Today’s Nintendo Indie World Showcase saw two unannounced titles casually slide onto the eShop. The pun-tastic Sticky Business involves running a sticker store, designing new items to sell and listening to customers’ stories. That’s joined by Stitch, a puzzler not dissimilar to Picross in principle, only based on embroidery. An image will eventually be revealed by matching up cells and avoiding overlaps. It’s easy to imagine both offering a chilled experience.
Even without these two surprises, it’s a moderately busy week. In lieu of first-party titles – with Nintendo seemingly sticking to one per month throughout 2024 – Microsoft has stepped in with Obsidian’s Grounded, the base building adventure starring shrunken heroes. While it has RPG elements, it’s more about resource management, setting up camps and acquiring stockpiles of items that may be needed during missions. When played with friends online, it really comes into its own.
Thunderful’s side-scrolling adventure Planet of Lana comes to Switch too, offering a colourful world to explore and save. Another belated conversion is ArcRunner, a sci-fi co-op shooter viewed from a third-person perspective. It features randomised stages, permanent upgrades, and augments that allow your character – with a choice of a solider, ninja or hacker – to gain new skills. Early impressions are that it’s a lean and polished package.
Then there’s Ikki Unite, a Roguelike take on a critically panned Famicom game. Japanese gamers strongly detested the original – it’s famously bad. So famous, in fact, that Sunsoft has seen fit to capitalise on its notoriety, reviving it as a 16-player experience. Like ArcRunner, this too launched on Steam a while ago. It seems to have gone down reasonably well.
Retro fans may also be interested in the re-release of the early Japanese RPG Hydlide II, presented in its untranslated glory at a knockdown price. There’s Corn Kidz 64 too, which as the name suggests takes the form of an N64-style platformer, fuzzy visuals and all.
Other releases for this week include WayFoward’s slap happy Rose & Camellia Collection – based around slapping sense into your aristocratic rivals – grim fairytale The Mildew Children, point ‘n click adventure Lunar Axe, and the papery puzzle platformer A Tale of Paper: Refolded.
Over a dozen anticipated titles are due next week – it’s looking astonishingly hectic.
New Switch eShop releases
A planet that used to be a place of undisturbed balance between human, nature, and animal has now become something else entirely.
The disharmony that had been in the making for hundreds of years has finally arrived in the form of a faceless army. But this is not a story about war. This is a story about a vibrant, beautiful planet –and the journey to keep it that way.
Stitch. is a casual puzzle game with embroidery on a numbered grid. The main objective is to fill in the levels’ areas with no gaps to complete Hoops.
Stitch. lets you create beautiful embroidery patterns, by solving levels and Hoops of various difficulties and sizes. It’s easy to learn, but hard to master!
Stitch up all the beautiful landscapes, plants, animals, objects, and more.
Create your own beautiful stickers, organize your storefront, package orders, read customer sentiments, and more – all on Nintendo Switch, as revealed during today’s Indie World Showcase. With the Nintendo Switch version, you can take your business on the go, while also utilizing touchscreen or traditional control schemes. In addition, you can enjoy the Plan With Me DLC, which adds even more cozy sticker creations to your portfolio but with a new office theme!
The world is a vast, beautiful, and dangerous place – especially when you have been shrunken to the size of an ant. Explore, build, and survive together in this cooperative survival-adventure. Can you thrive alongside the hordes of giant insects, fighting to survive the perils of the backyard?
A meta-virus has infected KORE, the AI of the titan class space station The Arc, causing the ArcRunner protocol to be initialised. You have been brought back to traverse the station, defeat its zone guardians, locate KORE, and reset it. The catch? Every robotic entity on The Arc is against you and hunting you to stop you from fulfilling your mission.
Ikki Unite: The Glorious Return of the Underdog!
Yes, you read that right. No need to clean your glasses or pinch yourself—you’re wide awake! Ikki Unite is making a grand return in 2024! Face off against a locust plague threatening our very existence. Enlist up to 16 friends in this erratic multiplayer bullet hell, sprinkled with Roguelite mechanics.
This isn’t just a game; it’s a rebellion bringing back the charm, the chaos, and the “”What am I even playing?”” vibe of the original 1985 classic.
Grab your bamboo : Ikki Unite. Because every game deserves a redemption arc, even this one. Get ready for a journey filled with laughter, wrinkled eyes and the kind of fun that only comes when you don’t take yourself too seriously. Welcome back, Ikki, we’ve absolutely not missed you.
Become a Zoo Keeper, manage and build the zoo of your childhood dreams! Take care of the animals and create ideal conditions for them. Grow your zoo, add extraordinary species and prepare amazing attractions for visitors.
