Indie games burst onto Nintendo Switch promising adventure, cozy vibes, and curious cat mischief

During a new Indie World presentation, Nintendo showcased a vibrant line-up of games from independent publishing and development partners that will be heading to the Nintendo Switch family of systems throughout 2024. Among the many highlights, the video gave gamers a release date for the anticipated game Little Kitty, Big City, a whimsical adventure that puts players in control of a curious kitten trying to find its way home. Players will get the chance to explore the ruins of a fallen utopia and learn the story of the last human alive in the 3D action-platformer Europa, launching in 2024, and the iconic heroes in a half shell return this summer in roguelike brawler Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, tasked with traveling through time to rescue their kidnapped mentor, Splinter.

The showcase also featured a wide-variety of unique game experiences from the cozy to the cosmic, including the turn-based tactical shooter SteamWorld Heist II, the latest entry in Thunderful’s popular SteamWorld franchise, launching Aug. 8; Cat Quest III, the latest instalment in the adorable action-RPG series, which invites players to set sail across the Purribean in search of mythical treasure, launching on Aug. 8; and Yars Rising, a side-scrolling action-adventure game that continues of one of the classic Atari’s best-known titles, Yars’ Revenge, arriving later this year.

To view the whole Indie World presentation in its entirety, visit https://www.nintendo.com/us/indie-world/showcase/. See below for more detailed information regarding the featured games:

• Little Kitty, Big City from Double Dagger Studio: A peaceful catnap turns into a whimsical journey as you take the role of a curious kitten on an adorable adventure to find your way back home. There’s plenty to do along the way: explore the vibrant city, complete quests, lend a helping paw to other animals in hairy situations, and make friends with chatty strays. You can also wear over 40 delightful hats while causing a total ruckus in a bite-sized open-world playground filled with surprises. Little Kitty, Big Cityreleases on Nintendo Switch on May 9. Pre-orders begin later today in Nintendo eShop.

• Europa from Helder Pinto / Novadust Entertainment and Future Friends Games: On the moon Europa, an android named Zee sets out in search of answers behind the mystery of a fallen civilization. In this 3D action-platformer, use Zee’s Zephyr jetpack to glide, fly and boost across breath-taking landscapes full of lakes, meadows and mountains. Solve puzzles and navigate hidden dangers amongst the ruins as you discover the story of the last human alive. Europa releases on Nintendo Switch later this year. A free demo will be available later today in Nintendo eShop.

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate from Super Evil Megacorp: The heroic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles need to fend off the Foot Clan in their first roguelike adventure, travelling through reality-bending portals to rescue their kidnapped master, Splinter. Every level has the potential to change with randomised power-ups, changing room layouts and boss modifiers. Permanently upgrade and strengthen your Turtle powers by spending in-game currency on ability-enhancing artifacts and use your increased skills to take on more challenging runs. Explore iconic New York City locations solo or jump online* with up to three other players in drop-in/drop-out co-op play. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate jumps onto Nintendo Switch as a timed console exclusive this July.

• SteamWorld Heist II from Thunderful: Get ready for an epic adventure on the high seas in SteamWorld Heist II, the sequel to the critically-acclaimed SteamWorld Heist. All is not well on the waves of SteamWorld – the waters are turning corrosive, eating away at the metal bodies of its robotic denizens. As the captain of a rag-tag crew of Steambots, you’ll lead the way through intense turn-based gunfights, where bullets can ricochet with deadly precision. This time around, there’s a world-map to explore, featuring real-time naval combat against enemy vessels. Also new for this sequel is a job system with in-depth character customisation options – combined with more than 150 weapons, utility items, and ship equipment pieces, you can strategically craft your crew to best fit the mission at hand. Plunge into the adventure when SteamWorld Heist II launches for Nintendo Switch on Aug. 8.

• Cat Quest III from The Gentlebros and Kepler Interactive: In the cute, casual action-RPG Cat Quest III, you’ll play as a swashbuckling feline privateer, sailing the Purribean in search of the North Star– a long lost mythical treasure. But beware! The seas are swarming with Pi-rats, under orders from the Pi-rat-King to hunt you down. Explore a gorgeous new world solo or in local co-op and encounter fierce battles with the newly refined combat system (now featuring weapon swapping and tighter attack combos). And, for the first time in the series, sail the seas and battle in your very own ship. The Purribean is yours to explore when Cat Quest III launches for Nintendo Switch on Aug. 8. Pre-orders begin later today in Nintendo eShop, with a free demo also available.

• Yars Rising from WayForward Technologies and Atari: From Wayforward, the renowned development studio behind Shantae and River City Girls, comes Yars Rising, a side-scrolling action-adventure exploration of one of Atari’s best-known classic titles – Yars’ Revenge. Take control of the young hacker Emi Kimura, who is hired by a mysterious patron to infiltrate the shadowy QoTech corporation. Run, jump, sneak, and hack your way through waves of robotic and alien enemies as you slowly unravel a complex secret shrouded in intrigue. The game also features a series of challenging retro minigames that pay homage to the original Yars’ Revenge. Yars Rising sneaks its way onto Nintendo Switch later this year.

