Summer Game Fest: every indie game shown at Day Of The Devs

The first day of announcements from Summer Game Fest kicked things off with a bang thanks to the likes of Elden Ring. But, aside from major releases, it also took the time to highlight a number of indie games during the Day Of The Devs segment.

As a reminder, Day Of The Devs is a showcase that allows indie developers to show off their upcoming releases, that might otherwise be overlooked.

18 games in total were demonstrated throughout the livestream and we’ve compiled them all below in alphabetical order, with some brief descriptions of what they’re about.

A Musical Story Studio

From French studio Glee-Cheese Studio, A Musical Story is, unsurprisingly, a rhythm game that has you explore the memories of musician Gabriel, all set to a 70s backdrop.

Unlike most rhythm games, there are no prompts to tell you when to time your button presses. You instead must rely on your listening skills and the ‘feel’ of the music. It releases in October.

Axiom Verge 2

One of the more high profile titles, Axiom Verge 2 is the long-awaited sequel to the 2015 Metroid-inspired original, which was lauded for being developed by just one person.

It received a new trailer showing off the main character’s combat abilities in action and a boss fight, as well as confirmation that it’s possible to complete the game without defeating a single boss.

Behind The Frame

A story driven puzzle game, Behind The Frame boasts an anime aesthetic that feels reminiscent of a Studio Ghibli film. It puts you in control of an aspiring painter struggling to become a professional.

You’ll solve puzzles within the confines of her apartment, get opportunities to do some painting yourself of course, and form a connection with her next door neighbour.

Death’s Door

The first of publisher Devolver Digital’s offerings, Death’s Door is a top-down fantasy action adventure being developed by Acid Nerve, a two-person team based in Manchester.

You play as a crow whose job it is to reap the souls of the dead. When one of your assigned souls is stolen, you must chase after the thief to another realm and use melee weapons, arrows, and magic to fight off the enemies you encounter. It will release this summer.

Demolition Robots K.K.

Elec Head Summer Game Fest Day of the Devs — (Pic: asobu)

From the same studio that brought you Wargroove, Bunnyhug Studios is trading tactical warfare for fishing with its newest game Moonglow Bay. Described as a relaxing fishing role-playing game, it’s up to you, as your town’s sole fisherman, to keep your business afloat and avoid bankruptcy.

It will release later this year for both Steam and the Epic Games Store and is already slated to arrive on Xbox Game Pass for PC.

Phantom Abyss

Devolver’s second game of the showcase, Phantom Abyss is being developed by Team WIBY and has you explore temples as an Indiana Jones type to loot them for treasure.

However, if you die, you can never visit that temple again. Your ghost, however, is left behind to show other players what route you took. All this means only one player can ever complete each temple. It’ll release in early access on Steam this month.

Road 96

This was announced during one of Nintendo’s indie presentations, but a new trailer shows more of the game in action, including a rather tense scene with a cab driver.

The game’s main hook is that it’s a procedurally generated narrative adventure, where the actions you take, the people you meet, and the consequences of your actions determine how the story ends. It releases later this year.

Soup Pot

A cooking simulator, Soup Pot teaches actual recipes which you can replicate in real life. More than 100 different recipes can be created, either by following the instructions to a tee or by experimenting.

This is definitely one of the more relaxing games of the showcase, with developer Chikon Club insisting that the game is a welcoming place and there’s no need to worry about failure. It releases in August.

The Wandering Village

A city builder set on top of the back of a giant creature, your goal is to not only cultivate a healthy city for its residents to live in, but to also nurture a relationship with the creature itself.

You’ll want to ensure that you and the creature get along, as your choices in how you build your city will affect its mood, which in turn can affect the city. It releases on Steam Early Access later this year.

TOEM

The debut game from studio Something We Made, TOEM is an adventure puzzle game where you play as an intrepid photographer searching for the titular TOEM.

Featuring hand drawn visuals, you’ll also aid the people you encounter with your photography skills. It releases later this year.

Unbeatable

The second rhythm game of the showcase, Unbeatable takes place in a world where music is illegal. Naturally, your goal is to find a way to pursue your band’s goals without being caught by the cops.

Features include 90s anime inspired visuals, an original soundtrack by anime rock band Peak Divide, and a suite of accessibility options so those unfamiliar with the genre can ease their way in and enjoy the story.

Vokabulantis

There have been a wide variety of different art styles so far, but Vokabulantis stands out for featuring stop-motion animation. A co-op puzzle game (although it does have a single-player option) inspired by the likes of Unravel and Little Nightmares, it sees two kids with no mouths go on a adventure to find out how they can confess their love for each other.

Studio Kong Orange hasn’t stated exactly which platforms it will release for, but it is aiming for all major platforms, so expect both a console and PC release in 2024.