Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest has come around once again. During the kickoff live stream, major up-and-coming titles of the gaming industry such as The Last of Us: Part 1, Goat Simulator 3, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and One Piece Odyssey appeared to feature exciting gameplay, trailers, and commentary. Amidst these AAA titles, an abundance of indie games from smaller developers and teams also arrived during what marked the tenth year of Day of the Devs.
From familiar studios and new, fifteen indie games were announced during the stream. Ranging from nightmare-fueling horror games to comfy puzzle games, 2022's Day of the Devs delivered a wide selection curated by iam8bit and Double Fine that is sure to please gamers of all backgrounds.
Time Flies
People who enjoyed Untitled Goose Game will likely enjoy Michael Frei and Raphael Munoz's Time Flies for its open world and whimsical atmosphere as they roam around as a housefly. Players will attempt to complete the little fly's bucket list before, inevitably, they reach the end of their life. For a fly, life is very short - approximately a minute, though it varies on the region the in-game fly is born within. Completing objectives such as getting drunk or becoming rich is not mandatory for the game, as players can choose to ignore the tasks and simply buzz around exploring. The goal is to "make the best of the time you have" according to the official announcement trailer. Time Flies will be available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and PC in 2023.
Bear and Breakfast
With an adorable trailer from Gummy Cat, Bear and Breakfast is shaping up to be an easy-going management adventure game. With similar elements to the 2021 Little Witch in the Woods, players will run a bed and breakfast as Hank the bear. Here they are tasked with cleaning, entertaining, and keeping their guests from getting too hungry, which earns the player cash based on their performance. As the business evolves, the forest beyond the B&B does as well and players will be able to explore the mysteries of the Wilderness in their downtime. Bear and Breakfast will be released for PC and Nintendo Switch on July 28, 2022.
Planet of Lana
Described as a fusion between The Last Guardian and Limbo, the hand-painted puzzle adventure game Planet of Lana appeared with a brand-new trailer and breakdown from the developers at Wishfully. With a stunning soundtrack from Takeshi Furukawa and vibrant visuals, the game certainly garnered plenty of attention from indie lovers. Playing as the tenacious Lana, gamers will be able to explore a "planet that used to be a place of undisturbed balance between human, nature, and animal" while befriending an alien cat-like life-form named Mui. Planet of Lana will be available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S later this year.
SCHiM
In this sophisticated 3D action platformer, players get to run around as the titular character, Schim, a little blob creature who travels by leaping from shadow to shadow. In a game developed by Ewoud Van Der Werf, Schim's objective is to find the human being to whom he belongs. Playing with elements of light and animation, SCHiM is high on the list for many who want to experience a challenging yet lively environment while also being color-blind friendly. SCHiM has no official release date thus far but will be available for PC.
Naiad
Developed by the Spanish indie company HiWarp, this game will allow players to progress through sixteen locations at their own pace while playing as a water nymph who has the ability to talk to ducks, butterflies, turtles, and rabbits. Players will also be able to help animals make it past fallen logs and other obstacles while listening to a talking cloud that acts as a guide on their journey.
Putting an end to pollution of the riverbank and restoring color to nature is a prominent theme in Naiad. People will be able to collect vitality from the leaves and flowers that land in the water, which will cause the nymph's hair to grow and in turn, she'll be able to sing to the animals and plants, which helps them to flourish and grow. Naiad will be available during Q3 of this year, as it launches on PC, PS4, and PS5.
How to Say Goodbye
This narrative puzzle game from developers Florian Veltman, Baptiste Portefaix, and ARTE France was inspired by illustrated children's books. Players will have to move elements of decor and characters around in order to help a ghost, who has recently died and is trying to accept their death. It seems this game will evoke an emotional reaction from its players, potentially similar to the heart-wrenching This War of Mine. With the ghost being urged to move out of the space between life and death and accompanied by new friends and a mysterious wizard, players will have to push past evil spirits that try to trap them. How to Say Goodbye will be available sometime in 2022 for PC.
