Annapurna Interactive, the video game publisher known for releasing indie hits like Stray, just hosted its annual Annapurna Interactive Showcase. The live stream features 30 minutes’ worth of announcements, including updates on previously revealed games and a few major surprises. The biggest news to come out of the show is that Annapurna is creating its first-ever internally developed game, which happens to be a new Blade Runner video game.
That wasn’t all, though. The packed show highlighted several exciting indies that are coming later this year and in 2024 and gave us release dates for anticipated titles like Cocoon and Thirsty Suitors. It’s worth watching if you missed it, but here’s everything that got announced during this year’s showcase.
Annapurna is making a Blade Runner game
Annapurna Interactive has strictly been a publisher during its lifespan, but it’s branching out to develop its first internal project — and it’s a big one. The studio is making a new Blade Runner game, which got a surprise reveal at the end of the showcase. Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth got a reveal trailer showing off its cyberpunk noir setting. However, details are very scarce aside from the title. We don’t know when it’s coming or what kind of game it is. Still, it’s an exciting development for Annapurna as it moves into internal game creation.
Cocoon and Thirsty Suitors get release dates
This fall just got a lot busier. Two high-profile indie games got their release dates at today’s showcase, following a strong showing at Summer Game Fest Play Days earlier this month. Cocoon, which won Most Anticipated Indie and our own Game of the Show award, will launch on September 29. Later this fall, Tribeca Fest winner Thirsty Suitors is set to launch on November 2. Considering the buzz around both titles, those release dates are making a crowded fall even more exciting.
To a T gets a delightfully weird debut
Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi is once again teaming up with Annapurna for what might be his silliest project yet. To a T is a game chronicling the struggles of a child who is shaped like a T. That’s right — it’s a game about a character locked in a T-pose. We’re not really sure what its actual gameplay is yet, but the trailer did feature a hysterical theme song detailing the child’s predicament. The project is set to launch on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Stray is coming to Xbox
After a year of PS5 exclusivity, Stray is finally making the jump to Xbox. The award-winning cat game is coming to Xbox on August 10. A Game Pass release wasn’t mentioned in the reveal, but Annapurna is no stranger to launching games on the service. Last year’s showcase revealed that games like Maquette were coming to the service, so there’s a good chance Stray follows suit.
Ghost Bike is an afterlife cycling adventure
There were plenty of new game reveals during the show, but Ghost Bike especially stood out. Developed by Messhof, Ghost Bike is a stylish biking game about a character riding a bike to the afterlife and beating ghosts in races and other challenges. While it doesn’t have a firm release date yet, Ghost Bike is currently planned for a 2024 release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Lushfoil Photography Sim is exactly what it sounds like
If you love photography, you’ll want to know about Lushfoil Photography Simulator. Announced during the showcase, the project is a realistic photography sim created by developer Matt Newell. Its debut trailer showed exactly what to expect, as an in-game camera floated around detailed environments and snapped photos. A press release for the game notes that there are hidden secrets in the world, so it seems like there’s a bit more to it than freeform photography. The project doesn’t currently have a release date, but it’s targeting a launch on unspecified consoles and PC.
Everything else
- Lorelei and the Laser Eyes got a cryptic trailer that implied it might be some form of puzzle game.
- We got a dev diary on Marumittu Games, which is working on a sci-fi project.
- We saw gameplay footage of Flock, detailing its multiplayer bird-catching system.
- We Kill Monsters was highlighted in a dev diary about studio Glass Revolver.
- Mundaun is getting a native PS5 and Xbox Series X/S update.
- We got a closer look at Bounty Star, showing off its cooking, crafting, and mech building.
- Storyteller is getting an update on September 26 and it’s coming to mobile via Netflix.
