The second annual Annapurna Interactive Showcase has just wrapped up, during which we got a look at a ton of new projects in development, updates, and a handful of upcoming releases from the publisher of Stray, Neon White, Sayonara Wild Hearts, and tons more.
In case you missed the show or want to remind yourself of that cool game you didn’t catch the name of, here’s everything we just saw at the showcase:
From Outerloop Games (Falcon Age), we got a new, deeper look at Thirsty Suitors, an upcoming RPG that mixes elements of dating sims, turn-based battles, and skateboarding mechanics. Play as Jala, a young woman who returns home for her sister’s wedding and is forced to confront and reconcile with her multiple exes, all while managing her family’s expectations and repairing relationships with friends and relatives. Though we didn’t get a release date this time around, we saw quite a bit of gameplay, and there’s a free demo out on Steam now. Thirsty Suitors will release for PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Game Pass.
From the creator of the elegant tree cultivation puzzler Prune, Hindsight got a brand new trailer today with a release date for the first time. Hindsight is a story-focused game going through a woman’s life, from birth to present day, where physical objects can become literal windows into the past. It’s out on August 4 for iOS, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
Cardboard Computer made an appearance at the showcase to reveal that following their near-decade-long work on Kentucky Route Zero, the studio is now working on a brand new project. Though we didn’t see a trailer, we did get a look at the team working on modeling a dog. And the team gave a handful of descriptions of the project, including that it’s the first project where Cardboard Computer is “really focusing on performance as a core part of the piece,” and that it has a “different tempo” from Kentucky Route Zero - it’s “faster” and “hopefully funnier.”
It might be a while before we get a proper look at whatever this new project is, but if it’s anything remotely like the beautiful, episodic Kentucky Route Zero, it’s sure to be worth watching.
Dinogod Studio revealed the game that it’s been working on at last, called Bounty Star: The Morose Tale of Graveyard Clem. It appears to be an Old West-styled shooter where the main character is a woman who pilots a cool mech, almost Titanfall-esque, and it’s all set to music by Brother Edge. Bounty Star will be out sometime next year for PlayStation, PC via Steam, and Xbox Game Pass.
Texas and Georgia-based studio Yarn Owl popped in for a segment to talk about the studio’s founding, and its drawing inspiration from A Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past. We didn’t get a look at gameplay or any clear details about what the studio’s project is, but we did see some models of cute characters jumping around a world with an adventure, almost Wind Waker-like vibe.
Last year at the Annapurna showcase, Mobius Digital announced (among other things) that Outer Wilds was coming to the Nintendo Switch. That hasn’t happened yet, and Mobius appeared again this year to reassure us that yes, the Switch version is still in the works, though the studio doesn’t have a firm date yet. However, there’s another update with a more concrete release on it: Outer Wilds is getting a 60fps update for Xbox Series X and S and PS5. The update is free, and it lands on September 15.
A montage including The Pathless, Maquette, and Solar Ash played that revealed some new platform releases for all three games. The Pathless is headed to Xbox and Switch this winter, Maquette will be on Game Pass and Switch also this winter, and Solar Ash is headed to Steam and Game Pass on December 6.
Concluding the above montage, we learned that What Remains of Edith Finch is getting a 4k and 60fps upgrade for Xbox Series x and S and PS5. The upgrade is free, and surprise, it’s out now.
German studio Third Shift appeared to talk about its formation, and the creation of its upcoming game Forever Ago. It’s a story-driven road trip adventure about an elderly man who embarks on a journey in his van, traveling across the different landscapes in North America and taking photos as he goes. It’s unknown for now what platforms or when Forever Ago might release.
Flock: Gathering Your Friends was up next, featuring colorful landscapes with cute little bugs and other animals fluttering around. We didn’t see a lot of gameplay, mostly just gorgeous vistas, but it appears to be a game about a person riding a colorful bird, flying around these landscapes and collecting little floaty bug dudes to follow you. It’s coming to Xbox Game Pass, PC via Steam, and PlayStation at a later date.
Hohokum looks like Ynglet and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse had an adorable child, and puts you in the control of a colorful little ribbon guy bouncing around stages, sometimes with a bunch of other colorful friends following you or riding on your back. Okay, it’s a bit hard to explain, and pretty open-ended if you’ve ever played it before. But it’s actually a 2014 game developed by Honeyslug for PlayStation 3, 4, and the Vita, and it’s out now on PC via Steam.
Katamari Damacy and Wattam creator Keita Takahashi is back at it again, this time with a game called Uvula. Yes, the little dangly thing at the back of the throat. No, we have no idea what it’s actually about or what you do in it; all we saw was a cute Takahashi-style character gently snoring away, camera zoomed in on his uvula, and a dog licking his cheek. Looks cute, whatever it is!
The developers of If Found… appeared on the stream to talk about their inspirations wandering through ruins in Ireland, as well as tease their next project. Though we didn’t get a game title or any gameplay, we learned the next game will take place in a fantasy version of Ireland, and all the characters are cats. At the core of the idea is the phrase, “Everything drowned will someday rise from the deep.”
Finally, the show concluded with the reveal of a game from Great Ape Games, called The lost Wild. The Lost Wild appears to be some sort of survival horror game…featuring dinosaurs. Lots and lots of dinosaurs. We get a look at a first-person view of a dense jungle full of dinos, and a scared player character consulting a compass. There seem to be some serious Jurassic Park vibes though, too, as we see sections featuring modern technology, using a flare, lights, a white board, and more. No release date just yet, but you can wishlist now on Steam if you like.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
Continue reading...
