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All 20 game announcements from Day Of The Devs: The Game Awards EditionMeet your indie wishlist for 2024
Meet your indie wishlist for 2024
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun
TheDay Of The Devsshowcases are always some of the brightest spots in the biannual trailer’thon gauntlets, and this year’s inaugural edition forThe Game Awardsis no exception. There were 20 fresh-faced indie games highlighted in tonight’s 90-odd-minute stream, and cor, there are some right old gems in here, too, with brand-new game announcements from the devs behindGenesis Noir,Kind WordsandTangle Towerto name just a few. We also got more in-depth looks at some of this year’s most intriguing indie games that previously only had an enigmatic teaser snippets attached to them. So come and join us below, where you’ll find a digest of all 20 announcements from this evening’s showcase, as well as the stream in full if you’d prefer to watch it all as it happened.
Day of the Devs + Wholesome Snack (The Game Awards Edition)Watch on YouTube
Day of the Devs + Wholesome Snack (The Game Awards Edition)
You can watch the whole Day Of The Devs stream above (as well as the Wholesome Snack show that follows on straight afterwards). Alternatively, we’ve got all the details on the announcements below, so read on for more!
Immersive sim Militsioner tells us more about its giant policeman
Image credit:Tallboys
There are many routes you can take, but this new trailer reveals you can talk to the giant at any time, and maybe even become his friend if you give him a good enough reason. Some areas will only be off-limits if the policeman’s in a bad mood, too - and the devs say that every character has a “Tamagotchi-like mood system” you’ll be able to manipulate as they follow their individual daily schedules. “It’s basically like a dating sim,” they add - only, err, that you might also end up jail if it all goes terribly wrong. Militsioner still doesn’t have a release date yet, but the devs say they’re “deep into development”. For now, you can find out more onSteam.
Nirvana Noir is the next game from the Genesis Noir devs
Nirvana Noir Reveal TrailerWatch on YouTube
Nirvana Noir Reveal Trailer
Good news, Genesis Noir likers. Feral Cat Den are back with another musical odyssey in the form ofNirvana Noir. Set in a cosmic city where “alleyways dissolve into celestial voids” (isn’t that always the way?), you play a watchmaker living a double life, all set to the raucous jazz tunes of returning composers Skillbard. However, when those two lives collide unexpectedly, you get drawn into a conspiracy that brings your split existence together “in an explosion of colour and crime,” the devs say. I say: yes please and thank you.
It sounds like Nirvana Noir will be more interactive than Genesis was, too, with the devs mentioning “dialogue-based detective work” where you’ll need to read between the lines to uncover the truth and get into the mindsets of different characters. There will also be leads you can follow in your investigation that have more clues hidden inside them as well. It all sounds right up my cosmic alley, if you ask me, and Feral Cat Den say they’ll be launching a crowdfunding campaign to let players “leave their own mark” on the game, too. No release date yet, but you can find out more on Steam and its crowdfundingwebsite.
Thank Goodness You’re Here! still looks great in new trailer
Image credit:Panic
Flock tells us how its creature charming works
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive
Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg’s creature collectathon is very almost here, and this latest trailer finally shows us how its charming system works, and how you’ll go about identifying all the different species you’ll encounter during your journey. As hinted at during myinterview with the devsearlier in the year, the giant bird you ride will need to sing to different creatures in order to charm them and add them to your eponymous flock. You’ll also need to maintain a steady distance between you and your new would-be pal in order to convince them to tag along, but some creatures are trickier to charm than others. Some will actively hide from you, while others can only be found in certain habitats.
Disclosure: Pip Warr, formerly of this parish, is a writer and narrative designer on Flock.
Kind Words 2 (Lofi City Pop) is official!
Kind Words 2 (lofi city pop) - RevealWatch on YouTube
Kind Words 2 (lofi city pop) - Reveal
Well, this is a lovely surprise, isn’t it? Charming letter writing game Kind Words is getting a sequel. As you’ve probably already guessed from the new title,Kind Words 2 (Lofi City Pop)expands the universe of PopCannibal’s cosy note ‘em up to include a whole(some) little town you can explore outside the bounds of your sunlit box bedroom. You’ll still be able to write letters to strangers from your desk at home, but step outside and you’ll find even more distinct areas you can visit to express your hopes and dreams.
