multiplayer experience. The one-on-one color-matching combat will feature unique teams, unlockable hand-drawn units, and live season-based gameplay when it launches next year.
Cairn
The Game Bakers
Described as the “final part of a freedom trilogy” that includes The Game Bakers’ previous titles Fury and Haven, Cairn is a survival game about climbing a mountain. Each wall presents a unique challenge, and it’s up to the player to find the best path to reach the top using strategic footholds, an arsenal of climbing gear, and an eye for creative solutions.
Petal Runner
Nano Park
A game with a distinctly Game Boy aesthetic, Petal Runner is described as a slice-of-life RPG where you deliver digital pets (called HanaPets) to the people of Sapphire Valley. With a motorcycle to explore the world and your fox-like companion Kira by your side, embark on a journey to become a pixelated Petal Runner.
KARMA: The Dark World
Pollard Studio
This narrative psychological horror game takes place across two separate worlds: the real world’s Orwellian dystopia and a surrealist space in your mind called the World of Memories. Its trippy visuals and body horror galore will be coming to consoles and PC, though no release window has been specified.
UFO50
Mossmouth
Made by the creator of Spelunky (and some of his friends), UFO50 is a staggeringly ambitious project. It tells the story of a fictional developer called UFO Soft that created a console that existed from 1982 to 1990. Players can play through the console’s entire 50-game library in chronological order, seeing the progression of its technology over time. Revealed back in 2017, the game will finally see the light of day this September.
Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit
Spry Fox
Cozy Grove, the 2021 life-sim about managing an island haunted by friendly ghosts, is getting a sequel. With more ghosts to befriend, a new island to explore, and daily quests to tackle, your customizable Spirit Scouts will have plenty of new tasks to complete. The sequel will also allow you to adopt pets, including pettable dogs and for some reason, snails. The game will come to Netflix’s games library on June 25.
Koira
Studio Tolima
There are tons of video games about people’s relationships with their dogs, but not any that take place in a hand-drawn, musical forest. In Koira, there’s no dialogue or written text, but each animal and character is instead voiced by a musical instrument. You can get a taste of what it’s like to bond with your new puppy and venture through the woods when the game’s demo releases on Steam sometime soon.
Arranger
Furniture & Mattress
This “role-puzzling adventure” is like a typical grid-based action/adventure title, but every time you move, the entire row or column of your map grid slides with you. In fact, the entire world exists on one interconnected grid, so you’ll have to navigate every puzzle, town, and dungeon skillfully to get where you need to go. It hits PlayStation 5, Switch, PC, and Netflix games next month on July 25.
Fear The Spotlight
Cozy Game Pals
What do you get when you mix PS1-era graphics, two high schoolers, and Blumhouse Productions Games division? Fear the Spotlight follows Vivian and Amy as they sneak into school to mess around with an Ouija board, which naturally goes horribly wrong. Developed by Cozy Game Pals, this retro horror game will launch later this year.
Screenbound
Crescent Moon Games, Those Dang Games
We’ve likely all done some form of multi-screen multitasking with a game on one monitor and a show on the other, but in Screenbound, it’s a central game mechanic. While you navigate a first-person 3D area, you’ll have to simultaneously manage a 2D sidescroller using the handheld device in your hands. You can only see enemies in the 2D world, but you’ll have to pay attention to the 3D world to properly platform. It’s a unique pitch that we can’t wait to get our hands on.
Zoochosis
Clapperheads
Zoos are a great place to visit with your family during the day, but at night, it might be a different story entirely. Zoochosis is a narrative horror game about being trapped in a zoo full of horrifying mutating animals. Your goal is to save the animals, but with multiple endings, your success will vary from playthrough to playthrough.
Tom the Postgirl
Oopsie Daisies Studio
Despite having her job in the tile, this game isn’t really about mail delivery. Tom mostly just wants to creep on her neighbors. Peering through windows, cracked door frames, and holes in fences, observe the bizarre inhabitants of Tom’s town. With a hand-drawn art style ripped straight from a picture book, this game is somehow as creepy as it is cute.
Psychroma
Rocket Adrift
There are a lot of directions developers can take the cyberpunk aesthetic, and Rocket Adrift, the developers of Psychroma, are leaning into the most horrifying aspects of the genre. With an amnesiac protagonist, lanky, pixel-based character art, and deep questions about identity and humanity, Psychroma looks like an intriguing investigation into the human condition.
Building Relationships
Tan Ant Games
Described by its creator as “A Short Hike, but stupid,” Building Relationships is a short narrative experience where you play as a human-sized house that is romantically interested in other human-sized buildings. Roll around the low-poly island (I mean this literally – you move by rolling), fish, unlock abilities, and, as the title implies, build relationships.
A Little To The Left: Seeing Stars
Max Inferno
This DLC for the organization-based puzzle game A Little To The Left has more of everything people liked about the base game – more levels, more solutions, and even more cats. This expansion hits digital storefronts later this month on June 25. Read our review of the base game here.
Hello Again
Soup Island
It’s Groundhog’s Day meets Animal Crossing. When a time loop traps you on a chill, remote island, you’ll be able to explore the village, chat with the local anthropomorphic animals, and solve puzzles to master your 12-hour experience. You can discover the game’s hidden story when it comes out next year.
While Waiting
Optillusion Games
As you follow Adam’s life from birth until death, you’ll begin to notice a not-so-subtle trend. He has to wait a lot – and he hates waiting. Goof off in dozens of patience-themed levels by entertaining yourself with the things around you, or just wait patiently and see what happens. Ironically, you’ll have to wait an undetermined amount of time for the game to come out, but you can wishlist it on Steam in the meantime.
Afterlove EP
Pikselnesia
This narrative game about a musician is set in Jakarta, a fitting location given its Indonesian developer. The protagonist hears the voice of his girlfriend after her death, and the game will focus on themes of love, grief, and identity. And of course, it wouldn’t be a game starring a musician without rhythm minigames. Afterlove EP is out later this year, with a demo available now.
Phoenix Springs
Calligram Studio
Illustrated with a striking, textured art style, this mystery adventure game is a little different from a typical point-and-click. Instead of items, your inventory is made of concepts and ideas, which you can use to solve puzzles and learn information through conversations. From developer Calligram Studio, Phoenix Springs will launch on September 16.
Tides of Tomorrow
DigixArt
You know how in some racing games, you can race against the “ghost” of a person’s high score as if you’re competing with them? That’s kind of like the concept of Tides of Tomorrow, a game where you follow in the footsteps of past playthroughs (either friends or streamers); only in this case, their decisions will affect your story. It’s the latest game from DigixArt, the developer of Road 96.
How did you feel about the Day of the Devs showcase this year? What game are you most excited by? Let us know in the comments!Read MoreGame Informer
