The Best of Nintendo Indie World 2023 | Team Talk

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We’re all about supporting the little guy around here, as you’ll have spotted from a few of our reviews, so when Nintendo puts together its Indie World Showcase, it’s time to take a look at the best of all the indie games coming to the Switch.
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What was your highlight? Let us know in our Discord.

by Team PTC

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​@pass_controller

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Animal Well, Chants of Sennaar and Another Crab’s Treasure | Liam Andrews

There were only a couple of titles that grabbed my attention in the latest Nindies showcase. The first was Animal Well, which looked lovely. A lot of games do pixel art these days, but this title seems to have its own unique look thanks to its neon palette and reactive environmental details. I’m not overly keen on 2D Metroidvanias, but I’d be willing to give Animal Well a go just to experience its atmosphere.

The other game that impressed me was Chants of Sennaar. Like Animal Well, it boasts an impressive and rather unique visual style. I also like the look of the gameplay, a mix of stealth, translation, and environmental puzzles. It sort of looks like a Zelda game without the combat, which could be fun.

I’m also going to sneak in a title from the Japanese Indie World Showcase which aired recently, which included a bunch of games not featured in the western showcase.

The top pick from this event was Another Crab’s Treasure. I had never heard of this game before, even though it’s been announced previously. A souls-like set on the ocean floor, the game features a crab protagonist and the ability to pick up and wear different bits of scrap items as a shell and boss fights against other sea crustaceans.

Again, I’m not the biggest fan of the genre, but like Animal Well the game’s premise and visuals will probably be enough to draw me in.​

Oxenfree II and Cult of the Lamb | Chris Brand

Despite reading positive reviews and seeing nothing but praise for Oxenfree, it took me some time to get around to playing it, as I don't often have the patience for slower-paced adventure games.

When I finally did dive in, purely to sate my curiosity, I was pleasantly surprised. The puzzling components are engaging without being too challenging, the story is compelling and the choices you make going through will determine how it all plays out.

Though Oxenfree offered multiple endings, it's not the sort of game I could replay. For me, the fun is in uncovering the mystery and enjoying the journey to get there. Once I've experienced it and that crucial element is missing, I can't go back.

A sequel that promises more of the same (with some new features, as is the fashion when it comes to sequels), however, is just the thing to get me excited. Or, at least, it would be, if not for the fact that Oxenfree II will be releasing on every platform but Xbox. It's cool though, I'm writing a TV show about a guy who invents super-bacon and I'm pitching it to everyone, aside from Netflix. Screw you guys.

The trailer for Cult of the Lamb DLC, Relics of the Old Faith, also caught my attention. As an added bonus, I may one day get to play it because Devolver Digital is an inclusive company that cares about people, unlike stupid Netflix which only cares about getting your hard-earned cash so they can buy fancy rugs. The kind of rugs that are too good to walk on, they're just for show and a complete waste of money.
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As I've not yet played Cult of the Lamb (but, once again, heard nary a bad thing about it), everything is new to me and the free update not only adds more content but also improves the base game.

Mineko’s Night Market, Rift of the Necrodancer and Quilts and Cats of Calico | James Parry

While the true highlight was seeing two chaps standing by a duck pond (thanks Animal Well), and, like Chris, the Cult of the Lamb trailer definitely stood out, it was Rift of the Necrodancer which hit the sport for me straight away.

Any sort of rhythm game is automatically worth a look for me, and the art style is a bit of fun as well. It’ll be interesting to see if the core gameplay loop can evolve and sustain interest or if it feels a little…one note.

Perhaps it’s nostalgia for Animal Crossing New Horizons, or the fact that I’ve visited Japan recently, but the overall vibe, visual style and the prospect of minigames like cat racing in Mineko’s Night Market seems like a lot of fun. Though whether it’s a game for me remains to be seen.

Finally, there was Quilts and Cats of Calico, featuring a real cat – they know their audience. I’ve never played the original board game, but it certainly seems like there could be a market for this one, particularly those in withdrawal from Stray.

Cosy games are definitely a theme at the moment, both in the showcase and in general, and it will be interesting to see where the subgenre goes next. So far we’ve seen plenty with a great vibe to them but gameplay can feel a bit restrictive or minimal at times.