Day of the Devs showcase roundup

Despite the Microsoft acquisition, Double Fine continued to host Day of the Devs, an indie showcase that has run around the E3 for the past decade! Since its inception, it has always been an incredibly thoughtful showcase that doesn’t just fixate on the well known indie games, instead choosing to bring the weird and esoteric titles to the forefront. Let’s take a look at all the trailers that were showcased.

Time Flies | Michael Frei & Mario von Rickenbach | 2023 | PC, PlayStation, Switch

Time Flies explores the notion that we’re all going to die, and we only have a limited time on this Earth. It does this from the perspective of a humble fly, as you move throughout a house trying to tick off items from a bucket list. Each time you enter the house, you have a set amount of time based on the average life expectancy of your country, to tick off as many things as possible. A grim concept with a slice of positivity, Time Flies is arriving next year.

Planet of Lana | Wishfully | 2022 | PC, Xbox

Planet of Lana is a cinematic puzzle adventure about the titular Lana as they set out to save their sister from invading robot forces. If you’re a fan of games like Limbo and Inside, but want some color, then this could be the one for you. You can wishlist it now on Steam.

Choo-Choo Charles | Two Star Games | 2022 | PC

Choo-Choo Charles did the rounds last year when content creators latched onto the ridiculous premise of a spider horror train chasing your regular train through an open-world horror game. It’s so silly, in the best way possible. It’s coming to Steam later this year, and you can wishlist it now.

Escape Academy | Coin Crew Games | July 14, 2022 | PC, Xbox, PlayStation

Puzzle gamers will surely enjoy Escape Academy, a first-person giant escape room as players move throughout the facility. It’s launching on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation on July 14, coming to Game Pass on the same day.

A Little to the Left | Max Inferno | 2022 | PC, Switch

A Little to the Left is a chill puzzle game that you arranging and cleaning up items in a house, but you will sometimes find hidden puzzles among seemingly normal items. Find the patterns, clean the clutter, and relax a little with this one arrives on PC and Switch later this year. A demo is out now for those on PC who want to check it out.

Bear and Breakfast | Armor Games Studios | July 28, 2022 | PC, Switch

Ever wanted to just chill in the woods and build a successful bed and breakfast? How about doing that as a bear? Welcome to Bear and Breakfast, a laid-back management game about a bear trying to live their best life while also uncovering the mysteries of the forest. It’s out on July 28, and you can wishlist it now on Steam.

Animal Well | Shared Memories | PS5, PC

Animal Well is an unsettling pixel-art Metroidvania that has you running around dark passages filled with dangerous animals, and cryptic secrets all under the soft glow of candlelight. Much like Noita, Animal Well features some truly impressive fluid simulation and dynamic lighting, that immediately makes it visually striking. No release date on this one, but it’s coming to the PS5 and PC.

Naiad | HiWarp | Q3, 2022 | PC, PlayStation

Naiad is a minimalist expoloration adventure about making friends as a water creature swimming in a river. As the game progresses the destruction of humanity becomes more apparent, so to restore the life of the water you must sing. Sounds delightful! Naiad is coming to Steam and PlayStation consoles later this year.

Roots of Pacha | Soda Den | 2022 | PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch

Roots of Pacha takes the mechanics of Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon but sets you in the Stone Age. Exploring your surroundings won’t just expose you to new resources, but you will learn new methods that shaped our very existence, like tools and irrigation. If that sounds like your jam, there’s a demo currently live on Steam.

Desta: The Memories Between | ustwo games | PC+

ustwo games, the studio behind Monument Valley, and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure showcased their upcoming game, Desta: The Memories Between. The game tackles loss, finding yourself, courage, and reawakening, as you fill the shoes of Desta who has returned home after the death of their father. Their relationships with people at home have soured, and by using ta magical ball, they can visit an in-between world where they can find the right words to say in order to heal their connections. No date was given, and it was said that it’s coming to PC and unnamed platforms, so stay tuned.

SCHiM | Ewoud van der Werf | PC

SCHiM is a strange platforming puzzle game where you play as a funny little creature that can only move around the world by hopping between the shadows. Delightful music, and I really like saying “SCHiM”, it has a good mouthfeel. No release date, but this one is coming to PC.

Fox and Frog Travelers: The Demon of Adashino Island | Rias | PC, Switch

Japanese-developer Fox and Frog Travelers: The Demon of Adashino Island looks to be a crazy adventure of a girl and her frog companion evading shadow monsters across a Japanese-inspired island. There’s no release date for this one, and it is apparently still a few years off.

Goodbye World | Yo Fujii | 2022 | PC

This one hit me right in the feels. Goodbye World tells the story of two indie game creators, and explores the struggles of game creation, and why developers follow their passion to make games. It’s got a classic style that just looks incredible, and I can’t wait to check it out when it arrives on Steam later this year.

Birth | Madison Karrh | August 2022 | PC

Birth from solo developer Madison Karrh is about loneliness living in the big city. To deal with this loneliness you will explore the city finding items like bones, and organs, all for the ultimate objective: to create a friend! You’ll need to solve puzzles to get to know the city and the people around you, and it takes a very hands-off approach allowing you to explore on your own. It’s coming to PC this August, and you can wishlist it today.

How to Say Goodbye | Florian Veltman, Baptiste Portefaix | 2022 | PC

How to Say Goodbye is a surreal puzzle game about ghosts wandering in the afterlife, trying to accept their fate and to break through to the other side. It has a gorgeous surreal storybook art style, and allows the player to manipulate their environment by sliding tiles to solve puzzles. It will be coming to Steam later this year.

That was the Day of the Devs showcase. Lots of great indie games on display, full of creativity and promise. Make sure you wishlist the ones that take your fancy on Steam to support the developers.