Nintendo Indie stream brings Ooblets, a crab Soulslike, more

By DeAngelo Epps May 11, 2022

Today Nintendo hosted another Indie World Showcase featuring games and developers from around the globe. The stream included the release window of Ooblets on the Nintendo Switch, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator, a Soulslike starring a crab, and even some surprise games that launch today.

Ooblets opened the show, and it was the most significant announcement of the show. This cozy farming and creature collecting simulator went into early access on Xbox and Epic Games two years ago and now it’s finally hitting the Nintendo Switch. While it’s not clear if the game is coming out of early access at that time, the game coming to a portable platform where it’s sure to find a fitting audience is a huge deal, especially with many pining for a Switch release for so long. Thankfully, they won’t have to wait long as it’s set to launch this summer.

TABS (Totally Accurate Battle Simulator) is also coming to the Switch this Summer. In this game, players take control of wobbly battle units and go to war with enemies that are controlled by the CPU or other players online. It originally released in 2021 on Windows, MacOS, and Xbox. Switch users can expect more bang for their buck than the original releases thanks to the additional content that was added since TABS‘ first release.

Another highlight is the surprise announcement of a new title by Aggro Crab called Another Crab’s Treasure. This is a soulslike where you play as a crab on a quest to get your shell back. Throughout the game, you face different crustaceans and jump from odd shell to shell along the way.

Other notable mentions include the new action platformer Gunbrella, PAX-hit Cult of the Lamb, and SILT. Anticipated indies We Are OFK and Cursed to Golf both got summer release windows as well. A few new releases also surprise launched on Switch today including Elechead, Soundfall, Gibbon: Beyond The Trees, and Opus.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

De'Angelo Epps is a gaming writer passionate about the culture, communities, and industry surrounding gaming. His work ranges…

Gaming

Indie World Showcase November 2023: How to watch and what to expect

Key art for the November 2023 Indie World.

Nintendo is not done with video game showcases this year just yet. In the wake of a Nintendo Direct in September and ahead of The Game Awards in December, Nintendo will hold another Indie World Showcase to highlight several independent games coming to the Nintendo Switch soon. If you plan on tuning into the event live, we've rounded up all the information you need to know about it beforehand.

When is the November 2023 Indie World Showcase
Nintendo confirmed that the next Indie World Showcase will begin at 9 a.m. PT on Tuesday, November 14. Nintendo says the presentation will only take about 20 minutes, so you'll only need to take a little bit of time out of your morning to watch it.
How to watch the November 2023 Indie World Showcase
Indie World Showcase 11.14.2023 - Nintendo Switch
Like most Nintendo presentations, the company will livestream this new Indie World Showcase across its official YouTube and Twitch channels. We've embedded the YouTube version of the showcase above so you can tune into the whole presentation right from this page.
What to expect from the November 2023 Indie World Showcase
The official announcement tweet and press release for November 2023's Indie World Showcase simply states that it will feature "new announcements and updates on indie games coming to Nintendo Switch." In terms of previously featured Indie World games that still aren't out, titles like Animal Well, Rift of the NecroDancer, and Pepper Grinder come to mind.
There are also plenty of memes on social media about Hollow Knight: Silksong showing up during the event; it's a game people have wanted to see in one of these showcases for years, but it has never shown up. Ultimately, Indie World Showcases are tough to predict because they are typically curated roundups of intriguing indie games that most people don't know about. You'll have a better time watching November 2023's Indie World Showcase if you go in with low expectations and just look forward to seeing some impressive indies you weren't aware of before.

Gaming

Another Crab’s Treasure is the SpongeBob Soulslike I didn’t know I wanted

The crab holds an item in Another Crab's Treasure.

If you're on gaming Twitter, you've probably heard of Another Crab's Treasure. This indie game immediately gained a lot of attention after a May 2022 Indie Showcase because of its hilarious Soulslike-starring-a-crab premise. Aptly named developer Aggro Crab quickly capitalized on that and now has one of the most consistently funny gaming Twitter accounts out there as it promotes Another Crab's Treasure. Still, when developers are that loud and boastful about a game on social media, it needs to live up to the expectations that have been set. All the jokes mean nothing and will feel like a distraction if the game isn't good. Thankfully, Another Crab's Treasure lived up to my expectations when I played it at Summer Game Fest Play Days.

During my half-hour demo, I was able to platform and fight through a preview build-exclusive level and fight two bosses. During that time, it lived up to the Soulslike moniker with tough, fast-paced fights, which are only emboldened by Another Crab's Treasure's unique shell mechanic and moveset that feels like it could work in a more traditional 3D platformer. On top of that, it features a colorful and cute aesthetic that makes it feel like the more masochistic cousin of this year's SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.
Se(a)kiro
As soon as I hopped into this preview build of the game at Summer Game Fest Play Days, I was able to get a feel for Another Crab's Treasure's controls. It actually feels a bit like a traditional 3D platformer like The Cosmic Shake, which is similarly set underwater, as players can jump, climb, run, roll, and swim-glide around. The level was designed like with platforming challenges in mind too, so fans of 3D platformers may want to check this out. As soon as you get into a fight, you'll be quickly reminded that Another Crab's Treasure is inspired by FromSoftware's games, namely Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Controls are similar to FromSoftware's game, and the pace of fights is fast, like Sekiro or Bloodborne. The game really encourages blocking and parrying, like Sekiro, which plays into the game's unique shell feature. Scattered around the levels and arenas of Another Crab's Treasure, I found lots of trash that I could equip and use as a shell. This not only allows me to take more hits while blocking, but comes with unique special abilities. A soda can let me shoot bubbles at my enemies, while I could eat a piece of sushi I used as a shell to restore health.

Gaming

It’s the last day of Nintendo’s April Indie Sale — don’t miss these 7 great games

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Nintendo just hosted an Indie World showcase and previewed some exciting indie games like Rift of the Necrodancer, Blasphemous 2, and Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals. While the Nintendo Switch has always been a first-party, AAA-title machine, it's also become an indie powerhouse over the years and is home to some of the best small games on the market. To celebrate its stream, Nintendo just launched a weeklong sale on some of its top indie titles, including all-time greats like Celeste and Hades.

The sale kicked off on April 19 and runs until April 26 at midnight PT. While you have a good week to browse, here are seven excellent deals that you'll want to take advantage of before time's up.
Celeste -- $5 (75% off)