The August 18 Nintendo Indie World presentation was one of the best yet, and unlike most reveal streams, it included several games that you can play right now. Big hitters like Subnautica and Hades are coming to Switch in the months ahead, but you can play these six games later today.
Raji: An Ancient Epic
Raji: An Ancient Epic is a third-person action game starring Raji, who developer Nodding Heads Games describes as "a young girl chosen by the gods [who] will stand against the demonic invasion into the human realm." It looks and sounds like a gorgeous depiction of Hindu mythology, and combat is seemingly no slouch, either. Raji is out on Switch today as a timed console exclusive, and it's coming to PC later this year.
Spiritfarer
Spiritfarer is an eclectic and emotional journey toward, through, and around the afterlife. It's part ship builder, part 2D platformer, part crafting game, part life sim, and plenty more. Everything's held together by a simple goal: befriend spirit friends and carry them to the afterlife so they can move on in peace. We've never seen anything quite like Spiritfarer, and you can learn more about its rewarding, heartfelt experience here. Spiritfarer is out now on Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
A Short Hike
Originally released on PC in 2019, A Short Hike is a freewheeling adventure game about a bird on a journey to a mountain's summit. The journey is more important than the destination, and it can be as meandering or straightforward as you like. You can stop to fish, put around looking for secrets, talk to other cute little animals, or fly straight as an arrow to reach your goal. No matter how you play it, A Short Hike is a true delight.
Takeshi and Hiroshi
Takeshi and Hiroshi is an impeccably animated RPG about two brothers. Takeshi is a teenage game designer building a game that his sickly brother Hiroshi can play, and due to time constraints, he often winds up assuming the role of the AI while Hiroshi plays. "It is Takeshi's goal to make Hiroshi really enjoy his game, let him meet big challenges, but preferably to prevent him from losing," developer Oink Games says. "He has to choose which monsters shall appear when and struggles more and more as the challenge for him as a game creator becomes increasingly difficult." Takeshi and Hiroshi is now available on Switch, and it's also on Apple Arcade.
Manifold Garden
Puzzle games don't get much trippier than Manifold Garden, a first-person adventure through refracted time and space. It's a game about bending the laws of physics, so of course it's gonna get weird. With striking visuals, soothing music, and sumptuous puzzles, Manifold Garden looks positively lovely. It's out on Switch, PS4, and Xbox One today, and it's coming to PC this October.
Evergate
Evergate is a 2D puzzle-platformer about Ki, a young soul traveling through the memories of two kindred spirits. Levels are built around the Soulflame, which Ki can use to activate crystals with different effects. It looks like you'll encounter a huge variety of crystals in your trip through the afterlife, to say nothing of Evergate's supernatural hazards.
Bonus: Hypnospace Outlaw demo
The full game isn't due until August 27, but you can play the demo for Hypnospace Outlaw on Switch right now. Think of it as a puzzle game set in an alternate 1999 version of the internet, complete with massive windows and weird software. It's also something of a point-and-click adventure, and it's decidedly retro, and… look, it wasn't easy to describe when it came out on PC last year, and it hasn't gotten any easier. There's nothing else quite like it, so go play it for yourself.