ZooKeeper is a low poly game in which the player takes on the role of a zoo owner. Your main task is to manage the zoo to make it as popular as possible!
Ready your decks, pick your party, and prepare for battle! Innovating on the tactical RPG genre, Dream Tactics delivers rich character customization, strategic combat, and tactical card combos to explore.
The Dream World is in peril! It is up to our unlikely hero, Neru, to assemble a formidable team to defeat the Pillow Legions and save the Dream World from its inevitable collapse.
The only problem? Neru may have slacked a bit on learning the magic of the Dream World and is almost out of time until its destruction!
Mars Assault: 3D Shooter – £7.99
Prepare for an intense battle for survival in Mars Assault, the ultimate 3D shooter experience set amidst the unforgiving landscapes of the Red Planet. As a lone space marine, your mission is simple: survive against relentless waves of enemies and climb to the top of the leaderboard as the ultimate Martian champion.
Rose & Camellia Collection – £17.99
Slap your way to the top of high society! Grace and glamour give way to open-handed duels across five games of aristocratic absurdity – Rose & Camellia 1, 2, 3, & 4, plus Rose & Camellia vs. La-Mulana – in which you’ll slap, dodge, feint, and counter your way through a series of one-on-one smackdowns.
As an over-the-top inheritance dispute evolves into increasingly outlandish scenarios, you’ll use Joy-Con™ motion controls or touch-screen swipes to knock some respect into 24 ridiculous adversaries – or a friend in 2-player versus mode – complemented by full English and Japanese voiceovers, beautiful HD character art, and an anime-style intro. Give the upper crust a richly deserved smack in Rose & Camellia Collection!
As an intergalactic indie rockband, plot your rise to *star*dom, traveling from planet to planet and gig to gig on your quest for fame and fortune. Play local (and not-so-local) clubs throughout the galaxy, recruiting alien band members along the way, and rock out across the cosmos! But make sure you’re managing your ship’s resources and keeping your crew in check while on this stellar tour because one wrong decision may leave you dead in space!
Featuring a blend of 2D adventure and visual novel, The Mildew Children is a grim tale about a village inhabited only by children who follow savage pagan traditions. A young witch named Kyrphel, along with her sisters, are bound to perform a macabre Ritual in order to save their village. A witch’s demise during the ritual is not extraordinary, since not all can triumph over Mistress Death. This time, Kyrphel is strong enough to handle it. Or so she thought.
Combining the elements of fairy tale and horror, the story draws on pagan folklore and ancient beliefs. Accompany Kyrphel and her friends in this grim, beautifully hand-drawn adventure game. Take part in the Ritual and discover the secret of the village, interact with peculiar villagers, bewitch, and overcome the affliction that haunts the young sorceress.
Keep the line moving! Chaotically assemble the most efficient conveyor belts to keep the goods flowing out of the factory! Use various tools and equipment to overcome the ever-increasing challenges and goods the factory throws at you. Best played in 2-player couch coop but also supports single-player.
Get your tickets to ride the Trackline Express today! Small disclaimer: there might be some missing rails sections. And occasional barbarian attacks. But don’t worry, our trains are the most reliable out there. Some just require a few upgrades here and there. Other than that, a perfectly fine ride is awaiting for you!
Unboxing – Idle Factory Simulator – £9.99
Unboxing is a captivating game, offering a meditative and relaxing experience for players. With an atmosphere that blends futuristic technology with the excitement of unboxing, this game will take you on a journey where the satisfaction of encountering unique items is the main goal.
Epic Dumpster Bear 1.5 DX: Dumpster Fire Rebirth – £3.99
“Epic Dumpster Bear 1.5 DX” injects the play control and mechanics from “Epic Dumpster Bear 2” into remixed levels from the indie cult classic “Epic Dumpster Bear” creating a brand new epic adventure of 2D retro platformer goodness. The new blueberry powerup introduces speed as never seen before to help dumpster bear collect every level’s speedrunning medal.
Containing a brand new story, new honey and blueberry powerups and exhilarating 3D bonus levels, “Epic Dumpster Bear 1.5 DX” is the dumpster themed gaming event of the decade.
Pretty Girls Escape PLUS – £5.49
Rescue and meet 9 cuties as you master brainteasing escape puzzles! Pretty Girls Escape PLUS is a block puzzler where the objective is to clear blocks of the same color by moving them left or right. As you match and connect, lines will disappear and allow character blocks stacked on top to drop further down the screen. Get the character blocks to the exit at the bottom of the stack, and you win!