Roots of Pacha
Soda Den's co-op farming simulator Roots of Pacha might remind some people of Eric Barone's popular Stardew Valley, except it's set in the Stone Age. This twist allows players to uncover the fundamental agricultural tricks of their ancestors while creating tools, befriending animals, and growing their villages. Freedom to roam and customize will be an important aspect of the game, as well as building relationships with villagers in order to create a strong community. In addition, mini-games will provide insight into the spiritual side of Roots of Pacha, which will be available in 2022 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Fox and Frog Travelers: The Demon of Adashino Island
A 3D action game, inspired by Japanese mythology, not much else is known about Fox and Frog Travelers: The Demon of Adashino Island. Players will get to explore Adashino Island as Fox and Frog; the two must evade a mysterious something that is lurking in the shadows and journey through the night. The game will be available in English, Japanese, and other languages. It releases in a few years for Nintendo Switch and PC.
Escape Academy
Coin Crew Games, a team of physical escape room designers, has been working tirelessly on Escape Academy to create a riveting experience of stimulating puzzles. Players will enroll as a student in an academy where they must become escape room experts. The game can be enjoyed solo or with a friend. Escape Academy will be released on July 14th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Desta: The Memories Between
This turn-based strategy game will focus on reliving memories, rediscovering friendships, and repairing relationships. The developer of Monument Valley and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, ustwo games, cites this game as the story of a non-binary protagonist who is returning home after having become estranged from their previous relationships. The game will use a ball game to reveal puzzles while teaching lessons of reconciliation and regret.
Fans who enjoyed Hades or Inception will likely find Desta: The Memories Between to be satisfying in terms of in-game mechanics and strategy. It was described by ustwo games as "the deepest, most ambitious and the most replayable title" from their company yet. The game is in development for mobile in collaboration with Netflix.
A Little to the Left
From Max Inferno comes a cute and calming puzzle game dubbed A Little to the Left, with similar themes to Unpacking. Players must sort and stack household items into aesthetic arrangements while keeping one eye open for the household's mischievous cat. According to Steam, there will be "75+ satisfying messes to tidy" which are inspired by real-life events from the developer's own lives. A Little to the Left is planned to release in 2022 for PC and Nintendo Switch.
Choo-Choo Charles
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This horror game from solo development studio Two Star Games mixes survival, a train sim, and open-world exploration. Players will have to gather supplies around the map for their train and upgrade it before challenging the evil locomotive, Charles, to a fight. Players will be able to equip their train with a mounted machine gun, but the game will require strategy and survival instincts on top of stockpiling weaponry. Throughout the game, Charles terrorizes the player's home and is known to the locals as a "bloodthirsty train" out to eat the flesh of humans. Choo-Choo Charles is set to release in 2022 for PC.
Goodbye World
In a narrative adventure with pixel art/SNES-style graphics, this story follows two indie game developers. From developer YO FUJII, Players will have the chance to advance through twelve stages of a puzzle platformer while following thirteen chapters of the adventure game's story. The game relies heavily on conversation and is based on the highs and lows of developing an indie game in a corporate world. Goodbye World is expected to be available this year for PC.
Animal Well
For players that enjoy adventuring within mazes, the pixelated old-school MetroidvaniaAnimal Well may be the perfect fix. Players will collect items to manipulate the environment, though the uses of these items can vary and may not function as they expect them to. The developer, Shared Memories, reveals friendly and unfriendly animals and secrets in this puzzle game, as players journey deeper into the labyrinth. Animal Well is in development for PC and PS5.
Birth
This hand-drawn point-and-click puzzler from solo developer Madison Karrh and publisher Wings tells the story of fighting loneliness in a new city, similar to themes in games like Abzu. Players will roam the city in search of spare bones and organs to build a friend to keep them company while overcoming challenges and solving physics-based puzzles. Birth will be released for PC in August this year.
Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland
The final game to showcase during Day of the Devs is the Metroidvania platformer Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland. A sequel to the NES game Little Nemo: The Dream Master, this game is based on Winsor McCay's 1900s comic strip and is inspired by NES platformers. The music is being composed by Anamanaguchi's Peter Berkman along with sound effects from Jonathan Baken. Players will wander around as Nemo, a small child with a desire for adventure, as they enter a dream world full of toys, plushies, and a pocket stuffed with candy. Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland is set to be available in Q4 of 2023 on Nintendo Switch and PC.