After a quiet couple of weeks, the Switch eShop finally has a spring in its step with several anticipated indies due.
From the creators of the acclaimed Paradise Killer comes Promise Mascot Agency, an offbeat management sim with small-town drama and crime politics. Playing as an exiled yakuza member, you’re tasked with turning the titular agency profitable. The Metacritic currently sits at a respectable 79%, although it’s probably worth bearing in mind that it gained a few 6/10 review scores.
“Promise Mascot Agency is still a strange game. Its repetitive gameplay loop, limited management aspects and refusal to be serious at any point may be off-putting to some. But if you enjoy surreal humor and are seeking a cozy life sim with a vaguely threatening aura, you’ll be able to find a home in Kaso-Michi,” said Siliconera before dishing out an 8/10.
Then there’s the sci-fi hoverboard exploration game Star Overdrive, which Nintendo has been giving a push on the eShop. It sounds like a multifaceted experience, with puzzles, combat, races, stunts, and more. Its Metacritic is 73%, including a 7/10 from Nintendo Life. “The game’s mysterious, drip-fed narrative will keep you intrigued, and every moment spent on the grav board is undeniably enjoyable. Although Cebete may feel overly familiar, its vibrant landscapes and hidden secrets still make it worth exploring,” was their verdict.
The hyperactive sounding All in Abyss: Judge the Fake puts an RPG spin on Texas Hold ‘Em, meanwhile, possibly hoping to cash in on Balatro’s success. RPG Fan called it “a happy blend of gambling, rock ‘n roll, and anime shenanigans” in their review, which resulted in an 8/10. PC and PS5 owners can also choose to stick or twist.
Another game reviewing well is the full price Battlefield Waltz – a visual novel dating to 2014, with themes of romance. It appears to be one of the better examples of the genre, gaining a few 8/10s. The Metacritic for this one is 74%. Fans of the genre may also want to check out eastasiasoft’s Victorian England set Secrets In Green.
On the retro side of things, there’s an expanded remaster of the 1994 Toaplan arcade platformer SNOW BROS. 2, along with an EGGCONSOLE release of the early MSX maze game PYRAMID WARP, and the NeoGeo Pocket era-inspired pixel art beat’em up Pocket Bravery. The PC version of Pocket Bravery arrived to a slew of 7/10 reviews. Fan reception seems to be more positive.
Also launching this week are the low-poly horror Mortisomem, cutesy explorative adventure Pilo and the Holobook, pixel art Metroidvania Little Droid, the dungeon filled RPG PROGRESS ORDERS – which appears reasonably in-depth considering the £16 price tag – and whatever GIRLS MADE PUDDING might be. The product description fails to make much sense.
New Switch eShop releases
Promise Mascot Agency – £20.99
From the creators of Paradise Killer comes the world’s first (and best) Open World Mascot Management Crime Drama: this is Promise Mascot Agency.
Crime! Drama! Intrigue! What has happened to Michi?
Michi, a disgraced yakuza lieutenant, is exiled to a cursed town to turn a bankrupt mascot agency into a profitable enterprise. As he struggles in his new life, can he manage to make a successful business and unravel the conspiracy behind his exile? He’s helped by Assistant Manager Pinky, who happens to be a mascot herself.
A new home to explore! What secrets will you discover in your adorable Kei Truck?
Join Bios stranded on a distant alien planet with his hoverboard, solve creative puzzles, and fight formidable foes in his quest to reunite with his beloved. Wield the powers of his Keytar for combat, master the hypersonic Hoverboard for trick-filled traversal, uncover mysterious depths, gather resources, and craft parts to enhance your Hoverboard and explore across alien biomes in a massive Open World.
SNOW BROS. 2 SPECIAL is a remake of TOAPLAN’s 1994 release Snow Bros. 2. The IP license has now passed to TATSUJIN, who will continue its legacy. Enjoy the original storyline of rescuing a princess from the Demon King, but now with four protagonists whose character designs and graphics have been upgraded to fit the remake’s new modern style while retaining their unique qualities.