• Sticky Business from Spellgarden Games and Assemble Entertainment: In the cozy business simulation Sticky Business, you run a sticker shop in which you create and ship stickers to customers. There are over 400 design elements to choose from, and you can get upgrades — including effect foils — for even more options. Learn more about each customer’s life as you fulfil their unique requests. Plus, the Plan With Me paid DLC adds ten more customer stories revolving around the theme of journaling, and over 100 more sticker elements. Start your own sticker shop in Sticky Business today, with both the game and DLC** launching as a timed console exclusive on Nintendo Switch ... A bundle containing the game and the DLC will also be available later today!

• Lorelei and the Laser Eyes from Simogo and Annapurna Interactive: In this non-linear puzzle game developed by the team behind Sayonara Wild Hearts, a woman, summoned to participate in a project in an old hotel somewhere in central Europe, becomes embroiled in a game of increasingly nightmarish and surreal illusions. The third-person adventure features over 100 handcrafted puzzles with shifting mechanics and perspectives, each of which leads players closer to deciphering the enigma. Everything is a puzzle in Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, launching first for consoles on Nintendo Switch on May 16.

• stitch. from Lykke Studios: In stitch., create beautiful embroidery patterns by solving puzzles (called Hoops) of varying difficulty and sizes. Complete Hoops in whatever order you’d like – each one offers a relaxing and calming experience, featuring a handy hint feature as well as various accessibility settings. After completing a Hoop, you can play it again in Free Stitch mode. The limited-time Daily Shikaku puzzles offer a challenge and no hints, while weekly Hoops are inspired by real-life events and filled with trivia. stitch. launches as a console exclusive on Nintendo Switch later today.

• ANTONBLAST from Summitsphere: The devil himself has stolen your prized spirit collection, and you’re on a rampage to get it back in ANTONBLAST, a dynamic action-platformer that combines destructive action with gorgeous hand-drawn pixel art. Wielding the Mighty Hammer as Dynamite Anton or the Massive Mace as Dynamite Annie, you’ll lay waste to wacky worlds and go toe-to-toe with brutish bosses. Smash up the scenery to forge your path and find new areas to explore. After reaching the end of each level, a detonator will start ticking down, so you’ve got to rush back to the beginning before everything explodes. Get ready for a destructively good time when ANTONBLAST launches for Nintendo Switch as a timed console exclusive on Nov. 12. A free demo will be available later today in Nintendo eShop.

• Refind Self: The Personality Test Game from Lizardry and PLAYISM: In this exploration-based adventure game, you take on the role of an android, the creation of a now-deceased doctor. There are no right or wrong choices on this journey, and every decision you make reveals a little more about who you are. Travel to places from your memories, interact with other characters, and gradually piece together the future your creator envisioned for you. At the end of your journey, your personality type will be revealed, and with 23 personality types to discover, you can make different choices in each playthrough and see where they lead you. You can even share your results with other players and compare your choices. Find out who you really are when Refind Self: The Personality Test Game launches on Nintendo Switch as a timed console exclusive this summer.

• Valley Peaks from Tub Club and Those Awesome Guys: Valley Peaks is a first-person rock-climbing platformer set in a pastel mountain range, filled with ribbiting villagers. As the new technician assigned to the peaks, explore to your heart’s content, and attempt to overcome seemingly impossible challenges. Between climbs you can chat with the froggy folk and take on small side quests like filling out stamp cards for equipment unlocks. Alternatively, kick back and relax with minigames as you tend to the needs of the valley’s inhabitants. The mountains are calling in Valley Peaks, climbing onto Nintendo Switch this year.

In addition to the featured titles listed above, the presentation included a montage of even more indie games in the pipeline for Nintendo Switch, including:

• ANIMAL WELL, an action-adventure game which challenges players to explore a dense, interconnected labyrinth and attempt to uncover its many secrets, releasing May 9.

• Another Crab’s Treasure, where you play as a hermit crab trying to reclaim your prized shell in an epic treasure hunt across a polluted ocean, launching on April 25

• SCHiM, a 3D platformer that blends elements of light and shadow directly into its gameplay, launching July 18.

• Duck Detective: The Secret Salami, a narrative adventure in which players will need to use their powers of de-duck-tion to inspect evidence, fill in the blanks and quack the case, releasing exclusively on Nintendo Switch May 23.

• BZZZT, a fast-paced platformer with a retro-future feel, releasing summer 2024.

For the latest news and updates about indie games on Nintendo Switch, follow the Indie World X account @IndieWorldNA and check out https://www.nintendo.com/us/indie-world/news/.

Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/.