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Nintendo is bringing another huge wave of indie games to the Switch

Nintendo is bringing another huge wave of indie games to the Switch

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Neo Cab, Overland, Blaster Master Zero 2, and a lot more

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Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

At GDC today, Nintendo announced another huge slate of indie games that are coming to the Switch. It’s becoming something of a theme lately. Since its launch, the Switch has steadily become a platform of choice for independent developers, and Nintendo has regular indie-specific showcases to announce new waves of titles.

Today’s announcement included a number of big names, like Cuphead and the surprise Zelda spinoff Cadence of Hyrule, as well as a handful of other surprises, some of which are launching today. Here are all of the announcements you may have missed.

  • Cuphead: The hit Xbox One and PC game with its distinct 1930s animation style is coming to the Switch, launching on April 18th. It even looks like support for Xbox Live is in the works on Nintendo’s platform.
  • Overland: A turn-based strategy game about surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, Overland is already available on PC in early access, but the full version is coming to the Switch in the fall.
  • My Friend Pedro: A high-flying action game that stars a sentient banana, My Friend Pedro will be a console exclusive for the Switch (it’s also coming to PC), and it’s expected out in June.
  • Neo Cab: Described as an “emotional survival game” about ride-share drivers in a cyberpunk future, Neo Cab is coming to the Switch in the summer.
  • The Red Lantern: The debut game from new studio Timberline, The Red Lantern is a story-driven survival game in which you guide a team of sled dogs through a harsh wilderness. You’ll train the dogs, hunt for food, and heal your pups, all while avoiding dangers like hungry bears. It’ll be out later this year.
  • Dark Wood: This survival horror game debuted on Steam back in 2017, and it’s bringing its particular blend of unsettling procedurally generated action to the Switch in May.
  • Katana Zero: It’s a side-scrolling action game with a 16-bit aesthetic and a hero who can manipulate time. More importantly, at the end of each level, you relax with a cup of tea and then talk to your therapist about all of the bad guys you just killed. Katana Zero will be out on April 18th.
  • Rad: Double Fine, the studio behind Psychonauts and Broken Age, returns with another weird one. Rad is a top-down action game where you upgrade your character through mutations like wooden legs or... laying eggs to produce tiny clones. It’s all very strange, and it’s launching in the summer.
  • Creature in the Well: This gorgeous action game blends elements of adventure games and pinball, and it takes place in a mysterious desert fantasy world that’s filled with all kinds of ruins just waiting to be explored. Expect to see it on the Switch this summer.
  • Blood Roots: Another summer launch, this goofy action game lets you use pretty much anything in your environment as a weapon, turning an otherwise straightforward experience into straight-up mayhem.
  • Pine: This fantasy RPG has something of a Zelda vibe, but instead of Hyrule, you’re thrust into a fantasy realm filled with different animal factions, so you’ll be fighting warrior wolves and crocodiles. It’s launching in mid-2019.
  • Vlambeer: The revered indie studio is coming to the Switch in a big way. The classic arcade game Super Crate Box is launching in April, while the post-apocalyptic action title Nuclear Throne is out today. Meanwhile, Vlambeer is also creating a new collection of arcade-style games called, appropriately, Vlambeer Arcade. Interestingly, it’ll launch with one game when it debuts later this year — a sci-fi shooter called Ultra Bugs — with more titles added over time.
  • Swimsanity: It’s an underwater-themed arcade shooter with a big focus on co-op and competitive action. It’ll be out this summer on Switch, and it’s also coming to the PC this year.
  • Blaster Master Zero 2: In 2017, Inti Creates brought back the classic Blaster Master series, and now, that revival is getting a sequel. Even better, it’s out today.
  • Stranger Things 3: The retro-style Stranger Things tie-in continues with a new game that follows the story of the new season. It has co-op play, 12 playable characters, and it’s launching on July 4th — the same day that season 3 debuts on Netflix.
  • Cadence of Hyrule: The biggest surprise of the event was Cadence of Hyrule, a new Zelda spinoff from the studio behind the cult hit Crypt of the Necrodancer. It’s out in the spring.