In this game, you adventure to become a successful gambler by challenging others at the game of Texas Hold‘em Poker.
Use various skills to achieve victory in poker, expose the hands of the witches, All-in to steal their winnings, and become the ruler of the gambling district.
Big Buck Hunter: Ultimate Trophy – £34.99
Get ready to lock, load, and dominate the wild like never before with Big Buck Hunter: Ultimate Trophy! This groundbreaking experience takes the #1 arcade hunting game to thrilling new heights, delivering over 3X the content of its hit predecessor.
Mortisomem is an adventure, mystery, and horror game with retro visual aesthetics. The game takes place in the year 1917, in the vast forest of inland Brazil.
Donald Barnes is an immigrant and a successful American merchant in Brazil. However, one day he hears a traditional story from the region that greatly captures his attention; about a man who lived hundreds of years ago, brutally murdered by his wife’s family, and who, after his death, became a cruel demon that kills the inhabitants of that area out of hatred and resentment. This demon was called Mortisomem.
Pilo and the Holobook – £11.69
Pilo and the Holobook is an exploration-based adventure game set in a colorful galaxy where you guide Pilo, an apprentice explorer, on a journey to document the universe’s wonders and solve mysteries. Using the Holobook, a powerful encyclopedia-like tool, Pilo collects stickers to record his discoveries and uncover the story behind a mysterious dark force known as the Tar.
Love Blooms on the Battlefield on the Go! – Previously released in Japan in 2014, Western fans can finally experience this hidden otome gem and witness Lan’s journey as the Maiden of the Cursed Sword on the Nintendo Switch.
Explore New Frontiers and Nirvana! – With Map Exploration, players can freely explore two maps: the Royal Capital Frontier and the Nirvana School, where Lan can interact with characters. Learn information about characters only available during Map Exploration.
You can choose between a Male or Female character. Use various facilities like the Blacksmith, Item Shop and Garden to support each of the unique adventurers at the 3D-rendered guild.
Complex dungeons progress automatically for each party, and you may choose to step in during monster encounters, which develop into the thrilling, strategic “Reading Command” battles. You can alternatively have the adventurers fight on their own and focus on your other tasks!
Includes 6 members, 3 men and 3 women. Each of your stories with them will unfold as you develop further relationships with the partners. Build up your guild while getting closer with your favorite partners!
Following an unfortunate episode of mental illness, Alma is sent to a cottage in the countryside where she finds peace tending to the overgrown garden. However, while admiring the large ivy growing across its fence, she discovers a leaf bearing a single written word – hello. Her father and caregiver brush it off as nothing but a hallucination, a symptom of her hysteria
In most games, the story moves forward once your reach a certain destination. In Girls Made Pudding, everything happens during the journey. Nothing will happen if you stay where you are, and by going back on the road where you came from, you’ll return to the dialogue you already read once.
Little Droid is an adventure platformer that takes you to a world of mysteries, tough enemies, and hidden dangers. The journey is packed with challenges, requiring careful battery management to keep the droid energized at crucial moments. Explore a richly detailed environment, collect weapons to overcome various obstacles, and uncover secrets as you pursue the source of a mysterious signal.
EGGCONSOLE PYRAMID WARP MSX – £5.39
Fight against scorpions, bats, and mummies while searching for the diamond among three treasures to warp to the next stage! What awaits at stage 16!?
This action game was released in 1983 in Japan. Players control an adventurer exploring a pyramid in search of treasure. Each room is patrolled by scorpions and bats, so use the passageways wisely, take advantage of paired warp tunnels, or hide in treasure chests to avoid them. If the adventurer comes into contact with an enemy, they will lose a life, and when all lives are lost, it’s game over.
Leo & Mia : Animal Rescue – £17.99
Set out on an adventure to save wildlife from poachers and other dangers! Embark on exciting missions to help elephants, giraffes, lions and many more species survive the dangers of the savannah!