Hermit And Pig gets a fun(gi) new gameplay trailer
Image credit:Heavy Lunch Studio LLC
Hermit And Pigwas one ofmy favourite EGX Highlightsthis year, and this latest trailer gives you a pretty good idea why. You play the titular hermit who lives in the woods with his truffle-hunting pig, and this turn-based RPG is all about foraging for mushrooms, fighting the local wildlife who come chasing after you with its fighting game-style attack combos, and maybe helping out some of the strange townspeople who you meet along the way. This new Day Of The Devs trailer gives a great overview of how all that works in practice, and you can find out more about it over onSteam.
I still don’t know what Dome-King Cabbage is, but heck, this is our best glimpse yet
Image credit:Hyper Real
Trippy Metroidvania Ultros gets a February 13th release date
Image credit:Hadoque
We’ve had a few looks at psychedelic MetroidvaniaUltrosalready this year, and this latest trailer confirms that yep, this is absolutely something I would very much like to play. (Turns out, I have, and you can read mymore in-depth thoughts right here). The best piece of news from this new gameplay trailer, however, is confirmation of its release date. Mark your calendars for February 13th, folks, as that’s when Ultros will be hittingSteamand the Epic Games Store.
Loose Leaf is a new witchy tea brewing sim from the makers of Boyfriend Dungeon
Image credit:Kitfox Games
Move overCoffee Talk, it’s time for the world’s tea drinkers to get some much needed love in the increasingly bustling drinks-making visual novel arena. Not too bustling mind, as this latest project from Kitfox Games is very much at the cosy end of the simulator spectrum, giving you a top down view of your semi-circular tea-making station to boil and pour your kettle, steep your (naturally) loose leaf tea, and rustle through your various pots and jars of accompanying treats and flavourings. Kitfox say they’re making “the most in depth tea brewing simulation ever”, and watching the debut trailer, I can believe it. You’ll need to control the temperature, timing and select the ingredients of your tea, before serving it on a beautiful metal tray - so you better watch out for spillages, because this tea will slip and slop all over the shop (and your pots can clack and chnk together if you bash them into one another, too!).
Holstin pulls another neat perspective trick in its latest gameplay trailer
Image credit:Sonka
When wefirst clockedsurvival horror gameHolstina few months back, we were extremely taken with its unsettling pixel art. What looks to be an isometric game at first glance quickly reveals itself to have fully 3D sets with dynamic lighting that casts long, eerie shadows within each environment as you swivel the camera. And in this latest trailer, it pulls another clever perspective trick out of the bag, revealing that when you aim down sights with your pistol, rifle or shotgun, the game zhuumps down to an over-the-shoulder Resi 4 ‘em up, bringing you up close and personal with its collection of cursed horrors and giving you a much greater degree of control over your shots. Yer man Tomasz even has a very Leon Kennedy-esque jacket to complete the picture. Developers Sonka aren’t ready to set a firm release date for Holstin just yet, but while you wait, there are currently two demos you can play onSteamright now, with a third one coming sometime next year.
Music-making roguelite Oddada gets an adorable new trailer
Image credit:Sven Ahlgrimm/Mathilde Hoffmann
Cryptmaster doesn’t want to get typecast in its new trailer
Image credit:Akupara Games
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story announced from The Making Of Karateka team
Image credit:Digital Eclipse
After tellingthe story of Prince Of Persia creator Jordan Mechnerthrough a mix of archive footage, game recreations and specially-compiled interview chats, the team at Digital Eclipse are back with their next interactive documentary project: Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story. Chronicling Minter’s 40-year+ development career through early design documents, vintage photos and all-new video interviews, this looks like yet another must-have for history buffs and arcade enthusiasts alike. It also has 42 Llamasoft games from across eight different platforms you can play directly, including Grid Runner Remastered, and the demo for Attack Of Mutant Camels ‘89, which was produced for the never-released Konix Multi-System. Alas, no release date just yet, but keep your eyes peeled for more info next year.
Fighting game Drag Her! gets a new trailer
Image credit:Fighting Chance Games
One of the highlights from this summer’sXbox Games Showcase Extended stream, fighting game Drag Her! features real-life drag queens who have competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Boulet Brothers Dragula -and in this new Day Of The Devs trailer, we get to see more of them in action. Its 2v2 round robin mode gets a showing, as well as its single player arcade mode. No release date yet, but you can find out more onSteam.