In case you missed the show or want to remind yourself of that cool game you didn’t catch the name of, here’s everything we just saw at the showcase:
Thirsty Suitors
From Outerloop Games (Falcon Age), we got a new, deeper look at Thirsty Suitors, an upcoming RPG that mixes elements of dating sims, turn-based battles, and skateboarding mechanics. Play as Jala, a young woman who returns home for her sister’s wedding and is forced to confront and reconcile with her multiple exes, all while managing her family’s expectations and repairing relationships with friends and relatives. Though we didn’t get a release date this time around, we saw quite a bit of gameplay, and there’s a free demo out on Steam now. Thirsty Suitors will release for PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Game Pass.
Hindsight
From the creator of the elegant tree cultivation puzzler Prune, Hindsight got a brand new trailer today with a release date for the first time. Hindsight is a story-focused game going through a woman’s life, from birth to present day, where physical objects can become literal windows into the past. It’s out on August 4 for iOS, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
A New Project from the Creators of Kentucky Route Zero
Cardboard Computer made an appearance at the showcase to reveal that following their near-decade-long work on Kentucky Route Zero, the studio is now working on a brand new project. Though we didn’t see a trailer, we did get a look at the team working on modeling a dog. And the team gave a handful of descriptions of the project, including that it’s the first project where Cardboard Computer is “really focusing on performance as a core part of the piece,” and that it has a “different tempo” from Kentucky Route Zero - it’s “faster” and “hopefully funnier.”
It might be a while before we get a proper look at whatever this new project is, but if it’s anything remotely like the beautiful, episodic Kentucky Route Zero, it’s sure to be worth watching.
Bounty Star: The Morose Tale of Graveyard Clem
Dinogod Studio revealed the game that it’s been working on at last, called Bounty Star: The Morose Tale of Graveyard Clem. It appears to be an Old West-styled shooter where the main character is a woman who pilots a cool mech, almost Titanfall-esque, and it’s all set to music by Brother Edge. Bounty Star will be out sometime next year for PlayStation, PC via Steam, and Xbox Game Pass.
Yarn Owl - Development Update
Texas and Georgia-based studio Yarn Owl popped in for a segment to talk about the studio’s founding, and its drawing inspiration from A Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past. We didn’t get a look at gameplay or any clear details about what the studio’s project is, but we did see some models of cute characters jumping around a world with an adventure, almost Wind Waker-like vibe.
Outer Wilds
Last year at the Annapurna showcase, Mobius Digital announced (among other things) that Outer Wilds was coming to the Nintendo Switch. That hasn’t happened yet, and Mobius appeared again this year to reassure us that yes, the Switch version is still in the works, though the studio doesn’t have a firm date yet. However, there’s another update with a more concrete release on it: Outer Wilds is getting a 60fps update for Xbox Series X and S and PS5. The update is free, and it lands on September 15.
The Pathless, Maquette, and Solar Ash
A montage including The Pathless, Maquette, and Solar Ash played that revealed some new platform releases for all three games. The Pathless is headed to Xbox and Switch this winter, Maquette will be on Game Pass and Switch also this winter, and Solar Ash is headed to Steam and Game Pass on December 6.
What Remains of Edith Finch
Concluding the above montage, we learned that What Remains of Edith Finch is getting a 4k and 60fps upgrade for Xbox Series x and S and PS5. The upgrade is free, and surprise, it’s out now.
Forever Ago
German studio Third Shift appeared to talk about its formation, and the creation of its upcoming game Forever Ago. It’s a story-driven road trip adventure about an elderly man who embarks on a journey in his van, traveling across the different landscapes in North America and taking photos as he goes. It’s unknown for now what platforms or when Forever Ago might release.
Flock: Gather Your Friends
Flock: Gathering Your Friends was up next, featuring colorful landscapes with cute little bugs and other animals fluttering around. We didn’t see a lot of gameplay, mostly just gorgeous vistas, but it appears to be a game about a person riding a colorful bird, flying around these landscapes and collecting little floaty bug dudes to follow you. It’s coming to Xbox Game Pass, PC via Steam, and PlayStation at a later date.
Hohokum
Hohokum looks like Ynglet and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse had an adorable child, and puts you in the control of a colorful little ribbon guy bouncing around stages, sometimes with a bunch of other colorful friends following you or riding on your back. Okay, it’s a bit hard to explain, and pretty open-ended if you’ve ever played it before. But it’s actually a 2014 game developed by Honeyslug for PlayStation 3, 4, and the Vita, and it’s out now on PC via Steam.
Uvula
Katamari Damacy and Wattam creator Keita Takahashi is back at it again, this time with a game called Uvula. Yes, the little dangly thing at the back of the throat. No, we have no idea what it’s actually about or what you do in it; all we saw was a cute Takahashi-style character gently snoring away, camera zoomed in on his uvula, and a dog licking his cheek. Looks cute, whatever it is!
Dreamfeel - Developer Update
The developers of If Found… appeared on the stream to talk about their inspirations wandering through ruins in Ireland, as well as tease their next project. Though we didn’t get a game title or any gameplay, we learned the next game will take place in a fantasy version of Ireland, and all the characters are cats. At the core of the idea is the phrase, “Everything drowned will someday rise from the deep.”
The Lost Wild
Finally, the show concluded with the reveal of a game from Great Ape Games, called The lost Wild. The Lost Wild appears to be some sort of survival horror game…featuring dinosaurs. Lots and lots of dinosaurs. We get a look at a first-person view of a dense jungle full of dinos, and a scared player character consulting a compass. There seem to be some serious Jurassic Park vibes though, too, as we see sections featuring modern technology, using a flare, lights, a white board, and more. No release date just yet, but you can wishlist now on Steam if you like.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
Continue reading...