Stellar Docks: Deep Space – £4.49
Embark on an interstellar puzzle adventure in Stellar Docks, a grid-based logic game featuring charming 2D pixel art. Guide an astronaut as they push drones to their charging docks across challenging maps filled with strategic puzzles. With a top-down view and intuitive controls, the game offers a satisfying progression that will test your problem-solving skills. From the interiors of a spaceship to the icy landscapes of Neptune, explore diverse environments and unravel intricate challenges that push your mastery of each mechanic.
In this world, you are able to choose from a variety of heroes with different fighting styles and use the power of music to battle against evil void monsters.
Then you will meet various heroes with distinctive playing and fighting styles, such as Octavia who is good at Melody House and Amaya who is a Funk expert. Over 10 musicians with different abilities who use not only their music but also born skills can be recruited to your band and fight with you. In addition, there are hundreds of props with different effects for you to choose and use, which you can strategically mix and match to apply a variety of battle combinations.
This game is about managing shops. Hercules enters Dark Gate Town solo, aiming to repay his father’s debt. Starting with a store, he grows capital, hires, expands shops, and manages relationships with diverse female NPCs. Dominating the business scene? Quite a challenge!
Hook: Complete Edition – £3.99
Experience the ultimate relaxing puzzle game collection with Hook: Complete Edition, featuring both Hook 1 and Hook 2 in one package.
Hook – A minimalist puzzle game where your goal is to remove all hooks from the board using intuitive mechanics. No timers, no scores—just pure, stress-free gameplay complemented by a calming ambient soundtrack.
Hook 2 – Expands the challenge into an extra dimension, introducing new mechanics while maintaining the same meditative experience. No text, no distractions—just immersive, minimalist puzzles.
During the day, you will experience a girl’s school life. At night, you will travel through various dreamscapes. To find your missing sister, you dive into different dreams every night, searching for the clues she left behind. Along your journey, you will meet various companions and gradually uncover the truth behind your sister’s disappearance.
“Wind Story” is a pixel style simulation game. Upon arriving at Wind Chime Ranch, players can immerse themselves in rural lifestyles, including farming, breeding, and fishing. During the day, they can freely roam the Ranch’s flower fields, while at night, they can enjoy drinking and dancing by the lakeside bonfire. Players can attract more visitors to the ranch, gradually building their own accommodations, windmills, power houses, and restaurants. They can cultivate a variety of vegetables, flowers, and fruits, and raise diverse animals. Furthermore, they can install various amusement facilities on the ranch to earn more money and create their own recreational oasis.
Detective From The Crypt – £8.99
Detective From The Crypt is a mystical Victorian detective story in which you play for a ghost girl helped by a ghost cat.
Jane wakes up in a crypt as a ghost. You are investigating the death of her family together. Seeking and researching evidences. Building an accusation based on them. You have a laboratory to research evidences. Play and get the feeling of being a true Victorian detective.
Get ready to test your reflexes and skills in this challenging platformer! Take control of a determined little cat who must overcome obstacles and find the right path to reach its goal.
Step into the squishy form of Super Slime Boy, a small but determined hero, in this fast-paced, precision platformer set in a dangerous, black-and-white world where every mistake means instant death. Armed with nothing but your reflexes and skill, your mission is simple yet challenging: Survive deadly obstacles and restore the stolen colours to the world.
Inspired by classic fighting games from the 90’s, ‘Pocket Bravery’ channels a modern fighting game with a retro twist!
With original characters, vibrant colours and an impressive combat system, ‘Pocket Bravery’ is designed with high-level players in mind, while making it easily accessible for beginners to pick-up-and-play!
Next week: I, Robot, LUNAR Remastered Collection, Preserve, Old Skies, Snow Squall Grip, Hot Rod Mayhem, Monument Valley, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate, Moving Houses, Planeta 55, Rusty Rabbit, Leila, LunarLux, Vinebound: Tangled Together, and Necroking.