In case you forgot Braid existed, here’s another trailer for its Anniversary Edition
Image credit:Thekla
RememberBraid? Braid’s coming out again next April thanks to its new Anniversary Edition, which comes with shiny new artwork, support for high resolutions, remastered music and sound, and 15 whole hours of developer commentary. Is there more to say about Braid than what’s already been said? Probably not. It’s Braid!The little guy in the suit!
Open Roads is coming out on February 22nd
Image credit:Annapurna Interactive
Open Roadshasn’t had thesmoothest of ridesto release, but now that it’s under new management with the Open Roads Team, this mother-daughter road trip mystery adventure finally has a launch date. Coming toSteamon February 22nd and starring Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever as its central pairing, you’ll be delving into the forgotten family history of Opal and Tess as they seek out the truth about their family’s murky past. As well as navigating tricky conversations, you’ll also be exploring places in first-person, and rooting out clues and secrets that have been lying dormant beneath the surface. Think of this latest trailer is a welcome pitstop while we wait for the full thing.
Racing game Resistor shows off its RPG gameplay trailer
Image credit:PQube
Home Safety Hotline is an extremely cursed Hypnospace-like and I’m 100% here for it
Home Safety Hotline | Gameplay TrailerWatch on YouTube
Home Safety Hotline | Gameplay Trailer
At first, you’ll be dealing with everyday pests and household hazards, such as bats, bed bugs and black mold, but the curiously marked ENTRY INACCESSIBLE options hint at much stranger things lurking in the database. You’ll need to diagnose customer problems accurately or let them “suffer the consequences,” according to developers Night Signal Entertainment, but luckily you can place them on hold for as long as you need. Happily, there are also phobia toggles you can enable that break the database photos of the threats in question, so it should be reasonably approachable, too. There are also cryptic messages to solve, and lost archives to sort through, and yep, I need this game immediately. Luckily, it’s coming toSteamin early 2024.
Janet DeMornay Is A Slumlord (And A Witch) gets a new surreal and spooky gameplay trailer
JDM - Was It My Hat, Andrew? gameplay trailerWatch on YouTube
JDM - Was It My Hat, Andrew? gameplay trailer
Landlords are often scary and mildly haunting creatures at the best of times, but Janet DeMornay fits that description to a tee, being both a literal slumlord and a witch in this first-person horror game. To be honest, her tenants should have known something was up just from the neon ‘Live, Laugh, Lease’ sign visible above her desk, but that’s not even the half of it. As the trailer shows, there are lots of other sinister and surreal things going on in this rented flat, and you’ll need to get to the bottom of it (in your underwear, no less) in order to survive. A big part of the challenge comes from simply navigating the house itself, say developers Fuzzy Ghost, and working out how Janet’s strange collection of mechanical memorabilia can help you solve the flat’s deepest conundrums. It looks suitably spooky, and I can’t wait to find out more when it releases onSteamin 2024.
Tangle Tower sequel The Mermaid’s Tongue announced (and there’s a demo!)
The Mermaid’s Tongue - Teaser Trailer | Demo Out Now | Steam & Consoles | SFB GamesWatch on YouTube
The Mermaid’s Tongue - Teaser Trailer | Demo Out Now | Steam & Consoles | SFB Games
Rounding out this year’s Day Of The Devs: Game Awards Edition showcase is the best news of all. There’s a sequel to Tangle Tower in the works, and there’s a demo you can playright hecking nowover on Steam. The Mermaid’s Tongue picks up the story of Detective Grimoire and his excellent assistant Sally as they attempt to solve the locked room murder of Captain Magnus Mortuga aboard a mysterious submarine. Once again, fingers are being pointed every which way between members of the submarine’s crew, but could the curse of some “vague paranormal entity” also be responsible for the slash across Mortuga’s throat? All will be revealed when The Mermaid’s Tongue comes out in full in 2024, but you can bet your blood-drenched knives I’ll be hoping over toSteamright now to go and play its first look demo. Come on now, off you pop. That murder isn’t going to solve itself, is it?