Scheming Through The Zombie Apocalypse Ep2: Caged – £4.99
Join retired salesman rabbit, Hank, and his canine pal, Larry, in part 2 of this story-driven game series as they use their knowledge of influence and persuasion to make their way through the apocalypse—without having to risk their own skin.
Can you convince animals to enter dangerous looting locations, and then bargain with them to split the loot with you?
With a mixture of dark comedy and the use of influence tactics, this story-driven game puts you behind the wheel of the characters’ choices.
Lunar Axe is a point-and-click adventure game with locations and story inspired by real places with incredible hand-drawing art. The story begins after a massive earthquake rocks the city, trapping you inside the ruins of a collapsed building. Now, you must find a way to escape this abandoned house, unravel the mystery behind the strange tremors, and meet the guardian spirit of a mystical artifact.
EGGCONSOLE HYDLIDE II PC-8801 – £5.39
This is an action RPG released by T&E SOFT in 1985. The protagonist, chosen by God for their pure heart, embarks on an adventure to seal away evil consciousness.
The popular collision-based attack system from the previous game is back, and this time, new magic such as FIRE, ICE, WAVE, and JUMP are introduced. With the addition of the parameter FORTH (conscience), concepts of good and evil are expressed. The game also features information gathering through conversation mode, shopping in towns, character development, and a map six times larger than the previous game, surpassing it in both quality and quantity.
Known as an Active RPG at the time, this game places a strong emphasis on action. Players switch between attack and defense modes while engaging in collision-based combat with monsters. Defeating monsters earns experience points, allowing for level-ups and increased strength. When injured, resting in flat areas automatically restores health.
Thoughtfully curated and surprisingly deep, Sokobond Express takes the guesswork out of chemistry, letting you feel like a chemist without requiring any upfront chemistry knowledge. Immerse yourself in this delightful, mechanically intuitive, and elegant experience while getting lost in the art of rewarding puzzle solving.
Discover a new world of intergalactic challenges with Sokobalien – the puzzle game that will take you beyond Earth! Are you ready to embark on an exciting journey and become the builder of the largest space farm in the galaxy?
Stone Age: Digital Edition – £12.59
What can you do in Stone Age: Digital Edition?
In Stone Age, you take on the role of a prehistoric human. Beginning with archaic tools, you collect wood, stone, and gold to attain higher levels of knowledge and build sturdier structures. With resources being scarce, you must compete for the limited number of spaces on the board that produce them while also gathering food to feed your growing tribe.
Follow the young goat Seve into his recurring dream, in which he meets his friend Alexis, who wants to help Seve break free from the dream. Corn Kids 64 is a 3d platformers that closely resembles the classics from the early 3d era. In a world full of secrets, Corn Kidz 64 lets you explore Seve’s dynamic moveset and meet various fun and unique characters.
Evocative low poly graphics with various display options allow for an authentic 90s experience or a modern HD resolution.
RISKY CHRONICLES and the curse of destiny – £8.99
Immerse yourself in the platform games of the 90s with “RISKY CHRONICLES and the Curse of Destiny”! Experience a captivating adventure that cleverly blends classic platform game elements with modern mechanics.
Embark on the role of Risky, a fearless explorer, as you are transported through mythical locations such as an ancient pyramid, a mysterious Aztec temple, a ruthless desert, an enchanting underwater world, a haunted house full of secrets, an ancient military factory with intriguing mechanisms, a prehistoric cave full of mysteries, and many other surprises!
A Tale of Paper: Refolded – £12.99
A Tale of Paper: Refolded is a puzzle-platformer that tells the story of Line, a magical character made of paper who can use origami to change its shape. Transform into a frog, a rocket, a bird and more as Line embarks on an emotional journey to fulfill the dream of its creator.
Can a dream transcend its owner? Follow the beautiful tale of Line, an endearing character formed from paper, in an atmospheric adventure where challenges and danger are waiting every step of the way.
Experience the story of Line and then embark on three prequel chapters, featuring a different paper protagonist with its own origami shapeshifting abilities and tale to tell.
Next week: TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, SaGa Emerald Beyond, Another Crab’s Treasure, El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON HD Remaster, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Dadish 3D, Lunar Lander Beyond, Adventure Bar Story, MEGATON MUSASHI W: WIRED Standard Edition, S.O.L Search of Light, Whisker Waters, Class of Heroes 1&2: Digital Complete Edition, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board!, Tell Me Your Story, Cyberpoly RPG – Dark City, Insurmountable, Ratyrinth, Romance MD: Always On Call, Library Of Ruina, Home Office Simulator – Ayame Life Sim, and Kanjozoku 2 – Drift Car Games.